September 2022 was my first trip to Maui. Had some great birding with Jet and Casey. Jet is the best guide to have on Maui, with his encyclopedic knowledge of birds, other animals and plants.
Highlights included the Hosmer Grove, a cloud forest at 6500 feet on the East side of the island. Possibly the best single birding spot I have seen, where you could stand on the observation deck and enjoy looking at 4-5 species of honey creepers for hours! Bummed that we didn't get to see Akohekohe and Kiwikiu- maybe next time.
A fantastic hike up Waihe'e ridge trail yielded lots of Apapane and Hawaiian Amakihi.
Finally, on the long drive to Hana and back around the eastern part of the island we found some beautiful spots along the coast to observe Tropicbirds, Frigatebirds and Noddies.
Highlights included the Hosmer Grove, a cloud forest at 6500 feet on the East side of the island. Possibly the best single birding spot I have seen, where you could stand on the observation deck and enjoy looking at 4-5 species of honey creepers for hours! Bummed that we didn't get to see Akohekohe and Kiwikiu- maybe next time.
A fantastic hike up Waihe'e ridge trail yielded lots of Apapane and Hawaiian Amakihi.
Finally, on the long drive to Hana and back around the eastern part of the island we found some beautiful spots along the coast to observe Tropicbirds, Frigatebirds and Noddies.
