IBUKI (息吹 — “new life, new birth”) TAKES FLIGHT!
Of late, checking in on Ibuki (息吹), HNS’s resident white-tern chick, has been an exercise in trying not to panic.
Whereas, not so long ago, 息吹 was always on the same branch she hatched on, of late she’s been fluttering from branch to branch, sometimes finding little hide-aways that aren’t so easy to spot.
• Mommy bird: “Where’s my chick?”
• 息吹: “Right here, ma. Stretching my wing.”
• Mommy: “Honey! Junior wants more fish!”
• 息吹: “Just gonna stretch again—”
• Mum: “Fine, I’ll go get some fish”
• 息吹i: “I hope she doesn’t take too, too long, I’m hungry!:
• 息吹 (yawning): “And I’m sleepy…”
• 息吹: “Mum? Dad? Fish?”
• 息吹: “Those 2G students say I’ve got to be… patient…”
息吹: “I wonder…”
息吹: “… if I could do more than hop…”
This afternoon, Ms. Jana (1G and Tanner’s mum) said, “We can’t find Ibuki.”
I went to find her and… she was gone. My heart sank.
Then… way up on top of the kukui-nut tree — Ibuki! She was tad uncomfortable as the wind was blowing and she was on a thin branch that offered very little in the way of solidity!
I decided to hang out, see what might happen. (I feared Ibuki might try something silly and end up on the ground— or worse on Kananiana’ole Highway.
But instead…
• And she was away!
• 息吹: “I’m flying!”
Ibuki was back pretty soon! Young terns don’t yet have much strength in their wing muscles.
But after a short rest…
Then it was back for another rest.
But before too, too long…
• 息吹: “I’m getting tired”
• 息吹: “Home!”
• 息吹 (panting excessively): “Oh boy… oh my… whoa… ahhh…”
After which, Ibuki settled down to nap!
• 息吹: “I like this branch. So shady…”
息吹: “Zzzzzz….”