Hawaii Big Island Birding Hotspots: Diamond in the…Sewage?
This past January, I made my maiden voyage to Hawaii, visiting the Big Island and Maui over a two week stretch. Luckily, I did not have to go by boat like Captain Cook and opted for a method of travel that included TV, wifi and alcohol. Of course, birds were on the brain as I prepped for the trip.
While Hawaii has a lot of attractive (often non-native) birds you’ll run into, it doesn’t actually boast a wide variety of species. You’ll likely have trouble topping ten species at a single birding “hotspot”, but not at one particular tropical avian wonderland. I’m talking about the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant, or as I call it, The Poop Plant.
The Bio-Barge — I suppose you could say the entire vessel is the poop deck
Yes, if you’re an avid birder and are going to the Big Island, The Poop Plant is a can’t miss stop. Forget pina coladas at the pool. The only pools you’ll want to be at are the man-made ones at Kealakehe WTP — you know, the ones filled with human waste. You won’t be the only ones flocking to the pools, as you’re bound to see numerous birds looking for a tasty treat in the “wastewater”.
The bird most likely to catch your eye there is the Hawaiian Stilt or the Ae’o, a subspecies of the Black-necked Stilt that can be found in the lower 48. It’s long, stilt-like pink legs are just tailormade for wading deep into sewage — deeper than other shorebirds can dream of.
Wandering Tattlers, Ruddy Turnstones and Pacific Golden Plovers were among the other shorebird species that guffawed at the lanky legs of the stilt.
The pipes that so handsomely stretch across the plastic-lined pools make a nice spot for the Hawaiian Coot, known locally as the Alae keʻokeʻo, to pop a squat. Nothing like lounging by the pool, right? Black-Crowned Night Herons used the pipes as a hunting perch, eyes peeled for a fresh nugget of excrement (or whatever it is they are looking for amongst the excrement).
The wastewater marinade spices up any meal!
Oddly enough, non-waders and swimmers were also drawn to the “beaches” of The Poop Plant. Spotted and Zebra Doves mixed in among the shorebirds, while Yellow-Billed Cardinals were hangin’ out on the pipes with the big boys.
Off to the north of the plant, a herd of goats meandered about grassy sections of lava fields. This is one of, if not the only “wild” land mammal you will see if you visit the Big Island — other than Mongooses, of course.
I see you, goats
All in all, The Poop Plant made for the perfect start to my Hawaiian adventure and if you’re serious about birds, you’ll be sure to pop in for a peep at the pools. And a whiff, too (I’m kidding, it didn’t even smell…that much).
