Monday 13 June 2016

[Maine-birds] Maine Audubon's "Seabird of Matinicus Rock" Trip Report, 6/10

Hey Maine-birds:

Last Friday, Maine Audubon's annual 'Seabirds of Matinicus Rock' trip ran out of New Harbor, motoring past Eastern Egg Rock and exploring waters out to Matinicus Rock. Despite the strong winds lately, the seas were fairly calm throughout the trip. A complete list of birds seen is below, but a few highlights included: a first-summer Black-legged Kittiwake on Eastern Egg Rock, not a typical plumage we see this species in. Five Red Knots were seen at Eastern Egg in the morning and again in the afternoon - seems like we find them here more often than not on this trip. Alcid numbers seemed low at Matinicus, especially for Razorbills which were absent from the cliffs (the presence of a Peregrine Falcon may have influenced that). Numbers of terns were average compared to past trips; perhaps more Arctic Terns present at Eastern Egg Rock which made for great comparisons with the Common and Roseate Terns also present there. And finally the number of Wilson's Storm-Petrels was impressive for this early in the year but perhaps not a surprise since we were already seeing them off Bar Harbor the week before. Thanks to everyone who came on this trip and especially to Captain Al and the crew of the Hardy Boat and Peter Vickery and Jan Pierson for their expert leadership!

**eBirders** I've started sharing the eBird checklists with participants that I have usernames for. If you haven't received them yet, please go to http://maineaudubon.org/events/seabirds-of-matinicus-rock-2016/ and click on the "Add to my eBird" links next to each list to add them to your account. Or feel free to email me directly and I can share these with you.

Common Eider (125; chicks too)
Common Loon (4; mostly immature)
Wilson's Storm-Petrel (90)
Northern Gannet (3; immature)
Double-crested Cormorant (171)
Great Cormorant (2; Matinicus Island and Shark Island)
Osprey (4)
Spotted Sandpiper (3)
Ruddy Turnstone (6)
Red Knot (5; breeding plumage!)
Least Sandpiper (1; Eastern Egg Rock)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (1; Eastern Egg Rock)
peep sp. (3)
Common Murre (47; Matinicus Rock)
Razorbill (122)
Black Guillemot (190; one at Eastern Egg Rock in the afternoon)
Atlantic Puffin (157)
Black-legged Kittiwake (1; first-summer bird at Eastern Egg Rock)
Laughing Gull (601)
Ring-billed Gull (1; uncommon offshore)
Herring Gull (202)
Great Black-backed Gull (47)
Roseate Tern (19; Eastern Egg Rock)
Common Tern (261)
Arctic Tern (491)
Sterna sp. (31)
Peregrine Falcon (1)
Barn Swallow (6)
European Starling (20)
Song Sparrow (2)

In other Gulf of Maine pelagic news, Chris Brown of Wildside Nature Tours photographed a LONG-TAILED JAEGER and SOUTH POLAR SKUA aboard Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co's Friendship V on 10 June 2016.

Good birding,


Doug Hitchcox
Staff Naturalist
Maine Audubon
207-781-2330 x237
dhitchcox@maineaudubon.org

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