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More reports for this region
To escape cold snowy weather and head for warmer climes where we could also find new birds, my husband Dave and I flew directly from the mainland to the Big Island of Hawaii on November 15 and stayed until November 28, 2002. Mid-November is a good time to go, because the holiday season hasn't started yet so transportation and lodging prices are more reasonable, blossoms are abundant and birds are active. Very few other places on earth combine relatively safe volcano viewing and world travel with superb snorkeling, hiking and birding.
THE BIG ISLAND
Hawaii, nicknamed the Orchid Island and the Volcano Island, is the southeasternmost island in a chain that stretches more than 1,500 miles to the northwest and truly is a Big Island. The youngest and most active geologically, Hawaii is twice as big as all of the other islands put together. Five coalesced shield volcanoes make up the land: Kohala, Hualalai, Mauna Kea, the biggest mountain on earth when measured from the sea floor (31,796 feet), Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The first three are considered dormant if not extinct and the other two are definitely active, continuing the geologic processes that built the chain. Mauna Loa is currently inflating and is expected to erupt again at any time.
Lava has been issuing from the Pu'u 'O'o Vent on Kilauea since 1983, and has added almost 600 acres of land to the island. It's incredibly cool to visit the active lava flow at night in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (NP). You can walk out across still warm lava flows and watch as brand new red hot molten lava splashes into the Pacific Ocean. The vent received its name because it happened to form exactly on one of the Os in 'Hawaii Volcanoes National Park' on a U.S.G.S. topo map. Referred to as 'the O Vent' for the first few years, vulcanologists decided to officially name it after the Hawaii 'O'o, an extinct honeycreeper that once lived nearby.
Hawaii, the Aloha State, is about 2,400 miles from the nearest continent and is the most isolated land in the world. The past rate of population by new species is thought to have been about one every 70,000 years. Adaptive radiation of species in such isolation is truly remarkable. Starting with one ancestral 'finch', the total variety of 50+ honeycreepers that once existed in the islands exhibits some of the most bizarre beak (and tongue) features imaginable and covers almost every adaptation possible. Diversity is even more elaborate here than on the Galapagos Islands, and it's thought that if Charles Darwin had visited Hawaii instead he may not have recognized the similarities and would not have developed his theory of evolution.
LOGISTICS
Transportation
Airfares vary considerably, depending on when you check them. I booked our Hawaii flights directly from Oakland to Kailua-Kona on Aloha Airlines. We minimized luggage to avoid checking anything, and were allowed one small carry on daypack as our personal item and one medium duffel each. Getting through airport security wasn't as involved as we expected, although one of us was searched for almost every flight. We left all sharp objects at home. Visit www.tsa.dot.gov to see what's allowable.
Renting a vehicle is the way to go for local transportation in Hawaii, and car rental prices also vary, depending on type of vehicle and special offers. Memberships in clubs like AAA or Sam's help a little. Most major car companies operate in Kona and Hilo, along with a local one that allows you to drive on the Saddle Road between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Unless you're renting a 4x4 vehicle, travel here is usually forbidden, even though the narrow main road is paved and passable. Gravel roads are also out of bounds.
When renting a car, ask for an extra set of keys or go directly to Wal-Mart and have one made. That will make things easier and possibly cheaper if you lock a set in the car or loose them. Try not to get caught in the evening Kona exit traffic or the morning entrance traffic. Also, be especially careful when walking near or along roads because other people here, like anywhere else, drive like bats out of hell.
Lodging
We used Bed & Breakfasts (B&Bs) exclusively for our stay on the Big Island. Besides offering homier living quarters, prices are more reasonable than at many hotels, starting around $50 double per night, although you can pay $200+ at a B&B. The Hawaii Island B&B Association (HIBBA) lists member B&Bs all over the island that are routinely inspected and meet certain standards. Check out www.stayhawaii.com.
In Volcano, we stayed at My Island B&B Inn and highly recommend it for its warm Aloha ambiance, Hawaiiana and good food. The hosts are locals who know about Hawaii, have written books on it, and can tell you whatever you need to know, from local restaurants, to things to do, to birds to see and where to find them, including in their seven acre botanical garden on the grounds. They also have an extensive library that includes interesting old bird books and up-to-date geology books. www.myislandinnhawaii.com, 808-967-7216.
On the leeward side of the island, we stayed at the Kona Sundown B&B, an unlisted B&B that proved to be both very convenient and very affordable. Rooms were clean and comfortable, and continental breakfasts were placed in room refrigerators during the afternoon so you could eat them whenever you liked. In-house laundry facilities were available. Colorful geckos protected us from bugs. Soktony@aol.com, 808-329-3514.
Meals
Good breakfasts were always included with our lodging, which made things easier and less expensive. We hit the Kona Sack & Save for lunch and drink items and went to Wal-Mart for a $5 cooler for road trips. Old favorites include canned fruit drinks like Hawaiian Sun, macadamia nuts and various fresh fruits, especially papaya with lime. Local coffees are great.
In Volcano there's a lack of any exceptional, affordable dining, but among the choices we liked the Thai Thai Restaurant. We also tried the Lava Rock Cafe with live music and the Kilauea Military Camp cafeteria. Dinners cost about $20 to $30 for two. Another night we bought sandwiches and chips at a grocery for a picnic dinner at the active lava flow. Restaurants close relatively early and aren't always open every night, so check around to make sure you don't go hungry.
Some nights in Kona we opted to eat in our room if we were tired after a long day, but on others we went out for dinner. We tried Oodles of Noodles which wasn't impressive and rather expensive, the Kona Brewing Company for a good pizza and beer, and the Ocean View Inn for local cuisine and moderate prices. Dinners cost us anywhere from $20 to $40+ for two, but you could spend much more.
Local Tours: Hawaii Forest & Trail (HFT)
Certain birds, like the 'Akepa in Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), are easier seen on a tour, as their best habitats are closed to the public and finding one on your own could involve several trips and lots of random luck. This in itself is a very good reason to take a tour. But, there are no guarantees, as all birders know.
Hawaii Forest & Trail in Kailua-Kona offers three guided birding tours plus several others, including visits to Hawaii Volcanoes NP and star gazing on Mauna Kea. On their website you can listen to honeycreeper vocalizations, read natural history essays and check tour descriptions and prices (birding $145, or a break for 2 or 3 tours). Each tour includes a picnic breakfast, lunch, reference books and field equipment in case you forget yours. Tour groups are small, but need a minimum of four participants, so it's good to confirm tours before leaving home to make sure you'll go. www.hawaii-forest.com, 800-464-1993.
HFT birding tours are excellent and highly recommended. Not only do you see and learn about lots of birds, your expert birding guides tell you about the plants, animals, ecology, volcanoes and lava flows, local history and Hawaiian legends. You're also chauffeured on the forbidden Saddle Road and you have permission to go behind locked gates into private intact rainforest habitats. The Hakalau tour offers a chance for all of the prized endemics except Palila, the Rainforest has a better chance for 'Akiapola'au ('Aki), but no Akepas, and the Leeward tour has the Palila. The more common endemics occur on most tours.
EQUIPMENT
My JanSport Newt and Dave's Newt prototype Flying Frog are perfect daypacks for Hawaii. The Newt was designed by birders for birding, and both are amphibious. Translation: they have their own rainflys onboard. I like the Newt's zip-down office compartment and hidden hydro pouch that doubles as my plane ticket stash. www.jansport.com.
We brought old "one way" clothes and high-tech nylon shirts and zip-off pants we could wash out and dry overnight. Long pants were good on forested trails, but legs could be unzipped and vented if it got too hot. www.ExOfficio.com, www.cabelas.com. We wore fleece jackets or vests to take the chill off at higher elevations and always brought rain jackets and sometimes rain pants in case of sudden showers, that luckily didn't happen often. www.thenorthface.com. We also liked our crushable Outdoor Research sun caps with SPF 50 materials. www.orgear.com. In case of mosquitos, I brought my Bug~Out bug suit and Dave bought insect repellant, but we didn't need them. www.bug-out-outdoorwear.com.
For waterbirds and seabirds we took a Bausch & Lomb Elite 70mm 20-60x Rainguard spotting scope, a Velbon/Hakuba KCP-01 window mount and our Velbon carbon fiber Carmagne 630 tripod with PH-263 ball head. With the head removed, this lightweight tripod folds down nicely to onboard luggage length. We only used the scope a few times; it was mostly too windy along the coast. www.bushnell.com, www.hakubausa.com.
For snorkeling we brought our own snorkels and masks, but rented fins for $2/pair from Snorkel Bob in Kona. We bought aqua sox at Wal-Mart, but they don't fit inside all fins. We wore our short wetsuits so we could keep snorkeling in the relatively cool water for as long as we liked. To prevent sunburn we wore nylon biking tights and liberally applied sunblock to any exposed skin.
We field tested Black Diamond headlamps on our night hike to the active lava flow, and discovered that LED lights, like in the tiny new Ion, aren't very good for hiking, but the lightweight halogen lamp on the Gemini was perfect. www.BlackDiamondEquipment.com.
Rite in the Rain notebooks and All-Weather Space Pens are standard items for our birding trips. Even if it doesn't rain much, they're durable, convenient and fun to use. The pens write upside down, through water and over dirt, whether it's cold or hot. Don't leave home without them! www.RiteintheRain.com.
REFERENCES
The Birding Hawaii website, http://www.birdinghawaii.co.uk/WELCOME%20PAGE.htm, is a great source of information. Click on 'Where To Watch Birds', then 'Hawaii' for a good list of some of the island's birding hotspots - of course there are other kinds of hotspots here! Click on Recent Sightings for the equivalent of Hawaii's RBA reports.
For bird checklists, maps and other information on Hakalau NWR go to www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/chekbird/r1/15.htm.
For information on Hawaii Volcanoes NP try www.hawaii.volcanoes.national-park.com.
http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/noframe/t018.htm talks about Hawaii's endemic birds.
Books we used for logistics and information about Hawaii in general include Lonely Planet's Hawaii The Big Island (1st edition, 9/02), literally hot off the press, Moon Publications' Handbook: Big Island of Hawaii (4th edition, 3/01), and AAA's Hawaii TravelBook (2000) and road map. LP and Moon have separate editions on the other islands and the whole state. The maps in the LP book have the most user-friendly formats. www.lonelyplanet.com, www.moon.com.
To find birds we briefly perused Rick Soehren's The Birdwatcher's Guide to Hawaii (1996) and Enjoying Birds in Hawaii (1989) by Douglas Pratt. These offered a few extra clues not included on the Birding Hawaii website, which is pretty comprehensive. Of the two, Enjoying Birds has better details.
To identify birds, we used our old blue copy of the Hawaii Audubon Society's Hawaii's Birds (1984) and Pratt, Bruner and Berrett's A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific (1987). Hawaii's Birds has a newer 1993 edition, but both it and Pratt's Enjoying Birds are currently being revised. Most, but not all birds are illustrated in the Audubon books, but everything is covered in Tropical Pacific, along with more in-depth species accounts. Pratt's A Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Birds (1996) is also fun, but less comprehensive.
We considered chopping the plates from the Tropical Pacific and refastening them together into a smaller booklet for easier use in the field, but they would've been harder to read. Instead we used a standard sized Fieldfare book cover to protect it - it survives in mint condition, and found the pocket-sized Audubon book quite convenient. www.fieldfare.com
Additional good references include Lonely Planet's Diving & Snorkeling Hawaii (1st Edition, 2/00), The Pocket Hawaiian Dictionary by Mary Kawena Pukui and others (1975 and newer), and National Geographic (September 1995), 'Hawaii's Vanishing Species'. Douglas Pratt's 'Adaptive Radiation in Hawaiian Honeycreepers' (Birding Magazine, April 2001) contains his Honeycreeper Wheel and a photo showcase by Jack Jeffrey and Peter Latourette.
BIRDING THE BIG ISLAND
To find native birds you need to find native habitats. The main forest habitats to be aware of are intact 'ohi'a-koa-tree fern rainforests at middle and higher elevations on Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea and the mamane-naio dry forest on the southwestern slopes of Mauna Kea. A kipuka is a remnant island of vegetated land surrounded by a more recent lava flow where primary forest often remains undisturbed. Other habitats include beaches, sea cliffs, grasslands, urban settings, golf courses, ponds, and roadside overlooks.
Lower elevation habitats consist mainly of introduced vegetation containing mostly foreign finches, sparrows, doves, gamebirds and others. Many of these birds are concentrated on the leeward side, where they were introduced as late as the 1960's. There is also an elevational line around the island at about 4,000 feet corresponding to the mosquito belt and also to the range of early human habitation, below which native forest birds are mostly gone. An exception is the Hawaii 'Amakihi that may have developed an immunity to avian malaria and pox.
Hawaiian forest birding is "jungle" birding so at times it's challenging to find or see birds. They're often in the canopy or thick understory and flit around and hide. Lighting can be terrible on overcast days. You need to know the vocalizations. But, there are relatively few species and few "confusants" so once you do see one it's fairly easy to figure out. 'Amakihi, 'Aki and Hawaiian Creeper, though, can look and sometimes act like each other; a good look at their beaks should clinch an ID.
The more common Hawaiian endemics are fairly widespread. These include 'I'iwi, 'Apapane, Hawaii 'Amikihi, 'Oma'o (the Hawaiian Thrush) and 'Elepaio (a Monarch Flycatcher). Common introduced birds are Japanese White-eyes, Red-billed Leiothrix, Northern Cardinals, Common Mynas, Sky Larks, doves and gallinaceous gamebirds. Waterbirds, shorebirds and seabirds seemed relatively scarce and we found no gulls (accidental in the islands), but Nene, Ruddy Turnstone, Pacific Golden-Plover, Hawaiian Coot and Hawaiian Stilt were easy to find.
The environment on Hawaii is very messed up. Logging, cattle grazing and introduced plants, rats, pigs, sheep and other animals keep taking their tolls. It's no accident that the colors of Hawaiian royalty were bright red and golden yellow. The state of Hawaii has over 1/3 of the plants and birds listed on the U.S. Threatened and Endangered list, and is known as both the endangered species capital and the extinction capital of the world. There are only about 4,000 wild finch-like Palilas, 2,000 Hawaiian Creepers, 2,000 'Akepas, and just 1,000 'Akiapola'aus. 'Akis rank among the most endangered birds of all; no eggs have ever been found to use for a captive breeding program.
So, if you miss seeing an endangered endemic bird this time, you may never see it - ever. By the time you can come back, it may already have winked. These birds are among the most unusual and endangered on earth. But, despite an inherent, unspoken and underlying sense of desperation, birding on Hawaii is fun.
BIRDING AREAS
Areas we birded included 'Aimakapa Pond and Pu'u Anahulu in Kona, Kealakekua Bay and Manuka State Park in South Kona, roads and trails in Hawaii Volcanoes NP, Hilo, Waimea airport, various golf courses, Hakalau NWR, and ranchlands, a rainforest and a dry forest along the Saddle Road. We birded on our own and took all three Hawaii Forest & Trail tours. We saw 61species, including most of the possible endemics and available exotics. We put 972 miles on our rental car and another 300+ miles on tours and shorter trips with friends for a total of about 1,400 miles, averaging 100 miles a day.
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park (NHP) and 'Aimakapa Pond
Upon our arrival we saw tiny Zebra Doves, Common Mynas and a Saffron Finch on the Kona airport grounds. Our first official stop was close to the airport at Kaloko-Honokohau NHP, which we visited several times. Going south past the first Chevron station, take a right off Highway 19 and follow the short road to the Honokohau Boat Harbor, taking the first right and ending at a gravel parking area. 'Aimakapa Pond is about ½ mile north along the beach, where you can see Green Sea Turtles in the tide. If you continue straight towards the harbor you'll reach a gas station with good fuel prices and a sandwich deli.
The exotic bushes along the start of the trail are said to have Lavender Waxbills, but we never found any there. We did see Java Sparrows, African Silverbills, Zebra and Spotted doves, a Northern Mockingbird, Japanese White-eyes and House Finches. Along the beach there were Yellow-billed Cardinals with brilliant red heads who seemed to like their reflections in water, Ruddy Turnstones, Pacific Golden-Plovers, Sanderlings, and a Wandering Tattler. At 'Aimakapa Pond we always found Hawaiian Coots and Hawaiian Stilts, plus sometimes Cattle Egrets, Lesser Scaups, Northern Shovelers and Black-crowned Night-Herons. This was one of the few places a scope was handy. Other possibilities include Pied-billed Grebe, Saffron Finch, Gray Francolin, Osprey, Pueo (Hawaiian subspecies of Short-eared Owl) and shorebird migrants.
Kealakekua Bay State Park and Snorkeling Spots
Traveling south from Kona on Highway 11, just north of the town of Captain Cook, take the Na'po'opo'o Road down to the park, where Captain Cook lost his life in 1779. A monument in the bay marks the spot. In the trees along the start of the trail we found many Nutmeg Mannikins drinking fresh water and making "pet store noises", along with Yellow-billed and Northern cardinals, Japanese White-eyes, doves, Common Mynas, dragonflies, some biting bugs - the only time I wished I had my bug suit - and a mongoose. Dave saw a White-tailed Tropicbird soaring near the cliffs on the north side of the bay. A Wandering Tattler flew into a nearby pond as we watched, and we found a Yellow-fronted Canary in the park near the parking area.
Driving back up the hill we saw Rock Doves and an 'Io (the Hawaiian Hawk) flying overhead. Going south along Pu'uhonua Road instead, you'll get to the City of Refuge, Pu'uhonua o Honaunau NHP, in about 4 miles. Both the cove here and Captain Cook's monument are good places to snorkel or dive, but to get to the monument you need to rent a kayak or charter a boat trip and we didn't go there. Kahalu'u Beach Park at Mile 5 in Kona was our favorite snorkel spot because it was easy to get to, it has a great variety of approachable fish and you can swim with Green Sea Turtles.
Manuka State Park
Manuka State Park, a pie-shaped ahupua'a land slice on the mauka side (toward the mountains) of Highway 11 at about Milepost (MP) 81.1, is a rest stop and good place for close-up mewing Hawaii 'Amakihis easily found in the trees next to the parking lot. A 2 mile loop trail goes through an 'ohi'a forest with introduced understory plants like guava. Skulking forest birds you might see include 'Elepaios, Japanese White-eyes, Hwamei (Melodious Laughing-Thrush), Red-billed Leiothrix and canopy-loving 'Apapanes. Red Junglefowl, Kalij Pheasants, Zebra and Spotted doves, Northern Cardinals, Common Mynas and House Finches are also around.
South Point (Ka Lae)
Driving past wind generators through "mesquite" grasslands towards Ka Lae we found Sky Larks and little else. It was too windy to spot for seabirds at the Point, though it's listed as a good place for rarities, and we only saw Rock Doves at the Southernmost point in the U.S. This is known as an unsafe area with a high chance of unattended car break-ins. Try not to leave anything valuable in your car, wherever you go, or hide as much as possible.
Punalu'u Black Sands Beach Park
High winds again precluded much seabird spotting whenever we stopped here (~MP 65, Highway 11), but from the car window mount Dave had a one-time view of noddies or shearwater dots of undeterminable species. There were also feral Mallards at the golf course, but nothing in the pond in back of the snack shack. This is a great place to see nesting Hawksbill Turtles hauled onto the beach or eating algae off the rocks in the water.
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Mauna Loa Strip Road
About 2.5 miles west of the park entrance across Highway 11, the Mauna Loa Strip Road heads north for 13.5 miles to the hiking trailhead on Mauna Loa. Along the way are Kipuka Puaulu (1.5 miles), Kipuka Ki and Keamoku Lava Flow.
Kipuka Puaulu is also simply called Bird Park. It has a short (1.2 mile) trail through a forest that feels old. Very early in the morning you can find numerous Kalij Pheasants grouping up, calling and following their little paths, but not much else. It's better to wait until it's lighter out and the other birds start singing to take the trail through the grayish 'ohi'as, koas and vines. Then you can see or hear Wild Turkeys, Japanese White-eyes, Red-billed Leiothrix, Northern Cardinals, House Finches, 'Elepaio, 'Amakihi, Hwamei, Nutmeg Mannikins, 'Apapanes and 'Oma'o, which flutters its wings.
Kipuka Ki, another few miles up the road, is marked with a sign. This area is listed as a place to look for 'Aki, but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack and we didn't find them. More likely are mostly the same birds as at Bird Park.
About half way to the trailhead, the Keamoku Lava Flow is a good place to stop and sit above the canopy to watch for 'I'iwi, 'Amakihi, 'Apapane and 'Elepaio. Within a mile or two of the trailhead, in the "Hawaiian chapparal-like" habitat, 'I'iwis become more common and you can hear their happy foraging sounds in the trees, a combination thrasher-curlew-house finch song. They're easy to find at the trailhead, along with 'Apapanes (bright red birds the color of 'ohi'a lehua blossoms) making some of their many vocalizations as they chase each other rapidly through the canopy on whistling wings. 'I'iwi' wings can whistle too.
The "Alala Factory"
An extra special bonus was a private visit to the "Alala Factory" that we lucked into: the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center (KBCC) in Volcano where captive breeding programs for the extremely endangered Hawaiian Crow and other island endemics are underway. We met the manager of the 'Alala captive breeding program because her dad was having breakfast with us at our B&B when Dave mentioned birding! We were very fortunate to tour the facilities. They're only open to school kids in an educational program, although the bird barns remain off limits. We all enjoyed close up views of bathing Maui Parrotbills and some of the other endangered honeycreepers and thrushes as well as 5 young 'Alalas (Hawaiian Crows). They're among a total world population of only 39 birds, with only 2 or 3 remaining in the wild.
The KBCC is working in conjunction with the Zoological Society of San Diego to conduct extensive captive breeding programs on all of these Hawaiian birds. Although the captive breeding seems to be going well, and they have begun successfully to reintroduce the Small Kauai Thrush, the downside is that there really isn't anywhere to reintroduce many of the birds. Things are very political, their specialized habitats are rapidly dwindling, and all the same problems causing the extinctions are still present.
http://www.sandiegozoo.com/conservation/forest_birds1.html
http://www.peregrinefund.org/notes_hawaii.html
http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/captiveprop/consprog.htm
Crater Rim Drive and Chain of Craters Road
Along the eastern side of Crater Rim Drive are trails to Kilauea Iki and Thurston Lava Tube through 'ohi'a-tree fern forests with many orchids. 'Apapanes are abundant and 'Oma'o relatively easy to find anywhere along here, and we had an overview of 'Ios flying past us on the Rim Trail over Kiluaea Iki. The Devastation Trail is also good for mid-elevation forest birds. Others include 'Amakihi, 'Elepaio, Hwamei and Red-billed Leiothrix.
About 2 miles south on Chain of Craters Road, Hilina Pali Road takes off to the west towards Kipuka Nene, reached in about 5 miles if the road isn't closed past the campground for, of all things, fire danger! Kipuka Nene was once a campground, but is now a nesting ground for its namesake birds, closed from November through March. In the sparse dry trees along the road we found 'Amakihi, Japanese White-eyes, a flyover Pacific Golden-Plover and yellowjacket / wasp traps for insect studies. Red-billed and Erckel's francolins, Common Myna and Northern Cardinal are also listed for the area, but we didn't walk far enough to find them. And although there are plenty of Nene crossing signs in the park, and they're possible at Volcano Golf Course, the only place near Hawaii Volcanoes NP we saw them was on the 'Alala Factory grounds.
Further south, the Pu'u Loa Petroglyph Trail takes off at MP 16.4 where you can find ancient rock carvings and umbilical cord holes. Sturdy rock walls at MP 18.6 and Holei Sea Arch, MP 18.9, provide some safety while watching for Black Noddys flying along the cliffs. In spring they're told from Brown Noddys by their yellow-orange legs, at other times by a grey tail contrasting with a darker body, uniform dark underwing, more pronounced white cap, more slender bill and jizz and slightly smaller size - good luck! Flocking noddys will usually be Blacks. Other critters to watch for include Laysan Albatross (rare), Pacific Golden-Plover, the odd Common Myna, Spinner Dolphins and sea turtles.
Hot Lava Nights
Chain of Craters Road currently ends around MP 20 underneath the Lava Flow of September 12, 2002. From there, 20 minutes of hiking will get you near one of Hawaii's best highlights: Kilauea's active lava flow. To visit, take a picnic dinner, and flashlights or headlamps for the dark hike back, and arrive by 4:30 pm for closer parking. Then follow the yellow reflectors out onto the warm inland eastern trail across shiny, smooth, twisted licorice and brownie crust pahoehoe lava to where the flow is roped off at a safe distance. The show begins at about 5:30, and the best viewing is actually back along the trail a ways from the rope barrier. A second flow to the south, not quite as spectacular, looks great from a distance as its vapor cloud glows at night. During the day the same flows are continuous, but only white gaseous steam can be seen, while at night the fiery red of the lava is visible for miles. When we watched the moon was full and the lava was moving over to where we could see it splashing, glowing and flowing into the sea. Attending this event is mandatory!
HILO: Ponds and Parks
All of the ponds and parks in Hilo are worth checking for migrant waterbirds, shorebirds and in winter, gulls, plus resident passerines like Nutmeg Mannikins and Common Mynas. Waiakea Pond is in the middle of town, and Loko Waka Pond and James Kealoha and Leleiwe Beach Parks are about 3 miles northeast of the airport along Kalanianaole Avenue. When we looked, the beach parks were good for Hawaiian Coot, Lesser Scaup, feral Mallard, Wandering Tattler, Pacific Golden-Plover and close up Nenes whose feet are ¾ webbed. Waikakea Pond had Canada Goose (rare), Bufflehead, and domestic waterbirds. A stop at Hilo Hattie's for aloha shirts and Hawaiiana is required.
THE SADDLE ROAD
The Saddle Road (Highway 200) is rather narrow and rugged, but paved, and because you tend to drive in the middle is also called the Straddle Road. It's only 53 miles long, and MP numbering begins on the Hilo end. From Kona, Highway 190 meets 200 in Parker Ranch grasslands, the home of many introduced gamebirds and exotic songbirds, and you pass through them to get to the higher elevation areas where your ears will pop and chip bags inflate to the max.
Be on the lookout for flyover Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse near the junction early and late in the day, as they come and go for water at lower elevations. These are the same African birds in PBS movies that fill their feathers with water to bring to their thirsty nestlings. Along the way, Ring-necked Pheasant in regular and black forms, Green Pheasant, Kalij Pheasant, California Quail, Chukar, Wild Turkey, Erckel's, Black and Gray francolins, Sky Lark, Common Myna, Yellow-fronted Canary, Saffron and "yellow" House finches, African Silverbill, Ruddy Turnstone and Pacific Golden-Plover are all possible. Pueos quarter the fields.
Pu'u 'O'o Rainforest
Our first HFT tour was a visit to the Pu'u 'O'o Rainforest Kipuka, a high elevation 'ohi'a-koa-tree fern forest that is 95% intact. On a private ranch, access is through a locked gate past furry lichen-covered 1935 lava flows to the edge of the forest. It's really musical in the dense forest with all the birds singing and calling and whistling. It sounds like you're inside a big working machine!
Contributing to the concert are buzzing bees, 'I'iwi, 'Apapane, 'Oma'o, 'Elepaio, Red-billed Leiothrix, Japanese White-eyes, 'Amakihi, Hawaiian Creeper, and, if you're very lucky, the soft tapping of the 'Akiapola'au. Rare plants include yellow or orange 'ohi'a, lobelia and others. Walking in the forest over slippery rocks and through mud can be difficult even on a dry day, and a walking stick is useful and provided.
Kipuka 21 at MP 21.2 on the north side where the powerline crosses over the highway and Pu'u 'O'o Trail at MP 22.5 on the south side, marked with a small sign, access other parts of the same rainforest. All of the same birds are possible, plus a remote chance of 'Akepa, and this was once a haunt of the 'O'u and Hawaii 'O'o. Kipuka 21 has no trail into the musical forest but there are good views of the canopy from the road. The land along the Pu'u 'O'o Trail has been grazed so the understory isn't intact and has introduced gallinaceous birds, House Finch and 'Io. About ½ mile down the trail is a large meadow bordered all around by 'ohi'a trees with varying amounts of koa mixed in. Off towards the east side of the meadow there's a stand of denser koas where you may find 'Aki. Choosing a likely spot to sit and see what comes in is rewarding, as this part of the forest is also musical.
Pu'u La'au Dry Forest Reserve
Pu'u La'au has the densest population of Palilas on Hawaii. Even when taken away and introduced to nearby areas, they returned here to this three mile diameter range. The dirt road to Pu'u La'au goes north towards Mauna Kea at MP 43.3 on the Saddle Road near a hunter check station / rest stop built by the Hilo High School Archery Club and Safari Club International. This is the leeward side, so it's hot, dry and dusty here. Along the way to the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve there are places to check for the pale-colored Mauna Kea bryani 'Elepaio. While none of the ones we found were white-headed, they were lighter colored than usual. In about 4 miles you'll reach a gate before a eucalyptus grove, a good place to park and walk into the Reserve and towards the east to the dry mamane-naio forest. The grazed understory is composed mostly of foreign grasses. Elevation is over 7,000 feet. Palilas like the seed pods, berries and insects in the treetops, but fortunately these trees are only about 20 feet high. We found several Palilas within a short walk of the eucalyptus grove and a calling male in trees outside the fence east of the gate. Other birds include the 'Elepaio, Erckel's Francolin (which sounds like a Mallard), California Quail, 'Amakihi, 'Apapane, 'I'iwi, Japanese White-eyes, Red-billed Leiothrix, Sky Lark, Northern Mockingbird, and possibly Gambel's Quail. Large dragonflies are also around.
You can take this trip yourself with a permit from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and, preferably, a 4x4 vehicle in case of rain, but it's perhaps easier on the HFT Leeward tour which also includes stops for exotics and 'Aimakapa Pond. We saw a cable across the road one morning that was down later in the day. (DLNR Hilo: 974-4221, Kamuela: 887-6061).
Hawaii Forest & Trails Hakalau Tour
This tour is excellent and a must for seeing the 'Akepa, because you visit the Pua Akala Tract in the southern section of Hakalau Forest NWR, otherwise closed to everyone but researchers. It has both the Akepa's and the Hawaiian Creeper's densest populations. It's reached by a 4x4 road on the southeast side of Mauna Kea that takes you through gorse grasslands with isolated old giant koas. Birds along the way include Hawaiian Ducks in stock ponds, 'Io, Pueo, Common Myna, Sky Lark, and all introduced gamebird possibilities, including Gambel's Quail and elusive, secretive Japanese Quail, only seen rarely even by the guides. Off towards the south you get a view of the 'Pu'u 'O'o steam vent on Kilauea.
The Pua Akala tract was grazed and has second growth and introduced African Fountaingrass understory, but the rainforest is fairly intact 'ohi'a-koa-tree ferns with many other native plants mixed in, including lobelia and akala (thornless raspberry). Some 'ohi'as are 700 years old. We found areas with almost every native forest bird: 'Elepaio, 'Oma'o and all of the native honeycreepers, except 'Aki, who our guide thought she heard. There are 'Akepa nest boxes here and there, and researchers are working to replant native vegetation. And, of course, the forest is musical.
Waimea Airport and Coast Loop
The "X" for parked and scopable Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse is the Waimea airport runway at mid-day. On a Sunday trip from Kona we stopped here after Pu'u Anahulu and looped back along the coast on Highway 19 looking for gulls in harbors and Northern Pintails, Mourning Doves and other exotics at various golf resorts. There were almost a dozen pin-tailed Sandgrouse feeding in the grass, and a Northern Mocker on a building roof. The airport was closed that day.
Pu'u Anahulu
This area on Highway 190, near the Pu'u Wa'a Wa'a cinder cone on Hualalai, is known for its exotic finches, doves and gamebirds, and we stopped here several times hunting for all of them. Traveling north from Kona there's a wide pullout at MP 21.9 on the mauka (east) side and others on the makai (toward the sea) side before you reach the Big Island Country Club at MP 20.1.
The Big Island Club golf course looked half finished and there was never anyone at the front gate. We parked outside and walked in; the golfers didn't mind. We never failed to find Nenes on the grass and birding was generally good. Other birds here are African Silverbill, Nutmeg Mannikin, Yellow-fronted Canary, Saffron and House finches, Gray Francolin, Wild Turkeys, Black-rumped Waxbill and, at puddles and water holes, Red Avadavats.
Narrow pullouts at MP 20.8 and 20.9 provide overviews of canopy action which also includes Red Avadavat, 'Amakihi, Japanese White-eyes and Common Mynas. Other area possibilities are 'Io, Pueo, Barn Owl, Black and Erckel's francolins, Kalij and Ring-necked pheasants, Common Peafowl and Northern Cardinal.
The MP 21.9 pullout has a big bulldozed rock pile; across the road is a rock wall with a metal gate in it. This pullout is shortly before you reach a power substation. Birds in the trees on the south edge of the pullout: Lavender Waxbill, Yellow-fronted Canary, 'Amakihi, Common Myna, Java Sparrow, African Silverbill, Saffron Finch, and, present each morning we stopped here, Red-cheeked Cordonbleu. All four Hawaiian doves are possible, and on our last Big Island day we finished our grand slam with a pair of silent, skittish Mourning Doves.
Many thanks to Jack Jeffrey and David Faike for the use of photos in this article.