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Taking a Bow Noio, Black Noddy

10/27/2013

noio, black tern, black noddy, noddy tern, seabird, Hokule'a, Hawaii, courtship display, white cap, black body, long black beak, Anous minutus melanogenys

By Gregg Yan [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Here's the bird of the day: the beautiful noio, or black tern. Any artist would admire the color blending from the white cap to the black of the lower body. The white eyeliner below the eye adds a nice touch. Funny how birds are named; if I didn't know any better, I'd say this was the sooty tern, as it looks a bit like a chimney sweep with a fresh layer of ash on its head. The sooty tern is actually distinctly black and white (see pic), but I digress.
We have two subspecies of black noddies here in Hawaii: A. s. melanogenys (MHI) and A. s. marcusi (NWHI). Noio are a social lot and are homebodies, flocking and breeding close together on rocky cliffs and off-shore islands. When foraging, they generally stay close to the breeding colony, typically leaving in the morning and returning in the evening, though some nightime foraging may occur. Like the manu o ku, this diurnal pattern may offer clues to the observant crew of the Hokule'a as they search for land. Noio are often found following schools of predatory fish, such as skipjack tuna, that drive fish and other prey to the surface, making it easier to skim along to grab a quick bite. Meals are swallowed immediately - you won't see a noio carrying a fish or squid. Back at base camp, they regurgitate their food for their chick. Mom and Dad share all child-rearing duties, and raise usually one chick in a bit of a sloppy-looking nest glued together with guano. Noddies may nest in trees as well as ledges and caves; ironwood, naupaka, and beach heliotrope are favored. Courtship involves a variety of body language, from "bridling," where the male moves his head forward and back while snapping his bill open and closed; to the nodding display, where both male and female dip and bow. There may also something called the "foot-looking" display, where the noio seems to inspect their feet (interesting), and the "gaping" displays, where the colorful orange-yellow mouth is opened and pointed downward.

The Sooty Tern doesn't look nearly as sooty to me as the noddy tern. Photo: By Duncan Wright, USFWS (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Anous minutus (black noddy, noio, ekieki) Habitat at Waianapanapa, Maui. April 22, 2006. Image by Forest & Kim Starr

Anous minutus (black noddy, noio, ekieki) Nesting in ironwood at Behind Midway Mall Sand Island, Midway Atoll. June 14, 2008. Image by Forest & Kim Starr .

ARKive video - Black noddy clapping beak

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Flight School Mālolo, Flying Fish

10/26/2013

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Photo by David J. Ringer Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

When you are considered a tasty morsel by dolphin, tuna, mahimahi, and other fast swimmers of the ocean, you better have a pretty good get-away plan. The flying fish, or mālolo take to the air. Sculling their tails rapidly, spreading their elongated pectoral fins, and then angling upwards, they break the surface of the water. Once air-born, they catch updrafts and then glide for as long and as far as they can. While they cannot beat their pectoral fins like true wings, the airfoil curve of the appendage helps create lift, and they can tilt them a bit to bank left or right. The record for maximum time aloft is 42 seconds, time enough to befuddle a hungry predator. A distance of a hundred feet or more can be covered in a single bound. Ah, but mother nature isn't going to let these mighty leapers off so easily: waiting above are a myriad of hungry sea birds. 'Iwa, noio, and 'A (frigatebird, black noody, booby) are just a few of the birds adept at skimming low over the ocean's surface, mouth agape to scoop up an unlucky malalo.
There are nine species of flying fish that inhabit the waters around Hawaii, and some forty plus species worldwide. They prefer the warmer waters, and will migrate towards or away from the equator to find the ideal temperature. Summer is when they are most abundant here off-shore. Sailors have occasionally reported flying fish landing on their decks, including the lelepo which flies at night, often attracted by the on-board lights. Flying fish lay their eggs on anything that floats, such as driftwood, palm fronds, and even plastic debris. The eggs are also tasty to sea birds, and some researchers infer that the large amounts of plastic found in the bellies of albatross may be due to their ingestion of it while gathering mālolo eggs. Humans enjoy the meat and roe as well; tobiko is a type of sushi featuring the eggs of the Japanese flying fish. In Hawaii, the mālolo were eaten raw, or wrapped in ti leaves and cooked.

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Egging Them On Gecko Eggs

10/24/2013

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gecko eggs, lizards, Hawaii, two white eggs, palm trees, banana plant, incubation, day gecko, lizards

Last week, I went into the garden shed to do a little clean-up, and noticed a beach towel I had left in there. Unfolding the towel, I discovered two hard shelled and pearly-white eggs the size of edamame beans. One had hatched, but the hatchling was nowhere to be found. I quickly decided that I had to find out what was inside the other egg. The size gave me a pretty good idea it had to be a lizard, and I remembered reading somewhere that the brown anoles lay one to two eggs, and there are a ton of anoles in my backyard, so that was a possibility. Geckos also will often lay two eggs; ultimately it was a matter of setting up a hatching container and waiting for the outcome. I carefully placed the egg in simple container in some paper toweling and left that in the shed. I didn't have to wait long; in just a matter of a few days, out popped a mini gecko, with what seemed to be the egg skin still clinging to its back. I was happy to add this little trouper to the established gecko population around the house - they do such a nice job with cockroach extermination. If you know someone who wants to try hatching some gecko eggs of their own, I've read that papaya, banana and palm trees are good places to find eggs. Or try the garden shed.

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Coat of Many Colors Croton

10/20/2013

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croton, false croton, garden croton, spurge, Hawaii, landscape, Codiaeum varigatum, milky sap, colorful leaves, varigated leaves, akoko

Here's a plant that delivers on color. It's the ever cheerful garden croton or Codiaeum variegatum. It's in the Euphorbiaceae family, which are also know as spurges, or akoko in Hawaiian. One of the most recognizable spurges is poinsettia. If you follow the origin of the word spurge back to the Middle English, you'll see it derives from expurge, "to clean out," which makes sense since the bitter and milky sap of spurges may be used medicinally as laxatives, though in small quantity, as they are toxic. One should exercise care not to get it on the skin or clothing.

The are several hundred cultivars of garden croton, and though they vary widely in leaf shape, texture, and patterning, they are somehow recognizable as crotons. They like it warm and are found throughout tropical and subtropical climes. When it comes to care, crotons are like Goldilocks: sunny but not too sunny, moist, but not too moist - you get the picture. Though I have never noticed mine flowering, I will be paying closer attention to the long racemes, with white male and yellow female flowers on separate inflorescences.

By Louise Wolff --darina 23:22, 6 May 2005 (UTC) CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

By J.M.Garg (Own work) CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Stuck on You 'Opihi

10/19/2013

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'opihi, limpet, blackfoot, yellowfoot, kneecap, 'Opihi Partnership, Cellana exarata, Cellana sandwicensis, marine snail, mollusc, gastropod

Opihi hanging out together for an afternoon of feeding. Photos: Jeanne Lindgren

They're innocent looking enough. Just some marine snails in conical hats, clamped to the rocks in the intertidal zone, and doing their part for the ecosystem by keeping the fuzzy algae in check. But the saying, He ia make ka opihi - the opihi is the fish of death, serves as a reminder that picking 'opihi for their tasty flesh is a risky business. While their shape and strong muscular foot allows them to hold fast through pounding surf, the tidal surge can be downright frightening for the 'opihi harvester. There are three species of 'opihi here: the blackfoot, 'opihi makaiauli; the yellowfoot, 'opihi alinalina; and the kneecap 'opihi, or koele. The blackfoot inhabits areas closest to shore, the kneecap likes it a bit deeper, and the yellowfoot prefers it where the surf is roughest. Despite the difficulties for the collector, 'opihi numbers have declined significantly due mainly to overharvesting. A gallon of 'opihi can go for as much as $200. Presently, the 'Opihi Partnership, spearheaded by the Nature Conservancy, is working to gather baseline data about 'opihi populations near Maui and Kaho'olawe. Others are attempting to raise 'opihi using aquaculture techniques to relieve pressure on this humble limpet. On a side note, genetic studies have been underway by researchers at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. They have determined that each island has it's own unique populations of 'opihi.

'Opihi are similar to other marine snails in that they have gills, a mouth tube, a head with tentacles, and a strong muscular foot. They are known to create shallow depressions in the rock which becomes their "base camp." After venturing out for feeding, they return to the snugly-fitting base camp for extra gripping power. Though they do not permanently attach themselves like barnacles do, they are the "super gluers" of the snails and may be near impossible to pry off once a failed attempt to pluck them has been made. Their low profile also helps them to remain steadfast through wave action and the ribbing of the shell allows water to drain off easily. Traditionally, 'opihi were also used as scrapers for taro, and for jewelry.

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Queen of the Night; Bird in Flight Cassiopeia/ 'Iwa Keli'i

10/6/2013

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Hawaii constellation, 'Iwa bird constellation, cassiopeia, 'Iwa Keli'i, hokule'a, constellation, navigation, polynesian navigation, star lines, ka Lupe o Kawelo

The familar "W" shape of the constellation Cassiopeia or 'Iwa Keli'i to the voyagers on the Hokule'a. Her husband, Cepheus is to the right, and her daughter, Andromeda, is below. By MicheletB [GFDL CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

If you look North North-east these evenings, you can't help but see today's featured constellation. The crew of the Hokule'a will look for its familiar W or M shape which recalls the wings of the magnificent 'iwa. They call it 'Iwa Keli'i, the Chief Frigate Bird. Picture the angular wings of this mighty bird as it soars overhead. This constellation is part of the skyline called Ka Lupe o Kawelo ("The Kite of Kawelo"). Knowing the four skylines covering the celestial sphere helps the wayfinder recognize star patterns helpful in navigation. 'Iwa Keli'i soars and circles around Hokupa'a (Polaris) in a counterclockwise direction throughout the night, and is bright enough and distinctive enough to be recognized in most moonlit skies.

In other mythology, the "W" is seen to be the throne of Cassiopeia, a queen associated with Ethiopia. She was the wife of Cepheus and the mother of Andromeda, and to her detriment, a tad vain. The tale is told of her boasts that she and her daughter were much more beautiful than the Nereids, the sea nymphs. This brought on the ire of Poseidon, who sent Cetus the whale to destroy their city. Nervously, the king and queen consulted oracles, who told them that the only way to save the city was to sacrifice their daughter. Andromeda was chained to a rock near the sea, awaiting her demise, when along came Perseus who rescued her and killed the monster whale. However, Cassiopeia wasn't to get off so easy. Poseidon tied her to her throne and placed her in the sky, which meant that on she would spend half the night upside-down, as she circled the celestial pole.

The shape of the 'Iwa inspired the name of the constellation 'Iwa Keli'i. Photo: Tom Tarrant, via Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License via Wikimedia commons

If the Sun were viewed from the closest star to our solar system, Alpha Centauri, it would appear to be part of cassiopea, and change the "W" shape to a zig-zag. Image by By Thingg⊕⊗ (Screenshot by author) [GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html) via Wikimedia Commons

Cassiopeia hanging upside-down tied to her throne, punishment for her boasts of beauty.

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Slugfest Garden Slugs

10/6/2013

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slugs, Hawaii, cuban slug, rat lungworm, diseases from slugs, garden pests, gastropods, bean slug, yellow shelled semislug

A slug in my backyard takes a break from dining on my kale.

Plant it, and they will come. Lettuce, kale, sweet potato - all fair game for the slugs in the backyard. The arugula seems like the only thing they won't touch, but that's probably because they're too busy eating the rest of the garden goodies (even slugs have preferences). So if you can't beat 'em, my tactic is to learn more about them.

First off, they are gastropods, a class of animals that translates into "stomach-foot," and though it may appear that they slide along on their bellies, their digestive system is actually in a hump located on the backside, or dorsal side of their bodies. Unlike their other gastropod relatives, the snails, there is no shell, or there may be a reduced or internal shell. There are sea slugs, and even a genus of freshwater slugs, but in general usage, the term "slug" refers to land slugs, of which Hawaii has several species. Slugs need damp places to keep their soft bodies from drying out, so they tend to be nocturnal, when they can go about eating without worrying about dessication. They secrete two types of mucus: one that is thin and slippery, and another that is thick and sticky. The mucus serves several functions: it helps them to glide with little friction, but also keeps them from falling off of vertical surfaces. It also slows water loss, and presents potential predators with a slippery and distasteful surface that may be hard to hold onto. The all-too-familiar slime trail left by slugs may also serve as a mode of communication among slugs seeking a mate, but on the flip side, it may clue carnivorous snails to the location of their next meal.

Land slugs are hermaphrodites, meaning each slug has male and female reproductive parts. Mating is a two-for-one special, with slugs exchanging sperm, then off they both go, laying (typically) about thirty eggs a few days later. The young hatch within a month, looking to see what's new in your garden. Like the adults, the young have two pairs of tentacles: the longer top pair are optical, with eyespots at the ends, and the shorter pair are for smell and touch. Respiration is often accomplished through the skin and through a hole in the top side of the slug called a pnuemostome, which is hard to see when it is closed.

Some of the slugs seen here in Hawaii include: Sarasinula plebeia (the bean slug), Veronicella cubensis (the cuban slug), and Parmarion martensi (the yellow-shelled semislug). Some slugs and snails can be intermediate hosts of rat lungworm, a roundworm that can cause eosinophilic meningitis. The slugs pick up the larvae of the roundworm by ingesting rat feces; the larvae are then transferred to humans through vegetable matter eaten by the slugs, or by consuming the slugs themselves. It is essential that care is taken to wash any greens from your garden. With all that being said, slugs do have ecological benefits: they are an important food source for many animals, and help in the recycling of nutrients by breaking down organic matter.

By en:User:Billlion [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) via Wikimedia Commons

The cuban slug, Veronicella cubensis. By David Robinson, APHIS–Plant Protection and Quarantine [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The bean slug, Sarasinula plebeia. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr.

The Yellow-shelled semislug, Parmarion martensi, and according to Wikipedia, it "is a host for the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which causes rat lungworm disease. Parmarion martensi feeds on lettuce and on papaya in gardens in Hawaii, and is considered to be a pest." Photo: Forest and Kim Starr.

The grey garden slug, Deroceras reticulatum. Photo: Forest and Kim Starr.

The three-band gardenslug, Lehmannia valentiana. Photo: Forest and Kim Starr.

Eggs and juvenile of a Deroceras slug. Photo: By mate2code (Own work) CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Owl Always Love You Pueo, Hawaiian Owl

10/4/2013

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owl, Hawaii, pueo, Asio flammeus sandwichensi, 'aumakua, barn owl, Tyto alba pratincola, raptor, avian malaria, birds, endemic bird, diurnal owl, ground nesting bird

The magnificent pueo. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr.

Look at the beauty of this animal: unusually large and forward-facing eyes framed by a facial disc of feathers, a regal bearing, and sharp talons and beak. No wonder it inspires respect. References to the pueo are found throughout Hawaiian mythology. It is known as a kinolau: a physical manifestation of an 'aumakua, or guardian spirit, and is considered to be one that provides protection and guidance.

Hawaii is home to two species of owls: the barn owl, Tyto alba pratincola, and the endemic pueo, Asio flammeus sandwichensi. The barn owl was actually introduced to Hawaii in the late 1950's to early 1960's in an effort to control rodents in agricultural areas. It is the more common of the two owls, and larger in size. They are also lighter in coloring, and are most active at twilight and through the evening. The less common pueo, by contrast, is unusual among owls as it tends to be more active during the day. Its darker coat is streaky and it is a smaller owl, getting to be around 15 inches with the females somewhat larger than the males. The pueo is thought to have first arrived in the islands shortly after they were settled by the Polynesians who probably brought with them the Pacific rat, Rattus exulans, a food source for the pueo.

The barn owl is lighter in color and not streaky like the pueo. By Bill Bouton from San Luis Obispo, CA, USA (Barn Owl, Tyto alba) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The pueo is a subspecies of the short-eared owl. Photo from the Bishop Museum.

Pueo are found throughout the MHI, though there is much that remains unknown about this noble raptor. Grasslands, parklands, and other open habitat are common haunts. They have remarkable long distance vision, and may be observed hovering over their prey before swooping down for the kill. Like all birds, their eyes are fixed in their sockets, thus they must turn their heads to see in a different direction. With fourteen neck vertebrate instead of seven (as in humans), they can accomplish an amazing degree of head rotation - that characteristic owl motion. Breeding seems to occur year-round, with pueo females constructing a nest on the ground by making a simple shallow lined with grasses and feathers. The duties of the male include protecting the nest and keeping the females nourished. As the incubation of the eggs happens before the laying of the last egg of the clutch, the chicks hatch over a period of time; this is known as asynchronous hatching. Nesting on the ground makes the pueo vulnerable to predation from rats, mongooses, and feral cats. These and other factors such as loss of habitat have led to the pueo being declared an endangered species on Oahu. But on a positive note, the pueo may have resistance to the avian malaria and avian pox.

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Taking a Bow Noio, Black Noddy

Flight School Mālolo, Flying Fish

Egging Them On Gecko Eggs

Coat of Many Colors Croton

Stuck on You 'Opihi

Queen of the Night; Bird in Flight Cassiopeia/ 'Iwa Keli'i

Slugfest Garden Slugs

Owl Always Love You Pueo, Hawaiian Owl

Auntie Jeanne

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