Tsuki (月): “This is me one month ago, small and fluffy.”
DON’T BLINK!
Tsuki, our manu-o-Kū (white tern) chick has grown like a weed.
Tsuki (03.01.22) is pictured above
By the time you reach the bottom of this gallery (04.01.22) you’ll see Tsuki beginning to fly!
HNS student: “We don’t grow that fast!”
Here’s a quick catch-me-up over the last month…
03.07.22 — week of
Still a fluffy little tree angel.
Tsuki (月): “Hello! Here I’m still a fluffy little tree angel.”
03.17.22 — SPRING BREAK
Tsuki’s white feathers begin to show amidst her brown & gray fluff!
03.28.22 — GOT WINGS!
What a difference a week makes!
Tsuki the fluffy little tree angel now has white feathers & wings!
Tsuki (月): “See me stretching my wings?”
Tsuki: “Hello world!”
03.30.22 — WHAT A DIFFERENCE 2 DAYS MAKES!
Student question: Why does Tsuki grow so fast?
Answer: For many species, the faster you attain adulthood, the less likely you are to be eaten by a hungry predator!
Tsuki (月): “I’d rather not be eaten by a predator.”
03.31.22 — MANU-O-KŪ DOG FIGHT OUTSIDE STARBUCKS!
Manu-o-Kū (white terns) fly about with the speed and agility of fighter jets.
On 03.31.22 a stranger manu-o-Kū thought s/he might secure a foothold in Tsuki’s kukui-nut tree.
Tsuki’s parents initiated an aerial dog fight!
Tsuki, parent 1 & agitated parent 2: “Intruder alert!”
Parent 2: “And stay away!”
03.31.22 — SNACK TIME (HOW ‘BOUT SOME FISH?)
The transfer of big fish from parent to child is now so quick it’s no wonder we see fewer feeding sessions.
Gulp!
And the fish is down the gullet in seconds!
Parent: “Fish? Big fish? It’s fresh.”
Parent: “That didn’t take long.”
04.01.22 — “I CAN FLY"!”
Parent: “Just flap a lot and glide. You’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”
Tsuki (月): “First, I think I’ll eat a piece of wood.”
Tuski (月): “I can do this!”
Tsuki (月): “Where to now?”
Tuski (月): “Wow.”
Tsuki (月): “I think I’m getting the hang of this!”
Tsuki (月): “Let’s see if I can get to that branch over there.”
Tsuki (月): “Watch out HNS, by next Monday I’ll be flying—and maybe crashing—in the playground!”
Parent: “And before long, you’ll be soaring. And catching your own fish.”