Another rainy morning, which gave way to a pleasant partly cloudy afternoon. I went up on the Saddle for the afternoon, and went into the forest South of Kaumana Trail. With the unstable weather and late start I didn't try to go very far, but instead I filled in unexplored parts near the areas I covered extensively in June. I found a couple of new 'anini trees along the way, and found some impressively extensive patches of undisturbed makole mat on the ground.
At the Kaumana Trail parking area on Saddle Road I was greeted by 3+ yellow-fronted canary in the trees. They like the scrubby forests along the 16-20 mile markers of Saddle Road. The scrub forest and kipukas along Kaumana Trail were otherwise extremely quiet due to the rain. The canopy forest South of Kaumana Trail was a bit more active. This area is an 'elepaio hotspot, and Thursday did not disappoint. 'Oma'o were the most abundant bird, and there were various groups of 'amakihi, 'apapane and Japanese white-eye moving through with their loud juveniles. Oddly, I didn't hear any i'iwi all day, which had been common here in June. Scattered red-billed leiothrix. At sunset flocks of 'apapane moved in from wherever it is they spend the summer days, and congregated in the trees overhead before moving on to their roosting areas. At sunset there was one pueo skimming over the tops of the kipukas along Kaumana Trail.
At the Kaumana Trail parking area on Saddle Road I was greeted by 3+ yellow-fronted canary in the trees. They like the scrubby forests along the 16-20 mile markers of Saddle Road. The scrub forest and kipukas along Kaumana Trail were otherwise extremely quiet due to the rain. The canopy forest South of Kaumana Trail was a bit more active. This area is an 'elepaio hotspot, and Thursday did not disappoint. 'Oma'o were the most abundant bird, and there were various groups of 'amakihi, 'apapane and Japanese white-eye moving through with their loud juveniles. Oddly, I didn't hear any i'iwi all day, which had been common here in June. Scattered red-billed leiothrix. At sunset flocks of 'apapane moved in from wherever it is they spend the summer days, and congregated in the trees overhead before moving on to their roosting areas. At sunset there was one pueo skimming over the tops of the kipukas along Kaumana Trail.
