Kauai 2013 day 13: part 1

I took an absurd number of photos on this particular day, so it only made sense to break my penultimate day in Kauai into chunks. To start things off, my final visit of the trip to the Kilauea Lighthouse:

A few shots of some Red-footed Boobies:

I can't think of another time when I'd seen an actual flock of Boobies flying together; usually we only see them flying solo, as in the previous pics:

Looking back toward Hanalei:

I was very intrigued by the circle that formed in the water—no idea how or why it would occur:

A nice close-up on the pigeon I photographed earlier in my stay—such gorgeous colors around its neck and shoulders:

I didn't realize it the first time I was going through these pics, but there are actually two White-tailed Tropicbirds in this photo:

Since I'd gotten such great pictures of the Red-tailed Tropicbird a few days earlier, I became determined to try and come up with some solid shots of the White-tailed Tropicbird. I decided to try my luck at the lookout that sits right at the entrance to the preserve, as it would put me closer to the cliffs that the birds were nesting in. At first, though, it seemed like I'd once again be limited to long-distance looks:

Not the best pic, but I liked how streamlined the bird looked in this shot:

Going in for a landing on the cliff:

Swooping past the cliffs:

But, finally, my patience was rewarded when one flew almost directly over my head

My last look at the lighthouse for 2013:

Cool little tubular flower I saw when we stopped for lunch:

Finally, a panoramic shot looking out towards Hanalei Bay from one of the lookouts dotting the road between Kilauea and Hanalei. This one you'll definitely want to click to see full-size: