Aloha readers,
Nick here with another bird-filled blog. In case you missed the most recent edition of our Hanohano Hōlanikū video series, we conducted a shorebird survey this week! Super exciting for a bird-lover like me of course! We split up early in the morning and hit the beaches, tallying the five main shorebirds that we encounter: ‘Akekeke/Ruddy Turnstone, ‘Ūlili/Wandering Tattler, Hunakai/Sanderling, Kioea/Bristle-thighed Curlew, Kōlea/Pacific Golden-Plover. As previous blogs have highlighted, many funky species of vagrant birds often find their way to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This season, we’ve observed a Red-necked Stint, Western Sandpiper, Dunlin, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Semipalmated Plover – some normal fall visitors and others a bit more infrequent. Shorebird surveys are of course a great opportunity to find some of these visiting birds. In addition to the big five, we also observed a Black-bellied Plover! Outside the Charadriiformes, we encountered a Makalena / Short-tailed Albatross and a Tufted Duck, which was so special.
We were also able to remove some marine debris that was down at South Point which was great. We’ve removed about 1500 lbs of nets, lines, and other entanglement hazards that have washed ashore in the last month or so. As the albatross continue to return, these nets pose a serious threat for entanglement. Speaking of which, the albatross are back! The Ka’upu / Black-footed Albatross arrived first, followed by the Mōlī / Laysan Albatross. Courtship dancing has begun, with bill-clacking percussion, gentle “moos” of interest, and sweet whistle tones all joining the island-wide orchestra of birdsong. There’s already a Mōlī outside my window that has begun to form some semblance of a nest bowl, though it’s certainly early days in this process.
This was a great week for birds. Friday night was really special, as the sunset & moon conditions provided perfect light to count the Nunulu / Bonin Petrels. My total estimate was just above 33,000. Burrows are being hollowed out, the night sky is blanketed in these curious birds, and I’m hearing more ʻĀkihikēʻehiʻale / Tristram’s Storm-Petrels as well. All day long, the birds of Hōlanikū captivate my attention.
Camp highlights: Kayla made pumpkin bread and chocolate ice cream, Jordan made snickerdoodle cookies and crepes, Delia made blueberry crumble, and I ate it all! We also started to watch Severance – a new tv show for us. Also watched Mamma Mia, which Jordan did not sing along to despite myself, Delia, and Kayla knowing all the ABBA songs! Talk to you soon!