[Maine-birds] MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT

Light to calm wind throughout Saturday, combined with the sun and warmth to make a perfect late-season field day.
Sooooooooooooo............. I basically lazed the day away. Winter is too close to waste these days on (shudder) work.

Shorebirds are a constant these days. Not big numbers but nice variety. Two BLACK BELLIED PLOVERS, still in full regalia, highlighted the mid-day.
A couple of WIMBRELS, both Friday and today were likely different birds but several RUDDY TURNSTONES could be the same individuals both days.
The ever present SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS were joined by a handful of SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS today.
Along with the scattered LEAST SANDPIPER, there are also some remaining SPOTTED SANDPIPERS.

A couple of HARRIERS popped by late friday and at least one SHARP SHINNED HAWK stirred things up a bit.
Today there was a string of SHARPIES interrupting the happily feeding prey species.
An apparent 1st year BALD HEADED EAGLE has been keeping the gull population on alert for the past 3 or 4 days.

The variety of passerines has increased a bit. Along with the ubiquitous resident SAVANNAH SPARROWS, the following species were seen Saturday.

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD 2;
BROWN HEADED COWBIRD 1;
SWAMP SPARROW 4;
SONG SPARROW 3;
CHIPPING SPARROW 1;
OLIVE SIDED FLYCATCHER 2;
LEAST FLYCATCHER >6;
WOOD PEEWEE 1;
UNIDENTIFIED FLYCATCHER > 10;
YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER >100;
YELLOW WARBLER 9;
REDSTART 3;
BLACK & WHITE WARBLER 3;
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT 6;
UNIDENTIFIED WARBLER >10;
GOLDFINCH 8;
PURPLE FINCH 3;
DICKCISSEL 2;
BOBOLINK 8;
FLICKER 1;
WREN sp. 2.

PUFFINS are still carrying food and a few chicks are seen each night. Last night was about the best count for the banders with a dozen plus chicks processed. Tonight looks okay, too.
Unfortunately, we are seeing too many dead, apparently starved chicks and the captured chicks tend to be very under weight. I'd say that their survival is very doubtful.
I wonder if a lot of the fish that I've seen was just too big for the chicks? Wasn't there enough? Or some combination of the two? i'm leaning towards too big.
Nonetheless, nest checks are producing some very health chicks.

One very late RAZORBILL is doing well and looks to be on course to head seaward about a week from now.

An occasional BAT has been seen in recent days (and nights).

Butterflies are still very, very scarce but a few have appeared with the notherly breezes through Friday and most of Saturday.
CLOUDED SULPURS & CABBAGE WHITES comprised the vanguard with a couple VICEROYS and single PAINTED LADYS, AMERICAN LADYS & MARITIME SWALLOWTAILS both days. 

Seals continue as usual, with the recent calm, high, mid-day tides producing large floating sleep groups of GRAY SEALS.
They are especially apparent with their whale-loud blowing and vocalizations carrying considerable distance in the calm conditions.
HARBOUR SEALS are also present with quite a few pups around.
One of those pups presented a somber picture today with horrific wounds along its back. The left front flipper was disabled, apparently by a 8 inch long, rib cage deep slash across the back. There was a series of lesser cuts stepping rearward, the clear signature of a boat propeller.
Of note is a seal's ability to stop bleeding from such terrible wounds and this was no exception. Cut clean to the bone and laid open a good 8 inches long and 3 inches wide, I couldn't see a drop of blood even when the seal hauled out.

 

--
--
Maine birds mailing list
maine-birds@googlegroups.com
http://groups.google.com/group/maine-birds
https://sites.google.com/site/birding207
 
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Maine birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to maine-birds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.