More Photos of Hawaii Birds on the Big Island

One of the best things I did this trip to Kailua-Kona is bring my Canon Sureshot to shoot more photos of Hawaii birds on the Big Island. Well, I actually can’t stop shooting photos of everything. I cannot believe the abundance of interesting things, from the creepy critters to the geckos and lizards, beautiful Kona beaches, Hawaii sunsets, and all of the floral and fauna. Don’t get me started on the lava formations from the chopped-up baked cookie chunks and the brown sugar-scorched landscapes.

In fact, I was fortunate to land in an environment yesterday where I could share some of the photos of Hawaii birds at a post-Easter brunch celebration. My neighbors, the good guys from Minnesota, hosted the affair. This is not to be confused, by the way, with the bad guys, a Hawaii neighbor who does not like troublemakers. We had the best grilled hickory-smoked ahi I’ve ever tasted, so moist, flavorful. Plus, we have the most delicious fresh fruit on Hawaii island.

Lesser Redpoll Finch, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Captured this bird down the hill from our Hawaii house in a dead tree that the homeowner’s association has not removed. I was about to climb over the fence and trim back a large flowering tree because it started to block my panoramic view of the ocean, but the HOA guys got it in time. They just don’t do anything about the dead trees.

This is a Lesser Redpoll Finch, and I instinctively knew its name before I verified it. So I’m proud of myself for that. My phone discussion on the lanai came to a sudden pause when I heard singing, so I quietly took my fingers off my laptop keyboard and picked up my Canon Sureshot. This is when I’ll find myself talking to a seller about staging, for example, and then I have to say, sorry, can you hold on a sec, I’m shooting a bird. I think they know I don’t own a gun. My clients are very accommodating, which is why I love them to pieces. Some things can wait, but shooting a bird photo cannot. They fly away.

Saffron finch sings from a Cook Pine

It is mating time for the Saffron finches in Hawaii. Those guys are always singing. From this particular location, I’ve watched the female finches fly back and forth with bits of matter dangling from their beak. Which makes me believe they are building a nest in the Cook pine tree. I read that male Saffron finches are polygamous and mate with two females in mating season. Like many birds in Hawaii, this tanager is not native, having arrived from South America sometime in the 1960s.

Wild Texas turkeys are ubiquitous on Big Island

Ready for more photos of Hawaii birds? How about an American turkey? This was in my neighbor’s yard. Again, the 1960s are to blame. Apparently sometime between 1961 and 1963, 400 wild Texas turkeys turned up in the islands. These Rio Grande turkeys thrive on Big Island, Molokai and Lanai.

Speaking of Molokai, I read yesterday that the mule ride business is getting evicted for non payments. I wrote about that tourist attraction in Things Not To Do in Molokai. Every so often I get a hate email from somebody who has been injured and wants to know why I don’t shut them down. When people find you online, they think the writer has all sorts of magical powers.

The worst thing about the wild turkeys in Big Island is the poop they leave in the street. Big old monster balls of poop. Cars drive over it. Dogs love it.

Trogon at Soroa Orchid Botanical, Orquideario, Cuba.

Now for the perfect conclusion to this blog about photos of Hawaii birds, I present to you the Trojon. OK, just a joke because the Trojon is not a Hawaii bird. It is the national bird of Cuba. Would not surprise me though to find Trojons in Hawaii. Aloha!

Today is open house scheduling day, and I should have at least 6 open houses lined up in Sacramento for this weekend. One team member is in Los Angeles, so that leaves us a bit short-handed. But that’s the good thing about selling real estate at Lyon Real Estate. We have almost 1,000 agents eager to move inventory and available.