On Christmas Day, my New York harp student Meredith, her daughter Abby, and her friend Karen, arrived in Kauai on a cruise ship. It was their first trip to Hawaii, and they were very excited to be here. We had a great time driving around the island for the next two days, visiting many beautiful sites. They are great fans of birds of all kinds, so they were delighted to see many species that they had never encountered before. Here's their list of the birds they saw: nene (the Hawaiian goose), red-tailed tropic bird, red-footed booby, red-crested cardinal, Hawaiian duck, cattle egret, great frigatebird, black-crowned night heron, common myna, saffron finch, and albatross. Also, of course, chickens and roosters that wander everywhere on this island.

Their interest in birds inspired this newsletter, another in my ongoing series about living in Hawaii. I wrote articles about the birds on Kauai in the August 2018 and September 2018 newsletters, but this issue will be much more personal.

I hope you all had a happy holiday season and are ready for a wonderful 2026 filled with harp music!

Sylvia

I have mentioned my friend Bob Smith in several past newsletters. He was the pastor in the article called My Favorite Harp Coincidence in the January 2025 issue. Bob also played concertina and led the singing in our Kauai Christmas Carol Sing Along with Harps concerts from 2015 to 2019.

Bob and his wife, Garey-Lea, live in Princeville on the north shore of Kauai. They have an albatross currently sitting on an egg in their yard, so they invited me to bring my friends by to visit on Christmas Day. It was such fun to see the albatross up close.

I asked Bob to write an article for me, and here is what he sent.

Here on the North shore of Kauai, we are very blessed to be one of the few places on the planet where the Laysan Albatross colonize and return each year to have their young. They nest in and among human communities in Princeville and Kilauea Point. 

A couple, Salty and Sammy (shown here), have nested and raised several chicks in our Princeville backyard over the last four years. When a chick hatches and fledges on your property, you are given the honor of naming it. We chose the name Stormy for their chick in 2023. A feather is plucked from the chick to check its DNA to sex the bird, and it is banded and numbered for tracking. 

While mated couples are taking turns sitting on the egg, the adolescents are soaring around and partying on the "singles bar" golf course fairway next to our condos. They cavort: dancing, mooing, preening, and looking for a mate. It's pretty exciting around here when they are partying!

Here are two photos of Stormy.

The first picture shows her as a young chick in 2023.

We think this is Stormy in the second picture, returning to our yard a few weeks ago. It is not unusual for albatrosses to return to their birthplace.

This beautiful watercolor painting by Bob is titled "I'm Just Wild About You!"

And here are some additional facts Bob sent about the Laysan Albatross.

• Their Hawaiian name is Moli.
• They can sleep while flying.
• They can fly 49,700 miles without touching land.
• They lock their wings and glide for long periods.
• They spend 80% of their life at sea.
• They can smell food in the water 12 miles away.
• They can cover 500 miles in a day at a sustained speed of 50 mph.
• They take six years to choose a lifelong mate.
• They return to breed as part of the colony where they were born to mate and to lay eggs.
• They have elaborate mating rituals with dancing and calls.
• They snap their bills during courtship and to show aggression.
• Both parents engage in feeding the young.
• They can fly up to 6,250 miles to gather food (squid) for their young.
• They take 160 days to fledge.
• Their main threats are commercial longline fishing, where they are attracted to the set bait and become hooked in the lines and drown. Feral cats are a threat on land.
• They are in danger of extinction because they cannot breed fast enough to keep up with the annual population decline of 100,000 birds. 
• The oldest living albatross is "Wisdom," who is 68 years old.

In my July 2024 newsletter, I mentioned that the Shaka became Hawaiiʻs Official State Gesture. I also mentioned the "Shaka, A Story of Aloha" film. It was shown here on Kauai, and I enjoyed learning about the history of the Shaka.

I recently heard on the local TV news that the film is now available on Apple TV and other streaming services as of January 16, 2026. You can learn more on the Shaka film's website. I hope you enjoy watching this inspiring movie. Share a Shaka!

76 Disney Songs

including Feed the Birds

from Mary Poppins

by Sylvia Woods

Book or PDF

15% off with Birds code

------------------------------

Soaring Strings

including Black Bird Boogie, Crows in the Corn, and 7 more

by Kathryn Cater

PDF

15% off with Birds code

------------------------------

Ballads and Folk Songs from Finland

including Overjoyed Little Bird and Oh, Could I Sing Like a Bird!

by Tiia Purhonen

PDF

15% off with Birds code

------------------------------

Sweepin' the Clouds Away

including Birds of Blue Ridge

and On the Wing

by Sharon Thormahlen

PDF

15% off with Birds code

------------------------------

Chaucer Songbook

for harp and voice

including Roundel of the Birds

by Carol Wood

PDF

15% off with Birds code

------------------------------

Celtic Echoes

including The Blackbird

and Swallowtail Jig

by Sally Perreten

PDF

15% off with Birds code

------------------------------

Traditional Tunes with a Twist

including Mockingbird Song

by Verlene Schermer

PDF

15% off with Birds code

------------------------------

Angry Birdz

an original composition

by Cynthia Artish

PDF

15% off with Birds code

------------------------------

The King's Bard

including The Blackbird's Retreat

by Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher

PDF

15% off with Birds code

------------------------------

15% off select sale items when you use the code word Birds

Our newsletter promo codes are redeemable online and are only valid for the products listed above in the monthly sale section. They are not valid for phone or email orders. This month's code word is Birds.

Here's how to get your newsletter discount at harpcenter.com:

#1. Put the items you want to purchase in your cart.

#2. On the page where you view the items in your cart, type this month's code word Birds in the "Enter Promo Code" box and click "Apply."

The actual price of the featured sale products on this page will then automatically change to reflect the discount. For example,

   Unit Price: $9.95 (the original price)

   Total Price: $8.46 (the discounted price)

You'll also see a note below the Promo Code box stating the name of the promo code you entered and the percentage discount amount.

REMEMBER: You must enter this month's code word Birds in the Promo Code box and click "Apply" on your shopping cart page by January 31, 2026, to get the discount!

If you forget or have trouble adding it to your order, email Sylvia immediately.  

This offer expires at the end of the day on 1/31/2026.

Sylvia Woods Harp Center

Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii