This morning was too beautiful not to be outside, so I went for a run and enjoyed every bit of the sunshine and cool morning air. Afterward, I couldn’t resist grabbing my camera and taking a slow walk around the Hōkūala golf course. As I wandered near one of the ponds, I suddenly came across a whole group of nēnē. To my surprise, there were more than a dozen of them gathered together! I watched quietly for a while, but one nēnē in particular caught my attention. It stood so elegantly in the morning light, almost as if it knew I had my camera out, and gave me the cutest little over-the-shoulder look. I couldn’t resist zooming in and capturing the moment.
The nēnē holds a special place in Hawaiʻi as our state bird, but seeing them in the wild also reminds me how precious they are. Their populations have faced serious challenges from habitat loss and introduced predators such as cats, dogs, mongooses, rats, and pigs. Every time I come across a nēnē, I feel incredibly lucky to witness one of these beautiful birds simply going about its day. Moments like this are a small reminder of why protecting Hawaiʻi’s native species and the places they call home matters so much.
