Hawaii, the Big Island (Hakalau NWR)

This was our “late” morning. We again met outside the Extreme Exposure gallery, at the relatively civilized hour of 5:30 AM. After stopping to grab coffee and sandwiches for lunch, we made the hour and a half drive up to the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge . I was privileged to gain access to this unique property as it is currently closed except to those with a special permit. As a local professional nature photographer, Bruce was able to obtain one, which allowed him to bring me to the refuge. The restricted access is due to a disease called Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, which has killed thousands of acres of mature ʻōhiʻa trees in forests and residential areas in Puna and Hilo Districts of Hawaiʻi Island. The disease can be transported on contaminated soil found on vehicles, tools, shoes and clothing. In addition to making sure we were wearing clean clothing, including outerwear, we had to follow special protocols to clean our vehicle and disinfect the soles of our shoes.

Our goal was to find and photograph as many species of Honeycreepers as possible. Honeycreepers are part of the finch family and are a prime example of “adaptive radiation”. In this phenomenon a single ancestral species evolves into a variety of new forms to fit different ecological niches. Honeycreepers evolved to take advantage of the many nectar producing flowers on the islands. In fact, there are no hummingbirds in Hawaii, and honeycreepers help to fill their role as pollinators. Several species of Honeycreepers are critically endangered, and others are considered threatened, due to loss of habitat, avian malaria and introduced predators. The Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge provides critical habitat for these birds.

While we were able to find and photograph a number of Honey Creeper species, we were hampered by bright sun and harsh lighting. Well, you take what you can get.

Tomorrow will be my last day of active shooting on my year-long trip. I will end with a bang by taking a chartered helicopter flight that Bruce has arranged for us.

Additional photos can be found in the Gallery .