Question: Do you have the reporting line for the plover or kolea, as I think they’re called in Hawaii?
Answer: Hawaii’s annual Kolea Count, a project of the Hawaii Audubon Society, collects sighting reports online, via koleacount.org.
People can report their first kolea sighting of the season (this data is collected July 1 through Nov. 30); count how many kolea spend winters here (Little Counts and Big Counts will be done Dec. 1 through March 31); say where the birds gather for departure and when they leave for Alaska (April and May); and report kolea staying for the summer (June only), the website says.
A Little Count is for those who want to survey a small area, “such as their backyard, a schoolyard, or church lawn,” the website says. A Big Count is for people who can count kolea “three times this winter in large areas such as campuses, parks, cemeteries, or golf courses.” Reporting guidelines for each are explained on the website. Or, you may report simply your first sighting if you wish.
The Pacific golden-plover, called kolea in Hawaii, is a migratory shorebird that spends about nine months of the year in the islands, including the winter, and flies to Alaska for the summer to raise chicks. Kolea traditionally return to the same Hawaii spots year after year.
As of Oct. 17, 1,355 kolea had been reported, according to a news update on the website. Because last summer’s offspring might arrive in November, arrival reporting continues through this month, it said.
People who didn’t know to report kolea that arrived earlier could also do so now, but should try to recall and report the earliest date they saw the bird; they can mention in the “notes” field that the chosen date is an estimate.
Q: When will the Hokule‘a sail back from California?
A: The Hawaiian voyaging canoe will be shipped back to the islands from Southern California but the date has not been decided, according to the Polynesian Voyaging Society. For now, the Hokule‘a is docked at the Maritime Museum of San Diego and will remain there until a shipping date is determined, the PVS said in a news release.
Health care subsidies
With open enrollment underway on Health Care.gov, the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Insurance Division is reminding consumers that subsidies to reduce premiums are available for eligible new and returning customers. “The American Rescue Plan of 2021 expanded the availability of financial assistance through the Marketplace and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 extended these benefits through 2025,” it said in a news release. Hawaii residents who don’t receive medical insurance through their employers, the government or some other program can find an affordable plan on the Marketplace. The DCCA encouraged consumers to review the plans offered during the open enrollment period, which continues through Jan. 15. To have coverage that starts Jan. 1, a consumer must choose and enroll in a health plan by Dec. 15, it said.
Auwe
Enough with all the new big traffic warning signs! One of the great things about Hawaii is no billboards. Let’s not ruin it by putting up a bunch of large traffic signs — they are unsightly and not necessary as far as I am concerned. I know I am in a tsunami zone when I am driving a few blocks from the ocean! — A reader
Mahalo
Especially with the state of the world today, there is nothing I crave more than peace. I want to acknowledge all the U.S. military veterans who through their strength try to ensure that Americans live in peace, and who are ready to fight when that deterrence fails. This goes for all who served honorably, past and present. Mahalo. — A reader
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
