Codie Cooke of O'ahu Country Club is Our Honolulu's Kolea Queen of 2006. She reported the first plover returned from Alaska this year at about 10 a.m. Friday, July 28. She spotted it on the practice putting green. Codie ran to the telephone and made her historic call to Kolea Central at The Advertiser.

Hard on her heels came Pet Whittingslow, who sprinted to her computer to send an e-mail after seeing two male kolea on Kahala Beach on Saturday afternoon, July 29. Here's her report:

"They seemed quite happy to be back, frolicking in and out of the warm ocean in their black and white finery. They actually look quite healthy so maybe the early return was an easy one with the warm currents to carry them quickly back. Anxious to hear of other sightings."

The sightings are coming in. Mary Bibby called to report a plover on the banks of the Kawainui Canal in Kailua the next day on July 30.

The following day, Bill Riddle on Kane'ohe Bay Drive welcomed his kolea back at about 5 p.m. It's the bird's third season as a member of the Riddle family and what's unusual about this kolea is he eats out of Riddle's hand. "I took pictures of him before he left this year," Riddle said. "We had fattened him up on worms and oatmeal."

The plover was very skinny when he landed on the roof but was in better shape than last year when he came back on July 28. That time he could barely get from the roof to the patio to eat his first worm, Riddle said. This year he seems "just fine."

Here's a report from Henry Nakazato in 'Aiea who wrote on Aug. 1: "Our dear friend the kolea has returned, either late last night or early this morning. It is its sixth season and we truly love it."

On Aug. 2, Jon Bryan e-mailed, "I saw my first lady kolea as I was coming down Wai'alae Nui this morning. My heart thumped. She looked healthy."

These are the early reports and they give no indication that bird flu introduced to Alaska by other migratory birds, perhaps from Asia, have killed the kolea that fly to Hawai'i. The concern among scientists here has been that the flu would weaken plover flying back to Hawai'i and they wouldn't make it. We'll have to wait and see if the numbers of returning kolea hold up this year.

Meanwhile, reports of kolea who remained in Hawai'i are on the increase, maybe because more people are watching for them. Edward Voss out Hawai'i Kai way says that a resident plover stayed behind on the mauka side of Kalaniana'ole Highway in 2005. I can report four kolea I've seen regularly on the Kaimuki High School playing fields this summer.

Reach Bob Krauss at 525-8073.