Just another day in paradise...

We have been spending lots of time at the bird sanctuary down the beach and seeing lots of birds that we haven't seen in the past.  There are only a few birds in Hawaii that are endemic (birds that evolved here and are only found here) but quite a few that are indigenous (birds that are naturally occurring here but also found elsewhere).  I don't know that I have sorted out which are which, but I know that I haven't seen many of these birds before.

 

This is a Pacific Golden Plover.  We do see this one at home, but there it is called an American Golden Plover.

 

A Ruddy Turnstone.  This bird turns over small stones to find food underneath, hence its name.  It is really funny to seeing them tossing stones over.

 

 

A Red Crested Cardinal.  This one was originally from Brazil - the bird book calls it resident, naturalized, introduced.  I guess that means it is indigenous.

 

 

The black crowned night heron is resident indigenous.  These birds are hilarious to watch.  They have long legs, as you can see, but they sit in long grasses so they look short and squat.  And they watch and wait for things to go after, mostly fish I think.  Our bird book says that they sometimes will use bread to bait fish - interesting!

 

 

These ducks are either Hawaiian ducks or hybrid mallards.  They look like mallards but have a different colour speculum - the coloured patch on the wing.  It is more green than in a mallard.

 

Here are hubby and I ready to go out walking on the beach.  :)

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

Janet