Hi Tweets:

I was on the island of Kauai for a week of birding July 24-31. Weather was
near perfect; 2 very very brief rain showers and very humid the last three
days because of the flooding rains hitting Hawaii. Temp was mid-80s during
the day. I used H. Douglas Pratt's "Enjoying Birds in Hawaii" as my trip
guide, visiting almost all the areas except the deepest part of Alakai
Wilderness, even though I hiked the Pihea Trail to the 4200 ft level, which
overlooks the Alakai Swamp. Also hiked some of the Kalalau Trail at Haena
State Park, along the Na Pali cliffs. A trail not noted in the guide, but
worth the effort to see the wild orchids, fruit-bearing trees, and tons of
Japanese White-eyes and finally the valley view is the Nounou Mt. Trail, near
Kapaa. I went on the docent led hike at the Kilauea Point NWR (lighthouse)
and took a 4-hour "tourist cruise" on a catamaran along the North shore and
Na Pali coast where swimming and snorkeling was high-lighted by the Spinner
Dolphins (including near new-borns according to the guides), Green Sea
Turtles, Black Noddys, and goats. Saw a Monk Seal at Kilauea area. Another
area of note was something called the Bird Sanctuary Project - Kawaiele Sand
Mine. I found this gem of a place (not mentioned in any guide book) along
Hwy 50, almost at the very end of the road but before you reach the military
installation. There are trees, ponds, sandy areas, and nobody around, except
birds. Throughout my travels, I did not come across anyone else birding.
That kinda surprised me. There were many juvenile birds, some still food
begging. Birds are fairly easy to see and sometimes they are right in your
face, like at the Kilauea Lighthouse.

There were 42 species seen, 19 new:

Laysan Albatross
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Red-tailed Tropicbird
White-tailed Tropicbird
Great Frigatebird
Red-footed Booby
Brown Booby
Hawaiian Goose
Hawaiian Duck
Cattle Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Erckel's Francolin
Red Junglefowl
Ring-necked Pheasant
Common Moorhen
Hawaiian Coot
Pectoral Sandpiper
Hawaiian Black-necked Stilt
Black Noddy
Rock Dove
Spotted Dove
Zebra Dove
Hawaiian Short-eared Owl
Elepaio
Northern Mockingbird
Common Myna
White-rumped Shama
Japanese White-eye
Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush
Hwamei (Melodious Laughingthrush)
House Sparrow
Chestnut Mannikin
Nutmeg Mannikin
Java Sparrow
House Finch
Kauai Amakihi
Anianiau
Akekee
Apapane
Red-crested Cardinal
Northern Cardinal
Western Meadowlark

Joyce Meyer
Woodinville, WA
MEYER2J at aol.com