The Wandering Tattler

The day started with an early morning bird walk at Waiakea Pond in Hilo (Greater White-fronted goose, Northern Shovelers, Wandering Tattlers, Golden Plovers). Looking across the pond, we could see the snow-capped peak of Moana Kea between the palm trees of Hilo. Our car rental company informed us that we could take our front-wheel drive 4-cylinder car over the Saddle Road, so that is what we did. The saddle between Moana Kea (world’s tallest mountain) and Moana Loa provides the shortest route from Hilo on the island’s east coast to the Kona region on its west coast. The saddle is also an area of unearthly lava fields, stunted ohia forests, and dramatic kipukas. Kipukas are “islands” of vegetation created by lava flows which sterilize everything they cover, isolating the plants and animals in each kipuka. These “islands on islands” often harbor unique populations o of small animals, such as insects or tree snails, which may evolve into separate, distinct species. The old lava field surrounding each kipuka typically is very deep, so that only the tops of the trees appear above the surrounding terrain. It is possible to climb down the steep lava walls to walk on the floor of the kipuka forest, but the rock is very sharp and uneven, so the descent can be challenging. [The first photo below shows the tops of ohia trees projecting above the walls of the lava flow.] This is also one of the prime areas for many of Hawaii’s endemic birds, which cannot survive at lower elevations. Unfortunately, it was raining as we drove through, so opportunities for birding were limited. Nonetheless, during our few brief stops these bizarre woods seemed to be alive with birds. We had hoped to see an I’iwi, but saw only more apapenes.

At Mile 28, we took a 10-mile detour up the Moana Kea Summit Road to the Moana Kea Visitor Cente at 9,000 feet. Much of the 10-mile long Summit Road has a 17% grade and our vehicle could move no faster than 20 mph over many stretches. Above the visitor center the peak of the mountain was obscured by clouds and the road was closed due to icing, but nearby we found an area where a Big Island endemic, the Moana Kea Silversword (a strange relative of the sunflower), grows under state protection, a discovery which I thought justified our detour off the Saddle Road. The visitor center is a staging area used by the astronomers and technicians who manage the many large telescopes a top of Moana Kea, but even astronomers could not ascend the mountain today.

Unusually wet weather has followed us wherever we have traveled - in California, Oahu, and now Hawaii. The staff at the visitor center assured us that the skies had been clear yesterday and that they normally have a unobstructed view of both Moana Kea and Moana Loa. Just what we wanted to hear! The visitor center folks assured us that it never rained in Kona, on the leeward side of the island and that we would soon by basking in warm sunshine.)

The Saddle Road is narrow, undulating, and poorly paved. It isn’t hard to understand why rental companies formerly prohibited customers from driving this route. Some modest improvements at the eastern (Hilo) end of the road seem to have put an end to those restrictions, but for much of the way I kept to the center of the road to avoid the rough margins. After returning from the Summit Road, we followed the Saddle Road westward across a military preserve, where several army helicopters perfomed maneuvers and numerous signs warned of overhead artillery fire. Quite surreal.

As we approached the west coast and the Kona region, the vegetation changed to open grassland, much of it grazed by cattle or sheep. Upon reaching Kailua-Kona we bought some produce in the Farmers’ Market, picked up milk and meat at the Safeway, and checked into the Kona Reef condo building. Our unit is very comfortable – except for the bed – and it looks out at an angle toward the black-sand beach. I saws some exotic Saffron Finches on the lawn as we arrived, reminding me that virtually 100% of the flora and fauna at sea level in Hawaii consists of introduced species, maintained on the dry leeward sides of the island (where most of the tourists accommodations are found) by intensive irrigation.
We were delighted to find that our unit has wireless internet connection, so I’m composing this entry in the comfort of our own lodging.