• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

6/4/09 - Upper Waiakea Forest Reserve, Opuhe Trail (1 Viewer)

I got up moderately early Thursday morning. The forecast predicted cloudy and widespread rain, which the night/morning weather seemed to confirm, but it was partly cloudy and quite dry all day on the Saddle. Expecting rain, I went back to the Opuhe Trail yet again to search more of the forest South of Kaumana Trail for rare plants. Alas, if I had known how dry and stable the weather would be I could have done a major Saddle kipuka expedition!

The day was not without satisfying discoveries. I left the trail early and crossed more of the rich forest area where I've been finding so many interesting plants over the last few weeks. I wish the area was larger, because this is the kind of rugged wet forest habitat where I could really hope to find some endangered plants sheltered on slopes, hummocks, gullies, etc.

In this initial area the only really interesting new thing I observed was when I climbed a tree trunk mass to do a bird count standing next to a huge epiphytic 'oha wai tree. This is one of the numerous clermontia montis-loa trees in this area that have wonderful flowers which are green on the calyx exterior with white interior surfaces and corolla, accentuating a lightly purple staminal column. (Some amount of purple/maroon on the calyx/corolla is most common) An i'iwi flew into the 'oha wai tree in front of me and proceeded to drink from the open flowers in each terminal leaf cluster, and this is the first time I've been able to observe it. The bird flew into each leaf cluster and attacked the flowers from whichever direction was convenient to its initial body position - over the top (against the curve of the corolla), from underneath (with the curve of the corolla), and from the side. A bird with a less curved beak may not have had so many options. I don't get the impression the i'iwi was doing much pollination from any of these positions, because the staminal column sticks directly out of the middle of the flower while the i'iwi put its head in from the sides, between the petals. Still, I guess some amount of clumsy bumping into the flower while moving around would have also been sufficient.

I moved upslope from the area where I concentrated my searching in the past, into a strip of closed-canopy forest between two tongues of the 1855 lava flow that split around the steep ridge the forest grows on. I found some more promising areas, though not as ideal as the areas nearer the main trail. I discovered a concentration of rare 'anini trees, and a the most massive popolo ku mai (pokeberry) climber I've ever seen. The trunk of the popolo ku mai was about 5 inches diameter, and it was growing safely draped over a fallen tree. Unfortunately its seedlings down in the mud will probably not find such safety - this is a fairly rare and tender plant. There were other interesting plants, and I need to search this area more thoroughly in the future.

Next I crossed the little tongue of 1855 lava that dissected the forest. This also turned out to be a botanically interesting area, with a variety of hardy plants growing on the pahoehoe lava. Among them were oreobolus grass tussocks (often notable as a bog tussock) and mau'u la'ili (native iris). I almost expected to find Saddle silverswords hidden in the lava cracks!

After crossing the little lava flow I entered the next forest on the other side. This turned out to be an open canopy forest with thick shrubby understory on a very boggy pahoehoe substrate. Probably not promising for rare plants due to more Sun exposure and less soil richness, though I could find koli'i in such an area. There was some less boggy tree fern dominated understory in more elevated areas. I continued South until I ran into the upper part of bird survey transect 25. Hunters (presumably - they were very heavy with the machete) recently cut and reflagged the transect, probably in search of pigs in all the muddy depressions that form on the ancient weathered pahoehoe lava. I followed the transect upslope a bit to put the bird survey stations into my GPS, but I was already running out of light. I returned down the transect to Opuhe Trail, and returned to my car as the last of twilight faded away.

Bird counts averaged 4 'apapane, 2 i'iwi, 1.5 'oma'o, 1.5 'elepaio, 1 'amakihi, and less than one each for Japanese white-eye, red-billed leiothrix (bog habitat), and kalij pheasant. The 'apapane continue to be more scarce, which is normal in June.

Unfortunately my brake calipers failed (smoking brakes!) as I headed up to the Saddle Saturday morning, so I won't be able to do any exploring and rare plant searching this weekend. :(

'Oha Wai (C. Montis-Loa):
original.jpg


Mau'u La'ili:
original.jpg


Popolo Ku Mai:
original.jpg
 
Warning! This thread is more than 15 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top