Honolulu from the air - a big city, and quite far from being a natural paradise
People in Honolulu seemed to have the same problems as me earlier that summer...see the King Eider field work album at: http://picasaweb.google.com/steffen.oppel/KingEiderFieldworkSummer2008#
Hanauma Bay near Honolulu - the destination of our conference field trip with excellent snorkeling on the reef. For underwater pictures check my dive companion's site: http://picasaweb.google.com/melissa.marie.foley/Hawaii#
South-east coast of Oahu, a very arid landscape
Coastline of Oahu north of Kaena lighthouse
The sleepy town of Waimea on Kauai the morning after I arrived there. From here a steep road leads up along Waimea Canyon to Kokee State Park.
The sun breaks through rain clouds hanging over the mountains of Kauai
Waimea Canyon in the morning sun
One of few waterfalls in Waimea Canyon with a noticeable amount of water - it was a very dry year
Waimea Canyon
Entering Kokee State Park, a high-elevation forest reserve that still has native songbird species
I went for a hike into the Alakai Plateau with Melissa, a grad student from UC Santa Cruz
Elepaio, the first native songbird we saw among lots of introduced species from all over the world
Melissa taking a picture of an Erckel's Francolin (from Africa)
Erckel's Francolin, pretty, but doesn't belong in this forest
Pretty flower that also does not belong in this forest - an invasive ginger species
Native tree that provides nectar for native Hawaiian honey creepers
Sundew in the Alakai swamp
The Alakai swamp, a high altitude bog with stunted trees and shrubbery often shrouded in clouds and apparently receiving a lot of rain
Forest on the Alakai Plateau, epiphytes indicate that it does rain a lot up here
Lots of fruit on the forest floor attracted many birds
View over Hanalei Bay on the North Shore from the end of the Alakai Swamp Trail
View over the Kalalau valley on the Na Pali coast from a trail in Kokee State Park
View over Waimea Canyon from a trail in Kokee State Park
Melissa with a lonely tree on the edge of a pretty tall cliff
Looking south into Waimea Canyon
Rock formations in Waimea Canyon
Dead tree on red rock
My luxurious campsite in Kokee State Park, I camped here for 4 nights and went on day hikes throughout the park
Morning light on the Nualolo trail
At the end of the ridge you look down into a very deep canyon - at 1200m above sea level you're only a few hundred meters (horizontally) from the ocean
A White-tailed Tropicbird flushes off its nest under a rock ledge next to the trail
White-tailed Tropicbird returning to its nest on a cliff
Another steep canyon along the Nualolo trail
The exotic destroyers of native vegetation - goats
Sweeping view of the Na Pali coastline from the end of the Nualolo trail.
Yes, I was indeed there!!
Kalalau Valley in the evening sun
Sunset over the Na Pali coast
Another sunny day in Waimea Canyon
The Kehua Ridge trail led along one of the ridges into the heart of the canyon
The only trail on which I did not meet any people - it started too far away from the road.
Waimea Canyon and the south coast in the distance
In the USA a 600m deep cliff is insufficient to indicate to visitors that the trail ends here. A sign is clearly warranted.
After 4 days in the mountains I went to the coast to take pictures of cheesy sunrises with palm trees...
...and to bike around the island on a road bike.
The best beach on Kauai - with smooth bike path access but devoid of any humans (it was > 300m from the road).
Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge - Taro fields are managed for wetland birds
Unfortunately the road is below the Taro fields, so you can't see any birds when you enter the reserve.
Famous Na Pali coast seen from the last beach along the road.
Hawaiian Monk Seals are endangered and should not be disturbed.
They seemed like rather lazy creatures basking in the sun.
Kilauea lighthouse - a seabird refuge
Small island near Kilauea Lighthouse - a roosting place for Frigatebirds
North coast of Kauai from Kilauea Lighthouse
The Nene (Hawaiian Goose) was reintroduced to Kilauea and is quite tame there. It was the first goose I ever saw sitting in a tree...
Great Frigatebird
Red-footed Booby
Red-tailed Tropicbird (my camera doesn't focus as fast as these guys fly...)
A Wedge-tailed Shearwater hiding from the sun under the shrubbery. The white fluffball in the background is...
...a shearwater chick.
Sunrise over the Wailua river near Kapaa on the east coast of Kauai
Pacific Golden Plover on vacation on Hawaiian lawn. These birds breed on the tundra in Alaska and winter in Hawaii
Hawaii has no gulls, but Cattle Egrets sort of fill that niche.
Mountain bike ride into the Wailua Forest Reserve...and then the camera battery died.
