Scary thunderstorms rocked Hilo and the windward Saddle on Wednesday, so Thursday morning I was very conservative in my choice of outing. I slept in and eventually went to Army Road, where I haven't counted much in recent months. (Though I have been fairly active on the North side of Stainback Highway this year.) The weather was terribly muggy and overcast, but there were no storms and I was able to stay out until sunset. It was very quiet out there, with a constant trickle of a few birds, and they weren't saying much. I only encountered the 4 main species the whole day, in small numbers - 'apapane, white-eye, 'oma'o and 'elepiao. There was also the worst infestation of mosquitoes I've ever encountered on the windward side. The wet summer seems to have produced a bumper crop, and they were enjoying the steamy weather.
Today's project became exploring a new part of the area inside the Army Road quadrangle. This area will be fenced off and de-pigged in the future, and will probably have rare native plants planted inside. There are a number of uncommon plants inside, though I haven't seen any endangered plants in there. It has been a popular hunting area for a long time, and before that was abused with nerve gas testing and tree plantations. I have been poking around the edges of the area for years, but have barely begun to investigate the interior.
Starting from near the northeast corner of the quadrangle on Army Road Makai, I headed straight West into the quadrangle across a low and very muddy surface. There is an old mysterious bulldozed road inside the northeast corner of the quadrangle that goes into the heart of the North side, and since I was expecting storms I intended to intersect that road to get out quickly. Immediately inside the forest I encountered the heavy pig damage that isn't visible from the road. Lots of tilling and broken plants. The pigs seem to keep coming back to this area despite the heavy hunting. The further in I went the less the pig damage became - I'm not sure exactly why they choose different areas. (presumably they're following the worms)
I encountered a few big 'ohe mauka (tetraplasandra) trees, but no 'anini trees. ('anini are fairly common on the nearby higher substrate to the North and West) Along the steep slope between the low muddy surface I was on and the upper surface to the North there were pockets of less common plants. Weeds were concentrated near the road that goes into the northeast corner of the quadrangle. Strawberry guava, cane tibouchina, Japanese anemone and palm grass are invading from here. The dreaded palm grass is starting to fill in the defunct road and may soon spread into the forest. I had to be careful not to pick up palm grass seeds on my boots as I crossed the old road. I also checked a giant alien mule's foot fern I chopped up a few years back, and was dismayed to see that many of the little chopped bits had re-sprouted. I plucked them all and threw them into the road. I pulled a lot of weeds, but I can't even make a dent in this infestation without monthly visits. Hopefully when the area is fenced they'll address these infestations.
After crossing the road I continued to follow the slope/edge between the low muddy surface and the upper surface. It became more boggy, with standing water. Pig disturbance was a little reduced and I started to encounter some less common plants. More cyanea, a few clermontia, more fern diversity, large patches of stenogyne vines. The highlight of the day was one large colony of koli'i (trematolobelia), one of which was in its terminal flowering, which happens in October in this area. That makes 5 colonies of koli'i I know of in the Army Road area, and I'm sure there are more since I discovered 2 of them this month. There were also a number of delicate haiwale/'ilihia shrubs, which are brittle and usually damaged by pig disturbance. Several species live side-by-side here. Among the large fuzzy trees the most were common cyrtandra platyphylla, but some may be cyrtandra tinntinnabula, which is endangered but seems fairly common on this part of the island if I'm right about the ID.
Eventually the rains became more frequent in the late afternoon and the darkening skies made me decide it was time to return before it became difficult to navigate in the understory. I really didn't cover that much distance, so a lot is left to explore. I climbed the slope onto the upper surface, and started working my way back along it to the defunct road, first reaching a set of mysterious old bulldozings in the forest halfway back and following those to the road. I found a really big kamakahala tree (8-9 feet tall) and a couple more 'ohe mauka but it was getting too dark to effectively search for plants.
The birds were consistent all day long, though the 'apapane were more vocal near sunset as usual. There was a steady trickly of 'apapane through the treetops, but never more than 3-4 at any time. White-eye came and went in little groups. 'Elepaio were regularly encountered hourly in ones and twos. 'Oma'o shouted from the lower branches of the trees here and there. No pheasants.
Today's project became exploring a new part of the area inside the Army Road quadrangle. This area will be fenced off and de-pigged in the future, and will probably have rare native plants planted inside. There are a number of uncommon plants inside, though I haven't seen any endangered plants in there. It has been a popular hunting area for a long time, and before that was abused with nerve gas testing and tree plantations. I have been poking around the edges of the area for years, but have barely begun to investigate the interior.
Starting from near the northeast corner of the quadrangle on Army Road Makai, I headed straight West into the quadrangle across a low and very muddy surface. There is an old mysterious bulldozed road inside the northeast corner of the quadrangle that goes into the heart of the North side, and since I was expecting storms I intended to intersect that road to get out quickly. Immediately inside the forest I encountered the heavy pig damage that isn't visible from the road. Lots of tilling and broken plants. The pigs seem to keep coming back to this area despite the heavy hunting. The further in I went the less the pig damage became - I'm not sure exactly why they choose different areas. (presumably they're following the worms)
I encountered a few big 'ohe mauka (tetraplasandra) trees, but no 'anini trees. ('anini are fairly common on the nearby higher substrate to the North and West) Along the steep slope between the low muddy surface I was on and the upper surface to the North there were pockets of less common plants. Weeds were concentrated near the road that goes into the northeast corner of the quadrangle. Strawberry guava, cane tibouchina, Japanese anemone and palm grass are invading from here. The dreaded palm grass is starting to fill in the defunct road and may soon spread into the forest. I had to be careful not to pick up palm grass seeds on my boots as I crossed the old road. I also checked a giant alien mule's foot fern I chopped up a few years back, and was dismayed to see that many of the little chopped bits had re-sprouted. I plucked them all and threw them into the road. I pulled a lot of weeds, but I can't even make a dent in this infestation without monthly visits. Hopefully when the area is fenced they'll address these infestations.
After crossing the road I continued to follow the slope/edge between the low muddy surface and the upper surface. It became more boggy, with standing water. Pig disturbance was a little reduced and I started to encounter some less common plants. More cyanea, a few clermontia, more fern diversity, large patches of stenogyne vines. The highlight of the day was one large colony of koli'i (trematolobelia), one of which was in its terminal flowering, which happens in October in this area. That makes 5 colonies of koli'i I know of in the Army Road area, and I'm sure there are more since I discovered 2 of them this month. There were also a number of delicate haiwale/'ilihia shrubs, which are brittle and usually damaged by pig disturbance. Several species live side-by-side here. Among the large fuzzy trees the most were common cyrtandra platyphylla, but some may be cyrtandra tinntinnabula, which is endangered but seems fairly common on this part of the island if I'm right about the ID.
Eventually the rains became more frequent in the late afternoon and the darkening skies made me decide it was time to return before it became difficult to navigate in the understory. I really didn't cover that much distance, so a lot is left to explore. I climbed the slope onto the upper surface, and started working my way back along it to the defunct road, first reaching a set of mysterious old bulldozings in the forest halfway back and following those to the road. I found a really big kamakahala tree (8-9 feet tall) and a couple more 'ohe mauka but it was getting too dark to effectively search for plants.
The birds were consistent all day long, though the 'apapane were more vocal near sunset as usual. There was a steady trickly of 'apapane through the treetops, but never more than 3-4 at any time. White-eye came and went in little groups. 'Elepaio were regularly encountered hourly in ones and twos. 'Oma'o shouted from the lower branches of the trees here and there. No pheasants.
