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U.S.A. -- Hawaii –
Kaua’i & Oahu
2 - 6 December 2002
by Robert Grimmond
Sunday 1st
December (Fiji)
Kaua'i and Oahu
Our flight to Honolulu was with Air Pacific via Nadi, Fiji. We
left Auckland later than scheduled, not discovering until we got to
Nadi that our late evening connecting flight to Honolulu was delayed
until 8.30 on Tuesday morning (allegedly because one of their planes
was out of place due to fog in Vancouver). Had they told us in
Auckland then we could have requested they put us on a direct flight to
Honolulu. So we spent the night in a resort near the airport
courtesy of Air Pacific, frustrated at the prospect of losing a day in
Hawaii. At least we managed to build a tiny Fiji list, with two
endemics, Orange-breasted Myzomela and Fiji Parrotfinch, plus
Red-vented Bulbul and Spotted Dove. I had to identify them next
day in a field guide in a shop at the airport!
Monday 2nd
December (Fiji)
Needless to say, the flight out of Nadi was delayed until nearly 10.00
am. By the time we got to Honolulu, picked up our rental car from
Alamo and checked into our hotel in Waikiki (Queen Kapolei) it was 8.00
pm Honolulu time (1st December). We should have got there at 7.30
a.m. so we'd lost a day on the car rental as well as time we couldn't
make up.
Air Pacific is the least efficient airline we've flown on. Not
only did they not tell us what was going on but their in-flight
entertainment was a shambles. On one leg they started the feature
film so late that we missed the ending and on another it had broken
down. Their cabin service isn't that speedy either. I know
they have only six aircraft in their fleet but that doesn't totally
exonerate them.
Monday 2nd
December (Hawaii)
Looking out from our hotel balcony first thing, we were lucky to see
two White Terns flying over Kapiolani Park. We had just one full
day on Oahu now so we decided to do a circuit of the eastern side of
the island. En route Pacific Golden Plovers were quite common on
roadside verges and in parks. otherwise most birds we saw that
day were introductions - primarily Spotted and Zebra Doves (the latter
very common), Red-vented Bulbul, Common Myna, Red-crested Cardinal and
Java Sparrow.
Tuesday
3rd December
We took an early flight to Lihue, in Kaua'i with Aloha Airlines (I was
amazed how they served refreshments on a 20 minute flight - Air
Pacific, take note!). After picking up our car from Alamo we
headed straight up the east coast of the island. Our main port of
call was Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. Here we saw a
Short-eared Owl just as we were getting out of the car. In the
area of the lighthouse we saw at least 10 Laysan Albatrosses (on the
ground and in the air), the last remaining unfledged Wedge-tailed
Shearwater chick of the season), 6+ White-tailed Tropicbirds (I can't
tire of these birds), many Red-footed Boobies of different morphs, 2
Great Frigatebirds (male and female), Nene, Pacific Golden Plover,
Japanese White-eye and a Hawaiian Monk Seal (rare on Kaua'i) on the
beach.
Elsewhere on the island we saw many Cattle Egrets, Red Junglefowl,
Pacific Golden Plovers, Black-necked Stilt, Java Sparrow and Chestnut
Mannikin (at Princeville).
Late afternoon we checked in at the Aston Islander on the Beach at
Kapaa, where we had pre-booked a sea view room but received a room with
good views of a tree and a sliver of sea and a tatty bathroom, with
mirrors with so many cracks that they looked like a spider's web.
After our experiences with Air Pacific our patience was now short so
after a dispute with the front desk and a discussion with the manager
we were moved to a room with a decent view and a somewhat less shabby
bathroom. The fact that another couple of guests had been so
unhappy that they had checked out just after we arrived before may have
helped us. The accommodation certainly needs some refurbishment!
Wednesday 4th December
We travelled over to the west of the island, to Waimea Canyon and Kokee
State Park. The views were wonderful. At various lookouts
there were White-tailed Tropicbirds, Red Junglefowl and Japanese
White-eye. Along the Waimea Canyon Road we also flushed 2
Erckel's Francolins. The Kalalau Lookout was particularly
good. Here we saw our first native passerines - Apapane and
Kaua'i Amakihi - and the introduced but attractive White-rumped
Shama. Apapane proved to be quite common, both at Kalalau Lookout
and around Kokee Lodge.
Near Kekaha we saw Black-crowned Night Heron and Northern Mockingbird.
Thursday
5th December
We spent the morning at tourist sites such as Wailua Falls. We
spent little time birding. Late afternoon we flew back to
Honolulu.
We hadn't managed to see Hawaiian Coot and Hawaiian Duck. This
was mainly because I'd left my books and notes at home and I'd also
adopted the approach of 'let's not worry about them here, we'll find
them later on' (which if course we didn't!). Still, the seabirds
were the main targets of the Hawaiian part of the trip and here we had
largely been successful. We'd like to go back again someday and
spend more time looking for native birds.
Friday 6th December
We left Honolulu for Vancouver on Air Pacific - the plane was on time,
though they did manage to check our bags through to London but not give
us boarding cards for Vancouver to London! Early in the afternoon
of Saturday 7th, we arrived back in London.
Robert Grimmond
Kent, UK
kay.rob@btinternet.com
