Hilo, Hawaii - 18 Nov 2007
6am – We’re still an hour out of port, so I scan the ocean for pelagic birds. I spotted a Wedge-tailed Shearwater a couple hundred yards out. A group of about 6 more birds were farther out but out of ID range. Its overcast and foggy this morning and it appears to be raining inland.
7am – As we pulled into port I scoped a Brown Noddy feeding among an out-cropping of lava rock next to shore. A large white bird flew by the ship, and I thought it was a Tropicbird. It turned out to be a Cattle Egret! Another two egrets flew by a short time later. A few pics of the harbor were taken and we prepared for our first trip off-ship.
8am – Robin and I boarded a bus to take a trip to Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in the world. At 13,390 feet above sea level, its nowhere near as tall as Mt. Everest. But from its base it is 30,000 feet, almost 2 miles taller than Everest. The tour started at the pier, and we made quick stops at King Kamehameha’s Statue and the Rainbow Falls Park. Out in the open lawns were several Pacific Golden Plovers, Common Mynas, and Java Sparrows.
Approaching the mountain from Saddle Road and Summit Roads we drove past miles of lava fields and scrubby shrub/grass lands. The only bird seen along the way was a Kalij Pheasant that we flushed from the side of the road. It was easily identified by its all-black body, white back and long tail feathers.
We were required to stop at 9000 ft. for at least 1 hour in order to acclimate to the thinning air. Stopping at the Ranger Station I got out and walked the grounds, (2), (3), looking for birds. House Sparrows and House Finches were abundant, still! A gated walk through endangered Silver Sword (2), (3) area netted a pair of trilling Amakihi, but I managed only poor shots of them. I could hear Chukars squealing in the background, but couldn’t locate them. Rain was falling, and the thin air made for some tough walking.
Proceeding to the summit, we stopped at several locations to take photos, and to check out the radio and refractor telescopes. Patches of snow were still present on the slopes, and rain was falling. The W.M. Keck Observatory was open, so we stepped inside to view the large telescope through glass walls.
To reach the summit of Mauna Kea we had to hike a quarter mile path down, then uphill. With a full pack I made the hike to the summit, and practically passed out in the process. From the summit we had spectacular views of the caldera, several cinder cones, and the observatories, (2). Atop the summit my GPS unit read 13,390 feet. A shrine had been placed here to honor the Mountain. Hiking back to the trail head was even tougher, and I only made through the gentle coaxing of my lovely bride. “Come on, Dummy!” she would yell as I clambered up the steep slopes of hill. Ah, love….
On the return trip to the ship we stopped at the Boiling Pots, a series of short waterfalls and pools that appear to boil from gas escaping from the rocks below. A few pics of the waterfall and river and we headed back to the ship.
