Are we in Hawaii Yet?

The boys are counting down to our trip to Hawaii.  They are very excited and asking questions like "Will it REALLY be warm?"  and "Can we swim?"   It is really hard to envisage warmth right now.  We have been cold and gloomy for so long.

Are we in Hawaii Yet?  - Sunbathing in the winter kitchen.

Mum, here is your bird. Its a duck. It comes from an excellent book I have just bought for us on Abe Books. The Birds Of Kauai (Denny) has photographs and more context for birding on Kauai.

From Denny's The Birds of Kauai (page37)

"This endemic waterfowl nests along the banks of mountain streams, tar patches, estuaries and isolated irrigation ditches.  The Hawaiian Duck is closely related to the migratory Mallard and resembles the female of that species.  There is very little difference in the color pattern between male and female Kolao Maoli, however, males are somewhat larger and have a darker head.  In both sexes, the legs adn feet are orange.  In the 1840s this duck was so plentiful that it was slaughtered by the hundreds to provision visiting whaling ships.  Very leery of humans the Koloa maoli is shy and difficult to observe.  Approachable individuals of this species occasionally frequent Kaua'i Lagoons near Nawiliwili and the taro patches in Hanalei. On other isalnds Kolao / Mallard hybrids to exist.  Kauai remains the only place in Hawaii where genetically pure Koloa can still be seen easily."

Hawaiian Duck