Bird activity in the West Isles continues to build. The most recent arrivals have been hundreds of BONAPARTE’S GULLS that can be seen feeding in the tidal upwellings around Campobello and Deer island. A few LITTLE GULLS have been spotted in the area by another observer as well. There has been quite a few ARCTIC TERNS with smaller numbers of COMMON TERN beginning to show up in the area.
Whitehorse Island has been very busy with most of the HERRING and BLACK BACKED GULL chicks fledging in the last week. This draws lots of attention from the local BALD EAGLES and we have been getting some exciting views as they hunt the young gulls. As many as a dozen have been seen at the island at one time. The BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE chicks are doing very well with some of the earliest birds already fledging. It looks like the colony will be fledging a good number of chicks this year in contrast to past years. Good to see!
Alcid numbers have been up and down, we were seeing very good numbers of RAZORBILLS with a good number of father-chick pairs being seen after July 20th. A few COMMON MURRE and ATLANTIC PUFFIN have been sighted on most trips. Small numbers of GREAT CORMORANTS have also been sighted.
It has been fairly quiet for other seabirds. We did see 3 GREAT SHEARWATER in Passamaquoddy bay recently and there are a few NORTHERN GANNET in the area. At times we have been seeing good size groups of RED-NECKED PHALAROPES and the odd WILSON’S STORM PETREL and PARASITIC JAEGER.
Just reminder the the bird trip is set for September 27th and is filling up fast. Please call the Quoddy office at 506-529-2600 for details and to reserve your spot on the boat!
Cheers,
-Nick
Young herring gull testing wings
Great black-backed gulls with young
Arctic tern
Red-necked phalaropes
Herring gull fledging with pursuing adults, we saw lots of this behavior of young birds being attacked by adults during their first flights
Herring gull fledging
Arctic tern
Young great black-backed gull
Immature northern gannet
Great cormorant
Herring gull on Whitehorse Island
Herring gull
Razorbills
Razorbill father with chick
Group of gulls feeding on bait ball of herring
Peregrine falcon on Macs tower
Bald eagle pair on Spruce Island
Juvenile bald eagle in nest on Spruce Island
Common ravens on Whitehorse Island
Bald eagle on Whitehorse Island
Three kittiwake chicks in a nest on Whitehorse, first time seeing this many chicks in one nest.
Nesting black-legged kittiwakes on Whitehorse Island
Black guillemots on Whitehorse Island
Least and semipalmated sandpipers
Black legged kittiwake
Bonaparte’s gull
