Tag Archives: Saddle Road

Pueo on a wire

I used something called dry brush effect, in Photoshop Elements, on this photo and I quite like it. In truth, it’s not a lot different than the original, but the contrasts are better.

The Numbers Game #47

A smokey sky colors the waters of Kawaihae small boat harbor — Late afternoon sun over Kawaihae Small Boat Harbor with smoke in the air.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 168. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A hibiscus tiliaceus at the Golden Ponds of Keawaiki on The Big Island of Hawaii — Hibiscus tiliaceus flowers.

The Numbers Game #37

The SSV Makani Olu sailing off the Kohala coast in Hawaii — The SSV Makani Olu sailing off the Kohala coast.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 158. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Also, seven photos posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.

A Nene at just the right spot in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Colorful lava on the Puna Coast Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Playground equipment in Kapaau Hawaii — Colorful lava on the Puna Coast Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The Numbers Game #14

The shadow of Mauna Kea stretches out above the clouds. — A favorite photo of mine. The shadow of Mauna Kea stretching out over the clouds!

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 135. Captions are on the photos.

You can see more responses here.

Sunrise at Upolu on the Big Island of Hawaii — Sunrise at Upolu. I was looking to capture an eclipse, but got this instead.

This mare and her foal were among several horses in a pasture alongside Old Saddle Road. — A horse and foal in a pasture off Saddle Road.

A metallic skink peeks out from under a lava ledge. — A horse and foal in a pasture off Saddle Road.

Mauna Kea view

A view of Mauna Kea from the Pu’u O’o Trail, the last time I hiked there.

Hawaii Elepaio

The Hawaii Elepaio is a small, endemic bird found only on the island of Hawaii, though it has close relatives on Oahu and Kauai. It’s found mostly in the higher elevation forests on the island. This one was on the Pu’u O’o Trail off Saddle Road, a good spot for seeing these birds, at an elevation of more than 5,000 feet.

The Elepaio is a member of the flycatcher family and feeds on insects it catches on the wing or by probing tree trunks and branches.

Posted for Bird of the Week XLVIII.

Clouds in the Saddle

The Big Island’s weather is greatly influenced by northeast trade winds blowing up against Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa and dumping generous quantities of rain on the wet east side. Not much of this moisture reaches the much drier west side.

On a recent hiking trip to the saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, I saw a visual example of what goes on. Cresting a hill, I saw a bank of cloud rolling in from the east. My hike was somewhere under that cloud. When I got closer to that wall of cloud, I could see it fading as it pushed to the west.

My hike started under gray skies, with some light rain, but on this day, the clouds did not keep building. Instead, they burned off somewhat so that it was dry and quite hot by the time I returned to my car, such is the fickle nature of Big Island weather.

Hawaii Amakihi

A Hawaii Amakihi rests in a tree fern alongside the Pu’u O’o Trail off Saddle Road.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii