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Seabird Island News - Vol. 15 - 07 August 2024

Seabird Island News Banner - Volume 15

With Jenny, Outer Green, and Stratton Island teams making their way to the mainland, only the three puffin islands remain open. The tern colony on Seal Island NWR is nearly empty and Stratton Island terns are beginning to gather on the south side of the island, sure signs the season is coming to a close. Teams will remain deployed on Eastern Egg Rock, Matinicus Rock, and Seal Island for a few weeks longer, only coming to shore for the Gulf of Maine Seabirds Working Group meeting later this week.

Atlantic Puffin on Matinicus Rock
Atlantic Puffin feed rate studies have come to a close on Seal Island and Matinicus Rock. A slow Atlantic Puffin diet study saw Haddock, Redfish, and Rough Scad. A Matinicus Rock puffin was seen delivering Rock Gunnel, a foraging favorite of Black Guillemots. Photo: Matinicus Rock
Outer Green Island sees an Orchard Oriole
An Orchard Oriole was seen passing through on Outer Green Island. Photo: Outer Green Island
Eastern Egg Rock Team, ready for grubbing
Grubbing is a serious business! Researchers on Eastern Egg Rock suited up with flashlights, headlamps, and grubbing sticks to band as many pufflings as they could reach. Photo: Eastern Egg Rock
Black Guillemot Chick with white wing patches showing
As Black Guillemots get closer to fledging, the distinctive, white wing-patches they’re famous for begin to develop. Photo: Outer Green Island
Coco from Eastern Egg Rock, with a puffling
Fully feathered pufflings, like this one grubbed by Egg Rock Research Assistant, Coco, are being banded in preparation for the fledgling. Photo: Eastern Egg Rock
Flo, the 2022 puffin cam puffling, returns
Flo, the 2022 puffin burrow cam puffling, was seen (bottom left) on the loafing ledge cam sporting its red band. Photo: explore.org
Seal Island’s resident Peregrine Falcon
Seal Island’s resident Peregrine Falcon was seen on August 6th on the Puffin Burrow Exterior cam, looking slightly bedraggled from the rain. With most of the island’s terns already on their migratory routes, it sat relatively unbothered for about an hour and even regurgitated a pellet of bones and feathers onto the rocks. Photo: explore.org viewer Rena

For additional news, please visit the Seabird Island News index page.

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