Grammy, grampy, daddy and me started at Plum Island we were looking for Sandwich Tern, Royal Tern, Gull-billed Tern and other rare birds! We started at the beach and this guy was there and he said the Royal Tern was here 5 min ago but no Sandwich Tern. Then we kept on going and it started pouring. We only got a Least Sandpiper that was new for my big year. We left Plum Island and we went to New Hampshire and we went to a marsh place and we saw some Great Egrets and the White Ibis was with them!! We went to Scarborough Marsh in Maine and at the bridge we saw lots of swallows we saw Barn and Bank and a Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Then we walked and saw a Tree Swallow and we saw a mink it was so cute and we saw a Little Blue Heron with the ibises and it flew off then we got lots of Saltmarsh Sparrows. We also saw a Stripped Bass on the bridge swimming, Our last stop we were near the hotel and we saw loads of Nelson's Sparrows!!!
Checklists
Parker River NWR, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
salt marshes s. of Rye Harbor, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, US
Scarborough Marsh, Cumberland County, Maine, US
Weskeag Marsh, Knox County, Maine, US
The next morning we took to a ferry to a Vinhalhaven island and we saw Common Eiders, Laughing Gull, and a lifer Black Guillemots. it was so foggy!!! After we got off the ferry we saw Captain John Drury waiting for us. His boat is the Skua. We went to out to an island called Seal Island. There were lots of Puffins, Razorbills, Black Guillemots, Arctic Terns, Common Terns, Wilson Storm Petrels, and some Common Murres. We got to see some porpoises! We also saw 1 Northern Gannet and it was the only one we saw.
On the way back we saw Bald Eagles on Otter Island. We saw seals on our trip! We also got to see the all white Great Black-backed Gull! It had no black or gray!
Checklists from Puffin Trip
Rockland - Vinalhaven Ferry, Knox County, Maine, US
Seal Island NWR (restricted access), Knox County, Maine, US
Otter Island, Knox County, Maine, US
Year Birds
Life Birds
Scarborough Marsh photo by Owen
Nelson's Sparrow
Great Egret photo by Owen
Snowy Egret x Tri-colored Heron Hybrid
Little Blue Heron
Mink
White Ibis
Owen taking photos of swallows on the Eastern rd Trail at Scarborough Marsh
Owen at Scarborough Marsh after his year Little Blue Heron
Owen after his lifer Least Sandpiper and White Ibis
Owen after his lifer Nelson's Sparrow
End of the night settling down before our big Puffin Trip with John Drury of the Skua in the morning!
breakfast at the motel in Rockland, Maine before the ferry ride to Vinalhaven
Owen on the ferry leaving Rockland
see how foggy it was? this was on the ferry over!
arriving at Vinalhaven
Atlantic Puffins photo by Owen
Razorbills and Atlantic Puffin by Owen
Northern Gannet
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Black Guillemot
Bald Eagle photo by Owen
Ivory Great Black-backed Gull
Owen and Captain John Drury of the Skua!
Contact Info For a Great Trip
John Drury
P.O. Box 267
Vinalhaven, ME 04863
P.O. Box 267
Vinalhaven, ME 04863
Phone: (207) 596-1841 (Green's Island) May-October,
Phone: (207) 863-4962 (Vinalhaven) November- mid April
E-Mail: johnbdrury@gmail.com, checked infrequently during summertime, best to call in summer
there is a gallery of photos I have taken from the boat recently at:
http://www.vinalhaven.org/image-galleries/sea-birds-around-vinalhaven-ph...
http://www.vinalhaven.org/image-galleries/sea-birds-around-vinalhaven-ph...
http://sightingsfromskua.blogspot.com/ some more recent better quality images here, I will try to post more pictures during the summer
Owen I want to thank you for taking the time to write about your birding adventures. I check in every week or so to see where you have been and to look at the beautiful pictures that you take. I love birds myself and enjoy watching them in my yard. I've been to Maine to see the puffins and yes that mink was really cute. Enjoy the rest of your summer and have fun with your adventures.
ReplyDeleteAnnmarie from Connecticut
Oh, and to Mom and Dad, great job!!!!! Reminds me of a little guy I had around here about 20 years ago. Enjoy every minute, before you know it they are all grown up.