Hawaiian Birds – Hawaiian Coot Breeding
The Hawaiian Coot (‘Alae ke‘oke‘o) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, and breeds mostly on natural freshwater ponds, flooded taro fields, reservoirs, and brackish fishponds. Usually, when the ponds fill with water in the wetter winter months, ‘Alae ke‘oke‘o initiate their breeding cycle with the establishment of territories.
‘Alae ke‘oke‘o are territorial during nesting and will defend their area vigorously from other coots. This aggressive behavior is evident when they raise their tail feathers and lower their head to ward off intruders. In heated battles, the adults will use their wings to balance them upright as they use their feet to fight off other Hawaiian Coots (Fulica alai).
Nests are typically floating nests constructed with a massive pile of aquatic vegetation including bulrush, Hilo grass, pickleweed, taro stems, and branches and twigs of trees growing near the pond. This allows nests to rise and fall with the water level. Rarely, nests are built on pond banks or fishpond walls, but this is less protected from various predators. After building their nests, they lay between two and ten eggs (averaging about five), light tan in color, speckled with light, dark brown, and purple.
Adults share responsibilities of incubation (about 25 days) and caring for the young. Chicks have black down, except on the head, neck and throat, where the down is reddish-orange. They are able to run and swim soon after hatching but maintain contact with parents by frequent calling, and hide in nearby vegetation if danger approaches.
National Public Lands Day 2010
National Public Lands Day 2010 celebrates, inspires, encourages, educates, and reminds us about how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy America’s natural wonders through outdoor recreation. Saturday, September 25, 2010 is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy.
On this day in 2009 volunteers:
- Removed around 900,000 lbs of trash
- Collected around 20,000 lbs of invasive plants
- Built and maintained around 1,320 miles of trails
- Planted around 100,000 trees, shrubs and other native plants
- Contributed around $14 million to improve public lands
On Kauai, Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is celebrating National Public Lands Day with a special program for Nene Awareness, and free admission. This is a great opportunity to spend time with family and discover maritime history, learn about native coastal plants, and migratory seabirds. Nene are one of the unique species that reside at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, and people can find out more about this endangered bird through interpretive tours, exhibits, and ranger-led activities.
The Nene was designated state bird of Hawaii in 1957, and has endured a long struggle against extinction. Conservationists have been breeding the bird in captivity in hopes of preserving the declining population and successfully re-establishing them in their native habitat. They have been successful with more than 800 nene on Kaua‘i and about 1,950 nene statewide in their effort to restore habitat and give this species a real chance to make a comeback.
Hawaiian Birds – Hawaiian Coot
The Hawaiian Coot (‘Alae Ke‘oke‘o) is a water bird endemic to Hawaii. There are currently an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 coots living in the main Hawaiian Islands of Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, Molokai, and Kauai, and it is federally listed as an endangered species.
The male and female Hawaiian Coot (Fulica alai) look alike, and are about 15 inches long, mostly dark gray or black on top, with white undertail feathers. The bill is ivory white (ke‘oke‘o meaning white), as is the bulbous frontal shield (or frontal knob). A very small percentage have frontal shields that are bluish white, yellow, or red. Their legs are light gray, and feet are lobed rather than webbed.
‘Alae Ke‘oke‘o are found in fresh and brackish-water marshes, ponds, taro fields, and wetlands. Most likely, they were more widely distributed in early Hawaii when cultivation of taro was much more extensive, and coastal fishponds were more numerous. Historical records do not indicate there ever were a large number of coots, yet the bird was significant in Hawaiian mythology and folklore and some early accounts report large populations on Kaua‘i.
Hawaiian coots are generalists and feed from grazing on land, or dabbling from the surface of the water, or diving for food. Food items include seeds, leaves, aquatic plants, snails, crustaceans, insects, tadpoles, and small fish. Photo by Jack Jeffrey
International Coastal Cleanup 2010
The Ocean Conservancy will host the International Coastal Cleanup on September 25, 2010. This annual event is the world’s largest volunteer effort to cleanup the marine environment and engages people from over 100 countries to:
- remove trash and debris from the world’s beaches and waterways
- identify the sources of debris
- change the behaviors that cause marine debris in the first place
The International Coastal Cleanup began in 1986 with one woman walking along the beach and becoming disgusted by the amount of trash she found. She arranged a beach cleanup, and her singular vision is now a worldwide movement. Last year, 500,000 volunteers from 108 countries covered 14,827 miles and picked up 7.4 million pounds of trash on a single day.
One of the things that makes this cleanup unique is that the volunteers record exactly what they find, giving us a snapshot of the litter and trash that is in our oceans and local waterways. Of the 10.2 million debris items collected worldwide, 60 percent of it was considered “disposable,” including over 512,517 cups, plates, forks, knives, and spoons, and 58,881 bottles of oil/lube.
Volunteers found 336 marine animals and birds entangled in marine debris. Ropes and old fishing gear can entangle wildlife and damage coral reefs. Sea turtles can mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish, and birds and fish can easily mistake smaller debris for food – choking the animals, or blocking the digestive system.
Marine debris is one of the most widespread pollution problems we face, but with the help of the International Coastal Cleanup, momentum is building to reverse this trend. There is a growing understanding of the impact trash has on wildlife, and the need to stop marine debris at the source.
Hurricane Iniki Damage
The eye of Hurricane Iniki took the worst possible track, causing extensive damage throughout Kauai. According to Red Cross figures, Iniki left behind 14,350 damaged or destroyed homes on Kauai, with property damage totaling more than three billion dollars. In 1992 when the hurricane hit, there were 8,200 hotel, condo, and bed and breakfast rooms on Kaua‘i, and Iniki shut down 90% of them.
Damage from the ocean was heaviest along the south shore of Kauai where it first hit landfall, and affected shoreline hotels and condominiums. Wind damage was extremely heavy throughout the island as many homes and buildings were flattened or lost their roofs. Electric power and telephone service were lost throughout the island and only 20 percent of power had been restored four weeks after the storm. Crop damage was also extensive as sugar cane was stripped, and tropical plants, such as banana and papaya, were destroyed and fruit and nut trees were broken or uprooted.
Gusts within the hurricane were clocked at 227 miles per hour by the Navy’s Mākaha Ridge radar station, until the wind gauging equipment was blown off the mountain. The natural landscape of Kaua‘i was also affected, causing long-term effects on the island’s native flora and fauna. Much of the native forest canopy was stripped of its leaves as well as the fruit and flowers that forest birds depend on for food.
Ridges where wind gusts hit were stripped to bare rock, and in upland valleys trees were snapped and shrubs were stripped of leaves. The hurricane didn’t leave a lot of food for different species of Hawaiian honeycreeper that depend on fruit or flower nectar. Five extremely endangered forest birds, the Kaua‘i ‘akialoa (Hemignathus procerus), Kaua‘i nuku pu‘u (Hemignathus lucidus hanapepe), kāma‘o (Myadestes myadestinus), ‘ō‘ō ‘ā‘ā (Moho braccatus), and ‘ō‘ū (Psittirostra psittacea) were already on the verge of extinction when the hurricane hit Kaua‘i. None of them have been seen since.
Kauai Beach – Anahola
Anahola Beach Park on the East Side of Kauai has good swimming and snorkeling year-round due to a protective reef offshore. The sandy beach is backed by shade trees and is considered one of the safest beaches on Kauai, making it perfect for children. And, this half mile long shoreline offers a stunning view of the Kalalea Mountains.
The south end is tucked behind Kala Point, protecting it from high surf. Ironwood trees fringe the back of the shallow water shoreline, providing beachgoers and picnickers plenty of shade. At the north end of the beach, near the mouth of the Anahola River, it is less protected and there is a shorebreak that’s ideal for bodyboarding, surfing, and stand-up paddle boards. In the summer, this beach park can be scattered with tents and campers.
Lifeguard
Sandy beach
Shade trees
Restrooms
Showers
Swimming, snorkeling, bodyboarding
Picnic tables
Camping
Directions: Traveling north on Kuhio Highway (56) about 3 miles north of Kealia Beach, turn right on Anahola Road just after Mile Mark #13. Anahola Beach Park is approximately one half mile down the road.
Please remember: When in doubt, don’t go out.
Check our Kauai Surf Report.
