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The Vinalhaven Sightings Report is organized and edited by Kirk Gentalen on behalf of Vinalhaven Land Trust and Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Out and about on Vinalhaven, MCHT steward Kirk Gentalen reports on what he and others have seen in their travels. Contributions of stories and photos are welcome, and can be sent to vinalhavensightings@gmail.com.




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Sunday, November 13, 2016



Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report -
November 13th, 2016
MCHT/VLT supported!



Alright, I am working on the regular VSR - its coming along nicely, lots of photos, should be up in a few days - when the story below happened.

There is a ton of photos with this one, and I just needed to get these "out of the way" as Pat Lundhom would say. So this is the official....


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..Stinky chicken story, Halloween, and thank you Francisco Lindor VSR edition.....

 

that blob that the squirrel is sniffin' is the chicken

 
Chicken story (based on a true story) – this story takes place in tenants harbor!

one of the main characters in this story is a stinky chicken. A dead, stinky chicken. It's the one that woke me up from my nap (and I am a big nap fan). It woke me up from my nap with its stench.

 
 
little mouse dude coming down for a sniff
check out those eyes.
 
 
 
 
 
 

I came out of my room, checked the bathroom and then asked if some had pooped in the living room. Things were smelling so bad. . “it’s the chicken” Amy exclaimed.

even a grey squirrel came by
only tail showing
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
leif would have felt like this if he had eaten that chicken
 

“I am not eating that chicken” was Leif's firm statement that got the ball rolling on this project. There had been a short discussion of possibly cooking it, but the smell of the raw made it apparent that it had to go.

So I grabbed the camera, a flashlight and some latex gloves and went outside. Found a deer trail, found a branch, jammed the chicken onto it, put the camera across from it.

 



Went back the next day with Leif and realized a couple of the neighborhood girls might use a path close – like really close – to the chicken.  So we grabbed some gloves, took the chicken, found a different looking path, jammed (not jellied) the chicken onto a branch and put the camera across from it. This is all within 200 feet of our backdoor.










So we got the squirrels and the mouse over the first couple of days (photos above) , but then around 2:06am on (11/11) this Fisher showed up to take a sniff or two





then decided to come back a minute or so later to get a closer look....












...and that the chicken was his......












he made another check a few minutes later to see if he had left anything...


went back to the chicken











and that appeared to be it...until he returned 2 hours later...

check out those feet!








climbing, sniffin' and inspecting.....













the fisher made his way up the tree. the tail is wide at the base, reminiscent of river otters...















he then climbed back down the tree

















 Love the climbing down head first...





...apparently Fisher can rotate their hind feet 180 degrees so they can use their claws on the way down. they climb down with their hind feet pointing up.







that is my head






and then 11 hours later I got the camera




and so here we are. As some of you know, I am a sucker for river otters, but I think I may have found my next project. Tracking Fisher! (hopefully!)!!!! come on snow! cant get here quick enough!!!!

thank you Francisco Lindor!
this photo is sponsored by Taco Bell




and how could we forget!!!!! a big thank you to Francisco Lindor, shortstop of the Cleveland baseball team, who stole second base in game one of the world series. For some reason his doing that got Leif and I free tacos at Taco Bell. We wish he would steal second more often!!!!!!!!!





















and some Halloween stuff!


interesting times to say the least. be safe out there.

we'll check in with the regular vsr in a day or two....