Our Texas Big Year

It is Christmas Day 2018 and Deb and I are in Fayetteville, Georgia visiting family.  We will head back to Texas on the 29th where we will prepare to begin our Texas Big Year.  Our first stop will be Caddo Lake SP in far northeast Texas.  While in the area we plan on doing two more Christmas Bird Counts, Tanaha CBC and Lake of the Pines CBC.  These counts will provide the first species for our Big Year List.  From here we will head to Tyler SP, then Angelina National Forest before heading to Huntsville SP,  then back to Georgetown in time to attend the Good Water Master Naturalists board meeting on January 14. Target birds in this first couple of weeks will be Henslow's and Bachman's Sparrow, Red-cockaded, Red-headed, and Piliated Woodpeckers, Brown-headed, Red-breasted, White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creeper and any unusual species wintering in the area such as Purple Finch.   Back in Williamson County we will attempt to find Short-eared and Burrowing Owls, White-tailed Hawk, whatever long spurs might be present and mountain plover.  If the Black Scoters continue down at Hornsby Bend, we will check the out as well.  We might have time to squeeze in a short trip to our cabin on the Frio to see what we can add there.  On the 27th of January or thereabouts we will head to the LRGV for some birding to add to our list.  While there we will focus on Aplomado Falcon, Golden-crowned Warbler, Hook-billed Kite, and Roadside Hawk if they are still present.  In addition, we will seek the usual local wintering species before heading up the river to Starr and Zapata counties for some additional local specialties.  Then it will be on to Laredo for the birding festival.  After the festival I hope to visit some old friends in Realitos, Texas, Gordon and Lynn Snook.  Then it will be on to Ingleside to stay visit family and lead a Williamson Audubon Group field trip to see the Whooping Cranes at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.  While in the coastal area we will of course be looking for shorebirds, hopefully a Seaside Sparrow, and other wintering species.  We will return home on February 18.  It will be interesting to see where our count stands.  

Our goal for this year is, of course, to see as many species in Texas as we possibly can.  However, I am not and never have been one who considers birding a competitive hobby.  For me, and for Deb, this is a year of fun chasing birds, enjoying the sights that our beautiful state offers and visiting the many state parks our great State of Texas has to enjoy.  I am not one who enjoys staying in commercial RV campgrounds which I will avoid at all cost.  It is very sad to me that the LRGV no longer has a state park that offers RV camping so there we will be forced to find a commercial alternative.  

If any of you are interested you can follow along our journey by signing up to receive our blog and the updated list of birds we will have seen.  If you should find an unusual species please feel free to contact me.  You can do so by emailing irasciblej@gmail.com or commenting on this blog.  Of course, we will be monitoring TEXBIRDS and all the other pages where such sightings are normally posted.  Deb just recorded here 500th species last week on the Matagorda NWR CBC near Tivoli--Sprague's Pipit.  She has only been birding for two and a half years.  It took me seven.  So here goes, January 1, 2019 and we are looking forward to this year.

Day 3—June 7, 2018—Today’s drive was uneventful.  We made another 260 miles and reached Wolf Creek, YT, our campground for the next two days just outside of Whitehorse.  Surprisingly we failed to see any wildlife on the road today.  When we got camp set up we started a nice fire and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon sitting or standing by it.  When our friend Bob Fredrick arrived, we took a short walk to see the Boreal Owl but were unsuccessful.  We will try again tomorrow.  Other than taking our first shower in the trailer, the rest of the day was uneventful except for the stunning scenic drive to get here.

Day 4—June 8, 2018—We once again tried for the Boreal Owl in the camp nest box, but it failed to show.  Then we headed into town where we stopped at the marsh across the street from Walmart.  Here we found a pair of Common Mergansers, Herring and Mew Gulls, White-crowned Sparrow and a single Yellow Warbler.  The most interesting thing we observed was a Red Fox that came ambling by in search of bird eggs.  He was successful in the hunt while several gulls made diving swoops at him to chase him away.  We also had 7 or 8 immature Bald Eagles hunting the area.  After a brief visit to the Visitors Bureau where we found information on local birding sites we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant.  The food was ok, but the chocolate brownie with two large scoops of ice cream and caramel on top of that was delicious.  Then we headed out to Fish Lake where Deb got her Red-necked Grebe and there was Common Loon there as well.  Then to nearby Marsh Lake where we found a fellow photographer shooting pictures of a nice adult Bald Eagle.  In addition to the eagle Deb added another life bird, Common Goldeneye.  This concluded our day of birding and off to camp we went.

Day 4—June 9, 2018—The morning was spent on chores—laundry, taking my generator to have it checked out—didn’t get it fixed because it was Saturday and no mechanic there—and went and washed the pickup.  Then back to camp to prepare to move to Walmart for the night.  We met a couple there who were birders as well.  We went to check out the owl box with them.  This time there was evidently a young bird in the box, but it was unable to look out.  We could see a feather come up to the opening on occasion, but not the bird.  At any rate we were able to recruit them for a Seward boat trip around July 1.  With us and the Fredrick’s that will make 8 and I think we can swing the boat with Tanya as captain. I contacted her, and she is checking with the owner.  Before moving into Walmart with the other campers, we took the opportunity to fill our tank with water and use the dump at the adjacent gas station.  Then we dropped the trailer, headed to KFC for a quick meal.  Then we headed south to another birding location.  This one also turned out positive for Deb as we found 4 Bohemian Waxwings, a bird I find difficult to locate in Alaska.  We made one more run at the Boreal Owl but dipped again.  Then back to the trailer and made final preparation for leaving.  As it turned out, the heater isn’t working, and it was raining hard and cold.  We bundled up and went to bed early.

Day 5—June 10, 2018—As we headed out we knew this would be our last day in Canada.  The original plan was to stop at a campground near Beaver Creek, YT, but when we reached there it was only 3, and soon to be 2 when we crossed into Alaska, so we decided to head on toward TOK, AK.  Today we drove a total of 380 miles and made the crossing into Alaska.  Along the way we had a large Grizzly Bear alongside the road and a Black Bear swimming a creek.  In addition, Deb was able to add Trumpeter Swan, Pacific Loon and Barrow’s Goldeneye to her list.  Her count has now reached about 410.  We found a very nice rest area that is elevated about the highway and has a great look at the large lake below.  There were Barrow’s Goldeneye, Canvasbacks, White-winged Scoters and a single Artic Tern.  We also had a moose and her day-old calf cross just in front of us.  We are camped for the night at this rest location.   It is in the forties and raining, so we hope for better weather in the morning.

Day 6—June 11, 2018—It rained all night and the temperature was in the low 40’s.  We packed up camp and headed toward our destination of Tangle Lakes on the Denali Highway.  When we reached Tok, AK I stopped at a RV repair shop there and got our heater fixed.  That’s a VERY good thing because we are now camped on a pull off about three miles up the Denali Highway.  The snow had stopped turning to slush, so we decided it best to just stop and wait it out.  We have only been here an hour or so and I’m sure it has snowed 2 to 3 inches.  I called my friends at Tangle River Lodge and Violet said they were supposed to have a snow plow in the morning, but it might continue to snow through the day.  We will just have to wait and see.  I must say sitting here writing this and watching the snow fall outside the window is quite beautiful.  This year the alder bush has only began to bud out up here.  We are still in the small, stunted Black Spruce area and have not reached the tundra yet.  I did hear from Violet that the Smith’s Longspur is being seen at mile 19 on the north side of the highway beyond the second hill at a small pond.  Hopefully we will get to see it.  I have missed on it the last 3 years.  The drive to our current location was uneventful all the way to Delta Junction.  It did rain on and off.  When we started toward Paxon and the Denali Highway cut off it was intermittent rain but as we approached the Summit Lake area on the highway it started snowing and snowing hard.  The last ten miles were driven slowly and the when we turned up the highway toward Tangle Lakes it became harder.  The roads are still open but with a trailer I decided it was not worth risking it, so we shut down for the night.  So here we sit and will see what tomorrow brings.  I posted a picture of our campsite on my Facebook page if you want to see it.  I guess I will have time tonight to work on photos and hopefully get them posted.

The Alaska Highway

Day 1—June 5, 2018—We overnighted just outside of Grand Prairie, Alberta at Saskatoon Lake Campground.  This was a nice place with a large lake that I am sure would have been a great birding location except we were experiencing 35 mile an hour winds making the water choppy and the birds seeking refuge.  The campground had a shower which we used.  In the morning we slept in until 5:30 then got up, Deb had her eggs before we departed at 7:30.  Our plan for the day was to make it to Profit River Wayside and camp there.  This meant about a 297-mile drive for the day.  When we reached Dawson Creek, BC, the actual start of the Alaska Highway, it was just before 8:00.  No, we didn’t drive the 72 miles from Grand Prairie that fast but the time changes to Pacific time at the British Columbia border.  We stopped at a Walmart for a couple of items, but we had to wait a few minutes until they opened.  After Walmart we proceed to mile 0 of the highway where we took pictures beneath the sign before heading on.  Along the way we spotted two black bear and a cub.  The plan to stop at Profit River fell through as we could not find the road that will take us there.  Therefore, we headed on toward Fort Nelson.  Once reaching Fort Nelson we filled up with fuel ($162.9 a liter) and I treated myself to a visit to the adjacent Tim Horton’s for some coffee and a cinnamon roll.  This was my first visit this time to my favorite Canadian restaurant, Tim Horton’s.  Then we decided to go on to Testa River Provincial Park (PP) to spend the night.  Once we arrived there I knew it was but a short distance to Summit Lake PP where I would rather spend the night.  When we arrived, it was snowing lightly, and it continues to do so as I write this entry.  In total we drove 450 miles today.  Tomorrow its on to Watson Lake, YT and beyond.  I neglected to mention that this morning before we left Saskatoon Lake Deb got another life bird #401, a White-winged Scoter.

Day 2—June 2018—We spent last night at Summit Lake PP.  This park is situated at the highest point on the Alaska Highway, 4250 feet.  The campsites back up to a crystal-clear snowmelt lake surrounded by much higher mountains.  This area is near the end of the Rockies.   As we had our dinner it was snowing lightly and by morning the surrounding peaks had a fresh blanket of snow on them.  The campground produced Deb’s 402nd species a Townsends Solitaire, something I really didn’t expect there.  Then it was off to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory.  We encountered a group of caribou as we headed down the mountain and in a nearby small lake we had a Hooded Merganser.  Then on to Muncho Lake PP.  This lake is beautiful.  The water is a deep aqua/blue from the leached copper deposits in the rocks over which the water runs.  Several years ago, I took a boat ride there and the local told us it was over 730 feet deep.  This lake was created by a large glacier which melted in place.  Just past the lake we encountered the first of our Dall Sheep.  I was able to get out and take pictures of them, one of which was a male with sizeable horns.  This was the first of three groups of sheep we encountered today, in all about 20.  The next mammals we found were American Buffalo.  There is a large heard of these animals before and after Laird Hot Springs.  We didn’t stop at Laird mainly because Deb’s MS doesn’t let her body tolerate hot water well.  Between Laird Hot Springs and our destination of Watson Lake we counted 4 black bears along the highway.  This brings us to 8 black bears and 1 grizzly.  We ended the day camped in Watson Lake Territorial Campground.  This is a very nice campground with campsites just above the lake. Hear at Watson Lake we made our first campfire and Deb got to roast her favorite food, marshmallows.   Each site is very private.  Tomorrow its on to Whitehorse, YT.   Our friends Bob & Ruth Fredrick’s are camped there and have found a Boreal Owl.  This will be Deb’s species #403.   From there it is a two-day drive to the old Denali Highway where our Alaska adventure begins.

April 25, 2018--Keauhou, HI--Since the group of birders left last Friday, Deb and I have been just relaxing and enjoying our lanai until yesterday.  On the spur of the moment we decided to take a trip out to the Palila Trail up Mona Kea.  There we would be seeking the Palila which I have referred to in a previous blog.  We were not disappointed!  We found our bird busily feeding on the green seed pods

Palila

Palila

of the Mamane Tree which supplies 90% of their diet.  While watching the Palila we also had the chance to actually see a Japanese Bush Warbler, unfortunately after I realized what I was seeing he flew off before I could snap a shot.  This small bird has a brown back and cream to slightly yellowish under belly and a distinct white/gray eyeline.  They are extremely hard to see on most occasions but this one was very visible in the top of a Mamane Tree.  While there we had an Hawaii Elepaio fly in for a moment.  They are dark backed birds that show white in the tail when they fly.  We could also hear the Red-billed Leiothrix calling, but as usual this shy species never showed itself for a picture.  

Following our time on the  PalilaTrail we decided to head farther up the road to check it out.  We drove another 2 miles and saw several more Palila and Hawaii Amakihi.  After we turned around

Hawaii Amakihi

we headed back down and stopped along the way because we could hear a Black Francolin calling.  This bird has avoided me taking a picture of him since November 2017 and that was not a good picture.  While trying to coax this bird up to where we could see it, we heard the calls of numerous California Quail who were also very shy so we could only hear them.  Then we heard a very strange call which we have since determined was that of a Erkel's Francolin.  Disappointed that our Black Francolin would not come out of the tall grass we headed back to the condo.  

Determined to find a Black Francolin Deb made a decision to turn into the Honua'ula Forest Reserve which we have visited several times.  Here we have heard them many times but like our other experiences with this species they failed to appear.   As we slowly drove up the road I looked to my right and saw a large bird standing in a dead ohia tree.  We stopped and sure enough we got our bird.

Black Francolin

Very satisfied we called it a day and headed back to Costco to purchase our 10 bags of Royal Kona Vanilla/Macadamia coffee to take home with us.  Yes ten bags to last us until we return in late October of this year.  

Saturday, April 21, 2018--Keauhou, HI--Well the group of six friends and briders left us yesterday after concluding what was a great trip.  In total we saw 71 species, a very good number for Hawaii and the Big Island.  During their visit we experienced a pelagic trip, a visit to the Palila Trail and Hakalau Forest Preserve on Mona Kea, and did some sightseeing as well.  The women even took the opportunity to do some snorkling and to swim with the Manta Rays.  Kevin and Carol played some golf as well.  My last blog only took us through the second day of our trip.  Since then there has been little time for me to spend writing this blog, so today will be a catch up special.

On Saturday, April 14, we joined 8 other birders on a pelagic trip off the Kona Coast.  On this trip we had 13 pelagic species almost all of which were life birds for this group of birders.  In my case I added 5 new species to my Hawaii, two of which were new life birds--Hawaiian Petrel and Brown Noddy.  The most common species which we encountered off the coast was certainly the Wedge-

The Group

tailed Shearwater.  This species as its name implies has a tail that is wedge shaped.  

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

Another two species which seems to be relatively common to this area off Kona is Bulwer's Petrel and Black Noddy.  And for the first time I was able to get a relatively decent picture of Sooty Tern.

Sooty Tern

Bulwer's Petrel

Black Noddy

The five new Hawaiian species which I added to my list were two jaegers--Pomarine and Long-tailed, and the Arctic Tern which I have seen on numerous occasions on my Alaska trips.

On Sunday we headed north up the coast for primarily a sightseeing day.  Our first stop was at the Pololu Valley overlook for a glimpse of the beautiful Hawaii coastline.  While I am setting here

Pololu Valley

writing this blog a pair of Kalij Pheasants just walked up to our feeder. This beautiful bird I saw and photographed for the first time in its native environment in Thailand.  They are imported into Hawaii and can be seen on numerous places here on the island.  Well I can't find a picture of the pheasant right now so I will post one later.  From Pololu we went to a park nearby, Keokea Beach Park, to do some scanning for pelagic species.  From our vantage point we were able to discern some shearwaters and a few noddys way out but not near enough to identify.  However, we were treated to a fly over by a beautiful White-tailed Tropicbird.  Unfortunaely, I did not get a picture.  We then went to Hawi where the group enjoyed some shopping and Tropical Dreams ice cream.  I opted for another cup of coffee.  Then back to Kawahae for some burgers at Kohala Burger and Taco, and I must say one of the best burgers I have ever had.  Following lunch we headed to Hamakua Nut Company to sample and purchase some macadamia nuts in various flavors.  The group seemed to really enjoy this spot.  After our visit here we headed back to the condo.  The women had decided to go swim with the Manta Rays this evening and needed to be back by four to get ready.  Deb has been out to do this

Video of swimming with Manta's

before with a different company but she was very impressed by the trip with Bite Me.  We, the men, stayed home and rested up for the next day.

On Monday we headed up to the Palila Trail for some birding and hopefully to find the Palila, a species found only on the Big Island and only in this dry forest populated by Mamane Trees whose green seeds provide 90% of this species food.  And we were not disappointed.  Our friend Mike Myers gave me some excellent directions as to where to best find and photograph this bird.

Palila

This turned out to be one of my favorite birding areas on the island.  We were also treated to several other species, California Quail which we heard calling, Hawaii Amakihi, Hawaii Elepaio, Erkel's Francolin, Japanese Bush Warbler heard calling and seen breifly, and it was a beautiful clear day on Mona Kea.  When we returned to Old Saddle Road we took a drive searching for the Pueo (Hawaiian Short-eared Owl) and we were successful.  We also were treated to several Wild Turkey and heard but could not call out a Black Francolin.  When we returned to Highway 190 opted to head to see the

Hawaii Amikihi

Pueo

Wapi'o Valley.  This is another breathtaking view of the Hawaii coast line.  After lunch at

Waipi'o Valley

a BBQ place Deb and I discovered the last time we were here, we headed to Waimea and the wonderful Tropical Dreams factory to get some of their ice cream to take back with us.  On the trip there we experienced a major thunder storm.  It was raining so hard I had difficulty seening the road so I had to drive slow.  To top it off lighting was striking all around us, sometimes so close it shook the car.  We got our ice cream and headed home.

On Tuesday we were treated to a day in Hakalau Forest Preserve.  We met our local guide, Lance Tanino, at the roadside rest on the new saddle road.  Brent Otego, Daniel Hodges and I joined Lance for our drive up the road and the rest of the group stayed with Deb in the other vehicle.  The road up Mona Kea is difficult and requires four wheel drive.  The refuge is a restricted area that only designated guides have access to.  Before driving up one must clean its shoes with a brush and the have the sprayed with alcohol to rid them of any fungus which might damage the Ohi trees, a problem which is occuring across the Hawaiian Islands.  It is called sudden Ohi death.  Ohi is one of two endemic trees, the other is the Koa Tree.  The trip up takes about an hour and is 11 miles from payment.  Along the way we say numerous Erkel's Francolin, a dozen Nene (Hawaiian Goose), many European Skylarks, some Yellow-fronted Canary and a Ring-necked Pheasant as well as Wild Turkey.  Several Japanese Bush Warblers could be heard calling as well.  Once we arrived at the locked gate Lance used his combination to enter.  We parked just inside the gate and began our hike in.  Target birds on this roughly 2 mile walk one way were the following--Omao (Hawaiian thrush), Red-billed Leiothrix, Apapane, I'iwi, Akiapolaau (Akia for short), Hawaii Creeper, Hawaii Akepa, and Hawaii Elepaio.  We ended the day with all the target birds but the Akia, and elusive bird that is 

Our Group

only found on Koa trees.  This species uses it short lower beak to peck somewhat like a woodpecer and its long decurved beak to search benith the bark of insects to feed on.  I was able to get good pictures of two of the target birs here--Omao and I'iwi (a species which has alluded my lens up to this point).  We finished the day around 3:30 with all but one of the target birds.

Erkel's Francolin

Omao

Hawaiin Creeper

Akaka Falls

On Wednesday we did another primarily sightseeing day with some minor birding and headed to the other side of the island to the Hilo area.  Our first stop of the day was at Akaka Falls State Park.  This is a true tropical rain forest, and it did rain on us most of the time.   With all the rain which has been occuring the falls were very impressive. After Akaka we traveled to Hilo and Rainbow Falls.

Rainbow Falls

We then visited Big Island Candy where we sampled various choclate covered macademia nuts and the group really enjoyed this stop.  Afterwards we had lunch at Ken's Pancake House, a local tradition before heading to Wailoa River State Park for a little birding.  There we found Canada Goose, Cackling Goose,  Muskovy (domestic) and a number of NeNe.  Then we went to Reeds Bay before heading back to Keauhou.

On Thusday some of the group went snorkling before we headed we headed to Volcano National Park.  Along the way we visited Hawaii Local Buzz for some more choclate covered macademia nuts and Kona coffee.  There some also visited their hyponic gardens operation.  Then on to South Point (the most southern point in the US) where people who don't have good sense jump off a 200 foot cliff into the ocean below.  Not something that interest me! From here we headed to Punalu'u Bakery--home of Hawaii sweet bread--for lunch.  Again there was an open market next door so I need not say where the ladies went after lunch.  At Volcano NP we most of the group walked through the lava tube before we drove out Crater Rim Drive to the ocean seeking looks at a Great Frigetbird.  I'm sorry to report we missed.  Then back to the Volcano resturant for supper before the two hour drive back to the condo.  Unfortunately, the caldron view was marred by a heavy vog (fog mixed with volcano smoke) so we did not have a very satisfactory look this time.

Friday we did some local sightseeing.  We visited Pu'uhonau Honaunau NP.  This place is know as the Place of Refuge.  If you committed a crime and made it to this place you were safe from the punishment.  It is also a great place to snorkel, but none of our group participated.  Then on to The Coffee Shack for a great lunch with great deserts.  In addition to good food, this place has a magnifican view.  After lunch we visited Donkey Balls (yes this is another place for choclate covered macademia nuts.  You might guess choclate covered macademia nuts were a big hit with the group.

The Coffee Shack

Friday ended with the groups departure and the end of the birding and scenic tour. Aloha!

April 13, 2018--Keauhou, HI--So the bird trip has begun.  Our first stop yesterday was at the sewer treatment plants for shorebirds and waterfowl.  In addition, we picked up some land birds as well.  On our walk out to the plant we heard the distinct call of a Black Francolin but we were never able to locate where he was calling from.  Besides the usual zebra dove and house sparrows we quickly located a number of black-crowned night herons.  They were sitting on the fence and along the banks of the settlement ponds.  There were also many ruddy turnstones, sanderling and the bonus Hawaii

Black-crowned Night Heron 

Heron in flight

species I have seen here in spring and fall, wandering tattler.  Tbere were other shorebirds which

Wandering tattler

I did not take a picture of at the ponds--sanderling and ruddy turnstone, as well as the ever present house sparrow and zebra dove.  We did observe a francolin pair fly off but could not be sure of their identity.  There were lesser scaup, northern shouveler, mallard, and Hawaiian coots a plenty.  We did have a least tern and a laughing gull, the only gull I have seen on the island.  In all we left the ponds with a list of 23 species.

From the ponds we headed up into the cloud forest to spend some time at Mike and Jenny Myers, new friends we have made here in Kona.  They live at 4700 feet up the mountain.  Here we were able to find several species which inhabit the higher altitudes--apapane, amakihi, japanese bush warbler, and kalij pheasant.  In addition, we were able to hike around the 2 acre plot and observe the many trees and plants that provide the habitat for these birds.

apapane

saffon finch

amakihi

We then headed back to the condo to rest before heading to Honokahou harbor for some late afternoon birding and watch the sunset.  There we found sanderling, wandering tattler, Hawaiian coot, and beautiful pacific golden plover.  From the picture you can see why they are called "golden".

pacific golden plover

Hawaiian coot

spotted dove

sunset

I was also able to the the above picture of a spotted dove with a very nice background.

Today we headed up to the Palila Trail on Mona Kea.  We were not disapponinted.  We foud our target bird the Palila as well as looks a more amakihi, an elapiao, japanese bush warbler and a quick look at a red-billed leiothrix.

palilia

Then on our way down we traveled Old Saddle Road and wer able to see the Pueo (Hawaiian short-eared owl).  

pueo

From there we travelled to the Waipie Valley, a beautiful scenic loaction to show our guest.  Then through a terrible lightening and heavy rain storm we drove to Waimei for some local ice cream, then headed home.  It is late as I write this so I am not going to check it for errors.  We have to leave here in the morning at 5:30 to get to our pelagic trip in the morning.

April 10, 2018--Keauhou, HI--On Sunday evening we had our new friends, Mike & Jenny Myers over for dinner.  Mike is a great photographer and Jenny is an artist.  In our conversation we learnde of a new trail which we had never explored.  The Palila Trail is found by taking and a 4 wheel drive only road 4  miles up from Old Saddle Road (OSR).  Interesting OSR in Texas refers to Old Spanish Trail.  So being as we had a jeep we decided to explore this new area.   We decided to take the OSR which is  also a good birding road.  Shortly after we turned off Highway 190 on to OSR we heard the unmistakable call of a Black Francolin.  This is a bird that has been very difficult for me to find and get a picture of and today I got the best yet, though not what I hope to get. As you can see

Black Francolin

this shot was very far off.  Further along OSR we saw a female Black Francolin, Yellow-breasted Canary, Wild Turkey and an Erkel's Francolin.  This is one of the three francolins found on the Big Island.  The real treat came when a Hawaiian Owl (an Hawaiian subspecies of the short-eared owl). 

Erkel's Francolin

This owl was very cooperative allowing me to walk within 10 feet as he sat on a fence post looking for something to eat.

Hawaiian Owl

Hawaiian Owl

We finally made it to the cutoff for the Palila Trail and began our trip up Mona Kea (the largest mountain in the world).  We soon encountered the Mamane Tree which is the food source that provides 90% of food of the very endangered Palila, the enedmic honeycreeper of the Big Island.  There only about 2000 of these birds left and they inhabit this dry forest habitat.  This is the only place the Mamane Tree is found.  Unfortunately I only had a brief glimpse of an immature one and no picture to share.  We will be taking the group there on Friday and spend half a day so hopefully I can get one then.  We did find an Amakihi which I was able to get pictures of .

Amakihi

Amakihi

It began to rain hard so we headed back to the jeep and made our way down to the highway.

Later this evening two of our group arrived so we headed to the airport to greet them Hawaiian style--with a lei for each.  Daniel & Dianna Hodges were the first to arrive.  A stop at Bubba Gump's Restaurant in downtown Kona for dinner before heading for the condo and bed.

April 7, 2018—Keauhou, HI—very frustrating morning. I did the entire blog on the Blogger page and suddenly it disappeared.  I had saved what work I had done but couldn’t find it, so here we go again.  However, this time I am doing in it MS Word and will copy and paste to the blog page.

I’m trying to get over my frustration as I set here on our lanai.  This morning we woke to a light rain and it is supposed to last throughout today and tomorrow.  Rain on this west side of the island is not as common as on the eastern Hilo side where it is much more like a rainforest.  The Kailua-Kona region is in the rain shadow of the extinct volcano Hualalai, thus their rainfall totals are much lower than those of the other side of the island.

On Thursday, April 5, we spent the morning and early afternoon doing some personal shopping before heading to Home Depot to purchase new outdoor blinds for our lanai.  The blinds currently in use are very old and need replacing.  As we entered the store a dining room set caught Deb’s eye.  We have been looking to replace the old one currently in the condo.  This is really a patio dining set but we believe it will look great in our place.  In addition to being new, it will offer seating for 6 instead of the current table which can only seats 4.  While at Home Depot we checked on what was available to 

 

refinish a fiberglass shower pan.  The one in our unit needs some tinder loving care.  We did find a fiberglass paint that will work and after applying the first of two coats we are extremely pleased with the results.  We also purchase a kit to refurbish the tub in the master bedroom.

On Friday we opted to do some scouting for the upcoming birding expedition.  We left the house about 7:15.   We headed up Kamehemeha III Road and in less than a mile we pulled into the scenic outlook which overlooks the area.  That is where I took the panorama picture attached here.  The was a beautiful, clear morning so it worked out well.

Today we were heading to a Hawaii Birding Trail hotspot, Pu’u Wa’awa’a Halapepe (good luck with this pronunciation).  The traffic at this time of day is terrible and we decided quickly that any of our birding trips in this direction would have to begin long before 7 am.  We traveled up Highway 190 to the birding site entrance (didn’t want to re-write the above again).  We have been here on a previous trip but spent very little time, so we wanted to spend the morning exploring the area.  At the entrance we opted to take the right fork and proceeded up the road.  A short distance up the road we got out to look around and were met with a very loud and strange call.  After the bird flushed I knew it was a francolin but was not sure which of the three found here.  We searched and searched but could never get an eye on the bird.  All around we could hear Saffron Finch and Yellow-breasted Canary’s singing.  We even had a couple of Hawaiian Goose (locally know as Nene) flyover. 

Hawaiian Goose

As we continued up the road we continued to hear that strange call mentioned before.  Once again we got out of the vehicle.  This time we tried a tape to attract what we had since determined was a Black Francolin.  There were at least two calling but we could get neither to show itself.  Finally, at a distance I saw one at the edge of the road but it quickly ran into the bush as a car approached.  There had been a steady line of cars coming up this road.  We soon learned they were on their way to native plant society meeting.  Since it was by invitation only, we were not able to attend.  In addition to the francolin, there were numerous Cattle Egrets and Pacific Golden Plover seen in the adjacent field. 

Up ahead we passed through a cattle guard and soon learned it was a private road and ranch.  However, while there we were able to see a male turkey strutting to attract one of the three females present.  From what we observed he was not successful.

Wild Turkey

As we headed back down toward the entrance we stopped to take pictures of two trees in bloom.  The first has a beautiful purple flower shaped like a trumpet.  This is the jacaranda tree (mimosifolia).  It really catches your eye with its striking beauty.

Jacaranda Tree

The other flowering tree turned out to be a Spray-of-Gold.  

This tree sports many yellow flowers.

Spray-of-Gold

Our final bird sightings of the day were a Kalij Pheasant with a bad foot and a Erkel’s Francolin.

Kalij Pheasant

Erkle's Francolin

On our return home the party was over and it was time to go to work.  In the afternoon I put the first coat of paint on the shower pan and then painted the three new doors we had installed when we were here in September.  That was enough for one day.