A Night Snorkel at the Pier

Al oooo ha!

    One of my long time ambitions has been to go night snorkeling at the pier.  Last night that ambition was realized when Bob Hillis and I went for a swim off the beach in front of the King Kamehameha Hotel.  We arrived around 7 PM, just as the floor show of the hotel luau was heating up.  Between the lights from the hotel, the pier and the luau, the beach was well illuminated.  On the surrealistic side, there was a group of a dozen spectators standing on the pier, overlooking the bay, seemingly enjoying the show without actually being able to see it.  I can only imagine that they took some delight in watching us turn on our lights and swim out towards the heiau.  I'll take a waterproof flashlight over one of those fiery torches any day.

    Before we go further, I must confess that none of the pictures here (except the last from three years ago) are my own.  Although I attempted to take some pictures, the sea was bumpy and there was some back and forth surge.  I had the flashlight in one hand, of course, and when I put the camera in the other I was pretty much out of control.  It was lucky I didn't kill somebody...like me!  I have tried to find pictures representational of what we encountered.  And lastly,  I do not willingly go to luaus.

Regal Slipper Lobster, One Curious Crustacean

    We entered within an hour of darkness and the fish we saw immediately were mostly diurnal fish settling in, a ot of Convict Tang and Moorish Idols.  I noticed a couple Ambon Tobies just sitting on rocks.  Puffers are apparently safe at night and do not need to hide in a crevice.

    Out by the heiau it was darker and we started to see Iridescent and Bandfin Cardinalfish.  These were the only cardinalfish we would identify this evening.  Really, they are the only ones that are likely and big enough to be easily seen.   As we went further out and it became more definitely night, the cardinalfish became more numerous.  

We also started seeing both Regal and Sculptured Slipper Lobsters.  The regal was a new species for me and extremely beautiful.  It looked so different from the way it is pictured in Hawaii's Sea Creatures that at first I did not recognize it.  The thorax on the individuals I saw was gray as opposed to the brilliant orange and blue elsewhere on the body. The antennae on slipper lobsters are two rounded projections, looking a bit like a pair of shovels projecting from the head.  In the case of the regal, these are a grayish purple lined with optical orange.  Nice!

      In the bay we saw numerous Palolo Worms, or more precisely segments of the worm which are set free

Bandfin Cardinalfish

 from the body to go forth and multiply.  In our lights they were white, five inches in length with a bit of a fine wave for the last cm at one end...presumably the reproductive part, or perhaps having to do with locomotion.  These worm fragments are edible, but we did not partake.  

    Out in the bay our location was continuously confirmed by the lights on the pier and the many bright lights flashing from the luau.  The number of cardinal fish increased as the night wore on, hunting quietly in mid-water.  There were a large number of small red fish, possibly a species of squirrelfish that I am unable to identify.

    Another interesting spot by Bob was a bright red crab, possibly the Red Swimming Crab, hanging out in some coral.  He also saw a 7/11 crab that I could not find.

Jeweled Anemone Crab

     On the way in we saw a large Jeweled Anemone Crab.  The last time I saw such a large hermit crab was in Fiji about 14 years ago.  This reddish brown beauty has big furry legs and claws.  He crawled under a chunk of rip rap, but we could still dive down for another look.   I had never before seen a crab of this magnitude in Hawaii.

     Just a bit further on, still in the rip rap, we spotted a Tiger Snake Eel peering out from the rocks.  Flesh brown with large dark brown spots of different sizes, he might better be called a Clown Snake Eel.  I guess the naming committee didn't think there was anything very funny about snake eels.  We were able to dive down and look this big boy right in the eye!  Surprisingly, this was not a life fish for me.  Three years ago on a cloudy, bouncy afternoon, we saw one swimming free only thirty feet seaward of this very spot.  I had the presence of mind to snap off a poor photo with the old camera.  While it won't make the Louvre, it was good enough for John Hoover to make the identification.   

Tiger Snake Moray, Kailua Kona Pier, Jan 2011

     By the time we made it to shore, I was freezing.  The luau was breaking up and the tourists were making their way back to the hotel.  Our audience on the pier had wandered off, as well.  Time to go home for a warm shower, a hot brownie.

jeff

A Five Stripe Morning on the PAR

   We had lots to do yesterday, as we were hosting a party for Sandra's service club, Las Borachas.  Thus, I had to squeeze in my swim a bit earlier than usual.  On the beach in front of the King Kam, I watched a fit

Rock and roll on the PAR

 young lady instucting a couple of a certain age in the art of paddle boarding  It was a lovely morning for a
paddle or a swim and I was putting on my fins in the Inner Harbour about 9:30. 
   
The water was clear and not nearly as cold as I remeber from this time last year.  Everything was going so well that I swam all the way out to the lighthouse.  Out there a modest swell was hitting the reef, making close approach a little dicey.  But as i watched the coral on this wave swept lava, I saw a beautiful, mature Fivestripe Wrasse.

    Getting close was no longer a question but an imperative.  Working in close I got three pictures, one of them in delightful focus.  Can you believe how pretty this fish is?  At the same time, a school of bicolor chub swam by and I caught a couple pictures of them them for good measure.

A Pair of Bicolor Chubs

     The Fivestripe Wrasse is a beautiful fish that lives in the most turbulent shallows.  I have seen a couple in front of Kona Makai.  Most memeorably, John Hoover and i saw one on that stormy day when he took the picture of the Phoenix Island Damsel that appears in his book.  And I saw at least one on the shallow reef near the entrance to Paul Allen's lagoon.  Unlike all those fish, this guy was not living on top of a shallow reef, but appeared to live among the coral on the face of the reef, just below the surface.  When a wave came in, he would slide over the top and the back out as it receded.  What a daring fish.

    Back on the beach, I shared the shower with the couple who had returned from theor paddle boarding experience.  In their own way, they were daring fish. too.

jeff     

The Fivestripe Wrasse, Kailua Kona, Jan 17, 2014.  3 ft. A Fish as Beautiful as it is Rare.

Kua Bay

     Recently I received an email from one of our regular readers asking if we could meet, exchange notes and possibly go snorkeling together.  Shortly after that Sandra and I met Bob Hollis at Kahalu'u.   Bob is a retired park ranger from Southern California and enjoys identifying fish as much as I do.  Or as he puts it, he's a fish nerd.  Yesterday, at his suggestion, we went to Kua Bay.  He was very enthusiastic and I was more than a little curious.  Kua Bay, also known as  Manini’owali Beach, is one of two parts of Kekaha Kai State Park, the other being closer to the airport and accessed by a road so rough that I deem it impassable in a passenger car.

Kua Bay on a Sunny Day

     Sandra and I have been snorkeling at Kua Bay before and had a tough time getting out.  As the entrance is across from a national veterans cemetery, we named it Cemetery Beach and took it off our list.  Bob thought that yesterday would be a good day to go there as the wave predictor forecast small surf.  If the surf had been small the day Sandra and I went, we almost certainly would not have had any trouble. 

    If you check out Tripadvisor, you will find that this beach is a favorite of people who like to "go to the beach."   We arrived before 10, parked without problem and walked down to a glorious patch of soft white sand.  The sand is so fine that it made me wish I had brought a grass mat or sand chair on which to place the bag containing my mask.  There are no tables down on the beach and the fine sand gets on everything, including the inside of your mask. 

     The soft sand extends some distance into the water making for an easy entry if there is low surf.  Like Magic Sands, and other such beaches, when the surf is high, the beach is used for surfing and losing your

Paletail Unicornfish  Longshore Photography

equipment on entry would be a definite risk. We got in easily and headed out past the lava on the right (north) side of the small bay.  We curved around to the north for about 75 yards.  As we did, the water became quite clear.  Snorkeling over a lava reef about ten feet deep we saw many of the usual suspects and  the coral was delightfully intact. 

     At that point, where the lava shore is parallel to the sea, the bottom drops away to about twenty five feet.  Here, looking at a fine flotilla of black durgons, I caught sight of a pair of Paletail Unicornfish.  they were a bit shy, but my chase got me close enough to admire their small horns.  What a treat.  Bob said that he sees them occassionally.  If my records are to be believed, I had not seen one in two years. 

My best picture of the Paletail Unicornfish

     After a few minutes of chasing the unicorns (Does this remind you of that old song by the Irish Rovers?) we pushed, eventually swimming about another hundred yards.  Along the way I spotted a Bridled Triggerfish working furtively among the corals on the bottom.  He was the dark morph with the white caudal peduncle, which we see commonly at Ho'okena, but nowhere else.

    As we turned for home it was apparent that the wind had come up and, this being time for the Winter Olympics, we were swimming through the moguls.  On the way back we got another look at the Paletail Unicorns, but now there was a school of twenty, all with nobby little horns.  And a bit further on we came upon a mixed school of damselfish including Oval and Three Spot Chromis. 

      After our long swim the exit from the sea went without a hitch.  Gathering up my gear I got things wet and sandy.  In response to my muttering, Bob replied, "Sand at the beach, what a novel concept."  So you

Paramedics Respond to the Shark Attack at Kua Bay

see, he's not only a very good  fish nerd, but he's also a cynic. 

    Kua Bay is famous for something other than a great beach.  Last June there was a non-fatal, but very real, shark attack involving a tiger shark and a snorkeler.  Neither Bob nor I have seen a tiger shark in the wild.

    As he drove he pulled out a self applying military tourniquet that he carries in his pocket while swimming.  The way things are going in the Aloha State, this could make for a very useful Christmas present for your snorkeling relative.  The threat of sharks not withstanding, we had a great swim, saw some wonderful fish and enjoyed regaling each other with lies. 

jeff

jhill257@gmail.com

     

Bird Watching tin the vicinity of Coff's Harbour

This blog is intended to follow the blog on Sapphire Beach, which in turn is intended to follow the episodes on Dorrigo Park...  And please remember, it is impossible to take pictures of birds, so the pictures you see here are not mine.  I believe they were created by Black Magic.

      Well, such is my pessimistic view of the western world.   Meanwhile, back at Sapphire Beach it was time to get on with my own memories.  Pierre, full of energy as usual, appeared on time at 9 AM.  There was something intuitive about the Australian road signs; even though he hadn’t been to Sapphire Beach for a while he was able to find the park without difficulty.  Amazing!

   

The Sikh Temple at Woolgoolga...from theFront

Off we went, driving north with the Southern Emu Wren as our target species.  This was a noble goal.  the bird is small, the size of a fairy wren, has a long wispy  tail, unique in the bird world as far as I know.  the bird gets its name because the tail reminded someone of the loose plumes that cover an emu.  (Not because it grooms or otherwise hangs around with Emus.)  And the emu wren  is really hard to find.  Mike and I, twenty years before, had kicked some serious birding patoot, but had not seen an emu wren.  As I now understand it, the reason is pretty obvious.  Emu wrens live in seaside heath.  A habitat of specific plants in land just higher than that which would sustain salt marsh.  While it is not a really rare habitat in Eastern Australia, you don’t end up in this habitat by accident.  

There are a couple other birds there, but it is not a trove of new species.  It seems now that Mike, who was the guiding force in our tour, made the decision not to look for the emu wren because it would take a lot of time and not yield a lot more species.

Pierre Charboneau on the heath.

    On our way to Red Rock, home of the emu wren, we passed through Woolgoolga, which boasted the biggest Sikh temple in NSW.   We were able to see the back of the temple from the  road as we drove by.  Unlike Hindu temples, resplendent in color with stacks of Gods both human and animal, this edifice was plain gray stone with a smattering of sedate spires. and a central dome.  The picture I include is from the front, which I didn’t see.  The back side, which we saw from the road was, no surprise,  less grand.

Soon we were in Red Rock, the name would become more apparent in a while.  Pierre parked where the road transected a large flat area of low lying brush.  He got out his tape player and off we went.  For the better part of two hours we walked this low lying brushy area.  We saw one new bird, a consummate little brown bird that only a bird watcher might deign to give a second look.  Does the name Tawny Grassbird excite you?  Even if you had been smoking grass this bird would seem dull.  

Banksai on the heath at Red Rock

   So dull was the birdwatching, that I ended up taking pictures of plants, specifically the low lying Banksia that formed a substantial portion of this unique habitat.   Banksia is named  for Joseph Banks, who was already a famous botanist when he sailed with Captain Cook on his first voyage to Australia.   He was the botanist for which Botany Bay is named.  Banks is credited with the discovery of eucalyptus,  acacia and, obviously,  Banksia.  There are over 100 species of Banksia, all but one of which is endemic to Australia.   Many of them have columnar flowers and are used in gardens the world over. Naturally, the ones on this heath were more prosaic.  

    

   Pierre’s discerning eye noted that a lot of invasive plants had appeared on this particular patch of heath since his last visit. Trudging along through the hot, humid and monotonous heath, I was tempted to charge this up to sour grapes. Or sour Banksia, as the the situation merited.  I could not tell, but habitat destruction can be pretty subtle and It could well be that changing plant variety resulted in our failure to find the Emu Wren.  Despite prolonged trudging, interspersed with Pierre producing a variety of twittering noises from his player and my loud American pishing,  we had no luck.  By the time we made it back to the car, sans emu wren, I was ready to look for something easier.

Really Red Rocks!

     To placate the passenger, Pierre declared that we would start birding the American way.  That is to say, driving rapidly from spot to spot, hopping out to look at something seen from the car to or to look quickly for something likely to be at a certain location.  At times, in my experience, the American way also involves the imbibing of potent beverages, thus to enhance the spirit and imagination of the hunters.  That was not to be the case on this Australian afternoon, but the rapidly passing scenery would be more amusing than a trudge through the heath.

      Our first stop was at the Red Rock park.  We were hoping for shorebirds, but the tide was too high and we had to settle for a family fishing from the bank and a couple Australian pelicans (the largest pelican in the world).  Some terns sat on an island about 200 meters distant.  

     We drove from teh park to a small car park, where we  walked down onto the beach onto the eponymous very Red Rocks.  Aside from the red rocks, we saw some Little Terns and vowed to return later.  heading back to the main road we passed a caravan park.  It didn't look as homey as Sapphire Beach, but it was right by the beach and if you wanted to sty someplace adjacent to shore birding, it might be worth a go.    

Mistletoebird

    Recognizing that for shore birds to appear on the tide flats that were still submerged,  we needed to wait for the tide to fall, Pierre took us to a patch of woods near the sea.  As we walked the trail, I mentioned the Rose Robin that Sandra and I had seen in Dorrigo and wondered if another beautiful red bird, the Mistletoebird might be seen around Coff’s.  It was like a premonition, because shortly Pierre brightened and said, “Do you hear that?”  Of course I heard nothing, but he heard a Mistletoebird that was high in a nearby tree.  We scrambled around for a good vantage point and Bam! There it was... a great look at a gorgeous little bird.  the mistletoebird was hanging on the side of a tree about thirty feet up.  Usually associated with berries, it was acting as if it might be gleaning bugs from the bark.  We enjoyed it for several minutes before it flew off.  

     This was excellent luck.  The Mistletoebird can be found anywhere over a large portion of forested Australia, usually in forests where mistletoe is growing (it feeds on the berries).  But it is not common and I had not seen it on our first trip.  

Variegated Fairy Wren

     Just as we turned back towards the car, Pierre heard a fairy wren twittering in the trees.  We had talked about me needing the Variegated Fairy Wren for the trip and he was sure that was what we were hearing.  By this point in the narrative, you may begin to understand what makes a really good bird watcher.   Good eyes help, but to get to the next level one needs to be able to recognize the calls of the birds.  If one looks hard for every twittering bird, he will see the same thing over and over.  But the difference between the twitterings of one fairy wren and another is subtle at best.  

     This bird was a bit elusive, but the increased bird activity had us excited.  Off we charged into the brushy undergrowth.  There had been a fire here recently and we were chasing the bird through charred stems, accumulating a fair amount of soot as we scrambled and pished, trying to get the wren to show itself.  Finally we got our look and Pierre was right again.  Chestnut brown cape and an electric blue face.  A male Variegated Wren.  And me wearing my soot streaked khakis like a badge of honor. 

     As we walked out of the  car Pierre recognized the burbling call of the bird known in Oz as the Green Oriole.  Its a fat green bird that favors tree tops and a little dancing around the base of his tree soon afforded us a glimpse.  As we walked back to the car, Perre waxed eloquent on his favorite subject, his wonderful wife.  It is very cool that they are still so devoted after many years.

Southern Emu Wren

    Back at the car it was time to finish off our trip to Red Rock with a last look at the tidelands.  As we drove, Pierre stopped suddenly.  On our right was a series of modern houses facing, on our left, a vast heath much like the one we had walked through at the beginning of the day.  Heaven knows what he saw or heard, but we were immediately on the edge of the heath.  Way out, perhaps 150 yards, Pierre spotted something that he was convinced was Emu Wren.  He encouraged me to pish.  Soon even I could see movement.  Three of these tiny birds made several flights towards us.  Pierre was very excited, repeatedly commenting that his usual experience was for the emu wren to pop up out of the heath and disappear immediately back into the tangle.  I got three pretty good looks as the trio of birds made their flight of about twenty  yards, disappearing as a group at the end of each flight.  As they flew, it was possible to make out thier delicate blue markings.  More impressive were their trailing, wispy tails which waved behind them like a bride’s train.  Nothing like waiting for twenty years to see a bird and  missing it in the morning to make this a special experience.  I was really happy and Pierre was vindicated.  “We got them the American way”  he cheered..  It is the essence of bird watching that a small bird hard to find in a vanishing habitat is treasured above the biggest, most colorful bird that is found easily.  

Why not share your lunch with a Brush Turkey?

     
The Red Rock Park was around the corner . From the park we were now able to see many sandy islands.   Around the corner we stood on the red rocks and looked for more shore birds.  We eventually seeing the Red Capped Plover far, far away cavorting with some curlews and, a bit closer, the Pied Oystercatcher fossicking on the shore.   Nearer yet,  we saw some Little Terns, about the size of Barn Swallows, cavorting over the bay.  

    Back at the ranch, Pierre and I shook hands, he departed to take care of his parents and I returned to our small trailer and my beloved Sandra.  See?  I  too can be a devoted husband!

    Sandra related her days experiences, mostly hanging around the holiday park, but with an encounter with a Brush Turkey.  Just like the Ibis that tried to steal her lunch in the Sydney Botanical Gardens, a turkey had hopped on our verandah while Sandra was trying to eat lunch.  He didn’t get any lunch and Sandra got his picture.

     To compensate Sandra for her day stuck in the park by the beach with the brush turkeys, I pulled myself together, got explicit instructions from Sam at the park office and we headed off to dinner in Coff’s Harbour.   Explicit instructions were  clearly required, as we had failed to find a restaurant the night before and ended up eating in the cabin on supplies that we had purchased for the final leg of the trip.  

   Luckily, we were getting better at this.  Having made it onto the freeway,  we took the correct exit and found the restaurant district without a hitch. We were pleased to find that we had indeed driven right by this long block of restaurants the day before.  So adept was I in negotiating Coff’s on this warm afternoon,  that we arrived at our destination about an hour before the restaurants opened.  

    Sandra and I strolled the restaurant block, named for the pier, though it was about two long blocks away.   Chinese, Thai, Italian and Indian cuisine was represented, along with a wine bar and a pub.  We settled on the Tandoori Oven and spoke with the proprietor who assured us he would open in less than an hour.  

    Having time to burn, we boarded the Corolla and, just around the block, found a combination gas station and liquor store.  These are not terribly uncommon in Australia.  Having fueled the car and once again marveled at the price of beverages in Oz, we headed down to the pier where we enjoyed the ocean breeze.  

   

Trip

   Trip Advisor Review  Tandoori Oven

   Sandra and  I dined happily at The Tandoori Oven in Coff's Harbour.  the restaurant is two blocks from the pier.  We were directed by our hotel to park in the lot across the street.  Parking, though usually free in Coff's, is surprisingly hard to find at times.

    This restaurant is found on a block that boasts at least six other dining establishments, from Pub grub to iItalian and Chinese, and there is a fish and chips place in the grocery mall across the street.

Sandra Awaits her Lamb Vindaloo in Coff's Harbour

    We were surprised to find that this is sort of a fancy restaurant.  I love Indian cuisine.    As a consequence I go to a lot of Indian restaurants, and this is easily the nicest I have been to in years.  Lots of chrome and glass and napkins folded to resemble a lotus blossom.

    
   The service was prompt and gracious.  The food was good, but not great.  First, it was spicier than we had hoped for.  There may be a larger Indian clientele here in Coff's to account for this, but if we were in the position to go again we would ask for mild, comfortable that the food would be sufficiently spicy.

    Additionally, the food was not spiced exactly as I might have hoped.  Its always fun to taste someone else's take on one of your favorite cuisines, and Indian allows a lot of room for interpretation.  It was certainly tasty and the portions were generous. 

    Or to put it another way, I didn't want to berate the restaurant, but the following day in Gloucester I improved the leftovers by adding sugar and a couple creamers.   Stay tuned as Sandra and Jeff bid goodbye to the beach and head into the mountains of New South Wales.

   

An Update from the Pier

   Over the last three days while swimming at the Kailua pier, we have enjoyed some excellent sightings and one tantalizing tip.

African Pompano immature

    On Wednesday, the day of the cruise ship, with the pier in a carnival atmosphere, I went swimming in the early afternoon.  Out on the water I immediately encountered two gentleman of about my age, which is to say not particularly young.  They were both clad in full wet suits including hoods with snappy orange and red logos and one of them was holding a  giant $3,000 camera.  As they looked so official, I

Scribbled Filefish,  Kailua Kona,  January 2014

asked if they had seen anything good.  They reported that they had seen a "threadfin ulua".  Seeing my puzzled look, one of them added "the immature African Pompano," and then started to describe it.  I said that I knew the fish (feeling extremely lucky to have seen it once) and asked where they had seen it.  It turns out they had seen it Tuesday, were unable to get a satisfactory picture and had returned that day.  They had seen two hanging out over the sand on the far side of the swim buoys.  Here on Wednesday they were disappointed that the bustling tenders from the cruise ship were keeping them out of that area.  Cruise ship day is like that. 

   Suffice it to say, after hearing that news I could not stay on my own side of the swim buoys.  Luckily, the

Is this a great picture, or what? 

 tenders did not shred me like a brisket and I was able to continue my swim.  The water was super clear, hence I was able to nab a superb photo of a scribbled filefish on the reef in front of the palace.  I don't see this individual every time, but he is currently fairly regular.  If you need Mr. Scribble for your list, or you just want to renew acquaintances with an old friend, this is a good place to look for him. 

     Equally good, just before I got out, there was a mature Flying Gurnard in the shallows.  The water was only two feet deep, so I was able to provoke him into spreading his fins for some great looks and a couple killer photographs.

      Perhaps best of all, over in the showers I met a father from Australia and his two boys who had enjoyed snorkeling while off the cruise ship.  I'm not one of those guys that thinks kids ought to be given all the foul balls (after all, I care as deeply for the game as they ever will) but for me it is truly heartwarming to see young boys and girls happily indoctrinated into fish watching.

      The following day, Sandra and I went down to find the threadfins.  The area was virtually deserted, especially compared to the day before.  The water was clear and we worked the sandy area on the other

Bluestripe Butterflyfish,  Kailua Kona,  Januaray 2014

side of the buoys, thoroughly and methodically, but saw no threadfins.  We did see a group of adult Polynesian halfbeaks.  On coming in we took a closer look at what we presumed to be a large school of Keel-tailed Needlefish, only to discover that they were immature halfbeaks.  I did not get a good picture, but I can report that they had black tails of even dimensions and when you got a really good look you could make out the red tip on the beak.  They were a bit fuller through the body than keel-tails, but not as plump as the adults.  At least once, the adults swam through the school of immatures as we watched.  One tends not to think of bony fish interacting with their maturing progeny, but this relationship seemed more than a coincidence.

     Today I hooked up with Jon, a good friend from Vancouver island who visits Kona six weeks each winter.  He is more of a recreational swimmer, but also enjoys snorkeling, as well.  The water was still clear and not too cold.  Good conditions three days in a row!   On the way out we saw a Bluestripe Butterflyfish.  Jon was not as pleased by this fish as I was.  Being a Congenitally Considerate Canadian, he controlled his urge to swim away while I got a pretty good picture that you see here.

     Out in front of the palace we saw a really nice octopus that hung around to get his picture taken.  

Because the water was so pleasant, we swam as far as the Kona Inn, Jon stopping a couple times to greet his fellow recreational swimmers.

    On the way back in we spotted a dive boat and on closer examination a bod of spinners along with a bevy of  paddle boarders.  I convinced Jon that we should give it a try, it was only another hundred yards out and boat traffic was minimal.  The dolphins stuck around for our arrival and gave us several close passes.  What a treat.  You can never see too many total eclipses or have too many encounters with wild dolphins.

On the way back in, I saw three really good things over the sand.  First was a pair of Stripe Belly Puffers.  We rarely see this species that used to be so available.  Next, in about twenty feet of water, I saw a second Bluestripe Butterflyfish.  The black wedge this side of the caudal peduncle made this fish pretty easy to identify at a distance, given the nice clear water.  You will recall that we saw one about two months ago.   Is this rare fish becoming more common?

    Last I saw a Common Box Crab.  His legs fit completely under the carapace, so he looked like a snow white doorstop scuttling across the sand.  So comical was his progress, that I dove down and attempeted to take a movie.  White on white, twenty feet deep, so it didn't turn out.  I guess you can't have everything.   But this week we had a lot to be thankful for.

jeff

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!

    

Birding the Saddle Road

   As you may recall, Sandra and I visited Australia a short while ago, in large part to go bird watching in New South Wales.  In the process, we engaged in a prolonged correspondence with Allan Richards, the Governor General of the New South Wales Field Ornithological Society.  He was very patient with us and took us birding the first two days we were in Oz.

The author with Allan Richards, Royal NP, NSW

    While Allan is a really nice fellow, there was a quid pro quo in all this.  He is one of the rare breed determined to see as many of the birds in the world (that aren't extinct yet) as possible.  The Hawaiian archipelago is home to about twenty of these and our island boasts about eight.  Allan is going to come to Hawaii in April and Sandra and I are going to play host for a few days. 

    Now, I used to be a pretty good birdwatcher.  If you are reading this blog, you realize that my main interest for the last thirty years has been fish.  But 25 years ago, when I was in my transition phase, my good friend Ken Brunner came with me to this island and we pretty much saw most of the birds that weren't extinct yet over the course of a few days.  With Allan coming, it was imperative that we update the knowledge necessary to find these birds and renew our skill in finding and identifying them.

Editor's note:  The bird pictures presented here are not my own. 

    Even more than watching fish, birdwatching requires a lot of preparation.  There are two reasons.  First, birds are lot harder to see than fish and you really need to be prepared to identify your target species quickly and with only a mediocre look.  Second, birds are tied to their habitat in an incredibly strict sense.  With this in mind, I have exchanged emails with two of the best birdwatchers on the Big Island.  Jack Jeffrey lives in Hilo, leads tours and you will find his name on bird guides in the library.  I also spoke with Hawaii Forest and Trail, a company tied to the up market tourist industry.

Do Not Take the Left Fork at this "T"!

   Considering their proprietary interest in this, everyone was super helpful.  As it turns out, over the last 25 years the birds on our emerald isle have fared no better than the fish.  The number of endemic birds overall is dramatically decreased and several key species have become extinct (there's that word again) in areas that are moderately accessible.  There are now three areas where these rare birds may be seen.  The summit of the Saddle Road, home to the Palila, an area of rain forest on the Saddle Road 22 miles from Hilo and the Hakalau Forest, a reserve on the Hamakua Coast that requires both a 4WD and a permit.  Currently, Jack Jeffrey
, HF&T and a handful of academic naturalists have a corner on those permits.  This is important as at least one of those eight birds, the Akepa, is now found only in the Hakalau Forest.

    I apologize to those of you who are still with me.  That was a lot of background information, but you are now ready to hear about yesterday's adventure.   Sandra and I got up at O Dark 30 and by 7 AM we were heading into the rising sun, ascending the Saddle Road, which has just been bypassed by a new public work, the Daniel K. Inouye Highway.  (Only in America would we build a beautiful new freeway to cut the drive time between two podunk towns like Kailua and Hilo by 15 minutes!)  Reaching the summit, we turned into the Kilohana Hunting Area.  I use this name, because that is how it is signed at the entrance.  On maps, you may see it denoted as the Ka'ohe Game Management area.  Ornithologists known it as Puu La'au (forested hill).

Amakihi  Photo US Fish &Wildlife

    At the entrance, it is signed for 4WD only.  Big yellow signs.  I had driven up here 25 years ago and H. Douglas Pratt and others suggest  that the road seems acceptable for normal cars, so up we went.  In fact, this is an excellent dirt road.  On the way up, we passed a road grader and and something that looked like a mini steam roller.  We drove very slowly because much of the time we were going straight into the sun, who was poking his fiery head over the crest of Mauna Kea.  By 7:30 we had passed what we assumed to be the prime spot for the Palila and parked by the Puu La'au cabin.  Our instructions suggested turning left at the T in the road.  We chose to walk the 100 yards to the left, only to discover that what looks like a peak in the road is actually a significant precipice, from which we enjoyed a killer view of Haleakala, 80 miles away.

    Back at the car, we added a layer or two of warm clothes, it being a bit nippy at 7,500 feet.  Our book (A Pocket Guide to Hawai'i's Birds, by Pratt and Jeffrey) didn't discuss the Palila's call, but Sandra, who is the Lt. Uhura on the HMS Swinetrek, was able to pull up the distinctive twitters on her cell phone.  (Did Capt. Kirk have it so good?)

    Armed with all the requisite knowledge and assured of our location, we drove back to the best spot for the Palila.  Only to find the snazzy van of Hawai'i Forest and Trail, twelve well heeled birders and their guide, all wearing orange hunting vests and  enjoying petit déjeuner served al fresco on folding tables.  We bid them a good morning and proceeded through the gate down the obvious trail into  the best looking stand of māmane.

 The Palila   Photo US Fish &Wildlife

   The Palila is one of three finch or parrot billed honey creepers that lived in Hawai'i.  The o'u was last seen on Kauai 25 years ago and is now extinct.  The Maui Parrotbill, an insectivore,  is the object of strict conservation and a few hundred doughty survivors remain in refuges on the windward slopes of Haleakala.  The Palila, on the other hand,  eats mainly the seeds of the māmane tree, although it also takes other fruits and seeds and caterpillars, which it feeds its nestlings.  Habitat destruction, mostly in the form of destruction of  māmane trees by sheep and goats, has resulted in a catastrophic decrease in the numbers of this species.

   In 1990 Ken and I saw this bird fairly easily.  Jack Jeffrey told me that since then it has undergone a 80% decrease in numbers!  This is despite the fact that the Ka'ohe GMA has undergone a significant policy change.  Around 1980 the Palila was designated an endangered species.  In his book, The Birdwatcher's Guide to Hawai'i, Rick Soehren relates the following:  Environmental lobbyists succeeded in changing the hunting policy in the area, to the effect that there is far less regulation on taking ungulates.  The idea behind this was that unregulated hunting would markedly reduce the number of sheep and goats and allow the  māmane trees to recover.  The success of this policy has decreased the numbers of game animals in the area and created hard feelings among some hunters.  Perhaps this is why it is recommended that birders wear brightly colored clothing when in the hunting area, even on days when hunting is not permitted.  Hunting is only permitted on weekends, access to birdwatchers, who may or may not be regarded as a game species is limited to week days, except state holidays. 

     As we walked down the slope, I saw two birds flying, gray on the back and yellow below,  that may have been a pair of Palila.  The elevation of the Ka'ohe GMA is so high, that the number of species is rather small. The Palila is substantially larger than the Amakihi, which is the common yellow bird in the area, so I was pretty sure about this pair, but of course we wanted a better look.

The MāmaneForest Continues behind the Puu La'u Cabin

    About 100 yards downslope there was a fine grove of māmane and naio trees, a small central patch of grass creating a delightful amphitheater.  Sandra and I hung around  the grove for about twenty minutes identifying several Amakihi and one gorgeous red house finch.  We saw close up the seedling māmane trees, suggesting that the hunting policy was making a difference, even if the birds were not recovering as expected.  The group from Forest and Trail strolled by, stopping on the outer edge of the grove.  Figuring we had given this spot enough time, we went back up to the car park.  Looking up the hill, we spotted a single bright yellow bird, which we were able to approach to within 40 yards.  Gray back, white below, lemon yellow breast.  Bingo.

     To complete our exploration, we went back up to the cabin and parked on the far side of the eucalyptus grove.  There is a substantial māmaneforest there.  In 1996, Rick Soehren said this was the best spot to see the Palila.  We saw lots of Amakihi and an Elepaio.  

The View of the Valley Beneath Mauna Loa

    Driving back down the hill was much easier; the sun was higher in the sky so we could see the excellent roadway.  Hiking up the road was a group of four or five birders.We encountered them about a mile from the spot where we had seen the Palila.  As we saw there car, not terribly unlike our Honda sedan, at the bottom, its obvious that they were making the hike of almost five miles and about 700 feet of elevation gain, to see the Palila.  I'm not that enthusiastic of a hiker.  There are suggestions in the literature that a permit may be required., but we did not see any signs regarding permits.  And its not at all clear why the main road should be restricted to 4WD under dry conditions.  For sure there were killer views of the the inter-volcano valley with its many cinder cones on the way down.

     Once down it was an easy twenty mile drive to the milepost 22 area.  With the last bit of construction in place, the saddle road is now a fast, safe route to Hilo.  In fact, it has been transformed from a roadway forbidden by rental car companies to arguably the best road on the island. 

     We watched the mile markers and spotted the sign for the  Puʻu ʻŌʻō Trail.  Coming from the west, the car park is hidden behind a hill, but we found it and were the only car there.  Packing some food and water, we headed onto the trail.  Just as we began our hike, two large Canada Geese flew low overhead.  At first we thought they were nene, not realizing that Canada goose was possible in Hawai'i.  However, the long

Ohia Blossom on the Puʻu ʻŌʻō Trail

black neck, not to mention the size of the birds, was unmistakable.

     After passing over two rises, we entered a large meadow.  Soil has filled in a large flat pahoehoe lava flow creating a hold for grasses and Ohia trees. Under the late morning sun, this setting was quite beautiful.  We passed the ohia, with their red blooms, hearing some birds but seeing very few.

   For us old folks, stepping from one lump of  pahoehoe to the next was more exercise than we had anticipated.  For this reason, the Puʻu ʻŌʻō trail is unlike a flat forest trail and our progress was commensurately slower.  We made it to the first kipuka, probably just half a mile across the meadow, in about 45 minutes.
 
    I'iwi was common in this kipuka.  We heard lots of birds and saw one I'iwi singing nearby.  After waiting in one spot for five or ten minutes, we heard some twittering back down the trail.  A few steps revealed an oma'o low in the bush to the right and an elepaio to our left.  We got a solid five second look at the oma'o, a plain gray thrush similar to Swainson's Thrush, but decidedly darker. 

The I'iwi tilted back its head as it sang.  Photo Chuck Babitt

 The Elepaio, on the other hand stayed near the trail.  He worked the shrubbery, apparently gleaning insects, occasionally looking at us.  He was a gorgeous little bird, much like chunky wren, though larger that the species in the northern U.S.  Chestnut below, his black shoulders were spotted white.  At one point he sat, rather owl-like, upright on a branch eight feet away for several seconds.  He was looking right at us, the white feathers that circle his neck looking like a delicate collar.  Sandra whispered, "He likes being around us."   This intimate behavior is reported in the literature, but one really doesn't expect to experience it.  Our few minutes with the small, curious Elepaio created a poignant memory.

    We decided that this was our treat for the day.  Recognizing that the Koa kipuka was probably an equal distance to what we had already iked, we turned back.  As we left the kipuka, we saw a small yellowish bird that i immediately thought was an amakihi.  It was readily apparent that it was a Japanese white eye, one of the most common of Hawai'i's introduced birds.  We did not see Amakihi, Creeper, or Akiapoa'au, but we did not make the additional trek to the Koa kipuka.  We did meet the birders from Hawai'i Forest and Trail, now devoid of their orange bibs, trooping across the meadow.   We exchanged pleasntries and continued on, seeing a flock of apapanes in a tree fifty yards from the vehicles.

The Elepaio perched like an owl.  Photo Jack Wilburn

   It was now into the early afternoon.  Even though it was overcast, it was getting hot.We had one more thing to explore, however, and so we turned towards Hilo.  Kipuka 21 was supposed to be a significant refuge for the birds.  This kipuka is supposedly surrounded by a'a and this sharp lava has protected the plants from trespassing ungulates.  What we found just uphill from the 21 mile marker was a gate across a new road and a sign giving the following information.  The road was not open due to dangerous trees that are awaiting removal.  The new road may be accessed by foot and it gave a Hawaiian name for this new park that I can not recall.  Hawaiian names are like that.

     I have researched this on the internet and reviewed my correspondence with jack Jeffrey.  Although I did not go down the new road, it appears that this kipuka is now polluted by contact with undesirable feral animals and probably does not provide a chance for akialopa'au.  The Akepa, as reported by Jack Jeffrey, et al., is long gone from the Saddle Road.

     We had a great day birding the Saddle Road.  With the Inouye Highway bypassing the first part of the highway, access form Kona is now a breeze.  Sandra and I look forward to getting back to the Puʻu ʻŌʻō Trail and Kipuka 21 for some early morning birding in the near future.  As I'm sure you realize, Sandra and I prefer to create our own adventures.   If you have an interest in a guided experience, we can attest that Hawai'i  Forest and Trail puts on a first class tour for up to 12 itinerant naturalists.

Watch out for those Makahiki Hos,

jeff

Stout Moray Eel and Surge Wrasse

   For those of you who are dedicated to the main thrust of this blog, i.e. interesting fish sightings on the Kona Coast, here are two from the week preceeding New years Day 2014.

Stout Moray Eel, G. eurostus, Kailua Kona Pier 12/13

 On December 30, in the afternoon, we went swimming on the Ironman side of the pier.  It was a great day with lots of neat fish.  On the way in, I saw this eel hunting.  I was not able to put a name on it at the time.  After looking at my photos, I concluded that it was an Unusual Undulated.  One that decided to dress in Argyle socks for the holidays.  Before submitting my half-baked conclusions to youse guys, I decided it was best to ask the experts.  John Hoover said it was a not very stout Stout.  (More like a porter, I suppose.) Jack Randall was more scientific and way more amusing.

Could you stick that finger just a little closer?

   Jeff:

   I believe your foraging moray is Gymnothorax eurostus, the species with the greatest color variation for a moray that I know.  On page 86 in the lower right corner there's a photo I took of a small moray at Midway.  If I had photographed it from the top, it would be similar to your photo.

   The manuscript I wrote on 3 new records of fishes from the Hawaiian Islands with Bruce Mundy was expanded into a large paper that compared endemism in fishes throughout the world (Hawaii still has the highest percent).  We submitted it to Pacific Science, and it was rejected.  I have published more papers in ichthyology than anyone in history, and this would rank among the best.  We will submit it elsewhere.

All the  best for 2014.
Aloha, Jack

An unusual pattern for a Guiness, wouldn't you say?

   So there you have it.  Not only has Dr. Randall published more papers than anybody else, I'd be willing to bet that he holds the record for most field guides published, as well.  The picture to which he refers is not on page 86 in Shore Fishes of Hawai'i, 1998, but I'm sure there are many more from which to choose.

    Oh.  And if those uppity wise guys at Pacific Whatever think that paper isn't going to get published?  Well,  (Expletive Deleted)  them and the Horseshoe Crab they rode in on.  

    And finally, when I look at that extremely useful head shot, I am more than a little embarrassed that I didn't figure it out for myself.

A Surge Savard slap shot  from the blue line!

     Having made the most out of an eel that we all see at least once a week, I will move on to something that I hardly ever see.  On New Year's Eve, early in the afternoon, Sandra and I went swimming on the PAR side of the pier.  Things were hopping on the King Kam beach with lots of swimmers, kayaks and paddle boarders in the channel by the heiau.  The swell was just rough enough to get the debris suspended in the water.

    Five yards before the end of the rip rap, I looked towards the heiau and saw this adult Surge Wrasse.  You may recall that I saw an immature Surge Wrasse just this last summer at beach 69.  Prior to that, I do not have clear memory of seeing this species,

Thalasoma purpureum, the Surge Wrasse, Kailu Kona 2013

T. purpureum to the Linnaean's in the audience.  I had to call my son, who was put through a living hell looking at reef fish in Kona during his school holidays.  James is certain that, back in the day, we saw Surge Wrasse with a face pattern rather frequently.  Twenty plus years ago the field guides weren't nearly so good and it was more difficult to sort out this identification.  Today we can say with certainty that T. trilobatum never has a face pattern.  And we stopped caring about him six days ago when he failed to live up to his RSVP.

    All kidding aside, I have not seen an adult Surge Wrasse in a few years and I was so happy to see this big green bruiser.  After taking three pictures  (the best of which you see here) I cleared my spot, Sandra got a good look, and Surge Savard swam over the rocks and into history.  Or is it the future?  At any rate, he was gone.  Be assured I will look in that eddy by the heiau regularly on my way to the PAR.

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou,
jeff

Editors note:  Serge Aubrey "The Senator" Savard, OC, CQ is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman, most famously with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League. He is the Senior Vice President, Hockey Operations with the Montreal Canadiens.  Go Habs.