On Saturday the Three Mountain Alliance and NARS staff hosted the 2010 Kulani Christmas Bird Count in the new Pu'u Maka'ala NAR extension in what was once the former Kulani Correctional Facility (i.e. Kulani Honor Camp) lands. We were trucked up to the former Mauna Loa Boy's School site, and spread outward from there in 3 groups to do point counts. The area is near the upper edge of the windward forest, and was moderately birdy though not as much so as Kipuka Ahiu or Kipuka Ainahou on the Saddle, or as upper Keauhou Ranch where the previous two CBC events were held. My group had 1-2 creepers and 1-2 'akepa in the area with the tallest trees, and the counts were similar to what I remember during the Kulani bird survey here last year. I didn't hear that either of the other two groups found any of the endangered birds. The counting period was unfortunately fairly short since many of the people were not serious birdwatchers, though fairly similar in length to the previous two CBC that were held at Keauhou Ranch, and the counts were a little more organized. A special treat was when we got to the northern boundary and finally got to look out over the 1942 lava flow, with the plane wreck downslope and the big kipuka that I'm always dreaming about exploring on the other side of the lava.

I attached a couple of maps of the Mauna Loa Boy's School area, recycled from the spring bird survey writeup.

Bird Counts: (Species Codes Here)

station	time	APAP	IIWI	HAAM	OMAO	ELEP	HCRE	AKEP	AKIP	HAHA	JAWE	HOFI	RBLE	KAPH	Notes
koa	0906	16	1	2	3						4			1	koa-'ohi'a
koa	0922	9	2	2	1			1+			5				tall koa
open	0940	21	3	4		1	1+				3				canopy edge
open	1004	12	1	2	1						4				'ohi'a savanna
open	1026	7	1	1	1						3				near 1942 lava
forest	1040	17	1	5	2						2				side road
forest	1055	25	1	8	1						4				tall koa
meadow	1108	12	2	2	1						1				koa-'ohi'a
station	time	APAP	IIWI	HAAM	OMAO	ELEP	HCRE	AKEP	AKIP	HAHA	JAWE	HOFI	RBLE	KAPH	Notes