Birding By Car

Aloha ahiahi,

I’ve driven Hilo to Kona over a thousand times but today was probably the
best bird run ever. This is driving straight over for a meeting, no stopping, but going as fast as the traffic allows.

I started off seeing 3 peafowl below the Makalei golf entrance. At Puu WaaWaa I saw 4 Nene flying towards Puu Anahulu and then a male Black Francolin flew across the highway.  Shortly after the Big Island Country Club entrance a small flock of African Silverbills flew up from the fountain grass. Crossing just before the Waikoloa junction were 2 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. On the Saddle Rd. between the junction and Waikii I saw several Erckel’s Francolin, a few Pacific Golden Plover, 1 Ring-necked Pheasent, 6 Wild Turkey, 1 Pueo, 3 Kalij Pheasant, and several Skylarks. No new birds between Waikii and the Mauna Kea State Park, but after that I had a couple Amakihi cross over the new section in the Mamane; on the way down through the forest, slowing down for the new construction an Iiwi flew from one tree to another just before the Puu Oo Trail entrance. Farther down I saw an Apapane and finally, just above Hilo, there was an Io soaring.

Not bad for a mornings drive.

With Aloha,

Rob P.
Posted by Rob Pacheco at 10:25:49 PM in Blogs by Rob Pacheco, HFT Founder (16) | Comments (0)