Pair of Spotted Doves (Streptopelia chinensis)

Spotted Doves (Streptopelia chinensis)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

These Spotted Doves are daily visitors to my garden, but getting a good photo of them has been difficult.   They are quite shy, so if they see me moving about, they immediately fly away.  Sitting quietly in one spot does not help much, either, because when they do land, they often hunker into a bush, where they are obscured.  When they alight on a tree branch or other open perch, they remain just for a moment, rarely staying still long enough for me to focus the camera lens.

I finally managed to capture this image of not one, but two at once, when this pair perched on the nearly bare branch of one of our Royal Poinciana trees.   The birds are not as well lit as I would have liked, but I felt a small sense of victory at having been able to photograph them at all!

In case you missed it, here is a photo I took last Spring of a Spotted Dove coming in for a landing.

The 'Morning Glory' Tropical Hibiscus

'Morning Glory' Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

We have many varieties of tropical hibiscus plants in our flower garden.  This showy blossom is called Morning Glory.  The color on the petals is shaded from deep rose in the throat, to pale rose, bordered by creamy white at the margins.  The petals have a slightly crinkled look, with ruffled edges.  The blossoms are large -- often 5 to 6 inches (12 to 15 cm) in diameter.

The Morning Glory, is one of the innumerable cultivars of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.  It is a hardy plant in our climate, and each plant yields a prodigious number of blossoms almost constantly.

Here are some more tropical hibiscus varieties from our garden: Candy Wind / Ecstasy / Hawaii Belle / Hula Girl / Hurricane Lily / Ivory / Painted Lady / Princess Michiko / Starry Wind / Sundance.

Cascade Creek in New Zealand's Fiordland

Cascade Creek

Location: Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand

More than a year after our return, I am still mining the mass of photos I took during a month-long trip to New Zealand.  This is a roaring glacier-fed stream called Cascade Creek, in the Fiordland National Park.  The park is a vast wild area on New Zealand's South Island, and is a hiker's paradise.  The photo was taken from one of the many hiking trails accessible from the road that runs between Te Anau and Milford Sound.

In case you missed them, here are more of my photos from New Zealand.

Ms. Cardinal again -- in profile this time

Northern Cardinal - female (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Here she is again -- Ms. Cardinal.  As I have mentioned earlier, among the regular visitors to our garden, we have only one pair of Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis).  This female Cardinal began to visit us when she was barely post-adolescent.  We have enjoyed watching her grow from a gangly youngster, to the present time.  These days she looks much more mature and polished.

The Art of Blending In

House Finch - immature male (Carpodacus mexicanus)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Here is an immature male House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) , perched on a branch of a Plumeria tree in my garden, demonstrating the art of blending in with one's surroundings.

I was taking photos of visitors to our bird feeders.   This shy little guy darted in, snatched a seed, and quickly flew off.  Although he selected a perch just a few meters from where I was standing, he stayed quite still, so it took me a few seconds of peering before I noticed where he went.

In case you missed these, here is an earlier photo of a mature male House Finch, and one of a female House Finch.

Colorful Sky After a Storm

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

We had quite a rainstorm several days ago.  The rain began early in the morning, and it continued to pour all day long, finally dissipating shortly before sunset.   The left-over clouds and moisture in the air refracted the light beautifully as evening approached.

Pineapple Progress

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Here is an update on the pineapple from my garden that I displayed here about two months ago.     The pineapple has nearly doubled in size since then, and is now developing quite a lovely crown, too.   (Here's what it looked like in November.)

Pineapples grow slowly.  This one probably will not be fully ripe and large enough to pick and eat until late Spring or early Summer.

Cardinal Conehead

Male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Last time, I posted a photo of a female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).  Here is her mate, posing for me in the morning sunlight.

Because of the angle of the cardinal's crest in this shot, I'm giving this photo the title 'Cardinal Conehead'.   It reminded me of the Saturday Night Live skits and the film about the aliens with the cone-shaped heads!

In case you missed it, here is another photo of the same bird.

Ms. Cardinal, and friend

Northern Cardinal - female (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Here is a female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), perched on a field stone near the edge of my garden.  When I was composing the photo, I was concentrating so much on the cardinal that I did not notice her friend in the background until I uploaded the photo to my computer.   If you look carefully at the photo, you will see a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) behind Ms. Cardinal.  Both are regular visitors to our bird feeders.

Best Wishes for 2009

Hawaii Belle hibiscus

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Now that I am back home from my holiday travels, I would like to offer this flower photo -- a Hawaii Belle hibiscus -- to wish all of my readers a bright, happy, and colorful 2009.