BOATRIDES FROM VINALHAVEN ABOARD SKUA

Sept 5, trip to 11 mile ridge, White-sided Dolphins,

some of what we saw that day

06:19, abeam of Heron Neck Green's Island,

great cormorant, drying wings from water, near Three Fathom Ledge, 07:22

Puffin with Mackerel, south of Seal island,

Sept 5, Vinalhaven to three fathom ledge to 11 mile ridge, back to Matinicus Rock.

Vinalhaven to Three fathom ledge,

06:00 Vinalhaven , 12 gannets passing,

three porpoise, +20 gannet, sooty shearwater,

Three Fathom ledge , 2 Great Cormorant,
Puffin adult with Mackerel and this years Puffin,

4 seals, 50 porpoise, scatterd,

Sooty shearwater, 2,

Greater shearwater, 1,

07:35,

fledgling puffin, we saw several of these

Greater shearwater,

Adult gannet,

07:35,

Greater shearwater: 16,
Herring gull, 3,
Sooty shearwater,2

Seal, 1
Porpoise, 15,

Puffin, 2

Black-backed gull, 2,

Razorbill.

08:00, 3 mile S. Seal.- 09:00

Greater shearwater, 7

Gannet, 5

Puffin 3,

Black-backed gull, 6,

Herring gull, 15,

Razorbill 5

Seal, 2,

09:00 5 mile South of Matinicus Rock,

I was surprised by a lot on this day, one of many surprises, was seeing razorbills out there, I guess it was a surprise because I had been out there in early September before and not seen them, this suggests that sometimes some razorbills go out there in early September and sometimes maybe they do not, this should not be much of a surprise.

Razorbills adult and fledgling

Razorbills south of Matinicus rock

two razorbills three reflections

we saw what i believe is a yellow bellied flycatcher it thought about landing aboard.

red or grey or thick billed phalerope

this bird seemed to be rowing with one oar,

09:00 5 mile South of Matinicus Rock,

Minke whale,

Herring gull, 15,

Gannet,

Phalerope 80,

Razorbill 2,

black-backed gull,

Seal ,

Puffin,

Yellow legs, 09:50,

7 herring gulls.

40 white sided dolphin,

11:03 ¾ of the way down the east side of the 11 mile ridge.

We encountered some white-Sided Dolphins, as we had hoped

the Salps were so thick sometimes I thought I could feel them increasing the drag on the boat.

the water was so still and clear, where there were no salps

the one above on the left has distinctive tail marking.

we went along together for quite a while, to me it wasn't clear at times if I was following them or if they were following me,

there you can see the salps,

the shadow shows the narrow base of the tail,

the tail is fine

This encounter left those of us on the boat feeling as if we had made some good decisions in life.

a couple of young black backs and a gannet, the gannets thinned out away from the outer island

common tern loafing on a burnt log.

11:03 ¾ of the way down the east side of the 11 mile ridge.

3 wilsons petrel,

gannet,

2 immature Puffins,

common tern,

a few young hering gulls.

batch of red necked phalerope

imm hegu and bbgu,

dozens of young gulls, 8of 10 herring gulls,

heading south with some enthusiasm as if there were rumors of something out there.

11:35

Wilsons petrel,

Gannet ,

harbor Seal , 2

12:09 turn NE,

Wilsons petrel, 2

8 lesser black backed gulls,

3 common tern,

12:37,

Other of the days surprises included, not seeing Leaches petrels out there, and all of a sudden there were lesser black-backs quite a few of them, out at the southern end of the ll mile ridge and we saw them all the way back to Matinicus rock and saw a couple ashore there with the other gulls.

Lesser black-backed gull

lesser black-backed gull, see the yellow legs

lesser black-back

lesser black backed gull, with black-back, and herring gulls of the year. I have seen lesser black-backs once in a while in the area, a couple a year maybe, but here was a batch of them, many and widespread.

some believe there is a breeding population in North America but I think that has yet to be documented. there has been one paired with herring gull on one of the Isles a shoals, producing hybrids for some years now.