The Lonesome Tale of Red-5

Things at KBCC continue to go well, I'm now 2/3 done with my training. This next week I will be focusing on the 'Alala and then I'll be set loose for the last 9-ish weeks that I'm out here. But I'm sure that my exploits in the world of wax-worm maintenance and avian socialization are not particularly interesting to any of you. Or at least not yet. So today I have a little story for you - the epic of Red-5.

So epic may be a bit of an exaggeration (and by "a bit" I mean "a significant"...) but it's all I've got, so you all will just have to deal with it.

As I think I mentioned in the last post (but am too lazy to check) the Hawaiian Bird Conservation Project/San Diego Zoo maintains two facilities in the islands which are dedicated to the captive breeding of endemic birds - one here on the big island and one on Maui. The Maui facility is still actively breeding the only Hawaiian bird most of you have heard of, the nene (or Hawaiian goose) but efforts towards that goal have long since ended here at Keauhou. Despite this, we still have one grumpy old codger of a goose living here with us. He goes by the very descriptive name "Red-5." Now as some of you might know I am particularly fond of names which include both words and numbers, but this one doesn't have some great story behind it. The bird has one red band on his right leg and I believe that the number 5 is his record in the nene studbook (when I die, I would like someone to come up with a biographical photo-album of me also called the "Stud Book"). Nevertheless, he is a funny old bird. One would expect a flocking bird like the nene to want company, but on the (frequent) occasions that wild birds (mostly introduced game species like pheasants, chukkars, etc.) pay him a visit, he gets very stressed out. So we get to chase them out of his pen at least once a day. Once in a while, some wild nene will come hang out in his pen (read - eat his food and poop on his shelter). The thrill of scaring the crap out of endangered geese almost makes up for the damage done to my lungs by vog as I catch my breath afterwards.

There's not much else that I think is newsworthy, I get to practice administering fluids to a cardinal today, I hear about graduate school at Edinburgh within the week (which means I will need to start thinking seriously about that). Apparently my ukulele gets shipped out here soon (thanks Sarah!) so I will be spending a lot of time drinking beer on the porch, writing songs to all the pretty Hawaiian girls I haven't met yet...or really seen. Sure there are a few exceptions (hey Dairy Queen) but it's not really that much different than being at Cornell (a lot of Asian girls of indeterminate age...not really my thing). Apparently another intern will be showing up here in a week or so. Not sure how much that will shake things up, but I imagine I should prepare to have my shower drain clogged again.

Here's the weather:

Alright, off to go do some laundry. I know this was pretty insubstantial; for that I apologize. When something exciting happens I'll let you know.

Next week I take a look at the world of Hawaiian grass...don't worry, it's really sweet grass.