Birding During a Layover at Honolulu Airport
We flew to Hawaii for our first big adventure since early 2020. The trip landed around my birthday, which gave us another good reason to finally make it happen.
Our adventure began with a brief layover at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. I had planned just enough time to visit the airport’s cultural gardens and look for a few birds before our next flight. The idea that I might find lifers without even leaving the airport was funny, but that was exactly what happened.
As our plane landed, I noticed small birds moving through the grass and around puddles beside the runway. They were Pacific Golden-Plovers, including several I could see from the terminal windows after we landed.
We continued to the airport gardens, where paths overlook a leafy collection of ponds and tropical plants. Hawaiian Lifer #1 - Spotted Dove!
Red-vented Bulbul
And Zebra Doves (though I didn’t photo this one, doh). But I did get a photo of a duck that looked a little different, a Mallard x Hawaiian Duck (hybrid)!
We also saw quite a lot of House Sparrows and House Finches, just like we saw at the airport in California waiting to leave home! Overall, three lifers - at the airport! Stay tuned, I’ll get into the Kauai birds next!
