The Rufous and Allen’s Hummingbirds are one of the biggest ID challenges across Southern California. I am lucky to be able to host several Rufous Hummingbirds this spring in my yard (in Los Angeles County, CA), so I am writing this simple guide to share some photos and help you spot those beautiful Rufous Hummingbirds […]
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This article has been published in the Wrentit newsletter of the Pasadena Audubon Society Spring Break in Hawaii: The Last Forest of the Palila By Shuxing (Miles) Wang Not long after we started our drive on the rough mountain road, our car suddenly jolted and tilted to one side. We got stuck in a trench!
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In this trip, we focused entirely on the native Hawaiian birds to get them before they go extinct (hopefully we can stop their decline). There are also a lot of non-native birds on the islands, but in this trip, we did not pay attention to any of them. So, this guide is also only for
A Simple Guide to Birding Hawaii – based on our spring break trip 2026 Read More »
On day seven, we have pretty much gotten all the hard targets of the trip. The only ones left are the Great Frigatebirds, Hawaiian Ducks, and Hawaiian Coots. First thing in the morning, we visited the famous Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, where hundreds of Red-footed Boobies nest and provide excellent photo opportunities. Red-tailed and
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On day six of our trip, we woke up early from our cabins in Kokeʻe State Park After, still looking for the ʻAnianiau. As we walked all the way between the two lookouts (Kalalau (or lookout number one) and Pu‘u O Kila (or lookout number two)) yesterday, we decided today to remain at the best
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On day five of our trip, we spent the entire day in the stunning Kokeʻe State Park of Kauaʻi. Being the oldest of the main Hawaiʻi islands, Kauaʻi is not very high in elevation, which means that most of its native forests have been captured by the mosquito armies. Being a Monarch Flycatcher, the ʻElepaios
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After a terrific day in Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge, day four of our trip was primarily a catch-up day as we had already done the Palila finding that was planned to be this morning (see post for D2). As we missed the Hawaiian Hawk on day three, it had become the main target of ours
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Day three of our trip, we were finally going to experience Hawaiʻi’s rainforest before it has become The Introduced Species Capital of the World . We were going to be visiting the world famous Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. It is the only place in Hawaii where you will see mostly NATIVE species. The Hakalau
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After a great start on day one, we headed into day two. On this grueling day, we finally experienced what truly definesThe Extinction Capital of the World. Early in the morning we headed again into ʻAiea Loop Trail at Keaīwa Heiau State Park. This time, we were completely focused on the Oahu ʻElepaio, the rarest
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Hawaii, one of the most remote archipelago of the world, with endemic honeycreepers filling the rainforests, distinctive pelagic seabird breeding right nest to your feet, and White-Terns chattering in the busiest downtown, had become our destination for this year’s Spring Break. Being a remote archipelago hundreds of miles from both coasts, the arrival of western
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