To boldly go where this resident has not gone before

January 18, 2021

Given the pandemic, it seems nearly impossible that this winter I’ve been having more adventures on Oahu than I have in all my years living here. But it’s true. I’ve lately been driving to every nook and cranny of this island scouting Kolea foraging sites to fine-tune my sign-up locations (bit.ly/2BFwVXG) for the Hawaii Audubon Society’s Kolea Count, http://www.koleacount.org.

Only the plovers know why they flock to some green places, such as the 288-acre Waipio Peninsula Soccer Field (110 birds), and ignore others that look just as good, such as the 269-acre Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park (4 birds). This is one reason it’s hard to estimate plover numbers by assuming a trend. In a past study of Oahu golf courses, for instance, one course had only 2 Kolea while a similar-sized course had 135.

But in addition to learning about Kolea habitat, my excursions to places I’ve not been before are enlightening. The sugar plantation museum at the Waipahu Cultural Garden Park is a tribute to the culture sharing that we Hawaii residents enjoy today.

I also discovered that some families here shoot off fireworks at graveside funerals.

While driving through the Mililani Memorial Park and Mortuary, I pulled over to take pictures of a pair of prancing Kolea. As I stood there, a bang startled me, followed by a shower of fireworks. The display also startled the birds, of course, and that was the end of my count.

A fellow Kolea counter recently emailed a tip that plovers are abundant at Ko Olina, a master-planned vacation and residential community. As a result, three family members and I rode our bikes through the 1.1 square-mile area, counting a total of 142 birds.

But because that did not include the golf course, I made a return trip some days later, to the Ko Olina Golf Club, and afterwards went snorkeling, for the first time, in one of the resort’s lagoons. And there, in Ulua Lagoon #4, I saw needlefish by the hundreds, the largest pair of cornetfish I’ve ever seen, and a full-grown day octopus lounging in the white sand.

Because I had been shooting Kolea pictures with my land camera, I did not have my underwater camera. That omission gave me the pleasant experience of watching marine animals directly rather than through a lens. The unplanned lagoon swim was pure, relaxing fun.

I’m also enjoying some of Oahu’ introduced birds. Two weeks ago, I drove, for the first time in years, to the Makaha district of Oahu’s west coast, and walked around several neighborhoods. A golf course worker at the Makaha Valley Country Club told me they never see Kolea there, but they do have lots of Frankolins. Right on cue, a pair of Erckel’s Frankolins called out, and appeared nearby.

Later, a frosty security guard at the condominium complex, Makaha Valley Towers, denied me entry to the grounds to count Kolea, but a charming peacock family made up for it by greeting me warmly outside the gate.

I’ve been an avid traveler all my life, but during my four decades of living in Hawaii, I often felt that when home, I should better appreciate the geography, wildlife, and cultural practices of my adopted island. Now, thanks to the Kolea, I’m doing it.

Venturing far from my Kailua home has been like going on mini-vacations. This was my first visit to the stunning Makaha Valley Country Club. ©Susan Scott