Japenese White Eyes, blooming sunflowers, a budding spiderlily and a black and white pussycat called Guinness

Bart De Zwart :-

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Big waves again at Jaws this week, and quite late in the season, which is quite unusual !  But with lots of wind this time – for the windsurfers..   No surfers this time, too windy!   The wind and waves were accurately predicted for Tuesday this week, and sure enough the forecast was spot on..  Cameras were at the ready on the cliffs, eagerly waiting for the windsurfers to arrive on their jet skis any time after 9.30am..   About 11am, Bart De Zwart, our good friend for many years arrived first, with his windsurf board and rolled up sail across the back of the jet ski.  Rigging the sail from the back of a jet ski was tricky says Bart, but he managed it..  It wasn’t quite so easy for Diony Guadagnino, his sail blew into the water from the back of the jet ski, while on route to the Jaws surf break from Maliko Gulch (the launch site). The wind was so strong he was really lucky to have been able to retrieve it and without further delay joined Bart at the reef. Bart had already started windsurfing the waves, which were steadily increasing in size.  Bart was on a 4.8m sail which was perfect for the conditions….  The two windsurfers were soon joined by two more and the display they gave was amazing and very entertaining.  I have been to Jaws and seen surfers riding those waves many times, but windsurfers Jaws, that was a first for me too, and SO worth waiting for..

Diony Guadagnino :-

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I watched and photographed all four of the windsurfers, right  from the time Bart arrived up until about 1.30pm.   I needed to leave  to go get some breakfast… and besides I had used up all three of my memory cards, so couldn’t have taken more photos if I wanted to..

Bart De Zwart :-

Enjoy. !!!

See more photos on Barts Blog –>  Kanaha Kai Blog – based in Kahului, Maui

Spring has arrived in Maui.  The Cardinals have been singing at the tops of the tall bamboo, claiming their territory and attracting their mates.

I have a pair of Red Cardinals that have been singing their hearts out just outside the house, and I have started putting out sunflower seeds on the deck railings.  In no time the male started coming for the seeds, soon followed by his pretty mate, and he breaks open the seeds and then leans forward to feed her while she begs for the food. She must be laying eggs already, although I haven’t watchied close enough to see where she flies to, to try to spot where she is nesting.  The male is getting very tame now.

So out came the camera.. The shutter scared him. I was too close, but he came back both times for more food.  Greedy little thing.

Yet to get a picture of him feeding his Mrs, so watch this space….

 Check out my Maui Blog HERE

Up on the slopes of Haleakala, at a lovely spot overlooking a gulch at Hosmer Grove, a rare sight can be seen when you sit quietly and patiently waiting for the I’iwi to come and feed on a flowering bush nearby.  You hear them before you see them… They dont stay long on any one bush. They move quickly onto the next one..  The camera has to be ready… They are gone almost before its too late.

Dumb or what? They really were blonde! I had never seen such huge blonde bumble bees before.  They were about 1.5” head to toe! There were two of them, and all they did was hover, looking directly at  me, and buzzzz very loudly at me…

They were so persistent that I went back up the driveway to get my camera, in hope that they would still be there when I got back. And sure enough, they were. And they were still hovering!!! If i moved, they followed, and just hovered again, facing me head on…  They never got closer than about 4ft and hovered at my eye level.  Quite extraordinary! SO I snapped away until the sun went down.

I thought I would share some with you so you would believe me…  They were gone the next day, and I haven’t seen (or heard) them again since…  Bizarre, but just so cute.

My cat Guinness brought my attention to the lizards in the garden yesterday. They are wise to him. They see him and they dont move. Same with me, they saw me and they didnt move…  They come out to bask in the last rays of sun in the afternoons. So I  just had to go get my camera…

Please click this link —->   my blogspot com     to view the post and photos there ….

Bart De Zwart :-

Click image to view more at Hawaii Photos

Big waves again at Jaws this week, unusually  late in the season!  And with lots of wind this time – for the windsurfers..   No surfers this time, too windy!   The wind and waves were accurately predicted for Tuesday this week, and sure enough the forecast was spot on..  Cameras were at the ready on the cliffs, eagerly waiting for the windsurfers to arrive on their jet skis any time after 9.30am..   By 11am the first arrived (Bart De Zwart) a good friend for many years arrived first, with his windsurf board and rolled up sail across the back of the jet ski.  Rigging the sail from the back of a jet ski was tricky says Bart, but he managed it..  It wasn’t quite so easy for Diony Guadagnino, his sail blew into the water from the back of the jet ski, while on route to the Jaws surf break from Maliko Gulch (the launch site). The wind was so strong he was really lucky to have been able to retrieve it and without further delay joined Bart at the reef. Bart had already started windsurfing the waves, a little tentatively at first,, but he soon loosened up and got right into it… It was so amazing and very entertaining to watch.  I have been to Jaws and seen surfers riding those waves many times, but windsurfers Jaws, that was a first for me too.

Diony Guadagnino :-

Click image or link to view more pictures at Hawaii Photography 

I watched and photographed all four of the windsurfers, right  from the time Bart arrived up until about 1.30pm.   I needed to leave  to go get some breakfast… and besides I had used up all three of my memory cards, so couldn’t have taken more photos if I wanted to..

Bart De Zwart :-

Enjoy. !!!

See more photos on Barts Blog –>  Kanaha Kai Blog – based in Kahului, Maui

2009 went out with a big BANG, well lots actually. I had a birds eye view of about 9 different firework displays from where I was at midnight seeing in the new year of 2010.

But Dawn and Dusk on New Years Eve were even more spectacular and rare!!! New Years eve brought a Blue Moon – which means the second full moon in one month and not the colour ‘Blue’..  I snapped some photographs of the Blue Moon at dawn AND dusk. Here are some .. The next New Years Eve Blue Moon wont occur again until 2028

DAWN – New years eve…

DUSK on New Years Eve…

Other pics from Hawaii :

  View Xmas Days Jaws Photo Gallery.

What a great Chrismas Day! Jaws was breaking for at least the fourth time this month and I was there again for the fourth time. It was another  Hugewave  day, and the crowds were out in huge numbers on the cliff tops again, watching, filming and photographing the surfers, toe in surfing, at JAWS. The helicopters were not around today, guess because it was December the 25th. but everyone was happy to be there on such a glorious day.  What better way is there than to spend the first few hours of Xmas day on the cliffs watching JAWS, and the surfers.   Check out my photo gallery of my selection of photos by clicking the link aboe.