PERSONAL TRIPS


Kauai 04-13-02 to 04-19-02

Kelly and I had a wonderful time in Kauai this past week! We visited a variety of coastal rain forest areas as well as higher elevation native forest habitats and encountered some of the most beautiful terrain imaginable. While birding was not the main goal of the trip, we did manage to see some great species. As you might expect, the native birds are difficult to find as they have been squeezed out of much of their original habitat by invasive introduced species. The bold-faced species are lifers for us, but more significantly, the bold-faced and gray species identify the endemics. A few birds escaped us, but overall it was a successful trip with great food and snorkeling too. I also took this rare opportunity, with all its scenic beauty and romance to propose to Kelly on a stunning coastal overlook. She said yes (about 100 times!) and we will be married next July at my family's church in Palo Alto followed by a reception at Gamble Gardens. Yeah!

Black-footed Albatross
Laysan Albatross
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Townsend's (Newall's) Shearwater
White-tailed Tropicbird
Red-tailed Tropicbird
Red-footed Booby
Great Frigatebird
Cattle Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nene (Hawaiian Goose)
Koloa Maoli (Hawaiian Duck)
Red Junglefowl
Ring-necked Pheasant
Common Peafowl
Common Moorhen (Hawaiian subspecies)
Hawaiian Coot
Pacific Golden Plover (Hawaiian subspecies)
Black-necked Stilt (Hawaiian subspecies)
Wandering Tattler
Ruddy Turnstone
Rock Dove
Spotted Dove
Zebra Dove
Short-eared Owl (Hawaiian subspecies)
Red-vented Bulbul (Honalulu Airport)
Kauai 'Elepaio
White-rumped Shama
Melodious Laughing-thrush
Common Myna
Japanese White-eye
Northern Cardinal
Red-crested Cardinal
Saffron Finch (on Kauai!)
Western Meadowlark
House Finch
Kauai 'Amakihi
'I'iwi
'Apapane
House Sparrow
Chestnut Mannikin
Java Sparrow