Thursday, November 30, 2017

August 18, to Southern Mark Island, Saddleback, Eastern Penobscot bay full of LIfe.

August 18, great seabirding in eastern penobscot bay, the bay was full of life for several days mostly between Saddleback and the Western ear,  posted Nov. 30.

If you want to see some photos and hear stories about otters and mushrooms in our area, and so much more, check out KG's blog http://vinalhavensightings.blogspot.com.

one follower gushed " ...a more thorough enthusiastic and well illustrated catalog of Mustelidae discharge is unlikely to exist..."




The Mission this day August 18, was to document condition of the Great Cormorant colony on Southern Mark Island.


Went by Saddleback on the way across the bay, the terns were still there as were the Felonius Skuii,
arctic skua in pursuit of common tern
It was a rich year for life in the area it seems that fowl of all tribes raised lots of young, three fish hawks in Kimball Island narrows.
Southern Mark,  SW corner, Double-crested, cormorants on the shore, eagle in the nest area,
mostly almost fledgeling Double-crested cormorant, in a clump near the water, so they can try to dive when the eagles attack.
Herring gull trying to remove eagle from its backyard.
what had been cormorant colony on the Eastern shore,  all abandoned, this was where the Great cormorants had been.  This was one of three colonies of this species in this region, and this is the only population of this species in the US.  That leaves only Seal Island, where there were about 22 nests this year.



Lots of Seals over there, these were on the Eastern Cow Pen.

Back in Pen bay it was awash in wildlife,  here a gannet is about to hit the water

more Manx,  Manx shearwaters,  on every side.
diving gannet and one considering.
Wings of greater shearwater
Greater shearwater passing Saddleback
greater shearwater, Saddleback Ledge
dogfight for a fish, with landscape
there were several of these arctic skua this day,  it was a great 4 weeks of Skuaing,
skua, tern, petrel, and maybe a sooty shearwater?
Skua, tern, and wings of greater shearwater I think.
Saddleback Ledge,  providing a roost for newly fledged terns and their handlers, probably Seal Islanders.
Fledgling common tern.
The Horn that gull is setting on emits an intolerable siren every 20sec or so, I guess that gull is showing just how rugged it is.
Manx
mank
there were sooty shearwaters out there as well.
Manx
Razorbills and small minke whale
Small Minke whale and Razorbills
Sooty and greater shearwaters on takeoff
razorbills, manx, fledgling tern, and gannets. It was busy out there
I shut the boat down and drifted for a while, I heard an unfamiliar squealing,  it was a young razorbill begging, the adult gave a deep call back.
as I am sure that i have mentioned this was a great year for young Razorbills, judging by how many i saw and that I saw them for weeks.
the sea was roiling with fishes
Common tern
a dark felonius skua
Pagalo parasito oscuro
two Skuii, one dark one pailer
a ledge near Lanes Island.

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