Rare seabirds hatching chicks in protected Hawaiian Islands ADVERTISING Rare seabirds hatching chicks in protected Hawaiian Islands HONOLULU (AP) — A rare seabird whose population was wiped out of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is
Rare seabirds hatching chicks in protected Hawaiian Islands
HONOLULU (AP) — A rare seabird whose population was wiped out of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is now hatching healthy chicks on the atoll.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife said in a statement Saturday that three Tristram’s storm-petrel chicks were discovered in March by researchers using a wireless infrared camera. Officials say this is the first documented evidence of the birds successfully breeding on the atoll after the introduction of non-native mammals, including rats that eat eggs and chicks.
Refuge Manager Robert Peyton said in the statement that Midway Atoll Refuge is now completely free of rats.
The small birds actively breed only at night in well-hidden ground burrows and are rarely spotted at sea. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the birds as Near Threatened.
Resignation comes amid loan investigation
HONOLULU (AP) — The president and CEO of the Bishop Museum, whose resignation was announced late last week, is under investigation by the state for whether he illegally gave himself a loan of more than $14,000.
Blair Collis, who first joined the museum in 2003, will officially step down Friday (May 6).
His resignation comes as the state looks into the $14,000 loan that showed up on the museum’s 2013 tax return.
State law prohibits nonprofits from making loans to their directors or officers. The state attorney general asked the museum and Collis to provide a written agreement regarding the loan and copies of the board minutes from when the loan was discussed.
The board and Collis declined to comment about the case.
Critics said the incident shows the lack of oversight by board members during the last few years.
“They’ve been there forever, so clearly they’re not getting the job done,” said Maile Meyer, a former Bishop Museum employee.
Crews rescue fallen hiker near Stairway to Heaven
HONOLULU (AP) — A hiker was rescued near the off-limits Haiku Stairs Trail on Oahu after reporting she fell about 40 feet.
Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief Mark Nakagawa said the 28-year-old woman called 911 on Saturday to report that she fell near the trail, also known as the Stairway to Heaven.
Rescue crews conducted an aerial search to locate the woman and her male companion, who was not injured.
“She was in a pretty tight spot,” Nakagawa said. “She was wedged between a mountain and a tree, so crews took extra time to secure her position.”
Both hikers were taken to the Kaneohe District Park landing zone. An update on the woman’s condition and the nature of her injuries has not been released.
Police arrived to investigate, but no citations were issued.
The Stairway to Heaven is a popular yet illegal hike. It has been closed for about 30 years but people still take the climb.
Nakagawa said it’s unclear whether the woman went on the stairs.
“We don’t actually know where she started out from,” Nakagawa said. “Initial reports are that she started out near or behind the State Hospital, so we don’t know if she was on a marked trail or an authorized or unauthorized trail.”
