Hawaii - Kauai birding - April 12, 2019

After arriving in Kauai and picking up our rental car we traveled https://www.fws.gov/refuge/kilauea_point/ Kilauea Point NWR in search of off shore waterfowl in particular the Laysan Albatross, Red Tailed tropicbird  and Red Footed Booby.

We paid our entrance fee and found a parking spot at the near full lot and walked a short distance to the overlook and were stunned and amazed at the site before us.

There on the cliffs where over 600 Red Footed Booby's. I was speechless at the site. I have heard stories but never expected what I saw...it was a birders paradise.

Red Footed Booby

Red Footed Booby

After recovering my senses, and a many minutes of observation, we moved on in search of our other target birds. We didn't have to go far before we spotted a Laysan Albatross & Wedge Tailed Shearwaters.

The Laysan Albatross where taking off from the so called 'albatross hill' and watching them making the running start before taking flight was an amazing experience.

Laysan Albatross - lifer 542

Laysan Albatross

Laysan Albatross in flight  - and amazing wingspan

The wedge tailed Shearwaters where nesting in the sands right along the walkways...quite and amazing site.

Wedge Tailed Shearwater - lifer 541

Shearwater's in flight

As we moved toward the lighthouse, we spotted both Red & White Tailed tropicbirds - all our target birds in less than 1 hour...amazing.

We spend the next 2 hours there (until they closed and we had to leave) and planned on returning before leaving and the 14th.

In addition, I added a Warbling White Eye to my life life...which now stood at 545

Warbling White Eye lifer - 543

I have already added 41 species to my life list - how many more would I add before leaving in two days...the next post will hi-light the birds I saw on our last two days in Hawaii.

Until next time - good birding.

 

QAS Barnegat Lighthouse, New Jersey day trip 

On Saturday, Feb 9th I lead a group of ten people from the Quittapahilla Audubon Society ti Barnegat lighthouse in our annual search for Harlequin Ducks, Purple Sandpipers, Scoters and Eiders. It was a rather mild winter day (compared to the near zero cold days we where having recently) and the waterfowl cooperated.

As we started out the jetty, we spotted Surf scoters, Long Tailed Ducks, Great Cormorants and Dunlin....the day was starting out nicely.

We didn't have to go much further to start seeing our target species: Harlequin Ducks and Purple Sandpipers.

We explored the jetty for about 2 hours and ended the morning with 21 species including all our target species.

Harlequin Ducks on jetty 

Purple Sandpiper

Surf Scoter

Long Tailed Duck

Brant

WEEK REPORT:  High Count	Printable version | Download this report
Report Details Date range: Feb 9, 2019 - Feb 15, 2019 Total # of Species: 39 Total # of Checklists: 2 Location(s):   Barnegat Inlet; Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive Summary Feb 9 Feb 10 Feb 11 Feb 12 Feb 13 Feb 14 Feb 15 Number of Species 39 -- -- -- -- -- -- Number of Individuals 2,039 -- -- -- -- -- -- Number of Checklists 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- Highest Count for a Species   (sample size) Hide Sample Size Species Name Feb 9 Feb 10 Feb 11 Feb 12 Feb 13 Feb 14 Feb 15 Brant 250 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- Canada Goose 200 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Mute Swan 2 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Northern Shoveler 35 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Gadwall 25 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- American Wigeon 55 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Mallard 38 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- American Black Duck 300 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Northern Pintail 80 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Green-winged Teal 28 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Common Eider 5 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Harlequin Duck 11 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Surf Scoter 3 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Black Scoter 150 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- scoter sp. 5 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Long-tailed Duck 55 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Bufflehead 18 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Hooded Merganser 22 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Common Merganser 18 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- Red-breasted Merganser 8 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- Ruddy Duck 21 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Pied-billed Grebe 1 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Sanderling 4 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Dunlin 150 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Purple Sandpiper 1 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Ring-billed Gull 200 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- Herring Gull 75 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- Great Black-backed Gull 11 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- Red-throated Loon 3 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Common Loon 5 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Great Cormorant 2 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Double-crested Cormorant 2 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Great Blue Heron 9 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Turkey Vulture 1 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Bald Eagle 4 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Peregrine Falcon 1 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- American Crow 5 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- European Starling 11 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Savannah Sparrow 2 (1) -- -- -- -- -- --

Until next time - good birding.