Today we were all up at the crack o' dawn to take Stephie & her boyfriend Steve to their meet up point for a snorkling boat trip along the Na Pali coast. Once we dropped off them off at the harbor, myself, Ron & Jeannie were off to see some sights. What? Where did Steve come from? Aw, well, 'Snookims' flew in from Sacramento yesterday for a few days with his widdle 'Honey Boo-boo'.
We visited the tiny town of Hanapepe to have a walk on its historic wooden, hanging bridge that was built at the turn of the century - the last century - so the locals could cross the river to work in the sugar cane fields.
Approach to the Hanging Bridge of Hanapepe
Now, I've seen my fair share of hanging bridges in oodles of movies, and always thought, "You put one foot in front of the other, what's the big deal?" So I thought, right up until I put my foot on that crickity, wiggly-piggly, shaky, swinging wooden bridge and WOOOOOW MAMA!
Get Motion Sickness? Then stay the hell off of this bridge!
There is a second hanging bridge near Waimea, so we decided to visit it next. You can see a bit of it below. There wasn't any place to park on that narrow dirt road so we did a drive-by viewing.The narrow - and I'm sure shaky-as-hell bridge - crosses the Menehune Ditch. It's a youngish bridge, built in 1996 after Hurricane Iniki that hit the islands in 1992.
The Waimea Hanging bridge crosses the Menehune Ditch
The rocks on the left side of the road are part of an ancient watercourse, or ʻauwai, remnants of which still run parallel to the road. The waterway irrigated the taro fields. We saw openings from which you can view the water path, but we didn't climb up to see it because were just weren't up for breaking our ankles on the rocks.
Captain Hook Cook Monument in beautiful downtown Waimea
Lovely mug for a ghastly cup o' Joe
After our bridge adventures, we visited Waimea's downtown - and I use the term loosely - where we strolled around the Captain Cook Monument. Not very large, but certainly impressive enough. There was signage that explained how in its day, Waimea was quite the busy port of call.
Our next 'port of call' was breakfast at a little restaurant by the monument. Great food! On Ron's request they even fixed us cottage potatoes that weren't even on the menu. It was one of the best breakfasts ever, except for one little detail - the coffee sucked! Ron & Jeannie couldn't prevent me from commenting such to the waitress. I told her how great the meal was, then asked why the coffee was dishwater. She said the magic word - Yuban. I imagine the islands are famous for their coffee, but these days they had to cut corners somewhere - what a shame.
Post breakfast we decided on a little walk at Fort Elizabeth, a Russian ruins just south of Waimea.
Up on the Fort Wall
Looking down into the old fort ruins
What is left of the fort wall in the distance
We decided we were doing things a little too sedately, so our next item on the agenda was some surfing, Kaua'i style!
Wahines just wanna have fun!
Ron catching a curl!
Wooo hoooooo! Just before I wiped out!
Our 'surfing' adventure was at a shop where we ogled jewelry and even some Hawaiian shell leis that were understandably astronomical in prices, which can range from $100 to $300,000. Yikes! The lei require matching and arranging the shells that may be wildly scarce and found only on certain beaches. The leis are wearable art and are certainly not meant for butterfingered wahine such as myself.
It was too soon to pick up 'the kids' so we visited the Spouting Horn. It's a hole just on the shore, and it... well it spouts. Legend has it, the hissing of the hole is due to the gigantic lizard that is trapped in the rocks. Don't know if there is a lizard down there, but it sounded like a lizard that's not using its asthma inhaler.
Later in the afternoon we picked up the keiki, that is, Steve & Stephie, then headed to a spot Ron was anxious to show us. There was a bit of cliff where bits of cars and chassis and such protruded from the iron stained soil.
You can see bit of a turquoise car body sticking out of the soil
Just off the cliff was a creepy abandoned burial grounds where seemingly untended graves were scattered about. I picked up two large land snail shells from a grave site, taking them to show Jeannie. She had a fit, "PUT THOSE BACK WHERE YOU FOUND THEM!" She wasn't about to let me inadvertently haul any Chinese or Italian ghosts back to with us to our time share! I put the shells back where I found them - had to - don't know how to contact Ghost Busters so far from NYC.
Just a bit away from the auto graveyard cliffs was glass beach. A lot of glass bottles and such were dumped on the beach and over time, washing by the surf smoothed them into tiny frosty looking pebbles. I think at one time the glass - now looking like sand - had lots of green it it. Gauging by the number of people Jeannie & I watched, scooping up HUGE quantities of the glassy sand, it's no wonder there isn't much green sand remaining. We guess that eventually, there will be no glass in the sand at all.
Click the pic for a closer look.
The Glass Beach
We hit a couple of other spots that afternoon, including a hidden waterfall, which the powers that be fenced off. Party poopers! For dinner we had local fast food, called, "Chicken in a Barrel" because it is bbq'd in re-purposed oil drums. Mine was delish, and each serving was enough food to keep three of me fed. Lovely day!
Talk about coffee driven journeys! At 5am, in pitch dark, I was already on the road, driving clockwise around Kaua'i from Noon (Princeville) to 8 o'clock (Waimea). Once in Waimea, and daylight, I headed inland & uphill. After some aimless and what the HELL is wrong with me, floundering around, I made it to where I was too meet Jim Denny, my personal tour guide for the day, and a birder & veterinarian from Texas, Doctor Resell.
My birding rendezvous spot - the Kokee State Park Museum
I was apprehensive that at some point during my tour I would either trip and break a leg, be unable to actually hike the rainforest or worse... get expelled (no wait... that's Hermione's fear, not mine) I mean, embarrass myself (Yikes, that's the fear! Hurts just to think on it). Still, even before I left California, when I made my arrangement for a personal birding tour of the Alaka'i bog I'd been so bold as to query my guide, Denny as to whether there was any chance I'd drop dead on the tour and embarrass myself. OK, I'll confess here - my original plans back on the Big Island included a tour on Mauna Loa, but I chickened out! Yes, I was so scared about hiking downhill in a mountain rain forest that I canceled that tour. Oh the shame! Oh the anticipated sprains! Oh the ridiculous claptrap I put myself through!
Another 'worry' I had about my Alaika'i bog tour was that it was pricey. Still, it was reasonable, and more importantly, it vastly improved my chances of seeing some of the most exotic & native Hawaiian species. Consider, the cost wasn't any more expensive than a all day pelagic trip, which can run around $150. The original cost for me to have a guide at Alaka'i would have been $300 (which I was going to bite the bullet to pay) but a second birder wanted in on the trip and that cut the cost for me in two - hurrah for that!
Enough bitchin' n' moaning. Early this morning, before I knew it, Jim Denny, a long time Kaua'i dweller and reliable Kaua'i birding guide and a v. nice veterinarian from Texas were bouncing along in Denny's jeep. We were well on our way down & then up the mountain to the Alaka'i Bog Trail.
I liked the Denny & the Doc (soon to be a series on HBO?) and soon I was getting fascinating tidbits about everything Kaua'ian. Denny stopped the jeep to nab us a Passion flower. See the dark hole at the base of the flower stem, just at the middle of the two leaflets? He told the Doc and me, that eensie opening was pecked by Hawaiian Honeycreepers that taught themselves how to get at the nectar of this non-native species; clever little birdies.
It is rather embarrasing that during all of my anxious ruminations about the bog hike, I'd only imagined driving down into boggy bottomlands to bird. So, finding myself being driven up to a bog was just plain weird. Uh... yes, you're correct in surmising I hadn't read up much on the area, even though I planned to bird there. Time out for a big "DUH" here.
After a half hour of rough roading, we arrived at the trailhead where our guide Denny gave us bamboo walking sticks, to aid us on our 100 ft decent to where our hike would begin.
Down the hill & up onto the Alaka'i trail
We were on a ridge, not much wider that what you see in the photo above, keeping in mind, on either side of that wedge of land were sheer drop offs, thickly lined with rainforest.
Rain forest to either side of the high mountain trail
Along the trail, Denny pointed things out, such as when he picked an ordinary looking vine, which he quickly stripped of leaves - it was Maile, which is famous and popular for its use at Hawaiian weddings in leis. Cool!
The first thing we notice however, was the bog was not boggy - it was bone dry. Denny said that is just the current condition and he's been there at times when hikers are up to their knees in the thick, mud that sucks off shoes.
We reached an area where the trees were no longer overhead, but were
tiny shrubs - they were stunted by hardpan that kept their roots from
getting too deep in the soil. It was normally quite a boggy area and it
held an oh-so-cool & unusual plant - Sundews!
I never ever thought I'd get to see a Sundew - a carnivorous plant - in its natural habitat, Sundews are found all over the world including Kaua'i. The 2 inch tall plants were everywhere underfoot. They have wet, mucous covered treads on little pads insects stick to. They're red because they don't need chlorophyll, getting their nutrients from their insect catch.
Maybe about a mile into the trail we finally hit its famous boardwalk. The boardwalk is composed of two redwood boards, laid side by side & covered over with a grillwork of wire. Unfortunately the boardwalk is in deplorable condition these days - broken up and the wire all torn up. A newer boardwalk is in the planning stages.
Why a boardwalk in the middle of a bog? Well, to stop from sucked in like a bad guy in an old B-movie with Tarzan, that's why. Denny said before the boardwalk was put in, hikers disappeared in the bog, pretty often. Hiker's would go into the bog and just never be seen again. I guess the boardwalk keeps people from straying into the bog where exhaustion, if not the wild Hawaiian boars, which have nice gigantic tusks, suck them down. Since the boardwalk went in, hikers ceased, abruptly, to disappear. Now, thanks to the boardwalk, hogs have to WORK for their meals.
Wren-like Kaua'i Elepaio, that bounced around like a ping-pong ball
The forest was noisy with bird calls, none of which were too familiar to me, other than the sound of the scarlet Apapane bird's wing beats. Quickly though, a curious Kaua'i Elepaio flew in to stare at us a bit. It was frantically active and though I got loads of shots of it, none gave me both focus and the entire bird. Still, myself and the Texas vet were thrilled to pieces.
Due to Denny's expertise & experience, we didn't stay glued to the boardwalk. We hit a couple of spots just off trail, that overlooked broad swaths of rainforest. From those vantage points we saw an addional Elepaio, Apapanes & heard - dang it, not seeing - Melodious Indian Thrushes. I enjoyed wending our way over fallen logs and around lichen covered trees. Was bemused by the Texas Vet who didn't seem quite as thrilled, but was certainly game enough to climb whereever we had to go to see birds. Oh well. The shrub busting paid off when a tiny pair of poofy feathered Anianiaus popped up.
There are two hidden Anianiau foraging
Denny, the vet and I eagerly watched the tiny birds, that seemed to be a courting pair.
One of the Anianiaus doing some upside down branch gleaning
As names go, "Aniani-butterball" would be closer to the mark
I'iwi, which we only heard but didn't see
We did get to hear the call of the I'iwi, but the lone bird didn't come anywhere near us. The careless importation of mosquitoes to the islands introduced Bird Malaria which is quietly wiping out the beautiful Hawaiian Honey creepers. It's difficult to hear all the damage done to Hawaii's land & wildlife through ignorance over the past couple of centuries.
We were heading back along the Alaikai trail when a second Kaua'i Elepaio popped up, bouncing about in a tree over our heads. I got some fairly good shots of this bird! The Elepaio is found on the islands of Hawa'i, Oahu and Kaua'i and its only this past summer it was split into three unique species. So this little guy is a Kaua'i Elepaio and is even more rare since the species split means it's only population in the world is on Kaua'i.
A second look at an elegant little Kaua'i Elepaio
I must say, for several weeks I'll admit I was rather in a panic over whether the Alaka'i hike would be the death of me, but honestly, except for the first quarter mile, during which I had an uncharacteristic tight, asthma lungs, I was having a pretty event free hiking & birding experience. I couldn't ask for more, and then we all got more when yet another lovely native exotic flew in to stare at us.
What cha doin'?
It was a beautiful Amakihi, which is twice the size of the little Anianiaus and even a little larger than the Elepaios. This bird kept getting closer and closer as it came in to check us out.
Yes, I'm a Amakihi!
Love the stubby tail, compensated by the long curved bill
Back at the trail head, the delightful Texas veterinarian and our excellent guide, Jim Denny
So! I did it! I hiked a mile or 3 in a real tropical rainforest and didn't break any limbs or become a luau for any wild Kaua'i hogs. After the tour we stopped at a mountain spot where we could see for miles. Several White Tropicbirds flew by, but I was too slow to get a shot of them worth sharing. Ah! Another successful day in paradise.
Here, you can listen to the birdsong of Alaikai and the tropical sound of the wind wheezing through my asthmatic lungs.
Ooo, was out early 'nuff today, in search of Hawaiian birds. I didn't plan very well, so my day was hit & miss, but happily, my 'good old fashioned DUMB luck' held up as it usually does for those of us born in the Chinese Year-of-the-Rabbit.
For starters I visited the Nawiliwilli Harbor area and the Menehune Fish Ponds. The 'Alekoko fish ponds are where in ancient times, Hawaiian royalty kept fresh water fish which were an important source of protein. I couldn't believe it, but there were zero birds visible while I was there. Oh well!
View of the beautiful Menehune Fish Pond taken from the overhead viewing platform
I visited the grounds of the Marriot Hotel, which amazingly, had quite a few species romping around its spacious golf course and grounds.
Saw dozens of Nene getting in their 9 holes on the golf course
A striking White-breasted Shama was unexpected
and it didn't seem to enjoy the tropical breezes quite as much as I did
One of the biggest surprises though was the Hawaiian Gallinule, which I've frequently searched for on the Big Island of Hawaii without finding, so seeing many of them on Kaua'i was a thrill. They are visually identical to the Gallinules on the mainland, but the powers that be declare them to be a unique species in their own right. Who am I to argue?
The Hawaiian Gallinules had fantastic waxy looking red shields on their noggins
Showing off a colorful head
How's this for a perky birdie? A Red-crested Cardinal
Noisy and bold, Common Myna, which seem to be everywhere in Hawaii
Java Rice Sparrows - cheeky little things
Sweet little Zebra Dove
On my iPhone GPS, the Marriot grounds show as a wildlife refuge, which is strange, but I guess if the birds are there, why not declare it a wildlife refuge and ensure the bird's safety. The birds obviously don't care if someone plays through their territory, so why should we? There were roads that didn't really look like you could drive through them, but you could, so being lazy, I did. I even drove to the farthest reaches of Kalapaki road, from which I could see the lighthouse.
Late in the day I headed north on the island and had a huge stroke of luck. I was crossing a little bridge on Kuhio Highway, and I spotted some dark polka dots on the river - Hawaiian Coots! Another species that is considered seperate from it's identicle cousins on the mainland. I tried to get to where I could photograph them on foot, but the the shrubbery by the bridge was too thick to traverse. So, I got my not-to-good shots by driving onto the bridge and haulting... happily I managed to get my shots during a total lull in traffic.
Another bolt of luck happened after I reached the northernmost bits of the island you can reach by car. I meant to hike the Kilalau Trail, which traverses up mountain for a view of the ocean and any pelagic species that might fly by. I had my flashlight, as the best time to bird the trail is around sunset and I didn't want to get stranded after dark. I had a little backpack and I reached the trailhead...
The trail looked like a bit of an ankle masher to me
And lost my nerve! The trail was composed of rocks and tree roots, in an evil conspiracy of breaking my fat ankles. Uh... maybe next time.
So, somewhat disappointed, I got back in the car, heading off. I was driving past a beautiful little Taro Root plantation.
Taro Root Plantation
I happened to look over at the right second, and what did I see? HURRAH!
Koloa! The Hawaiian Duck I'd been looking for.
Talk about your dumb luck!
Do not need luck to see chickens on Kaua'i - they're everywhere on the island
Just a bit away from the auto graveyard cliffs was glass beach. A lot of glass bottles and such were dumped on the beach and over time, washing by the surf smoothed them into tiny frosty looking pebbles. I think at one time the glass - now looking like sand - had lots of green it it. Gauging by the number of people Jeannie & I watched, scooping up HUGE quantities of the glassy sand, it's no wonder there isn't much green sand remaining. We guess that eventually, there will be no glass in the sand at all.
