During the frequent rainy periods over the holiday weekends I was forced to retreat to one of the few dry areas nearby, along Mauna Loa Strip Road. I only counted from Highway 11 up to the Powerline Road crossing. On December 23 thunderstorms cut my visit very short. On December 24 thunderstorms drove me out of Upper Waiakea Forest Reserve, but Volcano was dry and I was able to count up through Kipuka Ki before dark. On December 31 the windward side was solid fog and rain, but Strip Road was mostly dry. I counted Kipuka Ki and Kipuka Puaulu, and it became clear that there were very few 'apapane along Strip Road during the daytime, though they returned to roost just before sunset. On January 2 the windward side of the island was again drenched in rain, and there was blowing mist and light rain along Strip Road. Again there were very few 'Apapane during the daytime, but they trickled in as I left about 3PM. During the long holiday weekends I encountered 'io an astonishing 7 straight outings, with about 12 total birds. Many of these were found along Strip Road.

Bird Counts: (Species Codes Here)

station	time	APAP	HAAM	OMAO	ELEP	HAHA	JAWE	HOFI	YFCA	NOCA	RBLE	MELT	NUMA	KAPH	ERFR	Notes
Dec 23: dry and calm, with thunderstorm approaching
Scrub	1315	1	1				4									open scrubland
Upper Puaulu	1332	2	1				4		1	2						tall koa-manele
Dec 24: partly cloudy, becoming fog at sunset
Scrub	1438	1					3									open scrubland
Upper Puaulu	1454	5	2		1		8	1		1						tall koa-manele
Dead Forest	1510	1	2	1			2	F		1						Dead forest
Ki 1	1524	2	2		2		2	F		1	1			4		tall koa-manele
Ki 2	1542	5	3	1			5	F		2						tall koa-'ohi'a
Ki 3	1553	1	1		2		6	2		2						tall koa-'ohi'a
Ki 5	1616	15	3	2			4	1		1						tall koa-'ohi'a
Above Ki	1630	8	3		2		4									tall koa-'ohi'a
Cattleguard	1641	4	1		1		3			2						tall koa
Cattleguard	1653	7	4		3		6			1						tall koa
Scrubland	1730	12	4				2									puaulu parking
Dec 31: partly cloudy, occasional blowing mist
'Ola'a	1050	2				1	6									'Ola'a Small Tract
Scrub	1110	2	3				2									open scrubland
Scrub	1123	1	1				5									open scrubland
Upper Puaulu	1136	2	3	1			9			1			2			tall koa-manele
Dead Forest	1150	1	2				1							1		Dead forest
Ki 2	1202	2	4	1	1		2			1	1					tall koa-'ohi'a
Ki 3	1213	1	1	1	2		4			1	1					tall koa-'ohi'a
Ki 1	1229		1				3									tall koa-manele
Ki 4	1246	2	4		1	2	3			1	1					tall koa-'ohi'a
Ki 5	1257	4	7				4			1						tall koa-'ohi'a
Above Ki	1307	1	4		4		4			2						tall koa-'ohi'a
Scrubland	1331	1					4		2							puaulu parking
Puaulu 1	1429	3	1				2									kipuka puaulu
Puaulu 2	1446	2	2	1	1		4			2				1		tall mixed
Puaulu 3	1504	5	3				4				2			1		tall mixed
Puaulu 4	1517	4		1	1		4			1				2		tall mixed
Puaulu 5	1533	6		1			3			1	3					tall mixed
Puaulu 6	1545	8	2	1			5	3			1			3		tall koa
Puaulu 7	1559	9	2				3	1		2	2	1				papala
pasture	1621	4	1			1	1	1								koa pasture
pasture	1643	2			1		2			2						koa pasture
Puaulu 8	1700	16	1				5	3								tall koa
Puaulu 9	1711	11	1				4	1		2	2			1		mamaki
Puaulu 10	1724	10	1				6					2		3		tall manele
Scrubland	1739	8	2						2					1		puaulu parking
Jan 2: blowing mist, rain
'Ola'a	1020	2					3									'Ola'a Small Tract
Scrub	1045	1	1				2		4							open scrubland
Upper Puaulu	1103		4	1	1		5			1				2		tall koa-manele
Dead Forest	1119		2				2									Dead forest
Ki 1	1129		1		1		3			1						tall koa-manele
Ki 3	1143	2	4		3		7	1		2	2					tall koa-'ohi'a
Above Ki	1156	1			3		2			3						tall koa-'ohi'a
Cattleguard	1207		2		1	1	1			1						tall koa
Fire Rd	1219		1		2		1			2					2	koa-'a'ali'i
Fire Koa	1233		3		2					2						koa-'a'ali'i
Powerline Rd	1249	2	3		2		3			2				1		koa-'a'ali'i
koa	1316	1	1		1											koa pasture
Scrub	1330	1	2				2									koa-'a'ali'i
Powerline Rd	1358	1	5		1		3			1
Powerline Rd	1411	1	1		2					1						koa pasture
Powerline Rd	1423	1	2		2		1									koa pasture
Ki 2	1503	3	4				2			1						tall koa-'ohi'a
station	time	APAP	HAAM	OMAO	ELEP	HAHA	JAWE	HOFI	YFCA	NOCA	RBLE	MELT	NUMA	KAPH	ERFR	Notes