We checked on the albatross mom and her chick--again perusing the two from the confines of our car. Together the baby and mom were in a classic sleeping bird pose. The albatross forms long-standing pair-bonds, mating for life after courting for years, and returning year after year to the same place to nest. The bird lays only one egg--it can take a year from egg to full fledging. We feel a sadness around this mother albatross, as we see a homemade cross in the yard placed about three feet from the nesting mother and bearing the name "Sammy." We cannot help but think that the father albatross has died somehow, and the homeowners who share their cliff house lot with these magnificaent birds erected the sign to mark his passing. We wonder what will happen to the little chick without both parents to both guard and feed it. Then, next year, the mother must try anew to form a pair-bond--will she succeed?
Sunday is the day we chose to explore up the Wailua River to Fern Grotto. While waiting for our boatride, I was able to catch more red-crested cardinals, including a fiesty male who was trying his best to attrack the attention of a female:
The Smith family boats carry us from their lush, flower-filled gardens to the up-river state park while singers and dancers entertain us:
On the way back we spot a duck in the river, and later see a pacific golden plover in our neighborhood:
On Monday, we do a little shopping in Hanalei, then head back to the condo to begin packing for the trip home (boo hoo).
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