[Tweeters] Hawaii birding RFI

[HAL MICHAEL via Tweeters]

Answers to your questions follow them.
Hal Michael
Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/
Olympia WA
360-459-4005
360-791-7702 (C)
ucd880 at comcast.net
 
On 02/04/2026 7:53 AM PST Gary Bletsch via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:
 
 
Dear Tweeters,
 
In a few weeks, I will hang up my snow shovel and depart Western New York for Hawaii. I will ask the pilot to waggle the wings if we fly over Skagit County.
 
It's silly that Mrs. Bletsch and I never made it to Hawaii when we lived in Washington, but oh, well. We are finally getting around to it. I went there with my parents in August of 1973, six months before I started birding, so it will all be tabula rasa for me, as far as the birds go--not counting the hordes of introduced species, I reckon.
 
I have a few questions about birding in the Aloha State.
 
I. On just about any trip, I usually take my scope and tripod, but sometimes I do enjoy a break from the burden, and go with just binoculars and zoom camera (the later being what I call "the poor man's scope"). Will I kick myself if I leave the scope home? There are a few places where a scope would be nice like scanning for pelagics or at some of the freshwater sites.  It would be a real pain to carry, much less use, in the forests.
 
II. On my bookshelf, the only field guide that covers Hawaiian birds is Peterson's A Field Guide to Western Birds,  second edition, 1961. That book has a little section on Hawaiian birds at the back. It is, of course, wildly out of date. Lots of the native birds shown in this book have either gone extinct, or have been split into various species endemic to just one island. While old, The Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific by Pratt, Bruner, and Berrett is great. Check out bookstores there for some good alternatives.  All better than Peterson as they are much updated.
 
So, is there a Hawaiian bird book worth buying, or could I get away with just using RTP's old book, with the photos and text of Merlin as a backup?
 
III. We are visting Kauai, Maui, Hawaii, and Oahu. What would be the most important sites to visit? 
 
Kauai. Haven't been to Kauai for decades but the Kilauea Lighthouse is probably the best site left as the forest birds seem to have crashed.
 
Oahu. Kapiolani Park and/or Iolani Palace for the White Tern. The park also has some parrots.  The islands to the east might be a spot for the 'scope as there are lots of seabirds on them.  The James Campbell NWR is supposed to be pretty good, too.
 
Maui.  Hosmer Grove on Haleakala has lots of the commoner forest species at eye level.  And begging on the picnic tables.
 
Big Island.  Certainly one of the guided trips to Hakalau NWR.  We go with Hawaii Forest and Trail and general see all the remaining native forest species plus the exotics. Waikoloa Village gas station has Lovebirds and the playfields at the end of the development have the Sandgrouse.  Old Saddle Road has Pueo (owl) and lots of other birds.  If you have 4WD you can go search for Palila. In the lowlands the golf courses (Waikoloa, Mauna Lani) may have Bristle-thighed Curlew and do have lots of  Kolea (Golden Plover). Down by Kailua the sewage ponds (locally known as the Turd and Bird Farm) has many species of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds.  The nearby Aimakapa (sp?) Pond in the National Park has migratory waterfowl, herons, etc. plus shorebirds on the hike out.  South Point may have some Noddies and Whittington SP (further east) has had a variety of waterfowl in the past including Snow Goose and Harlequin.  Since you're in that area stop at the Punaluu Bake Shop.  A few nice birds like the Yellow Billed Cardinal but even better pastries.  Although not much for birds, the Punaluu Black Sand Beach further east and north of South Point almost always has Green Turtles sleeping on the beach and even more in the water if you look closely.
 
 
 
 
IV. Any other suggestions? Keep a close on on ebird as rarities always pop up.  That was how we found the Inca Tern a few years back. Enjoy.  
 
Thanks for any help on this.
 
Yours truly,
 
Gary Bletsch
 
 
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