Alala

I got an email from Koko asking about inviting Ryan and Jon to the blog, and that made me realize I haven't blogged in a very long time. It's hard to keep track of all these online duties: gmail, facebook, blogging. if only they were all rolled up into one. we need to figure out how to get Mark on a Rock's blog linked to our Nice Wrentits blog. Then it would be a one-stop for all blogs. Somehow this must be possible.

and now, for a Sus update. I am an intern (sigh) at the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center in Volcano, Hawaii. There is indeed a volcano just down the road; the Halema'uma'u crater is spewing large billowing clouds of sulphur dioxide into the air, but luckily it's usually downwind of us. On the days when the tradewinds die and the plume's fumes come drifting surreptitiously into our midst, throats burn and people cough. It's a crazy reminder that this island is active! just under the surface, only about 300m down below the crust broils a lake of red hot magma (said in the voice of Dr. Evil).

There are so many exciting things developing right now. First of all, I get to work with (or rather, work for, since I feel at times like a janitor, at other times like a chef) the Hawaiian Crow, or Alala. The Hawaiians created some of the first bird mnemonics, naming the birds after the sounds they made. Thus, we have "Elepaio," "I'iwi," and "Ua'u," among others. Although the Alala have an enormous repertoir, they do have a yodeling caw that creates their name. We have 46 of the remaining 58 crows here at KBCC. All of the crows are in captivity, either here or at the sister station on Maui. You know a species is endangered when you know all the individuals' names. The chicks from last year are named Ka'apeha, Poliahu, Halina and Nanea. Yesterday I watched Ka'apeha hang in the air off his perch using only his bill, then he grabbed the branch and hung upsidedown, clutching the perch with his feet. These four are endlessly amusing. They nearly succeeded in digging and pecking their way into the adjoining aviary before the humans discovered this project and ruined it by boarding it up.

I went to the Hakalau open house last weekend where I saw Akepa, Akiapola'au family groups, and Hawaii Creeper all in the same tree! The next day I went with some state biologists to help outplant an extremely rare native Lobelioid (likely pollinated by the extinct Mamo and likely dispersed by the Alala!). Next month I'll go mist-netting with a friend who is studying plumage variation in the Amakihi, a fairly common honeycreeper. And I have a very interesting grad school prospect: working with a researcher who does native Hawaiian bird ecology projects at Colorado State. I worked with her this spring and summer and she is such an interesting and nice person. There are some very cool project possibilities, including native seed germination after passing through birds' digestive systems. Tomorrow I think I'll plant some Ohelo berry plants (related to the blueberry) in the Nene's (Hawaiian goose) pen. He'll appreciate those plants once they start fruiting.

So, things are great! I do miss you all, and California and the Wrentits seem so far away. If you ever feel inclined, or are on your way to New Zealand or Asia, please stop by!