BIRDING TO THE EDG

Machias Seal Island it truly a magical place! Richard Crossley and I finished up our show at Kittery Trading Post and zoomed up to Jonesport, ME where we jumped on a boat called, "The Chief." This boat chartered us out there along with 15 others directly to the island for a delightful show of mainly, Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills.

We started the morning in a tired haze since Richard and I spent more time than anticipated, chatting the night before. Barely being able to open our eyes, we marched our way from Machias, ME (our lodging) to Jonesport at 5:30 am. Of course, I managed to forget a jacket on the trip which was a huge bummer since boat trips to the ocean in Maine are cold, even this time of year. Lucky for me it was incredibly foggy! Well that sounds weird, doesn't it? Actually, the fog helps hold the heat closer to the ground making it slightly less cold than say an open sky for example. Unfortunately for us, the fog lasted all the way out onto the island, but Richard and I kept snapping exposures the entire way. As soon as the island was within reach the sky opened up for us with perfect sun for about an hour and a half. Consider our boat lucky as all heck!

The Canadian managed island was under strict rules for our time on land, so we did nothing more that deboard the boat and head directly to the blinds. Once on the blinds the birds were plentiful. However, I visited the island about 13-14 years ago and remember there being almost an infinite amount of birds. Seemed quieter this year! I quickly came to notice that there were no Common or Arctic Terns to speak of. My last visit we actually needed to hold a stick above our heads to deter the thousands of terns trying to dive bomb us. Not the case this year! I was really disappointed because terns are so entertaining and dynamic.

A colleague and friend of mine noted that since the area was pressured heavily by the fishing industry, the terns were having to travel farther off shore to get food. Eventually, they left the island all together. Other surrounding islands have increased in tern breeding numbers, so I assume these birds that used to breed on the island are just breeding elsewhere in the area. Another problem is that since terns act as the guardians to the island, the larger gulls like Great Black-Backed Gulls are now preying on the nests of puffins and razorbills. One could only wonder if the Canadian Fish & Wildlife will choose to start eliminating gulls from the island to release pressure from the breeding Alcids. Who knows!


I was the only photographer in my blind so I was able to hog all the good shots including this Atlantic Puffin whom was on the way into the nest with some fresh fish for the little tykes.


These birds receive around the clock monitoring (i.e. the leg bands) while on the island. Notice the structure of the bird? What can you see? I would encourage each of you to notice the plump body, round head, and very thick bill. In flight, their profile is very front-heavy due to the large bill. This is very important since most of the time you will view these birds on the wing outside of breeding season unless you visit one of the islands they breed on.

Atlantic Puffins breed only on the north Atlantic from Maine through Newfoundland and over to the UK. Like other seabirds, the puffins are divers which means their legs are set farther back on their bodies to help propel themselves when in the water after a dive. They are small enough that they can stand upright whereas other divers like loons have trouble walking due to their extremely front-heavy weight distribution. Outside of breeding they are nomadic and can be seen through most of the eastern seaboard here in the US in winter. Common down through New Jersey and increasingly difficult the farther south you go from there.

Atlantic Puffins lose their vibrant colors in the winter leaving all but size and shape to ID them in the water.


Razorbills have similar breeding ranges, but are a little different in the fact that their bill is extremely diagnostic. Just look at it! Almost archaic in my mind!


The above photograph shows you how small these birds are in the water when you are close to them. Can you imagine what it is like when you are a far distance away. How many species can you identify in the photo?

Despite the terns being absent from the island a trip like this is a major adrenaline shot. By this time of the trip I was barely standing since I was getting almost no sleep. Nevertheless, this day I was awake like somebody shot caffeine directly into me. I always try to do everything on these trips, but I manage to get home every time. I end up comatosed the next day after a wicked birding trip!

Optics tip: Always to make sure to clean your binoculars after being at sea. The salt spray can be detrimental to the coatings and the glass. With my Nikon EDG binoculars I prefer to run them under a water faucet first (given the nitrogen-purged chambers/waterproofness) to get the excess off salt off then use a nice lens cleaning cloth to gently wipe off any smudges and such. I hope this helps for the future.

Maine is a killer birding state, so I would suggest everyone make their arrangements now and get your booties over there. Thanks for joining in for my Machias Seal Island experience!