The 116th CBC in Hawaii and the Pacific

This was another year of steady coverage for all count circles active on the main Hawaiian Islands, excepting the Koke`e segment omitted for the Waimea circle, and thus a lost chance for endemic forest birds on Kaua`i.  In the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands only the Midway circle was counted, owing to the curtailed visitation to Laysan Island and French Frigate Shoals by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. South of Hawai`i, Johnston Atoll was also counted again. The mid-winter weather this year was similar to that of last year, with a lingering, dry El Niño yielding fine conditions for the CBC.  In retrospect, because the El Niño also brought atypical, frequent rains over the preceding summer that triggered a flush of growth and grass seed across the dry country, high numbers of introduced seed-eating birds were recorded this year, as we will see below.

This year's CBC on the remote islands, home to vast seabird colonies, recorded typical or low numbers of seabird species. But the Johnston Atoll circle did turn in several unusual non-seabird findings:  a high number of 31 Bristle-thighed Curlew, two presumably continuing Short-eared Owls, and a worrisome increase in the predatory Cattle Egret, with a high count of 49.

Native freshwater birds yielded some surprising high counts, perhaps a result of productive breeding over the wet summer: 718 Hawaiian Ducks on the Kapa`a, Kaua`i circle; 95 Black-crowned Night-Herons, also at Kapa`a; 18 Common Gallinules on the Waipi`o, O`ahu circle; and 350 Black-necked Stilts, again at Kapa`a.  First time migratory waterfowl for particular circles included a Cackling Goose for Kaunakakai, Moloka`i; a Cinnamon Teal also for Kaunakakai; and an American Wigeon for Lana`i City.  Lesser Scaup numbers appear to have increased in recent years, as reflected by high counts of eight for Kapa`a and 34 for Kaunakakai.  A White-faced Ibis was also a first for the Kaunakakai circle.

Noteworthy wintering shorebirds and seabirds included:  a Least Sandpiper and Common Tern for the `Iao, Maui circle; a Wilson's Snipe and Lesser Yellowlegs for the North Kona circle; and a high count of 52 Sanderlings and a Glaucous-winged Gull for the Waimea, Kaua`i Circle.

Wet summer conditions during the breeding season are not so good to the forest birds; too frequent rains combined with suspected upslope movement of mosquitoes and disease in this warm El Niño year perhaps are to blame for the low counts of `I`iwi and `Akiapola`au on this year's Volcano count.  Nevertheless, participants there were treated to a rare sighting, a Short-eared Owl, first for the circle.

The onward spread of introduced species advances as documented once again by the CBC.  A high count of 147 Cattle Egrets in North Kona would have been unimaginable ten years ago.  Many of the granivorous species turned up in these record numbers:  1905 Zebra Doves and eight African Silverbills on the Waipi`o circle; eight Mourning Doves and 125 African Silverbills, but oddly no Scaly-breasted Munias, on Kaho`olawe;  298 House Finches, 101 House Sparrows, and 122 African Silverbills on the Kaunakakai Circle; and 46 Silverbills on the `Iao circle. On Kaua`i, two finch species increased:  nine Saffron Finches on the Waimea circle and seven Yellow-fronted Canaries for the Kapa`a circle.  Lastly, there were two first records for the parrots:  a Rosy-faced Lovebird each for the `Iao and Haleakala, Maui circles, vanguards of the lovebird explosion on Maui; and five Red-masked Parakeets in North Kona, long-established and long overdue for the CBC!

The CBCs for Guam and the Mariana Islands continue to report amazing lists of Palearctic migrants.  On the Rota Island circle, first time records included a Grey Heron, a Black-crowned Night-Heron, and a Common Snipe.  Counts of an endangered Rota endemic, the Rota White-eye, turned in the best results in years:  31 birds.  New CBC records from Saipan were two Lesser Scaup, a North American species on the opposite side of the Pacific; two Striated Herons; and a Peregrine Falcon.