Volcano, Hawaii

It has been a week since we blogged.  We waited at Travis AFB
for a military aircraft going to Hickam AFB in Honolulu until Friday.  There were several flights which were scheduled and then were cancelled. The Friday flight only had nine seats available and our priority was too low to get on that one.  It was such a pity to watch young active duty families waiting to get back to their duty stations after travel home for whatever reason who did not get on the Friday flight.  One mother with two children who looked to be under three was actually in tears.  We learned that many of the flights which would have ordinarily gone west were Air Force National Guard planes which were grounded because they rely on appropriated funds which of course our Congress has yet to appropriate.  We made the decision on Friday to get a commercial flight out of Oakland to Hilo, Hawaii via Honolulu on Saturday.  So we hired an airport shuttle, put our truck in storage with Jay, our Travel Trailer, and flew out on Saturday morning.  We had a four-hour layover in Honolulu which has an open air waiting area.  We logged our first life bird for Hawaii as it flew into the waiting area!!   When we arrived in Hilo at 5:30 PM, having gained another three hours time, we were exhausted and it was raining.  We got our rental car, a 2013 Ford Focus with controls very much like our Camry, and followed our GPS to the hotel which our friend Peggy had arranged.  David, at the last moment before we left California, rigged up a way for us to carry the GPS, which has been a God-send. 

Lovely garden at Dolphin Bay Hotel in Hilo

On Sunday we awoke to sunshine and a beautiful garden in the back yard of our apartment.  We birded a bit, logging two more lifers, and then drove to Volcano, Hawaii (Big Island as the locals call it) to meet Peggy for brunch.  We gained almost 4000 feet elevation driving to Volcano.  Hawaii is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands, more than two times larger than all the other islands together, about the size of Delaware.  Geologically it is the youngest of the archipelago and the only one which has an active volcano.  We will not see the volcano because the Volcano National Park is shuttered like the rest of the National Parks!!!!!!

After brunch, Peggy drove us around the area of her home which sets in a very wooded yard with lots of native plants.  After all our sitting it was great to get out and walk a bit, birding and chatting.  Peggy had a birthday dinner planned for a friend that evening and we got to meet some very interesting people.  Peggy is accustomed to going to sleep about 8-9 PM which fit in very well with our body clock.

Ann, Peggy and Dave in Peggy's home in Volcano

Peggy thinks a new spider which some call the Australian spider makes this lovely web on her deck.

Mauna Kea Mountain

Yesterday, Monday, October 7, we went walking a mile with Peggy along her local streets and again saw life birds!!  It was a sunny morning and we got a good look at Mauna Kea Mountain which is 13,796 feet high.  At 9:30 we went to the local Art Center which has a nature trail and a guide who knew so much about the different plants, ferns, trees and local lore.  Scott is actually a transplant from Montana about 25 years ago.  He seemed to be in about his mid to late 40s and also told tales of wild pig hunting.  Wild pigs are a real menace here as in many parts of the Mainland of the US.  He bred two labs to tracker dogs and now has dogs who hunt with him.  He either shoots the pigs with bow and arrow or spears them after the dogs have cornered them.  People ask him to hunt pigs on their property when they become a hazard or are tearing up yards.  The pigs have no natural predators so controlling them is a real challenge.  

Green turtle at Punalu'u Beach

Dave and Ann on black sands beach, Punalu'u Beach Park

After the walk we decided to head south and explore some other birding sites which Peggy recommended.  She is also an amateur birder.  We drove south on Hawaii 11 toward the southernmost point in the USA, aptly called South Point.  On the way we stopped at Punalu'u Beach Park.  This is where some of the famous black sand beaches are.  We encountered more life birds and also saw a green turtle which had worked its way to the near shoreline rocks, then swam back out to sea
It was very large and would have been indistinguishable from the rocks if it hadn't come so close to the shore and its legs were flapping in the air!  The black sand on this beach is actually fine lava rocks and feels "creamy" and warm.  We were amazed with how smooth our hands felt after running some of it through our hands.  

We continued our adventure driving to Naalehu where Peggy had recommended we have lunch at Hana Hou, the southernmost restaurant in the USA!!! (but Peggy didn't realize it was that until we told her later in the day). The food was very tasty and the atmosphere was homey.  Across the street is a bakery, Punaluu Bakery, which also serves ice cream of which we partook, while being pestered by the yellow-billed cardinals, another life bird whose southeastern range ends here.  David also encountered the Geico Gecko!  We had to purchase some turnovers and apple-filled sweet for supper's dessert, too!

Since we had more time before needing to head back to Volcano, we continued on Hawaii 11 to Manuka State Park touted as a good birding site.  The Nature Trail ascends 400 feet on a volcanic lava and sand path, hard to walk on.  We got about half way up the trail and were not seeing or hearing birds, so we descended and encountered two more life birds!!

These wind turbines are on South Point.

South Point is in background. 

As we reversed course, with the Pacific Ocean on our right, there were very interesting lava rock fences along the inward side as well as outlining the yards of people's homes.  The rains settled in, too, as we again ascended to Volcano.  As we approached the town of Volcano, the Kilauea Volcano was to our northeast.  It is always shrouded in fog and the sky had an eerie pink hue to it which we confirmed later with Peggy was likely reflection from the fiery lava fields.  The photo Ann took just doesn't do justice to the colors that were visible. 

Lava rock walls along Hawaii 11.

Kilauea's fiery lava reflected in its cloud layer.

Today, Peggy played tour guide and drove us to Hilo for some water fowl birding.  It was misty, but warm,  and again we saw several life birds.  Our list is now up to 12 life birds and many other Hawaii list birds.  We'll pack up tonight and head to the airport tomorrow going to K'auai for two days.