This summer we were fortunate to be able to spend a week at a friend's cottage overlooking Lobster Cove on Monhegan Island in Maine. This small island 10 miles off the coast is known for its artists' colony (Rockwell Kent, Jamie Wyeth, Hans Moller, etc.) as well as the large number and variety of avian migrants passing through in the spring and fall. When we were there in August, it was relatively quiet in terms of bird life. The most numerous land birds were the Cedar Waxwings, several flocks of which we saw every day.
Sitting on the deck, I was able to observe various species of gulls and several Gannets diving for fish out in the ocean. Terns were present every day, sitting on rocks in the cove with the adults bringing fish to their young.
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| Sandpiper (Photo by David Durrant) |
At the small beach in the cove I sat on a rock and observed families of Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers. The casual observer would probably have walked right by these small shore birds foraging on the beach and water's edge, as they are so well camouflaged. I sat for almost an hour watching these birds darting around in the seaweed, gleaning bugs, and hopping on rocks. Several of them came within 3 feet of me while I was sitting at the water's edge, giving me a great opportunity to observe their plumage and different characteristics. You usually need a spotting scope to get this close a look at these timid birds.
In the water at this quiet cove were Eider Ducks, Black Ducks, and Mallards. One of the Mallards had five fluffy ducklings that were only a few days old and, again, by sitting still, I was able to observe them closely—in fact one inquisitive duckling came right up to my foot.
Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroats are present throughout the island. On one of our hikes we found two nesting pairs of Common Yellowthroats.
The only raptor I saw was a Northern Harrier. I was surprised because the usual habitat of the Harrier is salt marshes and fresh water marshes and fields. This large raptor is easily identified by a white patch on its rump.
The quiet birding was complemented by the opportunity to hear Stephen Kress, who had been invited to speak at a summer lecture sponsored by Monhegan Associates. Stephen Kress is the person responsible for the re-introduction of the puffin to Maine. We went to a presentation he gave on the reintroduction and current status of puffins on Eastern Egg Rock, as well as other seabird reintroduction projects. The last puffin nested there in 1885, and thanks to the reintroduction program, there are now more than 100 nesting pairs. The successful return and increase in the puffin population is dependent on managing the gull population—especially the great Black-backed Gull, the largest of our common gulls. This gull is a threat to young birds and eggs, as was dramatically shown in a movie we saw, of a Black-backed Gull landing on the ocean close to a family of Eider chicks and within minutes devouring all three of them. Stephen Kress and his reintroduction program have succeeded in deterring these predatory birds, enabling the puffin and tern populations to grow. For those wanting more information on the program go to http://www.projectpuffin.org/
Back home I have been watching our usual avian visitors and have enjoyed watching the young Red-shouldered Hawk that hunts our fields. Especially rewarding, was the fledging of another brood of three Bluebirds.
David Durrant lives with his wife, Pamela, on East Bare Hill Road at Micheldever Farm, where they watch birds—their own peacocks, chickens, and wild birds.