What To Do In Kauai – Hire Hob Osterlund As A Bird Watching Guide

If you are a “Birder” and would like to immerse yourself in the world of birds on Kauai, may I suggest you hire Hob Osterlund as your personal bird watching guide. You could not find anyone more qualified than she. Her book, Holy Moli: Albatross and Other Ancestors, is now in its third printing and she is working on a documentary production called “Kalama’s Journey”, scheduled to be completed in 2018. I have known Hob for several years and she is the “go to” person for questions about our flying wildlife.

If you happen to be on island the beginning of December, however, make sure you go to Hob’s annual Princeville Library presentation on Wednesday, December 6th. She will be talking about “Albatross of Kauai – Their Style and Story.” She is a great story teller and a fabulous photographer so it’s certain you will enjoy the show. It starts at 5:00 and is free and open to the public.

If your trip to the Garden Island is at another time, not to worry. Hob offers a three hour bird guiding tour on the north shore. It starts with a trip to the Hanalei Valley where you will witness the endangered water birds of Hanalei: the Hawaiian duck (Koloa), Hawaiian goose (nene), Hawaiian stilt (Ae’o), Hawaiian gallinule (Alae’ula) and Hawaiian coot (Alae’kea). When in season, you will also spend time viewing Laysan albatross (Moli). Of course they will be right outside your door at Honu Point but the knowledge you will gain about these amazing birds will add to the spender of watching them soar right in front of your dining/living room windows.

The tour ends at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. There you will be introduced to the native seabirds of Kauai: the Red-footed booby (‘A), White-tailed tropicbird (Koa’e kea), Red-tailed tropicbird (Koa’e’ula), Wedge-tailed shearwater (Ua’u kani), Great frigatebirds (‘Iwa) and more.

Tours are three hours long: 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM.

Hob Osterlund is also available for book readings, signing and discussions, as well as presentations about the Laysan albatross for any size audience, from small vacation gatherings to large conferences.

You may meet Hob at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesdays from 11:00 to 1:00 where she will sign a copy of her book for you. Her book, Holy Moli: Albatross and Other Ancestors, is a wonderful read combining a memoir with factional information about the albatross colonies on Kauai. There is a copy at Honu Point, but you may want to order a copy for yourself and read up about these amazing birds before arriving on island. https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Moli-Albatross-Other-Ancestors/dp/0870718487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511717811&sr=8-1&keywords=Holy+Moli%3A+Albatross+and+Other+Ancestors

Cost: $8.39 on Kindle, $17.05 Paperback

The American Birding Association just added 105 species of birds to their checklist because of the inclusion of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a conservation area. You may download the checklist at http://blog.aba.org/2017/11/aba-releases-much-anticipated-checklist-update.html

With Hob as your personal bird watching guide you will be able to checkoff quite a few species on the list! Enjoy.

Contact Information:

Email: hob@hawaii.rr.com

Phone: (808) 482-1283

Photo credit: Hob Osterlund

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