Aloha readers,
Another eventful week has passed on Hōlanikū! Perhaps most notably, we welcomed three new faces for about an hour. We were fortunate to host the Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) cruise aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette. While the researchers were conducting their monitoring protocol, we led a three-person terrestrial party for a brief tour of our camp facilities and a rundown of our program objectives. It is always great to interact with our many partners that operate within Papahānaumokuākea, as these partnerships contribute to the overall benefit of the ʻāina. Additionally, this visit allowed us to gain a few supplies and served as a miniature resupply, though we are certainly still very “stocked” on most things. The staff on the Sette was also kind enough to send some Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars to shore, which we welcomed with open arms (and mouths). I think Dwight was most excited about the ice cream, Jordan about some new ping pong balls, and Kayla about the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Poptarts. Naomi sent us some new shirts, which I was excited for, as new island outfit choices are always a treat.
It wouldn’t be a Nick blog without a long, drawn-out section about birds, so here you are! If you’re interested in following along with our Hōlanikū bird sightings, you can check out the eBird hotspot (https://ebird.org/hotspot/L7291453/bird-list), of which I make checklists at least once a day. It’s a great tool that I use to see what I should be expecting during different times of year. Shorebird migration season continues with more kōlea and ʻakekeke arriving. Additionally, we are up to at least three kioea (Bristle-thighed Curlew) on the island. No other new visitors have been observed, but Kayla mentioned that she saw a “brown shorebird” on one of our guzzlers. I’ve been quite vigilant since her report, as I have a gut feeling there is a Ruff hanging about. As summer dwindles and autumn quickly approaches, hundreds of thousands of ducks are preparing to return to their breeding grounds. I suspect a Northern Pintail will certainly show up, maybe accompanied by a wigeon or scaup species. Midway Atoll’s Dr. Jon Plissner recently observed a Garganey (only 50ish miles away), so perhaps we will see the arrival of an Eurasian bird.
Other highlights include the continued musical performances by myself and Jordan, a magical pizza dinner, intense ping pong matchups, sightings of Galapagos sharks, the wayward Nazca Booby continues, Kayla is reading the Twilight series, and Dwight’s new Oreo shipment has arrived with the RAMP cruise.
A hui hou!
Nick
