Kauai!

[Becke]

Well, I just got back from an amazing week at my friends' place on Kauai. They have an acreage that borders the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, so needless to say, I was a very happy Birder! I had my daughter with me, so couldn't do any crazy hikes for endemics or anything, but I figure we got all of the easy species that are around right now, plus some cool flukes. We got 36 species. I can't wait to go back again!

I have quite a few species on my Flickr, though not the ones I just got record shots of.

Cackling Goose
Nene (Hawaiian Goose)
Mallard
Hawaiian Duck
Erckel's Francolin
Red Jungle Fowl
Ring-necked Pheasant
Laysan Albatross
White-tailed Tropic Bird
Brown Booby
Red-footed Booby
Great Frigatebird
Cattle Egret
Hawaiian (Common) Gallinule
Hawaiian Coot
Pacific Golden Plover
Hawaiian (Black-necked) Stilt
Wandering Tattler
Rock Pigeon
Zebra Dove
Spotted Dove
Kaua'i Elepaio
White-rumped Shama
Hwamei (Melodious Laughing Thrush)
Japanese White-eye
Northern Mockingbird
Common Myna
Red-crested Cardinal
Northern Cardinal
Western Meadowlark
House Finch
'Apapane
House Sparrow
Nutmeg Mannikin (Scaly-breasted Munia)
Chestnut Munia
Java Sparrow

Here are some of my favourites though...

'Apapane in a cloud at the top of Kauai by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Kaua'i Elapaio by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Common Myna by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Hwamei (Melodious Laughing Thrush) by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Japanese White-eye by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Nene (Hawaiian Goose) by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Northern Cardinal, female by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Laysan Albatross by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Northern Mockingbird by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Red-footed Booby by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Zebra Dove by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Spotted Dove by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Wandering Tattler by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

Red-crested Cardinal by WeatheredFeather, on Flickr

[dpeppar]

Great stuff....yes its a wonderful place.

DaveP

[oldfulica]

Not only did you see some great birds but good pictures to go with them.

[imperialbirders]

Great photos. Kauai is a great place for birding. Thanks for sharing. We were birding in Kauai about 30 years ago and saw the same birds you did and more. We were lucky at the time to get a private tour of the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and saw many species of sea birds nesting in the area. I think the refuge is open to the public now. Koke'e State Park is also a great place to hike and bird watch.

[kimbose]

Awesome photos Becke and such cool birds! Thanks for sharing! Now I want to go to Kauai!
Kim

[jamie]

Awesome pictures! I counted 31 potential lifers on your list!

[expiallyd]

Nice shots, Becke; I especially like the nene. I have fond memories of Kauai, and these pictures bring some of them back.

Anne

[Becke]

Thanks everyone!

I got 25 lifers out of the 36 species we saw Jamie. Most of the species I spotted on my friend's acreage where I was staying. We got there at night, so when I woke up the next morning - it was just magical! The Red Jungle Fowl (wild chickens) wake you up with their crowing. I went out on our balcony and immediately spotted what I figured out were the Common Myna, Spotted Dove and Japanese White-eye. Then, a Cackling Goose flew over with two Nene. My eBird report was flagged because the Cackling Goose was rare for the area. Luckily I managed a half-decent shot and could prove what I saw. LOL

Every morning, I would go for a 2 hour walk around the 13 acres. I got to know where a pair each of Northern Mockingbirds and White-rumped Shama liked to hang out. There was one resident Pacific Golden Plover always on the central lawn and a Cattle Egret by the barn. There were a few Red-Crested and Northern Cardinals throughout the property. The Chestnut Munia and Nutmeg Minnikins sometimes mixed and the Java Sparrows were always in their area too. There were three pairs of Nene on the property, one set with three babies in tow. The Common Mynas and doves were everywhere. A two minute hike up a hill at the top of the driveway and I could sit down among the nesting Laysans Albatross and have a quiet few minutes to look over the hillsides and ocean... where there were periodically some Humback Whales to watch. Quite often there were Great Frigatebirds circling overhead too. The Albatross would quickly go back to their snoozing - they didn't mind me there at all. I caught a few glimpses of their eggs, no babies hatched as of yet this year.

One morning, I was following a Japanese White-eye when there was a racket in the bush I was hiding behind. It sounded like a car alarm, but turned out to be the Hwamei imitating a Northern Cardinal. I only saw them the one morning, but I'll never forget that racket! LOL They warned the entire neighbourhood that I was skulking around!

I definitely plan to go back - it was just too cool!

[Isaac]

Wow! from your description of Kauai, it sounds like paradise! Incredible photos to! Congratulations, Becke!

Isaac

[Becke]

Thanks so much Isaac. It is indeed, paradise.