[Maine-birds] MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT

I returned to the island on Thursday, August 24th.
The significant number of Puffins remaining was apparent but I didn't get much chance to roam around until Friday, the 25th.
Of particular note on Friday was the number of raptors, in particular HARRIERS, of which I saw at least 20. Lots of interaction from them, including:

one short-lived aerial scuffle involving 4 Harriers;

multiple attacks on prey;

two kills (1 sparrow & 1 Puffin);

several bathing & drinking episodes;

several instances of mistaken identity where clumps of dry, mowed grass were attacked and tossed about by young Harriers.

Much less noticeable were a Sub-adult EAGLE and an adult PEREGRINE FALCON which also spent part of the day on the island. Each made at least one kill.

Song birds were scarce, other than lots of SAVANNAH SPARROWS. No surprise there, considering the raptor activity.

The Puffins seem to be getting decent food and, judging by the incoming flights and birds on the water, there must be upwards of 100-150 active nests.

Saturday proved to be unusually slow for birds with virtually no overnight arrivals. The only Harrier that I saw all day was, I believe, a juvenile hold-over from Friday.

Sunday was vastly different from Saturday.
The day began with PUFFLINGS moving in the wee hours. I took 7 to the water and saw a couple others.

It would seem, from reports elsewhere and from what I saw, there was a major migratory push through Saturday night.

Even more than usual we are over run by Sparrows: primarily SAVANNAH SPARROWS but lots of SONG SPARROWS, too.
The bird of the day was a pristine adult LARK SPARROW that spent Sunday around our patio .
There has also been a nice selection of regular warblers, several R. THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS, several NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES, a couple BALTIMORE ORIOLES, a single female RED WINGED BLACKBIRD and a nice little group of CEDAR WAXWINGS displaying pretty much every age and plumage variation.

The Waxwings enjoyed about 3 pounds of grapes before a Baltimore Oriole arrived and asserted its claim. Eventually the Waxwings forced a stalemate and everyone worked to polish off another 2 pounds.
I put a single grape some distance away, with no other food around, and one of the Orioles found it within 5 minutes.

There was a single Harrier around all of Sunday which I strongly suspect has been here since Friday. It must be getting enough to eat but I haven't seen it nab anything.
The only other raptors to finish the weekend were a MERLIN and an adult EAGLE early in the morning.

I checked a couple LEACH'S STORM PETREL nests and found both chicks still completely downy but quite large. Leach's Storm Petrels have 2 months of growth and they typically reach 160%, and sometimes as much as 200%, of adult mass (ca. 45 g). The storm-petrel chicks then begin refusing meals and lose mass rapidly, fledging at an age of 60–70 days, when they weigh about 55–60 g. The chicks that I checked are about 6 weeks old and 3-4 weeks from fledging.

There have been a few MONARCH BUTTERFLIES moving through each day but as observed at Greenlaw Mountain, Sunday produced a large flight. During a circuit of the island I observed close to a hundred nectaring on PURPLE ASTER.
PAINTED LADY & AMERICAN LADY Butterflies are also present in numbers but other species are rare. I've only seen to SULPHUR sp. and a couple RED ADMIRALS.

Sunday ended with a single Puffling trying to climb the lighthouse and a chorus from Leach's Storm Petrels.

This morning (Monday, the 28th) dawned sunny with just enough haze to colour the sunrise and accent the very heavy dew.
Song birds are keeping low as a few raptors are making early forays. So far I've seen 3 Northern Harriers, 2 Merlins, 1 Peregrine and 1 Eagle.
There's also been a RAVEN or two and although not proper raptors they are distinctly predatory. One has just finished killing a Puffling and eating it on the lawn.
The patio and lawns erupt just as soon as the raptors move off.

I see the Lark Sparrow is still here, as well as a MOURNING DOVE from yesterday. New today is a FLICKER.

The first Monarch Butterflies were moving by the time the sun peeked above the horizon.

Shorebirds continue in small numbers, mainly SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS.
There are a number of (apparently) resident SPOTTED SANDPIPERS scattered around the island and there are random visits by other species, like the WINBREL that popped in yesterday.

Waterfowl is pretty uneventful.
There are lots of gulls, HERRING & GREAT BLACK BACKED; scattered CORMORANTS, both DOUBLE CREASTED & GREAT; a few COMMON EIDERS, apparently residents, with one late brood. The 4 ducklings are likely the same ones that I watched make their first excursion to the water about 6 weeks ago. They are still small enough to distinguish from their mother(?).

Marine mammals are normal. Scattered HARBOUR PORPOISE and a single MINKE WHALE were seen west of us on Sunday.
HARBOUR & GRAY SEALS are always present.

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