This Honeycreeper, an Apapane, was photographed in the Cloud Forest above Kona, Hawaii.
As the clouds drift through the remnants of this ancient forest, a soothing, soul-mending peace flushed away my stress.
Nearby was another Hawaiian Honeycreeper, the Amakihi.
In general, all the Honeycreepers move very swiftly among the blossoms.
When this Amakihi flew, portions of the blossom even became airborne in its wake.
The Apapane dominate the Amakihi and chase them away from the blossoms. These red flowers are called the Lehua blossoms, which are found on the Ohi'a tree. These names are from the Hawaiian language, which reflects cultural traditions hundreds of years older than our country. The story of these birds is even older.
Scientists believe both of these birds (and others) evolved from the same ancestor. They estimate that the first Common Rosefinch reached Hawaii, from Asia, more than 5 million years ago. (I am guessing it looked somewhat similar to our male House Finch.) They believe that all of the Hawaiian Honeycreepers evolved from that single species.
Their vocalizations are intricate and delightful.
I was surprised by this hawk skimming above the tree tops. It flew almost directly over my head. With only the sky behind it, I did not have a clear impression of its size.
The 'Io (pronounced "Ee oh" in Hawaiian) or Hawaiian Hawk is scientifically named "Buteo solitarius". I suspect the scientific name solitarius is derived from the fact that the 'Io is the only hawk species native to the Hawaiian Islands. It is now only found on the Big Island.
I wonder if the Hawaiian name is based on the sound of the 'Io's call. "Click Here" and listen to the second recording. To me, the calls in the last half of the second recording sound a lot like "Ee oh" and are very similar to what I heard while I was there.
The next day, after a morning of photographing Honeycreepers, I sat down on a mossy rock to take a break. I did not realize that the nearby foliage was effectively hiding my location. A hawk suddenly appeared, gliding just above the ground. It was barely 20 feet away when it spread its wings, nearly stopping in midair, before expending the last of its lift to land on this branch. With its back to me, it was obviously unaware of my presence.
The branch was perfectly positioned, so it could survey the top of the cloud forest as the trees descend toward the sea. For a raptor that feeds on the small forest birds, this branch was a prime hunting location. The precision of its landing seemed to imply it may have previously paused on this perch.
When you look at the shape of this hawk, it looks fairly similar...
....to our local PNW Red-tailed Hawk.
There are color differences between the two species, but the biggest difference is their physical size. The male 'Io on average weighs about 1 pound, about the same size as an American Crow. Male Red-tailed Hawks vary in weight, but nearly three pounds is possible.
Originally, there were no rodents or reptiles on the Hawaiian Islands. Historically, Honeycreepers were no doubt a staple of the 'Io's diet. The hawk spread its wings and disappeared, dropping off across the tree tops towards the sea. (In Hawaiian, seaward is "Makai", while towards the mountains is "Mauka".)
Both of these Honeycreeper species are highly active.
Curiously, when the Apapane fly, you can hear the sound of their wings as they pass by in the quiet of the Cloud Forest.
As soon as the 'Io flew, this Apapane came out of hiding and landed facing seaward. It was watching intently.
For nearly 30 seconds, the Apapane perched in the same spot, while looking around in almost every direction, except towards the nectar in the Lehua blossom below it. The length of its stay on this perch was a huge outlier. It seemed obvious that the Apapane was checking to make sure that the 'Io was gone and not lurking and looking for lunch. The hawk did not reappear while I was there.
A few days earlier, I participated in a tour at a lower elevation in the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary (KCFS). The guide told the Hawaiian story of the Ohi'a Lehua tree. (Another Hawaiian saying I learned about was, "The rain follows the forest".) Learning about the native birds, trees, language and culture seems like an appropriate way to show respect for any place I visit.
There are many challenges facing the Hawaiian Cloud Forests. For example:
However, there are also people working to protect and restore the Cloud Forests. For example, the KCFS belongs to a family that has been working for three generations to restore a forest that was previously converted to a pasture. Over forty years later, the trees reach far overhead, and all of the native species mentioned in this post have also returned to the KCFS. It was very encouraging to visit the sanctuary and meet members of this extraordinary family.
Reading the book, "Four Fifths a Grizzly", by Douglas Chadwick, was another encouraging experience. The author retains a child-like joy, even while discussing challenges, and ultimately presents two very significant and positive environmental endeavors (containing multiple projects and continuing over many years). Learning how these major efforts of restoration and conservation will save a large percentage of endangered species was like an emotional antidote to hopelessness.
Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city!
Larry
Going Native:
Each of us who breathes the air, drinks water, and eats food should be helping to protect our environment. Local efforts are most effective and sustainable. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and the local native creatures. Even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape.
I hope we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors, and local businesses to respect native flora and support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:
1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (When native plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.4) If you feel you must add a new plant, then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants.
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Keystone native plants are an important new idea. Douglas Tallamy, in the book "Nature's Best Hope, " explains that caterpillars supply more energy to birds, particularly young birds in their nests, than any other plant eater. He also mentions that 14% of our native plants, ie Keystone Plants, provide food for 90% of our caterpillars. This unique subset of native plants and trees enables critical moths, butterflies, and caterpillars that provide food for the great majority of birds, especially when feeding their young.
Note: Flowering plants and trees, i.e. those pollinated by bees, are also included as Keystone Plants.
This video explains the native keystone plant concept in more detail:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5cXccWx030
The Top Keystone Genera in our ecoregion i.e. Plants and trees you might want in your yard:
Additional content available here:
https://wos.org/wos-wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Native-Plant-Resources-10-7-22.pdf
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In this area, I typically display at least one photo with each post to challenge us to know our native lifeforms.
Which one of our native birds lost this feather?
Scroll down for the answers.
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The Answer:
The Northern Flicker
Until I spotted the feather I hadn't really paid much attention to the spots on a Flicker's chest. They are nearly perfectly round. In this photo, you can see the spots extending all the way down into the coverts above the tail feathers.
The black marks on the back are not round, and they seem to work fine for camouflage. So why the round spots on the underside?
The dots are smaller than their eyes and way too abundant to be considered fake eyes. Plus, fake eyes would seem to work best on the back of the head.
Unless the Flickers are showing off to each other, as in this photo, the dots are often totally hidden. Especially when eating, since they are often chest-to-the-ground while eating ants. So....maybe the dots have something to do with mating.
Both male and female Flickers have them (As well as both subspecies - red and yellow-shafted have them.) Do all Flickers have the same number of dots? Do Flickers with more dots or bigger dots have greater reproductive success? So much to learn....
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The Email Challenge:
In response, I have set up my own email list. With each post, I will manually send out an announcement. If you would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Something like:
Larry, Please add me to your personal email list.
My email address is:
LDHubbell@comcast.net
Thank you!
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The Comment Challenge:
Bottom Line:
If you write a long comment, please, copy it before hitting enter. Then, if the comment function fails to record your information, you can send the comment directly to me using email.
My email address is:
LDHubbell@comcast.net
Larry
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