Today was volunteer day for the Kohala Watershed Partnership, planting native trees in waiakamali gulch in North Kohala. We planted hame, manono and 'oha wai. In the gulch there are ferns I don't get to see on the windward side of the island, so I was busy looking for them. It was blustery and wet, which probably explains in part why there were few kolea or eurasian sky lark in the pastures. There were the usual sparse 'amakihi, house finch and japanese white-eye in the gulches.
Afterwards there was a short slog up and down the usual rainforest trail in Pu'u 'O 'Umi NAR. It was not even two hours. 'Apapane, 'amakihi, red-billed leiothrix and Japanese white-eye. Again, wet conditions probably reduced numbers and their vocalness.
On the way back across the saddle I stopped at Pohakuloa to practice my distance estimation with the laser rangefinder, since everywhere else on the island iwas rainy, misty or foggy. I still suck, and the open dry forest habitat exposed my distance estimation weaknesses.
At sunset I briefly stopped at Pu'u O'o Trail. All the usual native residents were around, but the only alien bird I noted in a half hour was a house finch or two. Again, wind and rain may have been keeping them quiet.
Afterwards there was a short slog up and down the usual rainforest trail in Pu'u 'O 'Umi NAR. It was not even two hours. 'Apapane, 'amakihi, red-billed leiothrix and Japanese white-eye. Again, wet conditions probably reduced numbers and their vocalness.
On the way back across the saddle I stopped at Pohakuloa to practice my distance estimation with the laser rangefinder, since everywhere else on the island iwas rainy, misty or foggy. I still suck, and the open dry forest habitat exposed my distance estimation weaknesses.
At sunset I briefly stopped at Pu'u O'o Trail. All the usual native residents were around, but the only alien bird I noted in a half hour was a house finch or two. Again, wind and rain may have been keeping them quiet.
