Photographs taken on BOATRIDES FROM VINALHAVEN MAINE ABOARD SKUA, A 36' Jarvis Newman hull, driven by John Drury. Specializing in birding trips to Seal Island NWR off Mid coast Maine, a 3 1/2 hour tour, last Great Cormorant Colony in the US. largest puffin colony in Maine, Razorbills, Murre, Arctic terns, Black guillemots, Maybe a whale, More information at https://www.maineseabirdtours.com, johnbdrury@gmail.com.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
July 17 afternoon
Some Pictures from July 17 afternoon trip to Seal Island
Great Cormrants and Double-crested at Little Roberts
An Arctic Skua (parasitic Jaeger, sailing off,
Razorblls at Seal Is.
young Great Cormorant and Razorbills
Dowicher
El Tropical, tern escort and Dowicher behind
Tbird below Ed Jenkins Flag in is honor, Seal Is camp
A tern and Tbird
Fledgling Arctic tern
Common tern taking its turn as chaser
Eagles on Otter Isle on the way in,
the raven did a great job painting the loon,
Monday, July 14, 2014
Some from July 11
Fledgling
Double-crested and great Cormorant Little Roberts
Cormorants, Little Roberts
Minke Whale, (blackfish) in the bay
There Is a myth that the National Audubon Society "Saved" or "brought
back" or "reintroduced" Puffins to the Gulf of Maine. Though it was an
interesting effort that succeeded in re establishing a breeding
population of puffins on Eastern Egg Rock in Moscungus Bay, the truth is
that the program added about 3 percent to a population that had been
growing for 80 years and was also expanding geographically. They also
transplanted puffin chicks from Newfoundland to Seal Island but only
about 30 of the over 900 chicks they transplanted ended up breeding
there and after five years 90% of the Puffins breeding on that colony
were birds reared in the gulf of Maine.
It was an innovative program but it is important to remember that the only about 5% of the transplanted puffin chicks were ever seen again so if this were a rare species that result would have been more a disaster than a success.
It is disappointing that the National Audubon Society has chosen not to emphasize the reality of the story and have done nothing but nourish this inaccurate myth. Credibility is perishable, now if I read about the success of their efforts on another front about wich I have no knowledge I am inclined to think something uncharitable along the lines of "that information may similarly be self serving and inaccurate".
I believe that credit should be given where credit is due, that is that the growth of the Puffin population in the Gulf of Maine is the result of the efforts of the Puffins themselves, they have been working on this for generations.
The Razorbill population in the gulf of Maine similarly has grown dramatically in recent decades.
Murre, Razorbill, Puffin, ashore Seal Island, Murre too have been expanding in this direction for years, they are regular at Seal Island these days.
gulls trying to discourage young eagle, Otter Island.
Tbird and common Tern.
Roseate Tern with arctics, seal Island
the Lovely Manx North of Three fathom ledge
Manx, shearing the water
Murre in the Bay
It was an innovative program but it is important to remember that the only about 5% of the transplanted puffin chicks were ever seen again so if this were a rare species that result would have been more a disaster than a success.
It is disappointing that the National Audubon Society has chosen not to emphasize the reality of the story and have done nothing but nourish this inaccurate myth. Credibility is perishable, now if I read about the success of their efforts on another front about wich I have no knowledge I am inclined to think something uncharitable along the lines of "that information may similarly be self serving and inaccurate".
I believe that credit should be given where credit is due, that is that the growth of the Puffin population in the Gulf of Maine is the result of the efforts of the Puffins themselves, they have been working on this for generations.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
A Few photos, taken from the boat on a trip to Seal Island, July 3
Red-billed Tropic Bird, and blind
Full of ducklings
June 1 trip to Seal Island
Reb-billed Tropic bird over camp on Seal Island, with magnificent Edward Jenkins Flag
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