Thursday brought drier weather, and continued vog over the eastern Saddle. I could still taste the sulfur in my throat this morning. The Sun felt a bit oppressive in the morning, suggesting that the dreaded heat of summer is on the way.
The weather was stuffy, stable and big expedition quality, but I got a late start and my focus is still on searching kipuka ahiu for more rare plants. Thursday I began to search the lower end of the kipuka on the North side of the meadows. I found a surprising number of young rubus macraei in one area. This is the rarer species of hawaiian raspberry, which I've frustratingly never seen flower or fruit. Obviously one is fruiting abundantly somewhere, because they're fairly common along Powerline Road. No other notable plants for the day, but I did explore a lot of new kipuka. It will take several more outings before I feel like I've exhausted the northern side of the kipuka and move on to the next kipuka down the lava field.
I did the usual string of bird counts. The birds continue to get more quiet, as they do every year at this time. I again saw a yellow-fronted canary at the parking area. Still very few Japanese white-eye everywhere. In kipuka ahiu I encountered the recently typical 2-3 each of 'akepa and Hawai'i creeper, but this time on the North side of the meadow. No 'akiapola'au, though I was in the koa for quite a while. On the way back to the car after sunset there were kolea on the 1855 lava field, settling down for the night. They seem to be leaving a bit late this year.
At one point thursday in the kipuka I looked down and discovered a tiny pseudoscorpion on my arm, which is the first one I've ever seen.
Wow, the forecast looks extremely dry this weekend. It might be time to change my plans and go out much further than I've ever been before...into the unknown.
The weather was stuffy, stable and big expedition quality, but I got a late start and my focus is still on searching kipuka ahiu for more rare plants. Thursday I began to search the lower end of the kipuka on the North side of the meadows. I found a surprising number of young rubus macraei in one area. This is the rarer species of hawaiian raspberry, which I've frustratingly never seen flower or fruit. Obviously one is fruiting abundantly somewhere, because they're fairly common along Powerline Road. No other notable plants for the day, but I did explore a lot of new kipuka. It will take several more outings before I feel like I've exhausted the northern side of the kipuka and move on to the next kipuka down the lava field.
I did the usual string of bird counts. The birds continue to get more quiet, as they do every year at this time. I again saw a yellow-fronted canary at the parking area. Still very few Japanese white-eye everywhere. In kipuka ahiu I encountered the recently typical 2-3 each of 'akepa and Hawai'i creeper, but this time on the North side of the meadow. No 'akiapola'au, though I was in the koa for quite a while. On the way back to the car after sunset there were kolea on the 1855 lava field, settling down for the night. They seem to be leaving a bit late this year.
At one point thursday in the kipuka I looked down and discovered a tiny pseudoscorpion on my arm, which is the first one I've ever seen.
Wow, the forecast looks extremely dry this weekend. It might be time to change my plans and go out much further than I've ever been before...into the unknown.