Melissa watering mamane outplants
PALILA!!
Thursday – Mauna Kea Outplanting
On Thursday we travelled up Mauna Kea to the Forest Restoration Project Reserve to continue our out planting service project. Upon arriving we were greeted by Jackson Bauer, our guide for the day. After typical introductions we stuffed into the four-wheel drive vehicles and started up the mountain.
The sky was a perfect shade of blue, and a touch of wind kept us and the yellow blooming mamane trees cool. Our first goal of the day was locating the extremely endangered Palila Finch. The Palila only lives in the high mamane forests of Mauna Kea, and ungulate grazing has reduced many of these forests to a shadow of their former selves.
For most of the morning we walked through grassy alpine forest. The day was beautiful and spirits were high, but the Palila was nowhere to be found. After the first unsuccessful hour we moved from the first site downhill to an area closer to where we were out planting. We were quickly realizing just how elusive the Palila was after another unsuccessful hour tramping through the forest. With outplants to do and time ticking away we started heading back to the vehicles to abandon our search, grab some lunch, and start out planting.
Just as we were about the reach the cars Jackson stopped, shushing us all. Making his way carefully over to a tree he told us quietly that he thought he heard a “whisper call”. Palila’s generally have a loud, distinctive call. However, they also have a less common whisper call that is much quieter.
After a few minutes searching the tree Jackson smiled back and beckoned us over. Deep in the branches of a large mamane tree we saw a large grey bird with a bright yellow head. Palila! After following the bird with our binoculars from branch to branch until everyone had a good look we headed back for lunch hungry but excited about the rare sighting.
The afternoon we spent planting Mamane and A’ali’i on the reserve with a small group of regular volunteers. There were a lot of trees to be planted, and that day had turned hot by the time we started planting. Yet after only a couple of hours we planted the last of the trees at the bottom of our site and headed back to the cars. Finishing early we were again reminded that many hands make light work.
Kumu Pa'a i Ka 'Aina 