HAWAII AUDUBON SOCIETY
Our Mission
"To foster community values that result in the protection and restoration of native wildlife and ecosystems and conservation of natural resources through education, science, and advocacy in Hawai‘i and the Pacific."
Kolea Count
UPCOMING EVENTS & Field Trips
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All participants please sign and bring a waiver
Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden bird walk, Kāneʻohe - postponed due to
current COVID-19 situation
Join us for a Hawaii Audubon Society walk of 2-3 miles through Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden, Sunday, January 2, 2022: RSVP with Colleen at csoares48@gmail.com.
Meet at the Visitor Center parking lot at 9:30 am. 45-680 Luluku Road, Kaneohe, Oʻahu HI. Wear walking shoes and bring water and hat. Walk will finish by noon.
Hoʻomaluhia is named "a peaceful refuge." It is 400 lush acres in windward Oʻahu. Download the bird list given here to note birds we might see on this lovely walk, such as the White-rumped Shama, Red-billed Leiothrix, Common Waxbill, ‘alae ke'oke'o (Hawaiian Coot), and kōlea (Pacific Golden-Plover). The Garden opened in 1982, and features plantings from major tropical regions around the world grouped geographically. See the map given below for the regions represented inby the botanical collections: Philippines, Malaysia, Tropical America, India & Sri Lanka, Melanesia, Hawaiʻi, Polynesia, and Africa. The Garden was designed and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide flood protection for Kāneʻohe.
Tours are available on request with 4 people. RSVP with Colleen at csoares48@gmail.com.
Bird list: https://www.honolulu.gov/rep/site/dpr/hbg_docs/Hoomaluhia_Birds_List.pdf
Garden Map: https://www.honolulu.gov/rep/site/dpr/hbg_docs/HooMAP.gif
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Kawainui Marsh, Kailua - postponed due to current COVID-19 situation
Join Hawaii Audubon Society for a walk through Kawainui Marsh, Sunday, January 9, 2022: RSVP with Colleen at csoares48@gmail.com. Meet at Kaha Park in Kailua at 8:30 am. Wear walking shoes and bring water, sunscreen, and hat. Walk will finish by 12 noon.
We will walk the 3 3-mile (round trip,) paved levee. No elevation gain and no cover from the sun. Kawainui Marsh State Wildlife Sanctuary in Kailua is 830 acres, the largest remaining freshwater wetland in the state of Hawaiʻi. The Kawainui and Hamakua Marsh Complex has been designated as a Ramsar Convention Wetland of International Importance especially for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands for waterfowl habitat.
The Kawainui levee is a 6,300 foot earthen berm and concrete wall that runs along Kawainui Stream. The levee was constructed in 1966 by the Army Corps of Engineers to protect the
Coconut Grove neighborhood of Kailua from flooding.
The trail through the marsh offers beautiful views of the Ko’olau Mountains. This protected area
is a haven for native birds and wildlife, such as the federally endangered waterbirds aeʻo (Hawaiian Stilt), Himantophus mexicanus knudseni), ʻalae ʻula (Hawaiian Gallinule), and ʻalae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian Coot, Fulica alai).
Tours available on request with 4 people. RSVP with Colleen at csoares48@gmail.com.
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Return of the Waikiki White Tern Walks
After a long COVID-induced pause we are resuming the popular
White Tern Walks. We have three walks scheduled for December and
January, all beginning at the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki. We will meet at 10AM under the large banyan tree near the stage located on the makai side of Kalakaua Avenue across from the intersection with Seaside Avenue. Parking is available in the parking garage attached to the International Market Place, across Kalakaua and accessed from Kuhio Avenue. The dates for the walks are:
- Sunday, January 16, 2022 - canceled due to current COVID-19 situation
- Sunday January 23, 2022 - pending COVID-19 situation
Please note that we will be limiting the number of participants for each of these walks to 15. Text 808-379-7555 to reserve your place. Also, masking will be REQUIRED since we wonʻt be able to observe social distancing during the walks and speaking so as to be heard above the background noise involves the risk of aggressive expelling of respiratory droplets.
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Pelagic Tour
Saturday, February 26th
Join a 8-hour open ocean adventure in search of marine wildlife off the Kona coast
on a comfortable 46-foot boat. Birding and marine wildlife will be priority. Email Lance.Tanino@gmail.com for more information and signing up.
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122nd National Audubon Society
Christmas Bird Count Calendar
for Hawaiʻi:
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the following information is subject to NAS guidelines.
For detailed requirements visit https://www.audubon.org/news/christmas-bird-count-compiler-announcements.
Big Island
- Kona CBC: Saturday, December 18, 2021. Contact:
Lance Tanino, lance.tanino@gmail.com, 808-495-6545
- Volcano CBC: Sunday, December 19, 2021
With five routes to choose from in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and nearby, this is a great opportunity to see native forest birds, with a chance for finding endangered species. Contact:
Thane Pratt, thane-linda@earthlink.net, 808-443-8160
- Hilo CBC: Sunday, January 2, 2022
This circle encompasses the greater Hilo area. Limited spaces available with required Covid protocols and restrictions. Contact:
Sherman Wing, shermanwing1@gmail.com, 303-324-9636
Kaua‘i
- Kapaʻa CBC: Saturday, December 18, 2021
Contact: Kimberly Uyehara, cbckauai@gmail.com or
808-635-9309
- Lihuʻe CBC: Sunday, December 26, 2021
Established in 1971, this count ran annually for twenty years before falling dormant for three decades. It was revived in 2020 and your assistance is welcome in helping keep this circle going strong for years to come! Contact:
Jennifer Rothe, jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com (preferred), 920-312-2782
- Waimea CBC: Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Anyone who is interested in counting and feels proficient counting on their own can contact Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project for coordination of routes and to provide them with data. Contact: intern@kauaiforestbirds.org
Maui
- Lanaʻi CBC: Thursday, December 16, 2021
- Hana CBC: Tuesday, December 21, 2021
- Haleakalā CBC: Monday, December 27, 2021
- ʻIao CBC: Monday, December 20, 2021
Contact for any of the four: Sonny Gamponia, sgamponia@gmail.com, 808-244-0727
- Molokaʻi (Kualapuʻu CBC): Tuesday, December 14, 2021
The Molokaʻi circle is divided into Topside and Kalaupapa. Both trips survey wastewater facilities, aquaculture farms, and historic places - locations normally restricted to the public. All participants must show verified Hawaii SMART Health Card and masks required. Contact:
Arleone Dibben-Young, nene@nene.net, 808-553-5992
Oʻahu
- Honolulu CBC: Sunday, December 19, 2021
This count covers Oʻahu from Waimanalo on the east to Aiea on the west and from Kaneohe on
the north to Diamond Head on the south. Some birding experience is helpful, but you do not need to be an expert birder to participate. If you have a preference for your count area, please let me know.
Contact: Pete Donaldson, pdnldsn.bird@mac.com (preferred), (H) 808-456-5662, (C) 808-371-4447
- Waipio (Central Oʻahu) CBC: Sunday, January 2, 2022
Contact: Dick May, mayhi02@hotmail.com or 808-375-2439
NW Hawaiian Islands
- Midway Atoll CBC: Saturday, December 25, 2021
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is currently closed to public visitation. The CBC is conducted annually by refuge staff, contractors, and program volunteers. Contact: Jonathan Plissner, jonathan_plissner@fws.gov, 808-954-4815
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Hawaii Audubon Society
Annual Membership Meeting and Awards Program
Nov 17, 2021; 06:30 PM Hawaii
Topic: Hawaii Audubon
Want to watch it?
Mahalo Nui Loa for your continued support and membership!
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Want to watch last years Annual Members Meeting featuring our new 7th edition of
Hawaii's Birds here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01yh9PqOcvg&feature=youtu.be
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Also available for viewing
Hanauma Bay Presentations
HAS co-sponsored the following presentations in cooperation with Hanauma Bay
Education Program, every Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, virtually; find updates and
more information on
https://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/hanauma-talks-seminar-and-hbep-event-calendar/
4/1/2021: Susan Scott: Kōlea - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyMmvnq4cNA
4/8/2021: Teya M. Penniman: "Birds, not Mosquitos: Saving our Native Forest Birds” https://youtu.be/8S37XlzqtkU
4/15/2021: David Hyrenbach: Act Locally, but Think Globally: Considering Multiple Ocean
Drivers of Wedge-tailed Shearwater Populations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB0_urTsZcY
4/22/2021: Rich Downs: White Terns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJHlOc2GkRI
4/29/2021: Tom Fake: Bird Photography
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Kealia Boardwalk Tours
Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
The tour is located at the Kealia Coastal Boardwalk and Viewing Area on North Kihei Road
(south side of North Kihei Road, Route 31). You can only enter the small parking lot driving
eastbound from Maʻalaea or West Maui. From Kihei or South Maui, you will need to pass
the boardwalk and come back from the other direction.
This is an informational tour explaining the purpose of the Kealia Pond National Wildlife
Refuge, why it exists and what birds and other wildlife are benefitting from its protection.
Bring comfortable shoes, water, sunscreen, binoculars, cameras and lots of curiosity for an
exhilarating and informative walk among Maui’s wildlife!
Meet at the boardwalk parking lot. This is an easy hike on the boardwalk through the refuge
area. Please note that there are no restrooms at this location. There is limited parking in
the parking lot, but additional parking is located along the highway.
Tours are available upon request.
RSVP with Yolanda via email yolandaonmaui@gmail.com
