Saturday, July 21, 2012

07/06 - Atlantic Puffin Trip to East Egg Rock, ME

I finally made it out to East Egg Rock in Maine. My sister lives 10 minutes away from where the Cap'n Fish's boat departs from Boothbay harbor, but we've just never made the trip to see the Atlantic Puffin colony. It was a 2.5 hour cruise to the island and back. This puffin colony was completely eradicated by human activities (along with all other New England breeding populations) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but a huge and successful recolonization effort in the 1970s brought the breeding population back to the rock. I think it's the southern most breeding population of Atlantic Puffins anywhere in the world.

ATLANTIC PUFFIN
The island is also the home of other seabirds including the alcid, BLACK GUILLEMOT.



 COMMON EIDER
 We saw Common, Roseate and Arctic Terns all of which breed on the island. The trash bird of the day; COMMON TERNS
 A few WILSON'S STORM PETRELS
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTs with COMMON EIDERS

A lone COMMON LOON

HARBOR SEAL

Boothbay Harbor
 Rusty ole ship
 Lighthouse
 My neice, Madison birding.
I would highly recommend the Cap'n Fish's Puffin Cruise to East Egg Rock.

-K

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