HAWAI'I BIRD SIGHTINGS FOR 2003

JANUARY - JUNE

JANUARY

1st	GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL	1	Banzai Pipeline Beach, O'ahu.	One juvenile/first basic. Flying over beach a couple of times.	AJ
1st	O'AHU 'ELEPAIO	1	Aiea Loop Trail, O'ahu.	Seen where there is a bench that overlooks the valley to the northwest at the first major overlook encountered. The bird looked to have pox or a lesion on the foot.	AJ
3rd	BAIKAL TEAL	1	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Second-year drake still present on the DU Pond off Ohiki Road. 1st for Hawai'i if accepted as wild.	BZ
3rd	BAIKAL TEAL	1	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Note that the scapulars are not fully grown, and it retains some brown and pale fringed feathers on the upper flanks indicating it is not a full adult, but presumably a second-year bird.	AJ
3rd	GREEN-WINGED TEAL	3	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	One of them had wider white markings on the face and a very poorly demarcated vertical chest bar, no horizontal white bar though and although it was potentially an American X Eurasian Green- winged Teal, it was probably just a poorly marked (American) Green-winged Teal.	AJ
3rd	BUFFLEHEAD	1	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	One female, also 7 Shoveler and 1 female Greater Scaup.	AJ
3rd	BUFFLEHEAD	Up to 3	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Also Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail and Northern Shoveler.	BZ
3rd	LAYSAN ALBATROSS	10	Pelagic from Kaua'i to Lehua.	Also 1 unidentified dark Pterodroma sp. and "regular" Hawaiian seabirds (see report below).	DK
7th	CASPIAN TERN	2	Nu'upia Ponds, Kane'ohe, O'ahu.	One also seen on 2nd and 6th.	TC
7th	GLAUCOUS GULL	1	Halona Blow Hole, (SE) O'ahu.	First winter bird seen in afternoon.	TC
7th	'AKOHEKOHE	1-2	Wakamoi Preserve, Maui.	1-2 were heard and observed during a pre-arranged tour of the preserve with the TNC.	BP
8th	BLUE-WINGED TEAL	4	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Also 3 Bufflehead, 4 Shoveler, 3 Pintail, 2 Green-winged Teal and about 60 Koloa. No sign of Baikal Teal on 8th or 9th.	RP, MO
8th	LAUGHING GULL	1	Punalu'u Black Sands Beach, Hawai'i.	One first basic bird flew by a couple of times.	AJ
9th	SEMIPALMATED PLOVER	2	Aimakapa Pond, Hawai'i.	On lava shore. Also 10 Lesser Scaup.	AJ
9th	MOURNING DOVE	1	Kaho'olawe.	Seen flying south across K-1 road into Waikahalulu. Fern Duvall has mentioned seeing mourning doves on the island in the past. This was my first observation of this species since I've been working out here since October 1998. No Access to this site.	LT
10th	BUFFLEHEAD	1	Pi'ikea Street Ponds, Kihei, Maui.	Female bird. Also 39 Hawaiian Stilt and 2 Hawaiian Coot.	LT
10th	SANDERLING	30 - 40	Lipoa Street Beach, Kihei, Maui.	Feeding on beach amongst washed-up seaweed. No sign of last month's Brant.	LT
10th	HAWAIIAN COOT	?	Kealia Pond NWR, Maui.	Large Hawaiian Coot chicks present in fishponds next to office.	LT
10th	LAUGHING GULL	3	Kanaha Pond Sanctuary, Maui.	Also 33 Northern Shovelers and 14 Green-winged Teal.	LT
10th	COOT Sp.	1	Kanaha Pond Sanctuary, Maui.	Possibly American Coot. Adult bird reported. Also seen on 11th and 12th. Also 4 Laughing Gulls.	BP
10th	CALIFORNIA GULL	1	Kanaha Pond Sanctuary, Maui.	First winter bird, also seen on 11th with 4 Laughing Gulls, but not seen on 12th.	BP
11th	PEREGRINE	1	Kanaha Pond Sanctuary, Maui.	Half-heartedly chasing shorebirds. It perched in a tree for a while, but then disappeared.	BP
11th	CASPIAN TERN	1	James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Also 1 Glaucous winged Gull, 1 Ring billed Gull; 9 Long- billed Dowitchers,6 Bristle thighed Curlews; 1 Whimbrel; 10 Shoveler; 2 Pintail	MO
11th	SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER	1	James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Probable, although Western Sandpiper not eliminated.	MO
11th	CANVASBACK	1	Kona STP, Hawai'i.	Drake. Also 1 ist winter Laughing Gull and 1 1st winter Ring-billed Gull still present.	AJ
11th	TUFTED DUCK	1	Kona STP, Hawai'i.	Drake. Also 2 male Ring-necked Duck, 10 Lesser Scaup (1 male), 3 Bufflehead (one young male, two females), 4 Green-winged Teal (2 males, 2 females), 7 Blue-winged Teal, c.120 Northern Shoveler and 15 or so Northern Pintail.	AJ
11th	LESSER YELLOWLEGS	1	Kona STP, Hawai'i.	Also 3 Dowitchers, probably Long-billed.	AJ
12th	BLUE-WINGED TEAL	1	Honouliuli unit of Pearl Harbor NWR, O'ahu.	Female bird. Also Mallard X Koloa 27 10 Northern Shoveler, 95 Northern Pintail, 3 Green-winged Teal (inc.1 male),1 female Bufflehead, at least 1 Gray Francolin heard calling, 153 Hawaiian Coot, 42 Pacific Golden-Plover, 7 Hawaiian Stilt, 1 Ruddy Turnstone, 3 Sanderling, 10 Dowitcher sp. probably Long-billed and at least 4 singing White-rumped Shama.	PD
13th	CASPIAN TERN	1	James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Also North American Whimbrel, 7 Dowitcher sp., 15 Bristle-thighed Curlew, 1 sub-adult Laughing Gull, 1 1st winter Glaucous-winged Gull, 1 probable Semipalmated Sandpiper, 1 Semipalmated Plover, 2 Green-winged Teal, 39 Shoveler and 1 Pueo.	PD
13th	BUFFLEHEAD	3	Kuilima STP, North Shore O'hau.	Also 22 Northern Shoveler.	PD
13th	LAUGHING GULL	1	Whalewatch boat, several miles north of Kona Airport, Hawai'i, and at least two miles out on ocean.	First winter bird bird circled the boat twice and then went off to visit another boat that was nearby. Odd to see one offshore like this, although we were relatively close to the coast. Also Brown Boobies and Black Noddies.	AJ
14th	GREATER SCAUP	2	Kawaiele Sanctuary, Kaua'i.	Female birds.	JD
15th	GREATER SCAUP	3	Kawaiele Sanctuary, Kaua'i.	1 male and 2 female.	DK
14th	LAUGHING GULL	1	Mana Shrimp ponds, Kaua'i.	Nearby at Mana reservoir - one male Northern Pintail and two male Mallard (which may be Koloa hybirds). Both of the Mallards had partially green heads. The bills were yellow on the periphery but darker in the middle. The rest of the plumage was classic mallard including the tail curl, but no white neck ring.	JD
15th	BAIKAL TEAL	1	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Drake Baikal teal back on the DU Pond, accessed via Ohiki Road.	BZ
16th	BAIKAL TEAL	1	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Drake still on DU Pond.	DK
16th	BLUE-WINGED TEAL	1	Honouliuli Unit, Pearl Harbor area, O'ahu.	State waterbird count. Also 10 Dowitchers,1 Bufflehead, 12 Northern Shovelers and 115 Northern Pintails. No access to this site.	PD, TC, KP.
16th	CASPIAN TERN	2	Kaneohe Marine Corps Base, Oa'hu.	Statewide waterbird count. Also1 Common Tern, 1 Semipalmated Plover, 1 Northern Shoveler and 1 American Wigeon. Restricted access to this site.	EV
16th	LEAST SANDPIPER	1	Kaneohe Marine Corps Base, Oa'hu.	Restricted access to this site.	EV
17th	COOT Sp.	1	Kanaha Pond, Maui.	Coot thought to be perhaps an American Coot is possibly only an odd Hawaiian Coot. Also a Gull sp. possibly the previously reported California Gull.	FS, KS
17th	BUFFLEHEAD	1	Pi'ikea Pond in Kihei, Maui.	Also 2+ Hawaiian Coots and many Hawaiian Stilts.	DA
18th	AMERICAN COOT ?	1	Kanaha Pond Sanctuary, Maui.	"We found the possible American Coot to the left of the kiosk. It was an odd looking and behaving bird. It remained by itself, poking around the vegetation pulling and eating shoots." See below	PD, LT, MO, TD
18th	LAUGHING GULL	3	Kanaha Pond Sanctuary, Maui.	No sign of California Gull seen on 10th and 11th. Also 1-2 Northern Shovelers, 2 Green-winged Teal and several Black-crowned Night Herons seen hovering over the pond and dropping down into the water catching fish.	PD, LT, MO, TD
20th	CALIFORNIA GULL	1	Kanaha Pond Sanctuary, Maui.	Also 3 Laughing Gulls. Also The American/Hawaiian Coot was again present in same location.	LT
20th	CHESTNUT-BELLIED SANDGROUSE	12+	Upolo Airport in North Kohala, Hawai'i.	One flock of twelve birds and another 6-10 may have joined them later foraging around the grassy edges and just resting on the runway at around 11:15 - 11.45 am.	JR, PM
24th	LAUGHING GULL	3	Kanaha Pond Sanctuary, Maui.	Also the California Gull was possibly seen. The Hawaiian/ American/hybrid Coot was seen walking for a brief moment.	LT
24th	BAIKAL TEAL	1	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Drake still present on the DU Pond.	BZ
25th	CASPIAN TERN	2	Nu'upia Ponds, Kane'ohe, O'ahu.	Also one Common Tern still.	TC
26th	LAUGHING GULL	3	Kanaha Pond, Maui.	Still present.	LT
26th	COOT Sp.	1	Kanaha Pond, Maui.	Still present. Further investigation suggests that this particular individual may have been at the site for up to ten years, and on checking literature and comparing photographs and descriptions the consensus of opinion is that this is probably just a strange Hawaiian Coot (Ed).	LT

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JANUARY The drake Baikal Teal present since last year was again observed at Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i on 3rd, and on and off until 24th January (and again in February and lastly on March 1st), and was photographed (picture below) by Brenda Zaun, refuge biologist on 3rd January. This represents the first Hawaiian Island record if it is accepted as a genuine wild bird. Brenda Zaun commented "He was first seen on December 9, 2002. He was there several days then was not seen again for several days. The pond was not surveyed daily, so presence/absence was not recorded daily. The next record of it was December 20, 2002, then again today, January 3, 2003. All sightings have been in the DU Pond at Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, Kaua'i. Because of the wildlife value of the DU Pond, it is not open to public access but can be viewed from the public viewing area located off of Ohiki Road. The Baikal Teal is an adult male in breeding plumage. The head has the intricate pattern of green, black, and buff stripes. Rather than attempting an inadequate description, it looks exactly like the Baikal Teal picture (adult male, 76a) on page 73 of "Waterfowl - An Identification Guide to the Ducks, Geese and Swans of the World" by Steve Madge and Hilary Burn. The Baikal Teal is a small dabbling duck slightly larger than the more common Green-winged or Blue-winged Teal. All of my observations of this adult male have been while it was resting, sleeping, or preening on one of the islands within the DU Pond. I have not seen it feeding, swimming, or in flight. It is usually in the company of other ducks (Koloa, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal) or Coots. It is not banded and appears as skittish as the other birds. Other species in the DU pond include Black-necked Stilts, Moorhens (Hawaiian Gallinule), Nene, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and Bufflehead". Photograph above left: Baikal Teal at Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i, January 2003 by © Brenda Zaun. Genuine vagrant or escaped exotic? Baikal Teal is an extremely attractive species and is commonly kept in collections throughout the World and is a relatively inexpensive species to purchase, with birds being offered for sale for as little as $200 a pair in the United States (several sites stating they had birds for sale for as little as $8 could not be contacted for clarification or confirmation). In recent years there seems to have been an increase in the number of waterfowl collections appearing in the State, including several private ones on Kaua'i. Other collections on Kaua'i include Smith's Tropical Paradise near Wailua, which does not keep this species, and the now mostly-defunct collection at the Kaua'i Marriott/Kaua'i Lagoons Colf Course near Lihue, and at which a few exotics remain (including Wood Ducks and White-faced Tree (Whistling) Ducks, but not Baikal Teal). In the wild the species is found in Asia, and as the name suggests is found in the vicinity of Lake Baikal in Russia. Above right: Baikal Teal at Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i, January 2003 by Alvaro Jaramillo. For a full article about this species' status, distribution and identification Click Here. David Kuhn, of Terran Tours, sent the following report from his latest pelagic on 3rd: "At the suggestion of Bob Pyle, I have initiated a pelagic CBC using the normal route followed by the Blue Dolphin II: Port Allen up the coast to off Kalalau Valley, to Lehua Islet, thence back to Port Allen, about 90 miles in seven hours. This is a linear count, not a circle, as a circle would overlap the Waimea CBC. The owners of Blue Dolphin Charters are delighted to host this count. As expected in this season, species count was low. On Friday Jan 3 weather was mostly cloudy, winds SW 10-15 knots, NW swell 10-18' with an occasional 25 footer, according to the captain. I was the only birder on board." David observed: Seabirds seen: 10 Laysan Albatross (7 at sea, 3 over Lehua), 2 White-tailed Tropicbird, 20 Great Frigatebird (all near Lehua), 84 Brown Booby (about 45 at sea and the rest on Lehua), 50 Red-footed Booby (20 at sea and the rest on Lehua), 35 Black Noddy (numbers observed were greatly reduced because the roost areas on the Pali and on Lehua were under big waves), 1 large dark Pterodroma (All dark upperparts, didn't see face or underparts, not much hope of specifying this one; seen just north of Lehua). Other birds: 1 Ruddy Turnstone (on Lehua), 2 Cattle Egret (on Lehua). Other creatures: 75 Humpback Whales, 100 Spinner dolphins, ~ 20 Deep-water dolphins, probably Rough-toothed Dolphins, 1 Hawaiian Monk seal, 6 Manta Ray with a large school of Mahi mahi (David Kuhn). Two Caspian Terns were seen at Nu'upia Ponds, O'ahu on 7th (Tom Coles). Single birds were seen in the mornings (0650-0800) on 30th December 2002, 2nd January 2003 and 6th January 2003. Tom commented ..." today (7th) there was a single feeding on the back at 0715 when a second one flew in from the east and chased the first one off to the west. At least for me, this is the first time ever (31 years) that I have ever seen two Caspian Terns at the same time on O'ahu or any other Hawaiian Island." It is likely that up to three birds are currently around the Islands, as birds are being seen at Kane'ohe and Pearl Harbor, O'ahu and on Maui at Kanaha Pond regularly (Ed.). Bruce Peterjohn, a visiting birder from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD found a possible American Coot (see below)and a California Gull at Kanaha Pond State Sanctuary on Maui over the period of 10th - 12th and reported: "American Coot: Recognizing the rarity of this report, I carefully studied this bird at close range. This is a very confiding birdthat is present close to the path that leads to the observation building at Kanaha; it is hanging out on the left hand side of the path as you walk towards the building, usually within 100 feet of the path. It can disappear when feeding among the emergent vegetation, but only slowly swims away from people as they walk along the path. It was present all three days (Jan. 10-12) that I visited the pond. The bird is clearly a coot showing no visible traces of juvenile plumage. As far as I can tell, it is an adult. The frontal shield on top of the white bill is relatively small, ending at about eye level on the fore-crown. This shield is uniformly blood red in color. In comparison with the frontal shields of the Hawaiian Coots that are also present on the pond, this shield is much smaller and does not extend nearly as far back on the crown. The shield of Hawaiian Coots are clearly visible from behind when they are swimming away from the observer, while the shield on this bird cannot be observed from behind. The shields of the Hawaiian Coots are also more "swollen", extending much farther from the crown than is the case with the American Coot. I must admit that I have seen Hawaiian Coots on only a few previous occasions, so I am not nearly as familiar with that species as I am with American Coots. I recognize that Hawaiian Coots can have red frontal shields, so that the color is not diagnostic. I really don't know how quickly the frontal shields develop on Hawaiian Coots once they have fledged. But all of the other coots that I observed on Maui during my visit had typical frontal shields for that species, and this bird was clearly in adult plumage without any traces of juvenile plumage so I presume that its frontal shield should have been fairly well developed. For completeness, the plumage was generally grayish-black, becoming slightly darker on the head and neck, with white undertail coverts. The bird is clearly wintering so it should be easily re-located (if others had not already discovered it)." Photo above right: Presumed Hawaiian Coot, Kanaha Pond, Maui, January 2003 © by Peter Donaldson. California Gull: "This first-winter bird was present at the pond during the late afternoon (4-6PM) on January 10-11, but was not present in the late morning (11AM) on January 12. This bird was somewhat larger than the 4 Laughing Gulls that were also present on the pond. The wings were longer and broader in flight. The overall plumage was a medium brown, becoming somewhat paler on the breast/belly and around the head possibly due to wear. The rump was uniformly brown, not contrasting with the back. The tail was uniformly blackish. The flight feathers were also uniformly blackish, lacking the pale "windows" on the inner primaries that are typical of first-winter Herring Gulls. There was also a dark bar across the greater wing coverts, creating a second dark bar on the trailing edge of the wings at the secondaries. The bill was relatively long, thin and straight; there was no curvature to the culmen except at the tip and at the gonys on the lower mandible. The bill was mostly orangish-pink for three-quarters of its length, with a sharply demarcated black tip. The iris was dark. Leg color was not determined, as the bird was observed closely only in flight. When observed at a distance, my first impression was that the bird was going to be a Ring-billed Gull. The wings were relatively slender and the body was not nearly as heavy as I would expect on a Herring Gull. When the bird flew by at close range (100 feet distance or so), it was clearly not a Ring-billed based on plumage characteristics. Both Ring-billed and Mew Gulls would have obviously gray mantles and mostly white underparts at this time of the year. The black remiges and tail eliminates Thayer's Gull and other "white-winged" species. The wing pattern in flight, both the double black bar across the secondaries and lack of a pale "window" across the inner primaries would eliminate Herring Gull. A Lesser Black-backed Gull would have a white rump. This bird also seems to be wintering so it could likely be re-located. It seems to be most reliable in the late afternoon." Both American Coot and California Gull are very infrequent - rare visitors to the Hawaiian Islands. Much debate followed after the initial report of the Coot at Kanaha, between Hawaiian birders and mainland birders and the resulting information suggests that this particular individual may have been at the site for up to ten years, and on checking literature and comparing photographs and descriptions the consensus of opinion is that this is probably just a strange Hawaiian Coot (Ed.). Glaucous-winged Gull at the Kii Unit of James Campbell NWR, O'ahu, January 2003. Photo © Peter Donaldson. Semipalmated or Western Sandpiper at the Kii Unit of James Campbell NWR, O'ahu, January 2003. Photo © Peter Donaldson. Semipalmated or Western Sandpiper at the Kii Unit of James Campbell NWR, O'ahu, January 2003. Photo © Peter Donaldson. Female Greater Scaup at Kawaiele Sanctuary, Kaua'i, January 2003. Photo © Jim Denny. Female Greater Scaup at Kawaiele Sanctuary, Kaua'i, January 2003. Photo © Jim Denny. Drake Greater Scaup at Kawaiele Sand Mine Sanctuary, Kaua'i, January 2003. Photograph © by Jim Denny. Drake Tufted Duck at Kona STP, Kona, Hawai'i, January 2003. Photo © by Alvaro Jaramillo. Presumed Hawaiian Coot (but possibly American Coot), Kanaha Pond State Sanctuary, Maui, January 2003. Photo © Peter Donaldson. Presumed Hawaiian Coot (but possibly American Coot), Kanaha Pond State Sanctuary, Maui, January 2003. Photo © Peter Donaldson. Laughing Gull, Kanaha Pond State Sanctuary, Maui, January 2003. Photo © Peter Donaldson.

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FEBRUARY

6th	MARSH SANDPIPER	1	Waiawa NWR, O'ahu.	Still present. Also 5 Cattle Egret, 107 Pacific Golden Plover, 32 Hawaiian Stilt, 2 Wandering Tattler, 18 Ruddy Turnstone and 23 Sanderling.	PD
6th	LAUGHING GULL	3	Kanaha Pond, Maui.	Also 41 Shovelers, 7 Turnstones and 7 Sanderlings. Also a possible Pectoral Sandpiper there mixed with Pacific Golden Plovers on the extensive mudflats by the east pond.	DF
9th	MARSH SANDPIPER	1	Waiawa NWR, O'ahu.	Also 1 Cattle Egret, 128 Pacific Golden Plover, 41 Hawaiian Stilt, 2 Wandering Tattler, 185 Ruddy Turnstone, 28 Sanderling.	PD
9th	RUFF	1	Waiawa NWR, O'ahu.	Ruff was in a big flock of Turnstones. "Last week, the water at Waiawa was low and dropping rapidly. It may have filled back up over the past few days."	PD
13th	WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD	1	Halona Blow Hole area, O'ahu.		SL
15th	GLAUCOUS GULL	1	James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Probable 1st winter seen distantly. Also 1 1st winter Laughing Gull, 1 1st winter Ring-billed Gull and 1 probable 1st winter Glaucous-winged Gull.	PD
15th	CASPIAN TERN	1	James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Note that the Refuge is now CLOSED for the nesting season.	PD
15th	BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW	20	James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Also 2 Blue-winged Teal (1 M, 1 F), 6 Northern Shoveler, 14 Northern Pintail	PD
15th	WHIMBREL	1	James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Also 1 Pectoral Sandpiper and 9 Dowitcher sp. and Hawaiian Stilts observed copulating.	PD
15th	GULL sp.	1	About 2 miles south of Laie, O'ahu.	As yet unidentified, possibly Slaty-backed or Herring. First winter bird.	NK
16th	ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK	1	Haleakala Hwy, Maui.	Near the Mile 7 marker.	TB
18th	BLUE-WINGED TEAL	3	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Still present. Baikal Teal last seen on January 24th.	per DK
19th	LAUGHING GULL	1	Shrimp farm in Palaau, Moloka'i.	First winter bird.	ADY
19th	BUFFLEHEAD	3	Kaunakakai Wastewater Treatment plant, Moloka'i	One male, 2 females. Also one male, two female Lesser Scaup, and a Short-billed Dowitcher reported.	ADY
19th	BUFFLEHEAD	1	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Also Blue-winged Teal and Shoveler there.	DL
19th	CANADA GOOSE	1	Enchanted Lake, Kailua, O'ahu.	Bird still present for at least its 3rd year.Probably Aleutian race, Branta canadensis leucopareia.	NK
20th	RING-BILLED GULL	1	Kawaiele Sand Mine Sanctuary, Kaua'i.	First winter bird. Also see Dan's full trip report below in the February highlights.	DL
23rd	GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL	1	Poipu Beach, Kaua'i.	Probable seen flying west along beach.	JK
25th	BAIKAL TEAL	1	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Again present, and also on 26th, on the DU Pond. Visible from the overlook adjacent to the parking area.	BZ
25th	BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS	4	Kaua'i pelagic.	For full trip list click here.	DK
28th	BAIKAL TEAL	1	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Still present.	BZ

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FEBRUARY Forest & Kim Starr reported that "we saw our first Mourning Dove on Maui today. We had been with Fern (Duvall) before and heard many in Waikapu and kind of saw some in flight, but had never gotten any really good looks at them. Today we were coming back from the Auwahi dryforest restoration project in Ulupalakua Ranch about 3:30 when a friend in the car noticed a funny looking dove. We got out and got some really good looks at it. Smaller than rock dove, but bigger than blue face, rosy tint to head and body, thin tail, little black dots on side of back, no neck rings. We mentioned the sighting to Fern who added that he had been in the area earlier this year and thinks it is the largest concentration of mourning doves on Maui, with multiple flocks of 50 or so birds. Lastly, we saw a large wild turkey take flight off a steep hill today and glide for a long distance, quite a sight." The Mourning Dove has recently undergone quite a major distribution increase from its once-stronghold of the Kona coast of the Big Island. Once found only on the Big Island the species population there seemed to crash with fewer and fewer sightings reported, however in the last few years the species has spread to Maui and even as far as Kaua'i. It will be interesting to note what happens to the population over the next few years. It should at least make the species more easily observable in the State! Ed. Visiting birder Nick Komar from Fort Collins, Colorado observed a first-winter Gull on February 15th, about 1:45 pm on the Windward side of O'ahu. Nick stated at the time: "I don't think it was Larus argentatus smithsonianus because it had a notable tail band rather than an all dark tail. Dark secondaries and outer primaries rules out Glaucous or Glaucous-winged Gull. The location was about 2 miles south of Laie. I returned to the spot several times during the following week but did not refind this bird." Subsequent debate and assessment by other birders in the State and on the Mainland (as well as internationally) have resulted in divided opinion with some saying it is a Herring Gull, some saying it is a Vega Gull or hybrid and others believing it to be a Slaty-backed Gull. Slaty-backed Gull is very rare in Hawai'i, with most records being from the Northwest Chain where the last bird was recorded in January 2001 on Midway. In addition to the photographs below a further selection of shots, and an article on this bird's occurrence and identification, can be found by clicking here. Gull sp. near Laie Point, O'ahu, February 15th 2003. Photographs © Nick Komar. Gull sp. near Laie Point, O'ahu, February 15th 2003. Photographs © Nick Komar. Gull sp. near Laie Point, O'ahu, February 15th 2003. Photographs © Nick Komar. The following report was received from Arleone Dibben-Young on Moloka'i: "Last April I completed creating a small wetland for captive nene at my private residence, a property of one acre beachfront on an ancient Hawaiian fishpond on Molokai. Since then we have had some interesting visitors. Besides wild stilts taking up residency and a Wandering tattler, a Great Frigate has landed on the tiny island, as has a Laughing Gull. At dawn on 2/19/03 I was standing on my mauka lanai having a cup of coffee watching the wild stilts when a barn owl swooped down and attacked our largest nene gander. The nene turned around and the two birds fought face-to-face for about 20 seconds as I ran to break up the fight (the owl was loosing). The owl then flew to the other side of our wetland and tried to pick up a shoveler, dropped it, and flew off. The Laughing Gull is 1st winter, the Great Frigate was adult female. The Laughing Gull spends most of its time at the shrimp farm in Palaau, but about every ten days or so it makes a day trip to our house and the rocky point a mile up the beach, then returns to Palaau." Arleone also reported that at Kaunakakai Wastewater Treatment plant on Moloka'i the following have been present for several months: One male, two female Lesser Scaup, One male, two female Bufflehead and a Short-billed Dowitcher, this bird apparently comes and goes from the site. She also states that Molokai has a year-round population of Bristle-Thigh Curlew, which must mean that a few individuals over-summer on this less-visited and less-disturbed island. Aleutian Canada Goose, Enchanted Lake, Kailua, O'ahu. February 19th 2003. Photograph © by Nick Komar. This bird has been present for several years now, and although is resident at this site is of unknown origin and perhaps a genuine migrant which became injured or ill and has picked this as a permanent home. Dan Lindsay led an Elderhostel birding trip to Kaua'i and the Big Island during February and reported the following. "The high points were a singing Hawai'i Creeper in very plain view and a gorgeous male 'Akepa at Hakalau NWR, a Japanese Bush Warbler posing on the end of a dead branch at Hulei NWR, and the wonderful aerial displays of seabirds at Kilauea Point, especially a Frigatebird chasing a White-Tailed Tropicbird for what seemed like 10 minutes and was probably about 30 seconds. An immature Ring-Billed Gull at Sand Mine Reserve was more interesting to me than to my mainland guests! Full results: 19 Feb 03, Kapa'a: Ruddy Turnstone - half a dozen on the field south of the Coconut Beach Hotel. Western Meadowlark - many singing at the Coconut Beach, Pacific Golden Plover, Rock Dove, Zebra Dove, Spotted Dove, Common Myna, Cattle Egret. Hanalei NWR: Chestnut Mannikin, Nene, Common Moorhen, Hawaiian Stilt, Red-Crested Cardinal, Hawaiian Coot, Koloa, Shoveler, Blue-Winged Teal, Japanese White-Eye, Japanese Bush Warbler, Bufflehead, Black-Crowned Night Heron, White-Rumped Shama - singing from a thicket where he finally let everyone have a look, Common Pheasant, Melodious Laughing Thrush - heard only. Kilauea Pt. NWR: Laysan Albatross, Red-Tailed Tropicbird, Red-Footed Booby, Great Frigatebird, House Finch, Brown Booby, White-Tailed Tropicbird - only a few, returning after nearly a month's absence, according to a ranger. Kalihiwai Beach: House Sparrow, Java Sparrow. 20 Feb 03, Hanapepe Overlook: Rose-Ringed Parakeet - feeding in trees (don't know what kind) on the north wall of the canyon, and a pair flew close to the overlook. Koke'e St. Pk.: Erckel's Francolin, Red Junglefowl, 'Apapane, Kaua'i 'Elepaio, Anianiau, Kaua'i 'Amakihi. Sand Mine Reserve: Ring-Billed Gull, Wandering Tattler, Northern Mockingbird. Kapa'a: Northern Cardinal, Nutmeg Mannikin. 21 Feb 03, Wailoa St. Pk.: Canada Goose (Lesser, Richardson¹s - the Cackling was not around), Greater White-Fronted Goose, Mallard. 22 Feb 03, Volcano Park: Kalij Pheasant, Hawai'i 'Amakihi, 'Apapane, Oma'o - heard only, near Nahuku Lava Tube, 'Io, Black Noddy, White-Tailed Tropicbird. 23 Feb 03, Keanakolu Rd.: Chukar - surprisingly large numbers, well over 2 dozen, Eurasian Skylark, California Quail, Turkey. Hakalau NWR: 'Apapane, Hawai'i 'Amakihi, I'iwi, Volcano 'Elepaio, 'Akepa, Oma'o, Hawai'i Creeper, Red-Billed Leiothrix - (heard only, singing well off the road), 'Io, Pueo. 24 Feb 03, Pu¹u La¹au: Pueo, 'I'iwi, Palila - scattered up and down the road from almost the lowest naio trees to the area above the cabin. Most were in naio, Hawai'i Amakihi, Pale-Headed Elepaio, Northern Mockiingbird, California Quail, Eurasian Skylark, Northern Cardinal. Big Island Country Club: African Silverbill, Saffron Finch, Yellow-Fronted Canary, Red Avadavat. Group total 67. Steve Zimmerman and his wife took a trip to the Oahu Cemetery to look for Rose-ringed Parakeets on Sunday 23rd and found a single bird sitting right out in the open and a small flock of six birds flying overhead when they arrived at about 3:30 in the afternoon. On Tuesday 27th they hiked Kuliouou trail (O'ahu) looking for O'ahu 'Elepaio. "We found one at the end of the trail (which peters out in the river bed by a large white tree). My wife got good looks at the bird, but I did not, so we went back again today (Thursday). There was an 'Elepaio in the same area, best viewed by walking out into the boulder- strewn stream bed and looking upstream. On Tuesday there were two Melodious Laughing-thrushes singing on either side of the road to the pumping station just below where the Kuliouou Trail takes off into the woods. There were probably at least four White-rumped Shamas along the trail, a couple of Red-billed Leiothrix working in the trees below where the ridge part of the Kuliouou trail takes off uphill, and the occasional Northern Cardinal, Japanese White-eye and Common Waxbill along the trail." Kaua'i pelagic-regular, David Kuhn, embarked on another trip on February 25th, from Port Allen up Na Pali to Kalalau, out to Lehua and back. The sea had a 5-8' swell and moderate trade winds, increasing Easterly mid-day; mostly cloudy. Species recorded by David were as follows: (please note: the indicated numbers for birds at Lehua are only those birds in flight.) Laysan Albatross: 8, all near Lehua, 4 Black-footed Albatross, all near Lehua, 1 Wedge-tailed Shearwater, 1 White-tailed Tropicbird, 1 Red-tailed Tropicbird over Lehua, ~100 Red-footed Booby, on Lehua and at sea, 50 Brown Booby: 20 at sea, ~30 on/near Lehua, ~10 Great Frigatebird, mostly near Lehua and ~60 Black Noddy, ~50 in Lehua sea cave,~ 10 at sea. Other creatures: 1 Monk Seal near Lehua, ~100 Spinner Dolphin off Barking Sands and the Pali, ~10 Bottlenose Dolphin, 50 -60 Humpbacks Whales, 8 Manta Ray and 1 Grey Shark.

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MARCH

1st	HERRING GULL	1	Lanikai Beach, Oa'hu.	1st winter. Lanikai beach about 6:00 pm.	HK
1st	BAIKAL TEAL	1	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Drake again present at 12.30pm, but not seen on 2nd.	DL
2nd	BLUE-WINGED TEAL	4	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	3 males, 1 female. Also 2 female Bufflehead and several Koloa.	DL
2nd	TUFTED DUCK	1	Aimakapa Pond, Hawai'i.	Also mixed-species flock of 16 other diving ducks including Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks. Also 10 Northern Shovelers were also present. The Tufted Duck is presumably the bird recorded at the nearby Kona STP earlier in the year.	KLR
2nd	ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK	1	Hanawi, Maui.		TB
3rd	ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK	1	Haleakala Highway, Maui.	Near the mile 9 marker on Haleakala Hwy.	TB
3rd	BUFFLEHEAD	1+	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	Also Northern Pintail, but no sign of Baikal Teal.	BZ
3rd	HERRING GULL	1	Lanikai Area, O'ahu.	Probable 1st winter. Over water, flew towards the marine base at Kane'ohe at 6.15pm.	CC
4th	MARSH SANDPIPER	1	Honouliuli NWR, Pearl Harbor, O'ahu.	Also 9 Long-billed Dowitchers, 83 Northern Pintails, 4 Northern Shovelers, 1 Bufflehead, and 3 American Wigeon. Perhaps the Marsh Sandpiper has relocated again due to the well-drilling at Waiawa.	PD
4th	SOOTY TERN	100's	Manana Island, O'ahu.	Also at least 4 Red-tailed Tropicbirds flying around the islands, about 20 Red-footed Boobies, 3 Brown Boobies and one Laysan Albatross way off in the distance.	PD
4th	SOOTY SHEARWATER	1	Diamond Head Lighthouse Lookout area, O'ahu.	Probable. Also1 Red-Tailed Tropicbird in the Halona Blow Hole area	SL
5th	BLUE-WINGED TEAL	3	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	No sign of Baikal Teal.	SZ
6th	PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER	200	Kealia Pond, Maui.	Large gathering.	MN
7th	HOODED MERGANSER	1	Salt Lake, O'ahu.	Drake.	RD
21st	GREATER YELLOWLEGS	1	Honouliuli Unit, Pearl Harbor NWR.	No Public Access to this site. Also 2 Black-bellied Plover, 1 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (with injured leg still), 7 Long-billed Dowitcher but No Sign of the Marsh Sandpiper. Also Hawaiian Stilts copulating and making nest scrapes. Two broods of Hawaiian Coot chicks - one brood of 4 downy chicks. Nearby at Salt Lake No Sign of the Hooded Merganser	PD, SZ
21st	BUFFLEHEAD	1	Honouliuli Unit, Pearl Harbor NWR.	No Public Access to this site. Also 2 American Wigeon, 1 Northern Shoveler, 40 Northern Pintail, 4 Green-winged Teal.	PD, SZ
22nd	GREEN-WINGED TEAL	9	Punamano Unit of James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Also 35 Northern Shoveler, 9 Northern Pintail, 2 female Ring-necked Ducks, 3 Lesser Scaup (2 Male 1 Female) and 2 female Bufflehead. Refuge currently closed to visitors.	PD
22nd	WHIMBREL	1	Kii Unit, James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	North American race bird still present also 10 Bristle-thighed Curlews, 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper, 3 Semipalmated Plovers and 8 Long-billed Dowitchers. Refuge currently closed to visitors.	PD
22nd	CASPIAN TERN	1	Kii Unit, James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Sub-adult bird. Also 2 1st-winter Laughing Gulls, 1 1st-winter Ring-billed Gull. Also as usual, lots of Hawaiian Stilts, Hawaiian Coots and 10 Hawaiian Moorhens. Several probable stilt nests. Refuge currently closed to visitors.	PD
22nd	HAWAIIAN STILT	117	Kuilima STP, O'ahu.	No unusual migrants seen.	PD
22nd	POMARINE JAEGER	4+	Pelagic off O'ahu.	Hawaii Audubon Society trip.	SL, DS
23rd	MARSH SANDPIPER	1	Waiawa Unit, Pearl Harbor NWR, O'ahu.	Bird at the Watercress farm going into the refuge.	PD, RM
23rd	GREATER YELLOWLEGS	1	Waiawa Unit, Pearl Harbor NWR, O'ahu.	No Public Access to this site. Still present. Also 1 Black-bellied Plover, 1 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (injured leg) and 10 Long-billed Dowitcher. Hawaiian Stilts copulating and making nest scrapes, 3 Stilts possibly incubating. Three broods of Hawaiian Coot chicks - one brood of 4 downy chicks.	PD, RM
23rd	BUFFLEHEAD	1	Waiawa Unit, Pearl Harbor NWR, O'ahu.	No Public Access to this site. Very low water level. Also 175 Pacific Golden Plovers roosing on dry mud otherwise very few birds,37 Northern Pintail and 5 Green-winged Teal.	PD, RM
25th	RED-MASKED CONURES	32	Southern Oahu.		MO
26th	O'AHU 'ELEPAIO	1	Aiea Loop Trail, O'ahu.	No Guam Swiftlets seen.	SZ
29th	(LONG-BILLED) DOWITCHER	6	Honouliuli Unit, Pearl Harbor NWR, O'ahu.	Presumed Long-billed. Also 40 Northern Pintail.	MO
29th	BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER	1	West Loch Estates, O'ahu.	No sign of summer plumage yet. No sign of the Marsh Sandpiper in the area.	MO
29th	GOLDEN PHEASANT	1	Waikamoi Preserve, Maui.	Male seen in the same area as last year.	JF

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MARCH Dan Lindsay from Hilo led an Elderhostel trip to Kaua'i and the Big Island at the start of the month and sent the following report. In total the group managed to observe 69 species during the course of the trip between March 2nd and 7th. 2nd March: Hanalei NWR: Blue-Winged Teal - 3 males, 1 female; Koloa - several; Bufflehead - 2 females; Nene - several; Hawaiian Stilt; Cattle Egret; Black-Crowned Night Heron; Hawaiian Coot; Common Moorhen; Pacific Golden Plover; Chestnut Mannikin; Common Myna; White-Rumped Shama; Red-Crested Cardinal; Nutmeg Mannikin; Japanese White-Eye; Japanese Bush Warbler; Melodious Laughing Thrush - heard only. Kilauea Pt. NWR: Red-Tailed Tropicbird; Red-Footed Booby; Laysan Albatross; Great Frigatebird; Common Pheasant - on the hillside near the Albatross nests; White-Tailed Tropicbird; House Finch; Pueo - one just off the west side of the parking lot, hunting. Kipu Road bridge over Huleia Stream: Melodious Laughing Thrush. 3rd March, Hanapepe Overlook: Rose-Ringed Parakeet - a few in the trees on the north wall of the canyon at about 8:30am. Koke'e St. Pk.: Erckel's Francolin; Red Junglefowl - on Kalaupuhi Trail; 'Apapane - on Kalaupuhi Trail; Kaua'i Elepaio - on Kalaupuhi Trail; Anianiau - on Kalaupuhi Trail; Kaua'i 'Amakihi - on Kalaupuhi Trail. Sand Mine Reserve: Wandering Tattler; Ruddy Turnstone; Stilts, Black-Crowned Night Herons, and a couple of Coots and Koloa. S. Kaua'i Beach: Brown Booby - two fishing quite close to shore, just beyond the surf. Honolulu Airport: Red-Vented Bulbul. 4th March: Wailoa St. Pk.: Canada Goose (Lesser, Richardson¹s, Cackling); Greater White-Fronted Goose; Mallard; Lesser Scaup. 5th March: Volcano Park: Oma'o, 'Apapane, and 'Amakihi all at Nahuku Lava Tube; Black Noddy - off the seacliffs near the lava flow; Kalij Pheasant - on Devastation Trail; Hawai'i Amakihi - on Devastation Trail; White-Tailed Tropicbird - at Halema'uma'u. 6th March: Keanakolu Rd.: Erckel's Francolin, Chukar, Eurasian Skylark. Hakalau NWR: 'Apapane; 'I'iwi; Hawai¹i Amakihi; 'Akepa; Volcano Elepaio; 'Io - adult light-phase on a tree branch at 60', giving us a good looking over; Barn Owl; Red-Billed Leiothrix. 7th March: Pohakuloa: Gambel's Quail - a dozen or so birds on the verge. Pu'u La'au: Eurasian Skylark; I'iwi; California Quail - large flocks at several places all up and down the hill; Palila - concentrated in the lower levels, especially between the concrete stream crossings. Hawai'i Amakihi; Pale-Headed Elepaio; Northern Cardinal. West end of Saddle Road: Turkey; Pueo - we counted over a dozen. Big Island Country Club: African Silverbill; Saffron Finch; Yellow-Fronted Canary; Nutmeg Mannikin. Hapuna Beach: Yellow-Billed Cardinal. Waikoloa: Gray Francolin. Adding in the doves, sparrows, etc., which are not noted here, the group found 69 species. A drake Hooded Merganser was found by Reggie David at Salt Lake on O'ahu on 7th. David writes: "this is the first alternate plumaged male Hooded Merganser recorded in the Hawaiian Islands. Prior to this record there had been 9 records representing 17 birds reported from the state. The last record was of a female plumaged bird seen on Wailua Resevoir, Kauai between November 30 and December 30th 1993. No specimens collected in the Islands exist for this species, though photographs exist of several of the previous records." Steve Zimmerman writes: "I spent several days last week on Kauai. On Tuesday (3/11) and Thursday I checked the DU Pond (Hanalei NWR) for the Baikal Teal but I did not see the bird on either day. On Tuesday there were 4 Blue-winged Teal on the pond which were not there on Thursday. On Tuesday (about 3:30 PM) we saw a Pueo flying over a field along the road that eventually leads into Kilauea Point NWR. On Thursday (just after sunset) we saw one sitting on telephone wires along the main road near Princeville. Friday, I took a Blue Dolphin charter boat trip out of Eleele. We were out for several hours and did not see any bird piles. Overall, the birding was pretty slow. There was an occasional Wedge-tailed Shearwater along with a few Laysan Albatross, Black Noddies, Brown and Red-Footed Boobies, Red-tailed Tropicbirds, Great Frigatebirds and at least one Brown Noddy. On Saturday I hiked into the Alakai area with David Kuhn and Terry O'Halloran. We saw several Kauai Elepaio, Kauai Amakihi, Akekee, Anianiau, Iiwi and Apapane. The best birds were a Puaiohi which sang for several minutes quite close to us, and a pair of Akikiki that were building a nest. We watched the Akikiki pair for a couple of hours. At one point they sat together and touched bills. On multiple occasions we watched the individual birds stripping the outer growth layer (just below the bark) from the terminal ends of branchlets. That resulted in each bird carrying several long (perhaps 3 - 4"), very thin, yellowish strips to the nest which David felt were being used to line the nest. The nest itself, was very hard to see and appeared to be partly covered with living moss. David deserves full credit for finding the birds and the nest." A Hawaii Audubon Society whale-watching pelagic off O'ahu on 26th didn't reveal any surprises but several Pomarine Jaegers were encountered and a great set of photographs obtained (see below). Pomarine Jeagers, known as Skuas outside of North America, are regular winter visitors to the Hawaiian Islands, but are usually encountered mainly off the southern coasts of O'ahu where small flocks can occur. Although most of the individuals present remain some distance offshore a few can usually be seen from land with the aid of binoculars or a telescope. Rarer in Hawaiian waters but occasionally recorded are Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua), Long-tailed Jaeger and South Polar Skua - these species tend to be far more ocean-going around Hawai'i when they visit and require a pelagic boat trip to catch up with them. Skua/Jaeger identification can be difficult and it is best to consult works such as Skuas & Jaegers (Olsen and Larsson), Seabirds (Harrison) or Collins Bird Guide (Svensson et al.) As a basic guide Summer pale phase adult Pomarine Jaegers are brown above with white belly and breast. Dark brown breast band. Head has dark brown cap and area around eye and yellow throat/cheeks. In flight long, twisted spoon-shaped feathers on tail distinctive. White flash shows in flight on primaries. Short dark legs. Bill is pale with a dark tip. Summer dark phase Pomarines are like pale phase but all dark below and on face but still exhibit white wing flash. Juvenile Pomarines are brown and heavily barred and show smaller, but still obvious wing flashes. The "spoons" are moulted twice a year (November - December and March - April) when adults lose the large spoons and often only show a slight tail extension and their colours tend to be duller during the winter months. Pomarine Jaegers off O'ahu, 22nd March 2003. Photographs © by Satoko Lincoln. Pomarine Jaegers off O'ahu, 22nd March 2003. Photographs © by Dorcie Sakuma. Satoko Lincoln sent this photograph of a young Kolea’s (Pacific Golden Plover) feather which he picked up on March 25th, not too far from Diamond Head Lighthouse. "The Kolea was preening, and this feather fell out. I saved it when the Kolea walked away." Pacific Golden Plover feather, O'ahu, March 2003. Photo © Satoko Lincoln Tim Barksdale, a filmmaker with Cornell, was working in the islands for most of February and March. He saw a Rough-legged Hawk in 2 spots on Maui, Haleakala Hwy and in Hanawi. He lives in Montana so is very familiar with this species. he saw the bird on February 16th at the Mile 7 mark on Haleakala Hwy; on March 2nd at Hanawi, filmed at 10:46 am; and on March 3rd (Unidentified buteo) at the mile 9 marker on Haleakala Hwy. This species is a rare vagrant to the Hawaiian Islands. Jeff Foster reported the following from Maui: "I don't typically work near the boardwalk but on March 29 I recorded a Golden Pheasant in native forest. The bird was not more than 20 meters from the spot where I first heard him last year."

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APRIL

2nd	BLUE-WINGED TEAL	3	Hanalei NWR, Kaua'i.	On the DU Pond: Two drakes and 1 female. Also a lone Eurasian Wigeon. No sign of the Baikal Teal.	RD
8th	SALVIN'S ALBATROSS	1	Midway Atoll.	First Hawaiian Islands record.	JKl, RMa
13th	BAND-RUMPED STORM PETREL	1	Pelagic from Nawiliwili Harbor, Kaua'i.	Also 1 Bulwer's Petrel.	CCa, GT
13th	RED PHALAROPE	1	Off Makahuena Point, Kaua'i.		GT, CCa
18th	BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS	2	Pelagic from Kaua'i to Lehua.	See full species list below.	DK
18th	RING-BILLED GULL	1	James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Also 2 Northern Shoveler.	GT, CCa
23rd	TERN sp.	1	Pouhala Marsh, O'ahu.	See description below. Also 23 Hawaiian Stilt (1 known nest with 3 eggs, and possibly 6 others), 29 Pacific Golden Plover (down from 150 the day before - observed by HI Nat. Center Staff), 2 Wandering Tattler and 5 Night Herons.	SR
24th	BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER	1	Honouliuli NWR, O'ahu.	Also 200 Pacific Golden Plover, 80 Hawaiian Stilt with 6 broods of chicks, 2 Wandering Tattler and 32 Turnstone. No public access to this refuge.	PD
24th	LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER	4	Honouliuli NWR, O'ahu.	All in near-full breeding plumage. Also 2 male Northern Shoveler, 1 Gray Francolin 1 heard calling and 90 Hawaiian Coot inc.1 juv. No public access to this refuge.	PD
24th	PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER	26	Pouhala Marsh, O'ahu.	Also 32 Hawaiian Stilt with possibly 7 incubating and 1 Wandering Tattler. No sign of Tern reported on 23rd.	PD
26th	LAUGHING GULL	1	Kaneohe Fishing Pier, O'ahu.	Second winter circling around fishing boat called 'Nisei'. Also 6 Black Noddy circling around and landing on the same boat and 1 Brown Booby.	PD
26th	BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW	14	Kii Unit, James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	11 Curlew seen flying North over dunes, probably departing on migration (still 3 on refuge, after that). Also 37 Ruddy Turnstone and 1 Short-eared Owl chased by Stilts.	PD
26th	WHIMBREL	1	Kii Unit, James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	North American race bird still present. Also 4 Northern Shoveler, 26 Hawaiian Moorhen with at least 2 broods of downy chicks, 159 Hawaiian Coot with at least 2 downy chicks and 165 Pacific Golden Plover including a flock of 26 seen heading north, probably departing on migration.	PD
26th	RING-BILLED GULL	1	Kii Unit, James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Second winter bird in very faded plumage. Also 69 Hawaiian Stilt, 8 Sandering and 4 Wandering Tattler.	PD
26th	RED-FOOTED BOOBY	2	Laie Point, O'ahu.	Also 2 Brown Boobies.	PD
26th	SANDERLING	8	Waiaw NWR, O'ahu.	Mostly in partial breeding plumage. Also 52 Pacific Golden Plover including 1 flock of 16 seen heading north, 31 Hawaiian Stilt with possibly 4 on nests, 2 Wandering Tattler and 40 Ruddy Turnstone.	PD

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APRIL Bird of the month, and possibly the year was a Salvin's Albatross, the first Hawaiian record, found by John Klavitter, the refuge biologist on Midway on April 8th and photographed by Rich McCarthy. The bird was unfortunately not seen again. Salvin's Albatross with Laysan Albatross on Midway, April 8th 2003. The first record for the Hawaiian Archipelago. Photograph © Rich McCarthy Peter Pyle commented as follows on the photographs when they were first sent: "My first thought was that it was the Salvin's subspecies of Shy Albatross but I can't (with the refs at hand) eliminate Gray-headed or Buller's. The key will be the exact bill color (considering ranges of variation by age etc. in the above three species) as the underwings are not apparent. Steve Howell (who has seen all albatross) and I will look at it this afternoon with more refs at hand and report back. We've had several Shy Albatross show up in California in the past 3-4 years including at least two thought to be Salvin's Albatross. So this might be the "expected" species of the three since the others have yet to be recorded in the N. Pacific (if not the N. Hemisphere). Thanks to John and the photographer for taking the photos and getting them to the group." Correspondence between Peter Donaldson and several seabird experts included: "I have looked at some of the California Shy Albatross photos. I have heard back from Alvaro Jaramillo and CJR Robertson of New Zealand. Alvaro said some features of the bird suggested Buller's (which I proposed) but others seemed more like Salvin's. Dr.Robertson is confident the bird is a sub-adult Salvin's. He says the standard references do not adequately describe most mollyhawks between the juvenile and adult stages and that the bill color is good for a subadult Salvin's." Peter Pyle followed up his earlier message with the following: "Steve Howell instantly recognized it as a Salvin's Albatross and we looked at pictures of all three species and feel there is little doubt, in alignment with Dr. Robertson's opinion. The taxonomy of this form is currently debated but the AOU (1998) still considers White-capped (nominate cauta), Salvin's (salvini), Chatham Island (eremita), and one other from New Zealand (steadi) as belonging to one species, the Shy Albatross. I tend to agree with this for now. Although genetic distances in some of these (particularly salvini/eremita vs. cauta/steadi) have been found to be greater than some songbirds that are considered species, these four forms clearly have a common ancestor and I think it premature to split them until more is known about correlations between genetic and biological relatedness. For a good discussion of the taxonomy and some of the California records of this group see the article by Luke Cole in North American Birds 54:124-135, 2000." Jim Denny found the carcass of a Red Phalarope on the shoreline rocks at Burns Field, Kauai. "The bird is pretty decomposed and is not much more than a skin with feathers. The head was missing when I found it. It's about the size of a Band-rumped Storm Petrel, but the white rump band is not evident and the underneath is an immaculate white. The dark spot on the breast is the result of a clump of feathers that fell out when I handled the bird. It's not obvious from the photos, but the legs are black. The toes are webbed, but the webbing does not extend between them." Red Phalarope carcass, showing upperside, found at Burn's Field, Kaua'i, April 2003. Photograph © by Jim Denny. Red Phalarope carcass, showing underside, found at Burn's Field, Kaua'i, April 2003. Photograph © by Jim Denny. David Kuhn embarked on a pelagic on April 18th on the Blue Dolphin II from Port Allen up Na Pali to Kalalau, out to Lehua and back; low swell and moderate to strong trades, mostly cloudy. Not much for flocks encountered. SEABIRDS SEEN: 4 Laysan Albatross (2 at sea, 2 over Lehua), 2 Black-footed Albatross (near Lehua), 1 Newell's Shearwater, 200 Wedge-tailed Shearwater, 4 Bulwer's Petrel, 1 Storm-petrel species (got a glimpse of white on rump, no pattering), 2 White-tailed Tropicbird, 20 Red-tailed Tropicbird (all near Lehua), 100 Red-footed Booby (on Lehua and at sea), 70 Brown Booby ( 20 at sea, 50 on/near Lehua), 15 Great Frigatebird (mostly near Lehua), 60 Black Noddy (50 in Lehua sea cave,10 at sea) and 2 Brown Noddy (near Lehua). Other creatures seen were 1 Monk Seal (near Lehua), 200 Spinner Dolphin (off Barking Sands and the Pali), 30 Humpbacks Whales (a rare occurence of two whales coming close to inspect snorkelers behind Lehua) and 25 Black-tipped Shark (a school of ~25 at the dive site). An interesting report from Rob Pacheco on Frigatebirds (22nd April): "There have been three frigatebirds at Honokohau boat harbor now for three days. Two days ago, one came swooping over our parking lot off of Queen Kaahumanu. We are about 1/3 mile from the harbor. The birds have been working very low over the moored boats. One fisherman claimed a bird took a fish from him as he was bringing it up from the seawall. Have seen them along the Kona Kohala coast many times, especially after storms, but this visit seems unusually long and more shore active." Sharon Reilly observed a small tern at Pouhala Marsh, O'ahu on 23rd: "Description: cap black and appeared to cover the entire crown. Bill appeared dark. Tail deeply forked. Upper primaries gray, upper body paler gray/blue, underparts pale (white). Size slightly larger than least. Observed hovering then diving into shallow area, and successfully flew off with small fish (unknown type). The deeply forked tail, and dark cap made me think it was a roseate tern but not sure how common they are to Hawaii. Unfortunately we cannot say for sure what it was." Small terns can be hard to identify in winter and immature plumages, and as all terns are scarce in Hawai'i (excluding Sooty, Grey-backed and White) and Roseate Tern yet to be recorded from the state, a fuller description and more details are needed to confirm the identity of this bird, Ed.

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MAY

2nd	LEAST/LITTLE TERN	1	Pouhala Marsh, O'ahu.	Adult in breeding plumage. Believed to be a Least Tern, since no contrast noted between the gray back and the rump. At one point the Tern and a Wandering Tattler flew around chasing each other. Nearby at Waiawa 8 Sanderling.	PD
2nd	SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER	1	Honouliuli Unit, Pearl Harbor NWR, O'ahu.	Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was in winter plumage with a bad leg & thus probably the same bird that has been around Pearl Harbor since last fall. Also 2 male  Northern Shoveler. No Public Access to this site.	PD
2nd	BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW	2	Kii Unit, James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	At least 2 (possibly one other curlew or whimbrel seen at a distance) also 1 female Rosy- billed Pochard still. Refuge closed for the nesting season.	PD
2nd	MASKED BOOBY	3	Makapuu Beach Park, O'ahu.	Also lots of Sooty Terns, Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Red-footed Boobies and 1 small humpback whale - possibly an orphaned calf.	PD
2nd	GREY-BACKED TERN	1	Pelagic to Lehua from Kaua'i.	This species is seldom recorded in the Kaua'i - Lehua area. Full trip list in the May summary.	DK
9th	LAUGHING GULL	2-3	Kanaha Ponds, Maui.	One appeared to be approaching first summer plumage, another in second winter plumage and the third was too far off to id./age.	LT
10th	FRANKLIN'S GULL	1	Kanaha Ponds, Maui.	2nd-winter/adult non-breeding Franklin's gull. Also 2 Laughing Gulls still present and 10 Northern Shoveler.	LT
10th	RED-MASKED PARAKEETS	?	Waialae Beach Park, O'ahu.	Small flock probably of this species observed flying east at 0610 hrs.	PD
15th	LAUGHING GULL	2	Kanaha Ponds, Maui.	One 1st-winter/1st-summer plumage and one 2nd-winter/ adult non-breeding plumage. Also 3 Ruddy Turnstone.	LT
15th	LAUGHING GULL	2	Kealia Pond NWR, Maui.	Also a few Pacific Golden Plovers and Ruddy Turnstones still present. Also small flocks of Wandering Tattlers observed.	MN
24th	BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER	1	Honouliuli Unit, Pearl Harbor NWR, O'ahu.	Bird in basic plumage.Also 106 Hawaiian Coot, 83 Hawaiian Stilt (47 chicks - 4 broods already fledged, 3 broods around 3 weeks old, 9 broods around a week old, 4 possible nests); 11 Cattle Egret, 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron, 1 Mallard and 15 Mallard X Hawaiian Duck hybrid. No Public Access.	PD
24th	SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER	1	Honouliuli Unit, Pearl Harbor NWR, O'ahu.	Basic plumage with deformed leg. Also 9 Ruddy Turnstone. No Public Access.	PD
24th	BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW	9+	Kii Unit, James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Also 15 Hawaiian Moorhen (with at least 2 broods of chicks), 162 Hawaiian Coot, 51 Hawaiian Stilt (with at least 2 broods of chicks), 9 Cattle Egret, 6 Black-crowned Night-Heron, 19 Mallard X Hawaiian Duck hybrid 19, 1 Wandering Tattler and 9 Ruddy Turnstone. Refuge closed for nesting season.	PD
25th	LEAST TERN	1	Waiawa NWR, O'ahu.	Adult breeding plumage (Yellow legs, yellow bill with black tip, gray rump. Called repeatedly. It appears to be a very lonely male. Twice, he flew in from Pearl Harbor with a small fish and tried to present it to a golden plover. The plovers just ran away.	PD
25th	HAWAIIAN STILT	12	Waiawa NWR, O'ahu.	Present with 2 chicks. Also 50 Cattle Egret, 3 Pacific Golden Plover (basic plumage) and 4 Ruddy Turnstone.	PD
25th	HAWAIIAN STILT	40	Pouhala Marsh, O'ahu.	Also 9 Black-crowned Night-Heron.	PD
29th	LAUGHING GULL	2	Kealia Pond NWR, Maui.	Near the outlet to Kealia Pond. Both had dark heads. One clearly had a black head. Due to nesting stilts the old Kealia Fish Farm ponds are closed to the public. Birds can be viewed only from the side of the road. Maalaea flats are virtually dry.	MN
31st	PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER	1	Kanaha Pond, Maui.	No other migrants present. Also many Hawaiian Coots, Hawaiian Stilts (mating) and Night Herons.	PD, LT
31st	MAUI ALAUAHIO	Many	Waikamoi Preserve, Maui.	Also 'Apapane were abundant, and there were loads of juvenile birds. Also plenty of I'iwi and 'Amakihi and 1-2 Pueo near Hosmer Grove and one over the boardwalk in Waikamoi. No sign of any Maui Parrotbills or 'Akohekohe.	PD, LT, et al.

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MAY David Kuhn from Kaua'i undertook one of his regular pelagics on 2nd and reported the following: "Friday May 2, on the Blue Dolphin II from Port Allen up Na Pali to Kalalau, out to Lehua and back; low swell and moderate southerlies, partly cloudy. Birds were sparse and scattered. Bird o' the day was Grey-backed Tern, first report in these waters that I know of. Anybody know otherwise? (Bob Pyle of the Bishop Museum and State List Recorder comments: "Hi David and all: SIGHTINGS has one report of Gray-backed Tern in Kaula Kahi Channel: 15 April 1989 - 2 birds on a pelagic trip out of Port Allen -- probably did not go to Lehua. Elsewhere around Kaua'i: Kilauea Point 6 July 1947 and 29 May 1999; Kapa'a 1 Jun 1986; east end of Kaua'i Channel 11 Aug 1985. HICEAS found all their Gray-backeds in the NWHI Aug-Oct 2002."). Seabirds seen on David's pelagic: 2 Laysan Albatross: 1 at sea, 1 near Lehua; 1 Black-footed Albatross: near Lehua; 1 Newell's Shearwater; ~100 Wedge-tailed Shearwater: ~several near Lehua; 3 Hawaiian Petrel together, good looks mid-channel; 1 Bulwer's Petrel, 1 Band-rumped Storm-petrel: great to see this little guy close up; 1 White-tailed Tropicbird, ~30 Red-tailed Tropicbird: all near Lehua; ~10 Red-footed Booby: at sea, many on Lehua; 50 Brown Booby: 10at sea, ~40 on/near Lehua; ~15 Great Frigatebird near Lehua; 2 Sooty Tern: a pair near Lehua; 1 Grey-backed Tern: mid-channel; ~60 Black Noddy: ~50 in Lehua sea cave,~ 10 at sea. Other creatures: Spinner Dolphin (large pod off Na Pali); Melon-head Whale, a few, with a larger pod of Bottlenose Dolphin, in surprisingly shallow water only a mile off Barking Sands. Humpback Whale: none - pod of eight reported seen the day before. Satoko Lincoln kindly sent the following birding account from a trip to Maui: "The Kolea counting in Honolulu was over, and my husband and I spent the last weekend (9-12 May 2003) in Keokea (“upcountry”) on east Maui, not far from the Haleakala National Park. All along Rt. 377, we were welcomed by the cool, bluish purple Jacarandas trees in full bloom, splendid in a soft, airy sort of way. Even in this “essentially birdless” ranch land, there were a few birds interesting enough for visitors from Honolulu. In Keokea we had close looks at Gray Francolins, including a chick about one-quarter the body length of an adult, and Northern Mockingbirds, which came within a few feet of us. Northern Mockingbird is the state bird for five states in the U.S. All of the five states are in the South where, apparently, the bird is called just “Mockingbird.” (There is no Southern Mockingbird.) My source is “State Birds” by Mel White, an article in the Winter 2003 issue of Living Bird, published by Cornell Ornithology Lab. I thought I came to understand some of its charm on Maui, but I wished they stopped imitating the Mynah, as the numerous Mynah made more than enough noise by themselves. On Haleakala at about 6000 feet we had a good look at a Pueo working close to the slopes beside the road, and at the “Nene Crossing” sign just after the Park entrance a Ring-necked Pheasant flew across the road. Where was the Nene? Their nesting season was just over, and they would be out in a couple of months, according to the Park ranger we spoke with. Jacaranda on Maui © by Satoko Lincoln, May 2003. We went to Hosmer Grove two mornings but saw only the usual suspects. We were somewhat surprised to see more I'iwi than 'Apapane. I was rewarded by my first sightings of a juvenile I'iwi (exactly the shape of an adult but with variegated markings) and a juvenile 'Apapane (dark brown with cocked-up tail, looking a bit like an Elepaio), each in the company of an adult. One of my photos shows a banded I'iwi in Mamane tree. (Would this be of interest to anyone?) A richly green-and-yellow male 'Amakihi was busy pecking at a decaying tree stump in the Eucalyptus grove, splashing dirt and making rustling noises, finally pulling out a long earthworm. A less colorful and smaller female 'Amakihi was at work in the beautiful Haleakala Sandalwood(?) tree near the lookout. A bright yellow Maui Alauahio hopped along the fence at the bottom of the picnic area. At Kula Botanical Garden (3300 feet), at least one 'Apapane was there, piercing the bottoms of pink hibiscus flowers from the outside to collect nectar. We saw or heard no Red-billed Leiothrix. Driving back towards the Kahului airport on the last day, we dropped by Kealia Pond. The shorebirds had all left, and the Hawaiian Stilts had begun nesting, but we were allowed to walk along the ponds which were not off-limits. The cheerful ranger at the Refuge headquarters said that if we were lucky we might see the three Hawaiian Coot chicks, now three weeks old, that sometimes hopped over the border from their nest to the pond closer to the headquarters building.We were lucky and met the family of two adults and two chicks, rather than three, that made cute chick noises. Hawaiian Stilts made not so cute noises as they chased each other around flying all over the area. The flying dark-headed duck with white on its wings may have been a Mallard. A banded I'iwi in a Mamane Tree at Hosmer Grove, Maui, May 2003. The Bird Banding Laboratory website has data which shows that during 1955-2002, of the 7,493 Iiwi banded, only 1 was encountered! Photograph © by Satoko Lincoln From our lunch table in Kaanapali, we were excited to see a pod (two adults and a cub) of very active Humpback Whales near Molokai, as we believed that they had all left Hawaii. Douglas Pratt’s new book was again indispensable, and I would like to thank him for writing it and you for mentioning it on your website. For reasons we do not understand, finding it in Honolulu took some effort. We finally found it at Waldens Bookstore just before leaving for Maui." Norma reported the following from O'ahu mid-month: "I overheard a patient in a treatment room saying that she hit an Owl with her car by Hakimo road in Waianae (Oahu) last week. She said this white owl came straight for her car in broad daylight and crashed into her windshield, shattering it, flying over the the roof of her car, hitting the ground behind her. She said she didn't stop and kept driving. I asked her how she knew it was an owl and she said she saw its face. She said her friend hit one a week ago. Apparently there is a large (Barn) owl population in Waianae. Her son saw 6 white owls on Lualualei Magazine road at night. This woman apparently went back some 20 minutes later to look for the owl's body but could not find it. White owl feathers were still stuck in her windshiled. Tragic." Peggy Macres reported: "I finally saw my second 'Akiapola'au last Sunday. I hiked out to what I call the second kipuka along Pu'u O'o Trail (Big Island) and sat to eat lunch by the downed tree with the piece sawed out. Not very much later she appeared. What a thrill! This was very close to the spot where I saw my first 'Aki (on my first try! about a year ago.) Sunday was one of those days that started off drizzling and could have gone either way but it chose sun. All the birds were out except Hawai'i Creeper. That's my new nemesis. I listened to the tape a good while the night before and never heard the Creeper call/song that day either. Another surprise was the scarcity of 'Apapane sightings, though I'm pretty sure I heard plenty. The two that I did see were juvies. I also witnessed an adult I'iwi feeding a fledgling and those two bills working together are a sight to behold. On a different note I heard a Black Francolin behind my school twice last week. That's the first time I've ever heard one there. The school is Ha'aheo in Hilo, off Wainaku on the way out of town towards Hamakua. Are they expected to be found in Hilo?" 'Akiapola'au, a Big Island endemic much sought after by visiting (and resident) birders. Photograph © by Jack Jeffrey A Big Island trip by Island birder Peggy Macres and regular visitor Jennifer Rycenga reported the following at the end of the month: "Aloha, Hawai'i Birders - No sooner did I arrive in Hawai'i, then Peggy and I went birding. I flew into Kona, so we just had to take the Saddle Road back to Hilo. We went to the Big Island Country Club, where we ran into a small tour group from Hawai'i Forest and Trail. We saw Nene, lots of Warbling Silverbills, Nutmeg Mannikins, my deeply desired Red Avadavats (thanks, Dan, for the hints), Yellow-fronted Canaries, Saffron Finches, House Finches, a Black-crowned Night-heron, lots of Wild Turkey with chicks, Erckel's Francolin with young-uns, and California Quail. But the biggest surprise came along the dirt road that splits off when the main road turns left towards the clubhouse. Because I was fresh off the plane, and thus refreshing my memory on the common birds, I was intrigued enough to watch the behavior of a dove about 25 yards ahead of us on the path (this was at about 3 pm). What I saw startled me, because it looked like a Mourning Dove. Peggy and I both got to watch it fly, and, while we could not see the bird's chest, got good brief looks at the side and the tail in flight. Here are the details: A medium-sized dove, considerably larger than a Zebra Dove. Fairly light mantle, sharply pointed tail, which had a great deal of white, and much less black, in its tail edgings when it flew. Had black spots on the sides of the wings, though not as distinctly as I am used to from Mourning Doves on the continent. When it flew, the tail looked like a mourning dove's tail - pointed, white edgings being prominent, flying diagonally up and away from us. Its behavior on the ground seemed nervous, with that paranoia that typifies wild mourning doves - it was pecking at things in the gravel, keeping its body very close to the ground. I did not hear a wing-whistle when it took off. We looked carefully for the Spots on the neck, but there were none. We assumed that the Golf Course would be likely habitat for the few remaining Mourning Doves on the Big Island; is that correct? About ten minutes after our observation, when we got a good look at a Spotted Dove, the size and body/tail shape differences seemed profound. But I remember from previous discussions on this list that juvenile Spotted Doves could be mistaken for Mourning Doves, so I thought I'd keep this in the probable column. On Saddle Road proper, we had two Pueo, and a few each of Ring-necked Pheasants, Erckel's Francolin, California Quail, and Wild Turkey. Jeff Foster is conducting research in the Waikamoi Preserve on Maui and reported the following: "...nesting records of the Alauahio for this season. All nests were found in the more mesic areas of Waikamoi Preserve. In general we did not look for the nests of native species, but did find them incidentally. We found 12 Alauahio nests but the fate of the nest is known in only 3 instances (all successful). Two of the nests fledged 2 young and the other fledged at least one. Ten of nests were in ohia and two were in pukiawe. The three successful nests fledged on 5/13, 5/20, and 6/3, putting their starting dates roughly 25 days before that. (I believe their nesting cycle is that duration, I do not have the BNA account in front of me). With such a small sample size, it is hard to say if the timing is different this year. Based on the presence of fledglings throughout the forest in the middle to end of May it seems like this is about the right nesting period. As for nesting success of the exotic species, the five most abundant exotic bird species in the Waikamoi and Makawao Forests fared exceedingly well. Mayfield Nest success estaimates (adjusted values based on the likelihood of finding nests at various stages) for all species with sufficient sample sizes were between 42% and 78% for all species. (This is really high nesting success for those people who aren't familiar with this type of work.) Rat predation was the strongest influence on nest success, but this shows that birds species are doing well despite predation. I need to look at these data more before making any definitive conclusions."

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JUNE

2nd	MOURNING DOVE	4	Near the Big Island Country Club, near Kona, Hawai'i.	Off the road edge about 300 meters north of the entrance to the Country Club.	RD
4th	BULWER'S PETREL	25	Kaua'i Pelagic, Kaua'i.	Good selection of seabirds and 4 Dwarf Sperm Whales. For full trip report Click Here.	DK
8th	CHRISTMAS SHEARWATER	3	Pelagic off O'ahu.	Also good numbers of Hawaiian Petrels and Bulwer's Petrels.	HS
9th	BULLER'S SHEARWATER	1	Pelagic about 17 miles off O'ahu.	Also 5 Christmas and one Newell's Shearwaters feeding among at lest 1000 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters; also small number of Hawaiian and Bulwer's Petrels, and one Sooty Shearwater - all among many other seabirds, mainly Sooty Terns, Brown and Black Noddy and the three species of Booby.	HS
10th	BULLER'S SHEARWATER	1	Pelagic off Kaua'i.	Also good selection of other seabirds, full report below.	DK
14th	LEAST TERN	1	Waipio Soccer Complex, O'ahu.	Breeding-plumaged bird.	PD
16th	SOOTY TERN	1	Kilauea Point NWR, Kaua'i.	Seen flying over Point.	per BZ
17th	BULLER'S SHEARWATER	1	Pelagic off Ni'ihau.		HS
17th	SOUTH POLAR SKUA	1	Pelagic off Ni'ihau.	Also probable Bonin Petrel reported.	HS
19th	BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS	1	Kilauea Point NWR, Kaua'i.	Seen flying over point.	per BZ
20th	BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS	1	Kilauea Point NWR, Kaua'i.	Seen flying over point.	per BZ
24th	SOUTH POLAR SKUA	1	Pelagic from Kaua'i.	One probable bird seen. For full trip list, click here.	DK
25th	BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER	2	Pouhala Marsh, O'ahu.	Both in non-breeding plumage. Also 5 Pacific Golden Plover, 52 Hawaiian Stilts and 3 Wandering Tatttler.	PD
25th	AFRICAN SILVERBILL	14	Honouliuli NWR, O'ahu.	Also 8 Saffron Finches, 15 Gray Francolin and 12 Cattle Egrets. No Public Access.	PD
25th	HAWAIIAN STILT	59	Honouliuli NWR, O'ahu.	Included 25 adults, 26 birds of the year and 10 not-yet-fledged chicks. Also 87 Hawaiian Coots, 4 Ruddy Turnstone and 1 Wandering Tattler. No Public Access.	PD
25th	HAWAIIAN STILT	20	Waiawa NWR, O'ahu.	10 birds of the year and 10 adults.	PD
27th	BULWER'S PETREL	92 nests	Flat Island (Popoia), off Kailua Beach, O'ahu.	A survey found 92 nests, an all time high for the island. Nearby at Hamakua Marsh Hawaiian Moorhen nesting season has produced 42 chicks in the area.	JP
28th	GRAY-BACKED TERN	1	Laie Point, O'ahu.	Probable seen in poor weather. Also 300 Wedge-tailed Shearwater, 6 Red-footed Boobies, 1 female Great Frigatebird and 85 Sooty Terns.	PD
28th	BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW	4	Kii Unit, James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Also 10 Hawaiian Moorhen (at least 2 subadults), 102 Hawaiian Coot, 38 Hawaiian Stilt (12 fledglings), 2 Wandering Tattler and 12 Ruddy Turnstone. Refuge closed for nesting season.	PD
28th	ROSY-BILLED POCHARD		Kii Unit, James Campbell NWR, O'ahu.	Escaped female still present. Also 1 male Great Frigatebird, 5 Cattle Egret, 7 Black-crowned Night-Heron and 8 Mallard X Hawaiian Duck Hybrid. Refuge closed for nesting season.	PD

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JUNE David Kuhn sent the following pelagic report from Kaua'i, from a trip on 4th June. David must currently be the most regular pelagic birder in the State, and his sightings are an important addition to the knowledge of Hawai'i's seabirds around the island. "I went out on the 21' Boston Whaler accompanying Robin Baird's Cetacean Research vessel AlaKazam (60') on Wed June 4, 0745 to 1600 hrs. This was one of a string of Beaufort zero days we've been having, allowing us to motor on at 26 KPH while keeping close watch for cetaceans and birds. Our route took us from Nawiliwili North to Kilauea, staying about three miles offshore over deep water, then North of Hanalei about 10 miles in deeper water. No big flocks encountered, in fact most birds were sitting on the water waiting for wind. The one sparse bird pile we found well north drew us to a big pod of Rough-toothed Dolphins, then while we were out that far we came across a solitary Dwarf Sperm Whale, a lifer for me, then enroute back a group of three of the same. This was a very exciting day for me being with Dr. Baird's team, in a small fast boat that is there to get close to birds and cetaceans. This next week I hope to go out well south of Kaua'i on the AlaKazam, which sports a 30' observation tower. SEABIRDS SEEN: 1 Laysan Albatross, 5 Newell's Shearwater, ~100 Wedge-tailed Shearwater, 1 Christmas Shearwater, 6 Hawaiian Petrel, 25 Bulwer's Petrel, 1 Band-rumped Storm-petrel, 1 White-tailed Tropicbird, 1 Red-tailed Tropicbird, ~30 Red-footed Booby, 3 Brown Booby, ~10 Great Frigatebird, 6 Sooty Tern, ~15 Black Noddy. Other creatures: ~30 Rough-toothed Dolphin, though difficult to count, 4 Dwarf Sperm Whale (one solitary and 3 in a group). Aloha, David." From May 30 to June 1 Eric Vanderwerf, Ken Wood and others visited Lehua Islet just north of Niihau on the Holoholo, to record nesting seabirds. "The weather was hot with little wind on all 3 days, with some convectional heating and clouds building up, then some showers at night. Below is a list of the species we saw on the island and their numbers. Black-footed Albatross- 2 adults, 11 large chicks; Laysan Albatross- 10 adults, 27 large chicks; Wedge-tailed Shearwater- about 100, no eggs yet; Christmas Shearwater- 1 at dusk off the northwest point on 31 May; Newell's Shearwater- 1 heard at night on 30 May; Bulwer's Petrel- about 60 circling off the northwest point at dusk on 31 May, 9 nests; Band-rumped Storm-petrel- 6 circling off the northwest point at dusk on 31 May, 1 heard at night, No nests found (argh!). Red-tailed Tropicbird- about 30 nests, but there are many more than this. Insufficient time to do a complete count. Brown Booby- 521 active nests counted. I think this might be the largest colony in the Hawaiian Islands. Red-footed Booby- nests not counted this time, last July we counted 1293 active nests, seemed to be about the same this year. Great Frigatebird- 75 birds roosting, more in the air. Cattle Egret- 87 adults, 21 nests. This species seems to be increasing rapidly. Last July there were 9 adults and 2 nests. Birds regularly commuted to and from Niihau. Sooty Tern- 2 flying and calling all around the island, but not landing. Black Noddy- about 230 adults in the 2 sea caves, 21 nests. Rock Dove- 2; Nutmeg Mannikin- 15 in 3 groups." Lehua Rock, off NE Ni'ihau. Nesting site for many of Hawai'i's seabirds. Photograph © by Christian Melgar Visiting birder and researcher Hadoram Shirihai recorded the following from a pelagic off O'ahu on 8th: "We are chartering afishing boat for the photographic work here on the tubenoses, and already on the first day at sea (yesterday) I found a spot off Oahu with 3 Christmas Shearwaters feeding among 300 Wedged-tailed Shearwaters (of the two morphs), and good number of Hawaiian and Bulwer's Petrels, among many other seabirds." On 9th Hadoram recorded the following about 17 miles off O'ahu: One Buller's Shearwater, 5 Christmas Shearwaters and one Newell's Shearwaters feeding among at lest 1000 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters; also small number of Hawaiian Petrels and Bulwer's Petrels, and one Sooty Shearwater - all among many other seabirds, mainly Sooty Terns, Brown and Black Noddy and the three species of Booby. Most of these mass feeding frenzies off Oahu took place at N21°36.400; W157°31.200, or at N21°18.200; W157°02.800 (rather deep waters, I think over 1000 m. Later in the month Hadoram recorded another Buller's Shearwater off Ni'ihau on 17th, along with a South Polar Skua and a probable Bonin Petrel, the Skua is a good sighting in Hawaiian waters and Bonin Petrel is a very rare visitor in the main Hawaiian Islands, despite the fact that it breeds in the NW Chain. Buller's Shearwater, from pelagic off O'ahu, 9th June 2003. An uncommon sight in Hawaiian waters. Photograph © by Hadoram Shirihai Buller's Shearwater, from pelagic off Ni'ihau, 17th June 2003. Photograph © by Hadoram Shirihai Regular visitor Jennifer Rycenga from California and local birder Peggy Macres had another super birding trip and reported the following: "Peggy and I had another exciting, bird-filled weekend, this time on the Big Island. On Friday afternoon, we drove across Saddle Road, and stopped at Pu'u La'au. It was late in the day, and the fog was rolling in. By the time we got to the cabin area, it was drizzling slightly. But persistence paid off. In addition to the expected Apapane, I'iwi, Elepaio and Amakihi, we finally found one Palila. It was quite bedraggled by the rain, but called sufficiently for us to locate it, as it was busily working at a stubborn Mamane blossom. The bigger surprise happened on the way out of Pu'u La'au. We've gotten in the habit of examining every quail along Saddle. As a mainlander, and, more specifically, a Californian, I've some experience with the California/Gambel's distinction. It came in handy here. We were fairly close to the check-in station entrance (well past the cement culverts, probably less than a mile from Saddle Road). We were driving slowly enough that when we saw a flock of Quail on the road in front of us we were able to stop before we had spooked them. Of the 16 birds in front of us, at least 7 were male Gambel's! This seems somewhat further west than other reported locations for Gambel's, but there could be no doubt what we had in front of us. Big black chest patches, a more steely gray on the upper breast, with no scaling. Saturday we went on the Hawai'i Forest and Trail trip to Hakalau NWR. Since they will file a full report, let me just quickly say that we had a gorgeous female Aki'apola'au - a lifer for me, and quite riveting to watch - in addition to all the other forest birds: Hawai'i Creeper, 'Akepa, 'Apapane, I'iwi, 'Amakihi, 'Elepaio, I'o and Pueo. Sunday we made a long progress back to Hilo, stopping for some more missing species from our island lists. We had the Common Peafowl at Makalai Golf Course, but the real highlights were at the Big Island Country Club. We had two Black-rumped Waxbills drinking, more Red Avadavats, a Wandering Tattler drinking, two Skylarks on the lawn, and at least twelve Nene (got to see them honk and fly). But - joy to behold - "our" Mourning Dove flew overhead just as we decided to search for it again. We saw it head toward the watering place, so we decided wait for it there. We found it sitting on the ledge drinking, enabling us to really see all its field marks clearly. Its always nice to have one's earlier sightings corroborated - both by Reginald, and by ourselves! In total, for our weekend, we had 43 species, with no attempt at water birds (no pond or more pelagic species), which seems respectable to me for late spring/summer here. It had us wondering, though - what are the Big Day records for the Big Island? We speculated that on a good day in fall or winter, with shorebirds and/or gulls around, that a determined team could reach over 55 in a day, maybe even 60 or more. Are we underestimating? We had a 43 species day once under those circumstances, and that was while we were still learning the locations. We'll continue the search for the birds we are still missing: Red-cheeked Cordonbleu (it evaded us at all the spots given us by readers and the books), Barn Owl, Japanese Quail (we gave this a good try, but we didn't get to the locations until 3 pm, which we presume was too late). As one birding friend of mine says, completion of any project seems like a goal, but, really, its dull compared to having a nemesis you can cherish...Whatever the numbers, birding bliss was had, as the Big Island provided every climate, every form of weather, and spectacular views throughout." Long-time island birder Reginald David suggests that a day's birding on the Big Island, with a little luck and lots of planning, could culminate in a day total of 56-60 species, although a higher total depends of course on time of year and on the number of migrant species observed, Ed. Yet another pelagic by David Kuhn from Kaua'i! Highlight of the trip was a Buller's Shearwater, echoing the report of this species on 9th off O'ahu by visiting expert birder Hadoram Shirihai. David reports as follows: "Tuesday June 10, on the Blue Dolphin II from Port Allen up Na Pali to Kalalau, out to Lehua and back; no swell and moderate southerlies, turning by afternoon to light to moderate trades partly cloudy; in the company of birder David Heath of Portland Or. No big flocks seen, mostly scattered small flocks. I finally got time last night to research enough to conclude that we had seen a Buller's Shearwater, feeling sure that we had had either a Buller's or Juan Fernandez Petrel. According to Harrison both could be in these waters in post-breeding dispersal. I first sighted the bird 100m off, noticing a light and brownish-grey upperwing pattern I had not seen before. We watched it recede in a flight pattern that reminded me of Wedgie, and observed strikingly clean white underparts. Though I would be happy to claim either ID, I eliminate Juan Fernandez in that I think I would have been able to see the dark wing-tips and small wrist patches, I saw no white extending over this bird's bill and into its face, and upperparts were not dark grey but brownish. I have been expecting Juan Fernandez for years, looking closely at every supposed Hawaiian Petrel's undersides. Later last night I got a call from Hadoram Shirahai, the Israeli birder/author visiting here, who saw and photographed a Buller's off Oahu on the 9th." SEABIRDS SEEN: 1 Black-footed Albatross over Lehua, ~100 Wedge-tailed Shearwater, 1 Buller's Shearwater mid-channel, 4 Bulwer's Petrel, 2 Band-rumped Storm-petrel, 10 White-tailed Tropicbird over Na Pali, ~10 Red-tailed Tropicbird, all near Lehua, ~20 Red-footed Booby at sea, many on Lehua, 10 Brown Booby at sea, ~40 on/near Lehua, 15 Great Frigatebird near Lehua, 6 Sooty Tern, ~50 Black Noddy in Lehua sea cave,~ 10 at sea. Other creatures: A large pod of Spinner Dolphin off Na Pali and a long thin dorsal fin, probably a large shark. Mariana Swiftlet news from Eric Vanderwerf: "Yesterday (Friday June 13) Pete Donaldson, Dave Smith, John Polhemus, and I went to north Halawa Valley to look for the Mariana Swiftlets that for several decades have nested in a dead end tunnel in the back of a side valley near the H-3 tunnels. As some of you may have heard, the swiftlets were not present in the tunnel during visits in December 2001 or Summer 2002. The last time they were seen in the tunnel was during the CBC on 22 December 2001, though I think there have been observations of birds foraging over nearby ridges. The swiftlets nest in the summer, but roost in the tunnel throughout the year, so their absence at any season would indicate the tunnel had been abandoned. Unfortunately, there again were no swiftlets in the tunnel. There were dog tracks and human tracks in the tunnel, as there were last time too, indicating the tunnel is continuing to be disturbed, and suggesting the swiftlets have been scared away. On the drive out we stopped and scanned the sky over some large eucalyptus groves where the swiftlets often have been seen foraging in the past. We saw up to 7 swiftlets foraging over a grove on the ridge on the south side of the valley, where a side valley joins the main valley. So at least some of the swiftlets are still in the area, but they have moved to a new roost/nesting site that remains to be discovered. On the brighter side, we saw/heard 8 Oahu `Elepaio in 6 different territories encompassing almost the full length of the side valley, including 2 juveniles. In 1996 there were 7 elepaio territories present, so finding birds in 6 territories in a single morning is a positive sign that the population there is doing well. We also found an `amakihi nest that was under construction. `Amakihi and `Apapane were fairly vocal, we heard about 10 and 4, respectively." Jeff Foster, a biologist working in the Waikamoi Preserve, Maui reports: " 'Akohekohe have been particularly absent this year. I have yet to record one this season despite working in Waikamoi twice a week. The area in which I work is not a high density area for them by I typically saw them at least once a week last season. Fortunately, I encounter Maui Parrotbills quite frequently. There is a resident pair with a juvenile in my study area. The breeding for exotic birds has been going like gangbusters this season. I have data on nearly 300 nests thus far. Mostly Red-billed Leiothrix and Japanese White-eye nests, but it also includes Hwamei, Japanese Bush-Warbler, Nutmeg Mannikin, and Northern Cardinal. In addition, I have been following the nests of nearly 10 'Alauahio (the only native forest bird around here that typically nests within 10m of the ground). The breeding season is winding to a halt, having peaked around late May, although most exotic species are still nesting. In Waikamoi, the only native species that still appears to be nesting is the Alauahio. The Skylarks appear to have had a tremendous breeding season despite the drought. Hiking across pastureland into my one of my plots I found one active nest tucked into the base of a bunchgrass. There were 3 eggs in early May. I flushed many nesting birds in the beginning of May and by late may the fields were full of juveniles. The first nest I found fledged at least one young." Maui 'Alauahio. This is one of the most easily observed of all of Hawai'i's endemic forest species. Photograph © by Jack Jeffrey O'ahu resident birder Peter Donaldson reported the following mid-month: "In late May and early June there were rather large flocks of Pacific Golden Plovers -- 45 to 60 birds -- on the grass at the Waipio Soccer Park. On Saturday, June 14, I noticed a smaller pale bird in the flock. As I walked closer, the bird took off and circled around me, calling a few times before landing again in the midst of the plovers. It was a Least Tern in breeding plumage. I haven't been to the soccer park recently. There is a big soccer tournament there, so I've been avoiding the area." Lance Tanino highlighted this report from the Honolulu Advertiser on June 21st: "Marine base investigates slaughter of sea birds, by Jan TenBruggencate, Advertiser Science Writer. About 30 sea birds apparently were shot to death within the Ulupa'u Wildlife Management Area at Marine Corps Base Hawai'i at Kane'ohe. Thirty Red-footed Boobies were killed within a wildlife preserve on Mokapu Peninsula at the Marine base. Courtesy U.S. Geological Survey. The dead birds were discovered Wednesday. The case is being treated as a criminal investigation, handled jointly by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The birds, all red-footed boobies, were part of a colony of about 2,500 birds that nest and roost at the eastern end of Ulupa'u Crater, at the northeastern end of the Mokapu Peninsula. Boobies are protected under the federal government's 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The 23-acre wildlife sanctuary lies at the east end of the crater and shares the crater with a Marine firing range. Marine spokesman Maj. Chris Hughes said it is unlikely that the birds were killed as a result of normal use of the range complex. He said this is the first time in the range's history that this kind of mass bird kill has been reported. "This facility has functioned so well for the last 50 years," Hughes said. The range is primarily used by military people, and civilians would not normally have access there except with military escorts. Still, Hughes said he could not rule out unauthorized nonmilitary access. It is not uncommon to find one or two birds killed by feral cats or through other causes, Hughes said, but 30 dead birds is unusual." A resting juvenile Red-footed Booby, Hawaiian Islands. Photograph © by Christian Melgar Brenda Zaun, refuge biologist for the Kaua'i NWR Complex reported the following: "Again this year, two pair of Newell's Shearwaters are nesting in two of the artificial nest boxes at Kilauea Point NWR. One egg hatched on July 17, the other on July 30. Both chicks are doing well. I am collecting information on chick growth weights and parental visits, etc. Laysan Albatross - 44 chicks fledged from Kilauea Point NWR this year. Of the 44 refuge chicks, the first LAAL chick fledged on about June 19 and the last chick fledged on July 27. I also banded 12 chicks in Princeville and 9 near Kakiu Point. At least 3 - 6 Pacific Golden Plovers summered at Hanalei NWR. During the second week of August, we noted a high number of returns (50+). There were 23 known Hawaiian Stilt nests at Hanalei this year, 21 were located in our wetlands on the west side of the refuge, 1 was on a dike next to a taro loi, and 1 was in a shallow, harvested taro loi. They nested later than the Oahu birds - they started nesting in early May and continued through mid-July. Some "fledged" successfully, as I saw some in near adult plumage. Although I tried to track success, it was difficult. A Red-tailed Tropicbird nesting on Mokolea Point this year had been banded as a chick "L" from Midway in 1999. I've banded about 20 RTTR chicks on the refuge thus far. Found 130 nests". David Kuhn writes: "Tuesday June 24, on the Blue Dolphin II from Port Allen up Na Pali to Kalalau, out to Lehua and back; no swell, moderate trades , partly cloudy. Birds were sparse and scattered, no big flocks. Bird o' the day was a Stercorarius sp. which lifted off the water very near the boat, showing brownish upperparts, prominent wing flashes, broad deep wings not very pointed, no apparent tail projections. Considering these features and the season, I'll call it a South Polar Skua. According to Harrison this should be the only Stercorariid found in these waters in summer. SEABIRDS SEEN: (I don't attempt to count the birds on Lehua, but will note all species seen): 1 Laysan Albatross near Lehua; 3 Newell's Shearwater mid-channel; ~200 Wedge-tailed Shearwater, many near Lehua 2 Christmas Shearwater near Lehua; 1 Hawaiian Petrel mid-channel; 6 Bulwer's Petrel; 9 Band-rumped Storm-petrel, all solitary; 3 White-tailed Tropicbird; ~20 Red-tailed Tropicbird mostly near Lehua; ~10 Red-footed Booby at sea, many on Lehua; 50 Brown Booby,10 at sea, ~40 on/near Lehua; ~50 Great Frigatebird mostly near Lehua, with some juv's at sea, I suppose in migration down the island chain. Black Noddy ~100 in Lehua sea cave,~ 10 at sea. 1 South Polar Skua, mid-channel. Other species: 2 Cattle Egret flyng from Lehua. Other creatures: Large pod of Spinner Dolphin off Na Pali and 2 Bottlenose Dolphin in deep water." South Polar Skua is a rare visitor to Hawaiian waters, although the true distribution and occurrence of the species in Hawai'i is clouded by the often poor views and confusion with some young heavy-looking Pomarine Jaegers, a regular species in the State's waters, however with good or prolonged views an identification should be relatively straightforward. Perhaps this is the same bird seen by Hadoram Shirihai earlier in the month in the same general area, Ed. The following website has many photographs and useful text on identification and moult patterns on Catharacta Skuas: http://www.magikcircle.com/birds/image.asp?title_id=347&show_thumbnails=False Hadarom Shirihai commented: "South Polar Skua Juv Pomarine Skua can be confusingly similar, esp. distant birds. Once seen well, maccormicki easily identified in flight by noticeably heavier/chunkier and hunched appearance (lacking elongated posture and narrower based, more pointed wings of Pomarine), underwing pattern, with contrasting black coverts (paler and barred in Pomarine) and, usually, bolder and broader white primary flashes (narrower and diffuse, esp. on inner feathers in Pomarine, which also has pale primary-covert bases, forming pale double 'comma'), and white flashes on upperwing far more conspicuous than in Pomarine. Furthermore, maccormicki never has pale uppertail-coverts/rump of Pomarine, but often has broader and bolder pale hindneck patch." Alvaro Jaramillo also commented on South Polar Skua identification: "Great to get your reports on the pelagics, mouth watering stuff. One thing to look for in Skuas and jaegers that helps in identification is wing moult. Right now South Polar Skuas should be moulting the inner to mid primaries, moult is highly visible and farther out in the primaries by July. Since these are long distance migrants which breed in the southern hemisphere summer, they delay moult until reaching their 'winter' quarters in the northern hemisphere summer. The moult is intense and quick, which means that they drop and grow more than one primary at a time, usually two or more. In July you can't mistake that wing moult is going on in these birds, and this is obvious into August. No northern hemisphere jaeger/skua should be in heavy wing moult right now. Pomarines moult earlier than Parasitic/Long-tailed, particularly immatures but this should not be obvious until August or so. Chilean Skuas are extremely unlikely in the northern hemisphere, their main wing moult would be earlier in the season, probably starting in March and should be ongoing now but not as highly visible as on South Polar Skua. Similarly Antarctic/Brown (Stercorarius antarctica/lonnbergi) will moult a bit earlier than South Polar and show fewer missing feathers as they have a slower moult. This is the next most likely Skua species in the Northern hemisphere and it should be looked for, my guess is that most northern hemisphere records will end up occurring in the Atlantic and not the Pacific however. Its kind of like the Wilson's Storm Petrel situation, most just seem to go up the Atlantic in the non-breeding season. Finally, I think that adult South Polar Skuas do not commonly winter in the northern hemisphere, and it is the youngsters that visit us. The birds I have seen off California and photos from the Pacific never seem to include the superb looking adults one can see in the Antarctic. There is also evidence that many South Polar Skuas remain near the pack ice in winter, these are likely the more experienced adult birds. Still, there is more data needed to figure it all out. Staying on the moult theme in jaegers, Parasitic and Long-tailed delay wing moult until they are in the winter quarters. So in fall (Aug-Oct) if you see a jaeger in active wing moult, it is almost certainly a Pomarine Jaeger. If it is not in moult, it could be any of the three species though. These are guidelines however, and should be used in conjunction with other field marks of course. Some of this info is off the top of my head, I didn't double check it with notes or published materials, and moult timing is still not entirely known in this group." South Polar Skua, Senegal, left, and dark-morph Pomarine Jaeger, USA, right. Note the similarities in plumage tones and pattern. Both birds are in wing moult, but the South Polar Skua can be seen to be moulting more feathers at once than the Pomarine Jaeger. Also note the deeper-bellied appearance of the South Polar Skua compared with the Pomarine Jaeger; the pale nape, steeper forehead and broader wing-base of the South Polar Skua and the two-toned bill of the Pomarine Jaeger (all dark in South Polar Skua). Note also that this Pomarine Jaeger exhibits an all-dark rump, without the usual pale barring that is typically shown by the species, but not shown by South Polar Skua. South Polar Skua photograph © by Dick Newell Pomarine Jaeger photograph © by Michael Donahue Check out their websites by clicking on the photos.

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TO VIEW SIGHTINGS and REVIEWS from JULY to DECEMBER 2003 CLICK HERE

Names and Initials of Observers submitting sightings during 2003.

DA = David Adams; TB = Tim Barksdale; CC = Chad Castle; CCa = Chris Campion; TC = Tom Coles; RD = Reggie David; SD = Susan David; JD = Jim Denny; PD = Peter Donaldson; TD = Thomas Dove; FD = Fern Duvall; DF = Darlene Fiske; JF = Jeff Foster; AJ = Alvaro Jaramillo; HK = Harvey King; JKl = John Klavitter; JK = Joe Kleiman; NK = Nick Komar; DK = David Kuhn; SL = Satoko Lincoln; DL = Dan Lindsay; PM = Peggy Macres; RMa = Rich McCarthy; RM = Richard May; MN = Mike Nishimoto; MO =Mike Ord; BP = Bruce Peterjohn; RPa = Rob Pacheco; KP = Kurt Pohlman; JP = John Polhemus; DP = Doug Pratt; TP = Thane Pratt; PP = Peter Pyle; RP = Robert Pyle; SR = Sharon Reilly; JR = Jason Rogers; KLR = Kevin L. Rolle; JR = Jennifer Rycenga; DS = Dorcie Sakuma; HS = Hadoram Shirihai; MS = Mike Silbernagle; GS = Gordon Smith; FS = Forest Starr; KS = Kim Starr; GT = Graham Talbot; LT = Lance Tanino; EV = Eric Vanderwerf; AW = Abby Watson; DW = Dave Watson; ADY = Arleone Dibben-Young; BZ = Brenda Zaun; SZ = Steve Zimmerman. HFT = Hawai'i Forest and Trail; ONT = O'ahu Nature Tours; mo = many observers. Ed. = Editor.

References

Hawaii Birding Chatlist. 2003. Messages posted on the Hawaii Birding chatlist by various birders throughout the course of the year. Kaua'i, Hawai'i / Worthing, U.K.

Melgar, C.W. 2003. Sightings reports published on the Birding Hawaii website. Worthing, West Sussex, U.K.

Pyle, R. and P. Donaldson. 2003. Quarterly reports in North American Birds, Volumes 57:1, 57:2, 57:3, 57:4 and 58:1. ABA.

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