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Wings, Waves, and Woods
Birding Festival May 21-23, 2010
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This year's Wings, Waves
& Woods Festival benefited from great weather - the first
time the festival has been rain-free since its inception in 2008.
The festival successfully gathered together good birds and good
birders. As always, a major highlight was Captain Bill Baker's boat
trip out to Seal Island for the returning puffins. Motoring out
of Old Quarry Adventures, the Nigh Duck
quickly left a bunch of kayakers in its wake. (Kayakers aren't birdless
- there are Black Guillemots, Common Eiders, and Surf Scoters to
be found right off the dock.) Purple Sandpipers can be seen anywhere
and are usually spotted on Isle au Haut as the boat passes through
the channel there.
Seal Island is federally owned and is part of the Maine Coastal
Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The Puffin Project shares oversight
and scientific research on the island. Atlantic Puffins began nesting
here in 1992, and the current number of nesting puffins now approaches
a thousand. It is one of Maine's biggest colonies of nesting Arctic
and Common Terns, featuring several thousand. Common Eiders and
Leach's Storm-petrels also nest on the island. Greater, Sooty, and
Manx Shearwaters are possible at sea later in summer.
 Other
members of the Alcid family are present in good numbers, too. Razorbills
are abundant, and a few Common Murres can usually be picked out
of the flock. Black Guillemots are plentiful. It is the sizeable
colony of nesting Great Cormorants that makes this island different
than Maine's other puffin islands. These birds are easy to find
along the Maine coast in winter, but stick to their nesting islands
in summer. It's a treat to see so many here. Expect passing Northern
Gannets on any visit. |
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