The late day push of raptors which I anticipated for Monday didn't materialize; only PEREGRINES all day. My best guess is that there were around 2 dozen of the falcons which moved through, with the last one seen headed towards Grand Manan well after sunset.
Tuesday was also raptor-less, save one PEREGRINE that I spotted on Gull Rock. From its behavior it seemed likely that it snared an alcid, probably over the water, and settled down on the rock to dine.
PUFFINS!!!!!
The first few dozen appeared Sunday afternoon, more or less mixing with rafts of RAZORBILLS & MURRES.
Again Monday, no ALCIDS came ashore although there were a few thousand rafted around the island.
Tuesday, the 12th, there were continuing rafts of alcids and Puffins are got up to perhaps 200 and some of the Razorbills were grouping tight to shore, right at the surf line.
Among their many little variables and quirks, the Alcids seem to favor wet weather to make their first foray ashore. Although I would expect the Puffin numbers to swell a bit more before their landing wave, Tuesday turned slightly wet and many of the alcids elected to come ashore.
The alcids have definitely gone "off script" this year, though. Or maybe it's just that subtle things in years past are pronounced this year.
Normally, at the beginning of the breeding season, there is a sudden (within 1/2 hour), mass landing on the island but this year it's been somewhat tentative and "ragged", with a bunch of birds arriving quickly but a large number just filtering in, sort of randomly. Significant numbers have remained on the water and the total number of birds around and on the island is significantly below expectation.
Landings on the island have been both earlier in the day and later, compared with their usually predictable, very punctual window, which is just slightly before sunset.
Tuesday they came in about 11am and several thousand strong and they stayed for the day.
The biggest and core area, the southwest/west of the island, had a few thousand alcids but so far the Puffins are outnumbered better than 50 to 1.
Even more notable (and ominous), the Razorbills are continuing their year-by-year occupation of Puffin nesting habitat.
Differences between "communities" or colonies of birds are very pronounced.
The southeast, east sections of the island have not yet had a single bird. The northwest segment populated for the first time on Tuesday afternoon. The northeast area has a hundred or less Razorbills and a couple Murres but no Puffins.
Most of the alcids trickled away over Tuesday night. A few, (mostly Puffins) emerged from underground at full light this morning and the main population came back ashore just as the sun prepared to peek over the horizon. Within 2 hours nearly all have again returned to the water.
Tuesday there was a strong wave of FLICKERS with dozens on the lawns and around our buildings.
With all of the Flickers and a good number of ROBINS, I wouldn't want to be an insect around here and definitely not a worm. At one point there were 9 Flickers on the patio.
I'm seeing a lot of Flicker fights and posturing: male on male, male on female, one on one and up to 4 together in a scuffle.
Flickers start looking for night roosts before sunset and out here, with no trees or even shrubs, that means searching out any nook or cranny they can find. Windows and doors with ledges or screens are favorite targets. At last light, yesterday, a quick survey found that 57 Flickers, of the estimated 150+ on the island, were hanging off our various buildings, trying for a bit of shut-eye.
I forgot to check over our kitchen door before I opened it around 2 am to check the weather. A startled Flicker ended up inside the entryway.
I managed a quick capture and release but not without some raucous protests.
For anyone who has never heard a distressed Flicker, think something a few decibels above a PEACOCK and rivaling those grand champion screamers, SANDHILL CRANES.
Also arrived on Tuesday: a couple SAPSUCKERS; several PHOEBES (estimated 2 dozen); dozens of mainly GOLDEN CROWNED KINGLETS; a couple COWBIRDS; a few PURPLE FINCHES and a LOT more JUNCOS.
Several Thrush sightings were all presumed or verified HERMIT THRUSHES.
There have been at least 2 BROWN CREEPERS working our building foundations for insects and I had to evict a RUBY CROWNED KINGLET from our basement.
One Sapsucker sat and hammered on the Authorized Personnel Only sign on the lighthouse door for a good half hour. I had to approach to less than 4 feet before it accepted the idea that it wasn't authorized.
Sapsuckers and Creepers, were still around this morning (Wednesday), actively probing every crack and crevice.
I spent some time with both species while the light was warm this morning. Neither species are bothered much by humans but they can both still be challenging to photograph while foraging.
The Creepers rarely stop moving so they are more like shooting flying birds and they seldom present any angle except their back.
The Sapsuckers are much easier to shoot, once you adjust to their annoying habit of getting way too close. They will sometimes literally climb on you in search of insects if you present as non-threatening. One this morning hopped across my legs while I was seated on the boardwalk. It was a tense moment as I wondered whether he was going to peck through my trousers.
A immaculate male WOOD DUCK popped by yesterday, late afternoon, to check our "pond" and have a drink. He reappeared this morning, well before sun rise for another drink and a few nibbles of fresh greenery. He proved to be very approachable but seemed uninjured and healthy. That makes me think he's been exposed to people a good bit.
Gulls on adjacent Gull Rock and on MSI have hit upwards of 3,000 at times over the past couple days, including a few RING BILLED GULLS (which we seldom see) and several GLAUCOUS GULLS. Presumably these and many of the HERRING & GREAT BLACK BACKED GULLS, are migrants. There is a high percentage of immatures.
The majority of the gulls which appear to be our local breeders arrived nearly 2 weeks ago and have been "sitting" their apparent territories. I've seen no evidence of nest building, yet, but it should start soon.
GREY SEAL numbers are up, with nearly 200 visible on Gull Rock yesterday. It looks as if there may be a few late pups being born, judging by the attention that the herd is getting from gulls. They rarely miss a clean-up opportunity when a birth occurs.
I am a little surprised that there haven't been one or two EAGLES hanging around, too.
They usually keep an eye on the seal herd in the spring and early summer, when dead pups are likely.
Post Script:
After intense foraging yesterday and for about 4 hours this morning, it have become very quiet.
There's no sign of a predator and some birds are still foraging quite normally.
It appears that many migrants, most notably Juncos and Flickers, have departed as precipitously as they arrived.
There are of course, some that will stay a bit longer, maybe even days, and some more will likely arrive today.
Nonetheless, the contrast between the morning and the midday is like closing a door on a noisy party.
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