March 10, Dogfish Island to.. Little Hurricane, Little Roberts, Little Brimstone, Great Cormorants, Harlequin Ducks, Oldsquaw,

I got out for a ride March 10 with Kirk Gentalen, from the ferry channel by Green Island to Brimstone, by way of Little Hurricane and Channel Rock, Otter Island as well,  and Lanes Nubble,
calm and warming to 40 so so nice.

 

even the buoys were feeling cheerful,

Oldsquaw,

Mounts Battie and Magunticuk, the monument

Green Island, Black-backs on territory.

Drifts on Bald Island,

les canard Kakawi,

they must be thinking of tundra ponds and how to get there.

oldsquaw, grout bank on Hurricane beyond

 Heron Neck and Isle au Haut

Great Cormorants,  Heron Neck beyond

Heron Neck light,  Great Cormorants, setting on what looks like granite from Palmer Island,
they call it Palmer granite

Ilse au Haut, Lanes Nubble, Brimstone, Roberts, Otter, Little Roberts

oldsquaw infront of Little Roberts, Roberts and Otter behind

Oldsquaw, in front of Hay Island and Isle au Haut

Lanes Nubble

Otter Island

 

The end of Little Roberts and Otter Island

 Great Cormorant Early Spring breeding plumage is splendid, these photos do not compare to a good look in good light,  "a vision of heavenly beauty"

this is an stunning and intelligent species.

We saw about 12 total during out 3 hour tour,  no sub adults

Unfortunately the population is down to @50 pairs in '014, and has been declining since '92

the white nape feathers don't last long

Harlequins, at Otter Island,

there were lots of Harlequins out there

 sea mice,

Raven tree Otter Island, a few Harlequin on the shoreline

Cormorant roost on Otter Island

cryptic in the backwash

Great Cormorant, Saddleback  Duck Harbor mountain Isle au Haut

 Isle au Haut, Saddleback ledge, Great Cormorant on Holden ledge

Great Cormorant,

Brimstone

Tumbolo beach

Cormorant Roost Brimstone

our most dependable alcid the incredible Black Guillemot

A more stalwart alcid this region lacks

Robert's Island

Horned Grebe

A whistler in Sands cove

get a team together and give me a call these ducks will be around a while longer and seeing the spring plumage Great Cormorant is worth the trip