FNSpring91.html

FNSpring91.html

4 June, 1991
Jerry R. Oldenettel
P.O.Box 1714
Wailuku, Maui, HI 96793

Dear Bob,

I have finally moved out of the Maui Lu (actually forced out due to remodeling) and am living at 35A Eleu Pl., Kihei (phone 874-1831), though I will continue using the Wailuku post box as my mailing address.

Imagine my surprise and delight when, reading the 1979 paper by Steve Lyons on summer Haleakala weather, I came across your name in the acknowledgements and references sections. You mentioned that you had once given a lecture at AMOS and I wonder if it is not time for a repeat performance (we are in the middle of a site survey for a new large telescope). If you are interested, I may be able to get RPS or the Air Force to pay for your trip. I am also interested in getting data on upper altitude (200 mbar) winds over Hawaii (Maui if possible) and jet stream locations covering the last 6 or 7 years on a daily or more frequent basis and wonder if you might not have a good source of such data.

While spring migration on Maui wasn't worth much, (I still suffer from California standards. A friend of mine told me Sunday that I had missed a Flammulated Owl on Point Loma!) a few birds did manage to make it to the island to help my state list. As in previous reports, the vast majority of my birding time was spent checking Kanaha and Kealia Ponds, Kealia on a roughly twice daily and Kanaha on a once/2 day basis. I made a couple of short stops at Hosmer grove during the period, but saw nothing unusual. I also made my first visits to Nu'u Salt Pond and one visit to the Ahihi-Kina'u Ponds during the period .

The sea side mud flats at Kealia pond subsided through March and were completely dry by the first of April. By mid-May, the water level in Kealia Pond had lowered to expose some mud flats along the northwest shore. By the end of May, mud flats were beginning to appear along the shore south of the fish ponds. By early April, the Kanaha pond water level had lowered and mud flats were appearing along the edges on the north shore and elsewhere. The size of these mud flats increased throughout April and by the first of May, the pond looked as good as any shorebird habitat I've seen on the island.

Observations

The observations below were made between 1 March and 31 May, 1991 on Maui.

Booby/albatross, sp.. Having gotten my books out of storage, I have had a chance to look over the albatross and booby pictures and notes in Harrison and elsewhere. The bird I had off the beach opposite Kealia pond on 3/31 was definitely not a Short-tailed Albatross. I have yet to find any good pictures of Red-footed Booby transition plumages and have found no descriptions of plumage sequences.

Great Blue Heron. This bird was seen on 3/31 and 4/13 at Kanaha pond. On 4/1, I ran into a couple from Seattle (Constance J. Sidles, 4532-48th NE, Seattle, WA 98105) who reported a breeding plumaged Great Blue Heron at Nu'u Salt Pond (I didn't get an exact date, but my impression was that it had been in the previous couple of days, which would make it the 28th-31st). I visited Nu'u pond on 4/2 and 4/27, but was unable to relocate the bird, so I can't even be sure whether it is the same bird I had been seeing at Kanaha and earlier at Kealia, i.e., it is possible (but not probable) that there are two Great Blues on Maui. If only one, the bird certainly gets around. I'd like to know where it spends the 99+% of the time I don't see it.

Black Brant. A single badly worn bird was present at Kanaha Pond on 4/6.

Northern Shoveler. About 6 birds remained at Kanaha pond at the end of the period and may be trying to oversummer.

Eurasian Wigeon. A single adult male was seen in the company two female American Wigeons at Kanaha Pond on 4/14.

Teal, sp. A pair of teal (Green-winged types) were present at Kanaha Pond on 3/23.

Black Frankolin. A single male flew across Hwy 380 near Kahului on 3/1 and I have seen 1-2 females along the west end of Hwy. 380 on two occasions between 5/20 and the end of the period.

Hawaiian Coot. A majority (8-10) of the birds at Nu'u Salt Pond were of the "red-crested" variety, the first I have seen on the island.

Black-necked Stilt. The first chick was seen at Kanaha Pond on 5/18.

Semipalmated Plover. A single breeding plumaged bird was present at Kanaha Pond on 4/7.

Golden Plover. Numbers built at Kanaha Pond throughout April with a peak of 200-250 birds on the mud flats on 5/2. A large movement occurred on 5/3 or 5/4, as only two remained (as far as I could tell, on the whole of Maui) on 5/4. Both of the remaining birds were injured and moving about on one leg and they were gone by 5/6. I located a single bird (also lame) at the sod farm along Hwy. 380 on 5/17 which was present more or less constantly through the end of the period. I also had two flocks of 4 birds each on about 5/25.

Greater Yellowlegs. Found at the Kealia Pond mud flats early on 3/31, what appeared to be the same bird was at Kanaha pond at 3 pm on 3/31, and not at Kealia a half hour later. The bird reappeared at Kealia on 4/1 and remained through 4/3. I have a few very poor photos for documentation (70 mm lens at 40 ft.).

Wandering Tattler. One bird remains at Kealia and 1-2 birds around Kanaha as of the end of the period.

Ruddy Turnstone. Most of these birds evidently accompanied the plover movement of early May, although 2-3 have been present at Kanaha Pond throughout May.

Sanderling. There was a large drop in numbers when the plovers left. Have not seen any since the second week of May.

Least Sandpiper. The two wintering birds were still present at the Kealia mud flats on 3/15, but only one could be found on 3/31. This bird was last seen on 4/3 when the mud flats finally dried up.

Long-billed Dowitcher. The pair of birds wintering at Kanaha Pond was still present on 3/23 and last seen on 4/6.

Pectoral Sandpiper. A single bird was feeding at Kanaha Pond on 4/27.

Franklin's Gull. A single breeding plumaged bird was present at Kealia Pond from 5/15 through 5/17.

Ring-billed Gull. This appeared to be (by plumage) the bird which had been seen at Kealia on 1/19. It reappeared at the Kealia mud flats on 2/28 and was virtually always there throughout March and April, hanging on at that location for about two weeks after it had dried up. I assume that it was driven off by the relatively heavy motorcycle/ORV traffic. I relocated it on 5/15 along the northwest shore of Kealia where it remained through about 5/25. I have several reasonably good photos (slides) if you would like one for your records.

Orange-cheeked Waxbill. Peak numbers of 10-14 were seen around the buildings and in the grove at Hansen and Omaopio Rds. at the end of March.

Java Sparrow. I was moved to a new room on the east side of the Maui Lu on 3/30 and almost immediately found a flock of 40-50 Java Sparrows were frequenting the lawn. I was nearly always able to locate a few of these birds when I looked. At my new residence (about a mile south of the Maui Lu), I have heard birds calling and flying several times a day, indicating that they are quite well established over a fair portion of Kihei.