January 14 trip to Seal Island, Seals and Purple sandpipers, eagle trax

we saw, a Puffin 2 mile north  of Seal, very rare this season,  25 eagles on Seal when we got there, many roosting close together.  400 gray seals,  2 glacous gulls, 2 icleland gulls,  a few song sparrows a savanna sparrow, 6 snow bunting, 400 purple sand,  adult peregrine,  morning dove?, 4 razorbills on the way in,  25 harlequin, Little Roberts,  several great cormorant, Oldsquawsquaws, loons, guillemots eiders,  shell drakes.

cold and vapor first thing,

 a few of the eagles @ 25 when we got there, they are there for the afterbirth and dead baby seals,

looking west to Matinicus, tent floors and seals

Big bad bull, maybe good?

Several pups working on the back porch

Sliding on the spoog pool

Skua standing by

Madre y hijo

Reddish bull

Looking west from the top of Murre head, Matinicus and No Man's Land

NE point of Seal Island, looking North east to Isle au Haut

Skua in the eastern bight, looking North towards Vinalhaven from Murre head

 

eagle tracks

 

 

 

Iceland gull, immature

Iceland gull, heron neck and Mt Meguntacook behind

she reminds me of the Hyena "Bloody Mary" from Jane Goodall's book Innocent Killers.

Dec. 16 Seal Island, Grey Seals, and Purple Sandpipers mostly

I took Chris down to Seal Island to set up the camera there that watches the seal pupping.

the pupping season had just begun there were some pups and a few females more males scattered around staking claims on areas.

Purple Sandpipers,

 a flock flew in near the landing, they are quite tame

 Horse head

 They have left their mote tower up despite the lack of receiver, there were 10 eagles on this end of Seal Island when we got there

 My understanding is that gyed towers can be a hazard to birds, seems as thought the Fish and Wildlife Service could lean the tower down during the 8 months there is no receiver on it, as this is a place rare birds congregate, kind of a eyesore as well.

Big bull waiting, not in vain

 There is the camera getting some attention

Skua,

 Purple Sandpipers

We also saw, 50 seals ashore, 10 or so new pups,  10 eagles, 150 purple sandpiper,  3 snow bunting, one song sparrow, 3 harlequin  at seal 8 at Otter, 4 gannet 6 kittiwake one iceland gull, red necked grebe, 15 Razorbill,  guillemots, loons and oldsquaws, mergansers and black ducks,