If you haven’t already read part one of this blog series I would recommend going back and checking that out before starting this one. I will be going over some of the wildlife that we encountered while on the island of Maui. Before I get started, it is worth noting that many of the animals and sea-life that lives on the Hawaiian islands are endemic, meaning that they can only be found on those islands and no where else on the earth. Going into this trip knowing that, there were a couple of species of birds that I really wanted to capture.
Carpenter Bee
So here we go. On the first hike that Chelsea and I did on the Waihe’e Ridge Trail I decided to carry the long lens (Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6) out the entire way up so that if we did stumble upon some of those birds I would be ready. We walked into a clearing where there were tall bushes and wildflowers about 4ft tall all around us and that’s when you could hear the buzzing of what sounds like a very large bug. Come to find out, what we thought were a species of bumblebee was actually female Carpenter Bees buzzing around collecting pollen. These were much larger than a typical bee (bigger than a quarter) and are completely black, it’s really amazing to see a bug this big able to fly around.
A little further up the trail, we were talking and amazed at the lack of spiders. When we were in Fiji last year on similar trails there were dozens of spiders over the trail and just about anywhere you looked you could spot one. But, after we got a little further into the hike, the spiders started to show up. You would see them stretched throughout the trees and bushes just about everywhere you looked. This Orb Weaver was enjoying its’ morning meal as the sun started to come up behind the mountain, giving perfect lighting to the intricate web.
Orb Weaver
There was also a wide variety of moths and butterflies that could be seen seemingly floating by in the breeze, including this beautiful Monarch.
By the time we were almost to the peak I was starting to get discouraged for not seeing any birds. You could always hear them and catch a glimpse of them off in the distance, but never anywhere close. When finally, this little Hawai’i ‘Amakihi (AKA Common ‘Amakihi) landed on a tree overlooking the canyon below. These are a part of the species of Hawaiian Honeycreepers that are endemic and can only be found in the forests of Hawaii. They are very small, and extremely fast, hopping from branch to branch with only seconds to take a photo. But I was very happy to finally see one after carrying my gear up the entire hike.
The next area that I wanted to capture wildlife was during our drive on the Road to Hana. Since there were a few good stops that we could get out and walk/hike around. Our first encounters were at the Waianapanapa State Park. We were first greeted by this Japanese White Eye (quite easy to tell with the white ring around their eyes). It is another very colorful, small bird, but this one seemed quite content with letting me get close while it was busy eating off of this palm tree.
As we moved on to look over the beach, there were a few large rock outcroppings in the middle of the water with dozens of black/grey birds, when all of a sudden they would all take off like a swarm, then slowly they would return to their nests on those rocks. These are called Black Noddy’s and a member of the Tern family. I find it funny that the shape and coloring of their heads almost makes it look like they are angry or plotting something.
Northern Cardinal
On our last stop on the Road to Hana at the Bamboo Forest, I knew that it was another popular birding area. With the dense forest canopy it was difficult again to see any birds, but you could hear them all around you. Chelsea and I stopped at one point when we heard one that was right above us and I caught the glimpse of solid red through the thick leaves. Turns out it was a male Northern Cardinal which is the same species that can be seen throughout the lower 48 as well.
A few days passed with other activities, but I knew that I wanted to capture some of the birds that were seen throughout the hotel area and near the beaches. One of them that I saw previously looked almost like a mini Puffin, but are actually called Java Sparrows.
The next one that we had only seen twice before had a vibrant red head and could be seen running around on the grass catching bugs. These are another breed of cardinal called Red Crested Cardinal’s. The make me envision what dinosaurs would be like when they are on the hunt.
Another such bird that we would watch hunt down bugs through the grass was the Pacific Golden Plover, and is typically seen in Maui over the winter months.
Probably the most abundant bird that we saw in Maui was the Myna. I would describe it as a mix between a pigeon due to it basically begging for food scraps, and a magpie due to its intelligence and watching it interact with the environment and how they seem skip around the ground.
There were also numerous lizards, cats, and doves that could be seen roaming around the area. While walking back to the hotel, we heard a rummaging in the bushes next to the sidewalk when we looked I thought it was a group of grouse. The were rummaging through the dirt, using their feet and beaks digging through the dirt, but they are called Gray Francolin’s, and they are also known as Gray Partridge’s.
Rooster
One bird that you would never think about photographing is the Rooster, but these things are literally everywhere on the island, going to hiking trails, one the side of the road, in parks, everywhere. But this big guy strutted his stuff while at the Banyan Tree.
Finally on our last day there was one bird that I wanted to capture knowing that it was another endemic species to Hawaii, the endangered Hawaiian Stilt, which is related to the Black-Necked Stilt that I have captured here in Utah before. We decided to stay close to the airport and check out the Kanaha Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary. It is crazy because it is right in the middle of urban neighborhoods, but it is home to many endangered species and is a fairly simple walk in an throughout the various ponds. There we found dozens of the Hawaiian Stilts, they didn’t seem to mind us at all and were very content with just going about their day eating what they could from the water.
As we were leaving the pond to head to the airport this lone Cattle Egret took flight right over us almost like a bid farewell.
Overall I was very happy with the wildlife that we were able to see, and just the sheer diversity that can be seen throughout the island. There were a couple more rare birds I would have liked to see, but that just gives us a reason to go back in the future. I still wouldn’t have changed any of it because we had a wonderful time. I hope you all enjoyed part 2 of the series, and look forward to getting number 3 done which will focus on the ocean life…including a 6ft White Tipped Reef Shark.