Aloha. This is another in a series of distraction diaries. Most of the bird photos were taken on the grounds of my condo complex. I hope you enjoy my little feathered friends. But we will start with something different.... a westside Oahu sunset...
We have a pair of Northern Cardinals in the area that I have been stalking lately. I still haven't gotten THE shot I am looking for but here are a few recent ones.
Like most birds you see here at sea level (other than seabirds) there are alien invasive species. They were brought here from North America in 1929. This is the male:
And this is the female:
The female cardinal getting some grief from a java sparrow at my neighbor's feeder.
A closeup of a java sparrow. This is a light phased bird. Many have a much more distinctive black head with white cheeks.
The Kolea or Pacific Golden Plover is a winter resident in Hawaii. They are currently getting their breeding plumage in anticipation of their 48 hour non-stop flight to the arctic in a few weeks.
This is the female that lives on the lawn outside my condo.
And this is the male that lives down on the corner. He is really starting to be handsome in his new tuxedo.
In a hurry...
A brown anole showing off. These are alien species. In fact all reptiles in Hawaii were imported by humans, either intentionally or by mistake. We still have no snakes fortunately. Just look into the brown tree snake situation in Guam for an example of the devastation that can be caused by alien species.
I don't know my flowers.. ginger?
Red Crested Cardinal. Another alien species, this one from South America.
The very common Cattle Egret. Another alien.
Red-Vented Bulbul. An alien from Asia.
A Zebra Dove hunkers down during a brief rain this morning. This is another very common alien species from asia.
Chestnut Munia. An alien from southeast asia. This is my first decent photo of one of these tiny fast moving birds. I don't see them here very often. That is a common waxbill in the background.
I will leave you with this dawn shot from last weekend. As always feel free to post your photos and please be good humans.