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First Kolea

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  • #31
    Re: First Kolea

    First one returned to our property here on the windward side this morning. Hooray!
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    That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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    • #32
      Re: First Kolea

      Wow! Already? Seems like it was just a few months ago when the last one packed up and left over at Oceanic Institute.
      Aloha from Lavagal

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      • #33
        Re: First Kolea

        Originally posted by lavagal
        Wow! Already? Seems like it was just a few months ago when the last one packed up and left over at Oceanic Institute.
        Yeah. Their mating and hatching season is from about May to about August. They only stick around long enough for the young to be mature enough to make the flight, then they take off and leave the young to figure it out for themselves.
        But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
        GrouchyTeacher.com

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        • #34
          Re: First Kolea

          The kolea, as celebrated in olelo, mele and hula.

          Miulang
          Last edited by Miulang; August 12, 2005, 07:02 PM.
          "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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          • #35
            Re: First Kolea

            just looked up Kolea,very pretty bird

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            • #36
              Re: First Kolea

              I noticed a kolea in mating plumage for the first time this season. When do they start leaving?

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              • #37
                Re: First Kolea

                If you mean the "tuxedo" coloring, I've seen it on our kolea here for about three weeks now.
                And while I thought that kolea always returned to the same places here, it seems there are exceptions. We had a one-legged kolea (which I named "Chester" ) who came back to our property for several years, then he went missing last year and I figured a predator had caught him or something. Until two weekends ago, when I was at Windward Mall (about a mile from my place) and saw Chester there. Glad to see he's alive and well.
                He was close to the Leonard's Bakery truck, so that might explain his change of hangout.
                .
                .

                That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

                Comment


                • #38
                  Re: First Kolea

                  Originally posted by LikaNui
                  We had a one-legged kolea (which I named "Chester" ) who came back to our property for several years, then he went missing last year and I figured a predator had caught him or something. Until two weekends ago, when I was at Windward Mall (about a mile from my place) and saw Chester there. Glad to see he's alive and well.
                  He was close to the Leonard's Bakery truck, so that might explain his change of hangout.
                  Maybe the kolea you saw at Windward Mall this year was Chester's long lost cousin "Fester"! I'm sure that there must be more than one one-legged kolea hopping around.

                  Miulang
                  "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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                  • #39
                    Re: First Kolea

                    Originally posted by Miulang
                    Maybe the kolea you saw at Windward Mall this year was Chester's long lost cousin "Fester"! I'm sure that there must be more than one one-legged kolea hopping around.
                    Oh, I'm 100% sure it was Chester. He had minor damage to one wing and so did the kolea last week. It was him, all right.
                    .
                    .

                    That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Re: First Kolea

                      They usually leave right at the beginning of May. There's a one-legged kolea near my school, too.

                      Most of the koleas I see every day have moulted; a few still have their winter plumage. By the way, you can tell the males from the females when they're in their tuxedos. That white stripe that separates the black front from the speckled brown back is very clearly defined on the male; on the female, it sorta fades away at the breast and is sorta difficult to make out near the belly.
                      But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                      GrouchyTeacher.com

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                      • #41
                        Re: First Kolea

                        I remember reading this article, from the in-flight Hawaiian Airlines magazine while on a Honolulu-Hilo journey in December 2004.

                        Hana Hou Magazine article about the kolea.

                        I had remembered that the article made reference to the dates of April 25 and 26 ( April 26 being yesterday ) as ones of importance to the migration of the kolea to Alaska. Whatever date most of them choose to leave, I imagine that the great migration has occured or is just about to. I wish them all a safe trip over and hope they all make it back to Hawai'i in August!

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                        • #42
                          Re: First Kolea

                          The kolea here were all looking very well fed and ready on Monday, and I haven't seen them since then. Bon voyage, my fine feathered friends.
                          .
                          .

                          That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Re: First Kolea

                            Dunno how I missed this thread, but we had one or two frequenting our back yard for quite a while this spring. Here's one I managed to photograph.
                            http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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                            • #44
                              Re: First Kolea

                              Cool capture. Having photographed a couple of kolea myself, I know they're jittery little things that don't much care for paparazzi.

                              Here's a column by Bob Krauss in the Advertiser on the inevitable departure of the kolea.
                              Lots of people ask where kolea congregate to take off for Alaska. An e-mail from Marion describes three departures. Each time, the kolea massed in groups of 30 to 50 birds before taking off together. The departures took place on April 22, 1993, at Kualoa, on April 12, 1997, at a public school in Waimanalo, and on April 26, 1995, at Punchbowl.
                              Interesting, as I don't think I've ever seen even a remotely large group of these birds. A handful, sure, but 50? Must be quite a sight.

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                              • #45
                                Re: First Kolea

                                Thanks, Zarq. Here's another one with a better view of its legs, but poorly cropped.
                                http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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