AZ + HI Bird Watching

I come from a family of plant and bird enthusiasts. Several, especially my mom and my uncle, actually know the names! I've been endeavoring to learn more of the names of my local birds, and I got a jump start during my 2018 visit to Arizona. 

Arizona

Uncle Larry took me on several walks to enjoy cactus and bird watch. My cousin Leah joined us for this one! (South Mountain Hiking Trails). Thankfully, I was visiting in January, so the weather was warm without being oppressive. 

Mockingbird

At the Desert Botanical Garden, we got to enjoy all different kinds of cacti. The birds enjoyed them too. 

American Coot

We also had an amazing hike at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Larry has given a bird-watching tour there!

Black-throated Sparrow

Knowing names gave me an appreciation for over-looked birds, like sparrows. 

White-Crowned Sparrow

Larry also works hard on bird-counting. He keeps records with eBird, which is part of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Here's an example of a checklist I've created during a walk:

I've only made a few lists, but Larry records them religiously. It's useful data for the scientists! I like it best for keeping a list of all the birds that I've seen and can identify. Merlin is a great app for helping to identify bird. 

Back home in Hawaii...

Kailua Wetland Preserve

Near our church is a wonderful area for bird-watching. 

Black-crowned Night Heron

Coot

Seeing the coot everywhere in Hawaii was funny after learning how to identify them first in Arizona.

Big Island

Kiholo State Park, our trip with the Madlers. 

Black-crowned night heron

Black-crowned night heron, adolescent

Cattle Egret

Saffron Finch

The finches lived near our campsite!

Kaneohe Marine Base

Where we worked- a former wetlands that was turned into a military base. 

Aeo: Black-necked stilt

Kolea: Pacific Golden Plover

It took me forever to identify this Plover! I thought it was some kind of sandpiper. A fun thing on the eBird app is that you may receive an email saying, "Are you SURE you saw a sandpiper on this date at this location? That would be very unusual..." and maybe they can help you figure out what you actually saw, lol. 

My Yard

Common Waxbill

Japanese White-Eye

I love bird-watching in our back yard. I got a lot of photos one day when some ripe papaya fell, so many birds came for a snack!

Whiskered Bulbul

Red-vented Bulbul

Common Myna

Zebra Dove

More Oahu

Iwa (Great Frigatebird)

The 'Iwa is a beloved Hawaiian symbol. It's often seen with a split tail. Many have 'iwa incorporated into tattoos and other art. (I have 'iwa earrings)

Iwa (Great Frigatebird)

These 'iwa are disabled. They live in a recovery home at SeaLife Park.

Common Myna

Red crested cardinal

Kahana State Park

I was on a mission to see native birds. Most of my daily birds had come from other part of the world. When the Western world came to Hawaii, they accidentally brought mosquitos for the first time. This devastated the native bird population. Few remain, and those live in high elevation places where mosquitos don't go. The Audubon Society recommended a hike on Oahu to see Native birds. But... between being pregnant and having a bad knee, I didn't make it far enough for this hike! The highlight of the hike was a momma and her three little piggies. 

Wild boar!

Maui - Haleakala

Even though we were moving soon, I got one last chance to see native birds. Our company needed a product that was out of stock on the whole island! We researched and found out a shop on Maui had the product we needed. They needed a week to ship... so instead we bought me a one-day ticket for me to island hop. Getting the product only took 30 minutes, so I had the rest of the day for my final bird-watching tour. 

Chukar Partidge

Haleakala is a dormant volcano with beautiful views. There's a campsite just past the park entrance that almost guarantees native bird sightings. There was one bird I wanted to see. I sat. I waited. Then, like a tiny red miracle, my favorite bird came to visit me.

I'iwi (Scarlet honeycreeper)

I also saw many Nene (Hawaii's goose and state bird.) We'd met on Big Island before. Oddly, they don't live on Oahu! Larry says I should get a good photo whenever I see an ID tag on a bird. (Next time.)

Nene

angry Nene

I'm so glad I got to learn more about birds! It's a great start for better conservation education, and for connecting with art.