Hawaiian Black-necked Stilt - Michael Klotz
The Intro |
It is pretty tough to find a better vacation spot than Maui. Life is just more relaxed and anyone you meet all seem to have smiles. The birds on Maui however are not on vacation and are busy looking for the necessities in life, just like anywhere else in the world. For such a small area, there are a surprisingly large amount of ecosystems here. This is due to the height of the volcanos, the direction of the prevailing wind, the valleys and lowlands and of course, the ocean surrounding it all. There is bird life everywhere on the island, unfortunately, the native populations gets the short end of the stick. Most of the native birds have gone extinct on the island since the 1700’s. Before that, another massive change when Polynesians landed on the islands somewhere around 400 AD. There are still some fortresses higher up on the island that support the local populations and they are certainly worth the trek. Have a read on what Maui has to offer the fair weather birder.
The Beaches
Black Noddy's - Michael Klotz As part of the Hawaiian Islands, Maui is surrounded by ocean water which makes a perfect stop over for any birds that are migrating on to places south or just makes a great home for the winter. There are perfect sandy beaches for the peeps and waders, who probe the sand for buried treasure, like Sanderlings and Curlews. There are also the rocky shores consisting of pitted lava which are the favorite place of birds like the Wandering Tattler and the Ruddy Turnstone. During the breeding months there are birds that use the rocky islands for nesting such as the Black Noddy and occasionally you will see a Booby or two…… the bird variety of course. The Road to Hana offers fantastic places to stop and see the different beaches along the way.