An excellent idea to include the bird guides etc that you found useful.
Persuaded by my wife, I was dragged kicking and screaming to Hawaii for a two and a half week holiday from which I returned two nights ago. The holiday was not primarily for birdwatching but we did manage to see quite a lot.
Oahu
The first three days were spent on Oahu, adjusting to the 11 hour time difference. The visit to Pearl Harbor was excellent and very moving. On Oahu the first birds we saw were European House Sparrow(!) and Zebra Dove, both of which tried to get in on the action as we had our first coffee at Starbucks!! Zebra Dove are like pigeons that have shrunk in the wash, very bold, and we saw them all over the islands. Next up were Common Myna which were noisy and seen all over as well, Spotted Dove and Red-Crested Cardinal seen in the shopping area at Waikiki. Wandering through the grounds of a Marriott Hotel in Waikiki we saw a flock of Java Sparrows which look like miniature Puffins, and several Red Vented Bulbul. My wife noted a tern flying among the skyscrapers, a White Tern or Fairy Tern, apparently locally common in Honolulu.
Big Island (Hawai’i Island)
A short inter-island flight took use to the Kona coast on the west side of the Big Island. As soon as we left the terminal building we saw, on the grass, a pair of yellow finches with orange foreheads, Saffron Finches. These bold birds were common in the hotel grounds and often came to our balcony along with Yellow Billed Cardinals and latterly (once we’d bought some sunflower seeds) Northern Cardinals. In Keahou Bay, where the hotel was situated, we saw Wandering Tattler (which at first I thought were Lesser Yellowlegs!) and Black Crowned Night Heron which we saw fishing in the bay while we were sipping cocktails. A trip down the coast to Pu’uhonau O Honaunau (try saying that with or without a couple of Mai Tais!) took us to an ancient Hawaiian village, which was superb to visit both from the cultural and birding point of view. There is a fish pond in the grounds with an island where we saw Japanese White-Eye, House Finch, numerous Northern and Yellow-Billed Cardinals, Northern Mockingbird and Nutmeg Mannikin. During a trip to the Hawaii Tropical and Botanical Garden, just northwest of Hilo, we had very close views of a Night Heron at the waterfall and nearly ran into a wild Turkey.
Almost all of the birds so far listed are species which have arrived with man over the past 300 years. The introduction of agriculture, mongoose (except on Kauai) and avian malaria has pushed the native Hawaiian forest birds up to above the 2000 foot mark on most islands. I decided to take a trip to Manuka Natural Area Reserve which is about halfway between Kailua and Volcanoes National Park. There is a 2 mile circular trail which includes a view of a collapsed lava tuve, creating a pit about 100 yards across. I learned a lot about birds that day. Forest birds were secretive and tended to keep to the canopy, where they were difficult to make out silhouetted against the bright sky. I did see Hawaii Elepaio (grey-brown and white birds, with a long tail, cocked like a wren, found in understorey) and probably Oma’o and Amakihi, and in the treetops beautiful red and black Apapane. One of the most beautiful birds of the holiday was seen here, the Red Billed Leiothrix.
We visited the Volcanoes National Park and tried to find Nene (Hawaiian Goose) but were unable to locate any despite seeing numerous signs warning of ‘Nene Crossing’! We did see in the distance in Kilauea Crater white specks which we suspected were tropicbirds, well known to frequent this area (see later). At the Thurston Lava Tube entrance there is a good vista across the valley and we saw native Apapane and Elepaio. During a tour drive up Mauna Kea (13700 feet) we saw two Hawaiian Owls (Short-Eared Owls) hunting at the 4000 foot mark, and a California Quail perched at the sheep station at around 7000 feet.
Kaua’i
In terms of birding this island is a must. It has one of the last strongholds for forest birds in the form of the Koke’e State Park and Alaki Swamp, at an elevation of around 4000 feet. Also, Kilauea Point Wildlife Refuge is simply superb. We stayed in Wailua, just north of the airport town of Lihue. Around the hotel grounds were numerous Chestnut Mannikin, beautiful small chestnut brown birds with a dark head and a silver bill, often accompanied by Nutmeg Mannikin. Red-Crested Cardinals were very numerous on the beach and indeed all over the island. We saw 9 Cattle Egret in the hotel grounds the first day! Myna, Zebra Dove and Northern Cardinal were much in evidence. Our visits to Kokee State Park were very worthwhile. It’s a steep drive up but the views of Waimea Canyon and from the Pu’u O Kila lookout were absolutely breathtaking. We had our first view of White-Tailed Tropicbird soaring a couple of thousand feet below us from both vantages. Again we saw Apapane, Elepaio, Amakihi and heard but much to our regret did not see the legendard red billed I’Iwi. Also seen in the woods were White-Rumped Shama which look like magpies in shape but have a gorgeous thrush-like song, and and Hwamei (Melodious Laughing Thrush). On a subsequent visit I discovered why the Elepaio is known as the spirit bird – it appeared to follow me around, keeping a respectful distance but never disappearing!! We saw two Nene (Hawaiian Geese) at last, sleeping by the ladies toilet block!!
We had excellent views of White-Tailed Tropicbird at the Opekaa Falls, around 1.5 miles north of Wailua. The white tail streamers were easily seen by naked eye as the birds passed within about 50 metres.
Smith’s Tropical Paradise in Wailua was a pleasant place to visit – there a saw native Hawaiian Koloa (duck) which look like female Mallard. Also saw Mallard and interesting to see the Peacocks displaying away. There was a leucistic Peacock in this park, which looked very strange. Also saw a juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron but failed to see Fulvous Whistling Duck which are supposed to frequent that park.
Kilauea Point Wildlife Refuge is a superb place to visit – I went twice. We saw Red Footed Boobies nesting in the trees off the cliffs and also Laysan Albatross nesting (seen by telescope from c250 yards), and Wedge Tailed Shearwater in nest holes on the cliff and grassland very close to the public path! Great Frigatebirds rising above cliff level prompted a spontaneous expletive from my wife which cannot be posted here!! These were massive birds, the heavy bombers of the birds world. Red Tailed Tropicbirds and White Tailed were seen at close quarters, and we also saw Yellow Rumped Canary in the undergrowth! A large flock of Nene were present on the grass by the lighthouse. At the end of my last visit there, I decided to have a scout around one of the country roads for Western Meadowlark and was rewarded with the sight of one straight away!!
All too soon it was time to head home. I have posted some pics already on my gallery (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery...00/ppuser/11055) and have attached a couple of my favorites here as well!
Before leaving the UK to go to Hawaii, we tried to get hold of a guide to the birds of Hawaii without success. A list of books we found useful, and also some contacts for other books, are given at the end.
The Birdwatcher’s Guide to Hawai’i (Rick Soehren, University of Hawai’i Press). This is a great resource, last updated in 1996. It provides information about the key birding spots on all of the main islands in the group, and was invaluable.
Hawai’i’s Birds (Audubon Press)
A very good, but small, photo field guide. This is an essential guide for ID.
A Pocket Guide to Hawai’i’s Birds (Jeff Pratt, Mutual Publishing). A nicely illustrated summary pocket guide, mostly suited to the novice birder.
These were available at Borders Books (there were branches in Honolulu, Oahu near the airport, and also at Kailua, Big Island and Lihue, Kauai)
I did find a larger range of books at Hawai’i Trail and Track, which is located just north of Kailua on the Big Island, and also at Kilauea Point Wildlife Refuge on Kauai, some of which may be useful too.
Hiya Neil, a great write up. I could cry when I read it, as I visited Molokai' and Maui. Beautiful places, but I wasn't "into" birds then. All that and more that I missed huh!
An excellent idea to include the bird guides etc that you found useful.