Tag Archives: Saddle Road

Pu’u O’o trail

A kipuka on the Pu'u O'o trail off Saddle Road on the Big Island of Hawaii.
More recent lava flows have yet to be reclaimed by vegetation. The greenery is a kipuka on the trail with Mauna Kea in the background.
A kipuka on the Pu'u O'o trail off Saddle Road on the Big Island of Hawaii.
When the trail passes though a kipuka it offers shade and abundant bird calls.
A kipuka on the Pu'u O'o trail off Saddle Road on the Big Island of Hawaii.
An older lava flow has been softened by vegetation.

It took me a while to discover the various trails off Saddle Road. That’s because, from the road, they look like they’re mostly lava with some scrubby vegetation, but this is misleading. The kipukas (areas of land where lava has flowed around leaving it relatively untouched) are full of plants and a haven for wildlife including many endemic species. The whole area is an example of the cycle of destruction and regeneration that shapes this island and, indeed, the Earth.

The Pu’u O’o Trail, off of Saddle Road, has nothing to do with Kilauea’s Pu’u O’o vent. It refers to the Pu’u O’o Ranch on Mauna Loa. The trail was used for moving cattle from one grazing area to another.

The trail alternates between crossing lava flows and passing through kipukas. Depending on the age of the flow, it might have a good deal of greenery on it, but more recent flows are stark lava fields. While the open lava flows offer great views of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea (assuming it’s a clear day), the kipukas offer shade and are alive with bird calls, most of which I don’t recognize.

After about 4 miles the trail intersects with the Powerline trail and a loop can be made back to the start, or simply retrace your steps. Bear in mind that if the clouds roll in, which they do on a regular basis, the trail is a good deal harder to follow.

For more information about this, and other hikes on the Big Island, go to bigislandhikes.com.

Game bird guzzler

A game bird guzzler collects water for wild birds
On a recent hike, I came across this contraption. What I liked most about it was its name – Game Bird Guzzler. It’s basically a device for providing a source of water for game birds. The way it works is that when rain hits the roof of this structure, it’s collected in a gutter and piped into the back into the tank. This water is then fed, through the white pipe, into the small basin at the front. There’s a flap in the basin so that when a game bird such as a turkey takes a drink, its head will push the flap and release more water into the basin.

When I was there, I didn’t see any turkeys or other game birds, but my approach prompted great activity and squawking as a good number of assorted finches and African silverbills took to the surrounding trees. They sat there, refusing to return to the water but not leaving either. The area surrounding the guzzler was alive with bird calls in an area otherwise not noticeably populated.

Eventually I gave up waiting for a bird to take a drink and moved on. No doubt, within a few minutes the guzzler was again crowded with small birds.

Hawaiian Upland damselfly

A Hawaiian Upland damselfly (Megalagrion hawaiiense) on the Big Island
The Hawaiian Upland damselfly (Megalagrion hawaiiense) is endemic to the state. Hawaiians called dragonflies pinao and damselflies pinao ‘ula. I’ve never been sure what the difference between the two is but I have learned that, among other things, damselflies tend to be smaller, have eyes on the side of the head that are clearly separate, and can fold their wings behind them.

This one was on the Kaumana Trail off Saddle Road (officially the Daniel K. Inouye Highway) at an elevation just over 5,000 feet.

Pueo on a post

A Pueo, or Hawaiian short-eared owl, sits on a post beside Old Saddle Road on the Big Island.
Thus endeth the first year of this blog, 367 posts so far (I screwed up my scheduling one day). To mark the occasion I thought it would be appropriate to post this pueo on a post, one of my favorite recent photos.

The Pueo, or Hawaiian short-eared owl, is endemic and hunts during daylight hours. Old Saddle Road, on the way from Waimea to Hilo, is a good place to see them since they like the open pasture land that borders the road.

I noticed this one as I was driving home one day, and quickly pulled over. The pueo noted my arrival, but didn’t seem unduly perturbed. Even though I see pueos regularly, I always feel lucky to do so. Ancient Hawaiians regarded the pueo with reverence and I can understand that.