Kauai Lagoons Golf Course and Sleeping Giant

Kauai Lagoons Golf Course is located very close to the Lehue airport which made it both the first place we birded as well as the last.  There are lots of little roads to drive around and several parking areas to get out and walk also.  Best of all there are birds everywhere.


 Common Myna

 Red-crested Cardinal

White-rumped Shama


Scaly-breasted Munia

 We parked in a lot full of chickens and walked around one of the ponds for a bit.  Here we saw Common Gallinules with young, Hawaiian Ducks, the Hawaiian Black-necked Stilts, and Nenes.



We drove around to another area and found several Northern Mockingbirds.


And the bird that can be found in all the most ridiculous places:

Pacific Golden-Plover

 Driving along the airport fence turned up Chestnut Munias.


And later some female (or young?) Red Avadavats were in tall grass along the road.

Sadly no males

A drive back around to the Marriott turned up Black-crowned Night-Herons and more stilts.



 This was ridiculously easy birding and a great way to kill some time till we could check into our condo.  The morning we left Kauai we returned to see what we could find before leaving for the aiport.

 Zebra Doves

 Hawaiian Duck

Hawaiian Coot

eBird checklists for these visits can be found here and here.

One day we went for a hike on Sleeping Giant to see the Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush.  We took the advice of a woman that messaged me on Facebook:  Don't start at beginning of the NouNou West trail, but instead take Kamalu Rd past the trail start and turn right on Lokelani and go to the end and start the trail there.  There are maybe half a dozen parking spots here.  


Shama greeter
 
 The hike up was rather pretty and when we made it to a particularly slippery and muddy switchback I noticed movement in a tree.  A laughingthrush!


 We watched three of them poke around on the ground until disappearing from sight.  From there we hiked up to the top, stopping for lizards and sweet views.

 Brown anole

 View of the ocean, Wailua, and Wailua River

White-tailed Tropicbirds were soaring below us.


 Overall it wasn't the birdiest hike, but it was fairly quick and pleasant and the laughingthrushes made it definitely worth it.  Our complete (and short) eBird checklist is here

Still more to come from Kauai!  Good times!!!


Comments

  1. Just discovered your blog, and as with anything birding related I love it! I still can't believe how many birds have been introduced to Hawaii! Many of the birds that you have pictures of (great pics btw) are native over here in the Indian subcontinent where I currently live. Also you are right that the Red Avadavats are females. They are not juveniles because there is red on them, and they have spots. The juveniles are just a drab brown with no red or spots.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the clarity on the avadavats! I never got around to looking that up. Yes, it's crazy how many non-native birds inhabit such a small area. It almost feels like you're visiting a zoo with birds from so many different places. Thanks for reading!

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  2. SO many exotic and beautiful birds Jen! I drooled all over the screen!

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  3. Great photos and interesting birds - and lizard!

    There is quite a bit of bird overlap for me here but too bad I think it's mostly introduced species :(

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