Welcome to the
Vinalhaven Sightings report – December 8th 2014
Thanks to VLT and
MCHT for their continued support
“Otters are so easy”
 |
| awesome eagle shot photo by Sally Conway |
Highlights – Baltimore Oriole, Red-bellied Woodpecker,
Bald Eagle, Tree Sparrow, Kittiwake, Red-throated Loon, Great Cormorants,
Horned Grebe, otter stuff….
Last peeper of the year (so far) that I’ve heard – (11/25)
on Reach Road.
 |
| yes, it's otter time again! |
Business - Contact us – vinalhavensightings@gmail.com .
send us your sightings, your photos, your comments and your email addresses (one
per person should be fine). We don’t always check things right away, or get
back to people in the timeliest of fashions -an acknowledged flaw in the VSR
system – but sometimes we do. This last month or so has been a particularly
difficult one for the VSR and the internet. We appreciate your patience and
understanding. Should be all good now.
Upcoming event – owl’s head Christmas bird count – just
to let folks know I will be on the 7am
ferry on December 20th if anyone is interested in checking out
birds and stuff from the ferry. The last stretch of our route to Rockland is within the boundaries for the owl’s head
bird count but we will be checking things out from the beginning. Get your
thermos, binos and some warm clothes and be there! Lots of breaks to warm up if
needed.
A 2015 winter snowshoeing schedule is being figured out outing.
Let us know if you are interested!
 |
| this deer was an easy catch for the eagle photo by Jim Clayter |
Updates - Winter Moth Update
– So it’s that time of the year again, and with thanksgiving having come and
gone you know it’s just winter moth time. We have had a few significant snows,
some pretty damn cold days, and yet if you time things right you may see the
flight or have your house covered in moths. We refuse to write more than necessary about these bastards,
so please go back to Winter Moth updates
in the VSR archives – fall/winter of 2012-2013 should be about right for more information than wanted about
our local invasive who at this point in the cycle wants nothing more than to mate and procreate on your
deciduous trees (that’s right – YOUR deciduous trees!). Gross, I know.
 |
| Bald Eagles appreciate deer hunting photo by Sally Conway |
A well respected and pretty reliable source that “they” (the
winter moth “they”) were seen around Thanksgiving. No mention about flights or
number of moths.
(12/6) when returning from Lane’s after a big, phat zero (zeroes
mean so much) on the owling circuit I drove thru some notably noticeable groups
of moths both on Lane’s and along Armbrust Hill. Came home to Reach road to
find male moths on the windows. Seeing a bunch on the road probably means there
were more in the woods.
 |
| twas listening to my favorite Bob's Daughter song when I popped this photo of this pipit |
Word
has it that homes in the library neighborhood had a good night (for moths) –
with one house reportedly being “covered”. There are many definitions of
“covered” of course.
So the first question was (as it
was then) for you (the royal “you”) as follows – have you seen any moths?
Probably.
What you been seeing for moths?
 |
| otter spraint (get used to looking at it!) looks like a gunnel backbone on top of the mound of scales |
Big thanks - Thanks to
those who sent in photos and stories this edition. And for the record, the phone is not an efficient way to contact
the VSR staff, we acknowledge and accept full responsibility for our lack
of timely phone message checking. In line at the store is a better way to get
my attention.
 |
| Baltimore oriole at feeder photo by Alice Bissell |
Sightings – Baltimore Oriole – So Alice Bissell from over ‘Round the Mountain Road way had this young Baltimore Oriole visiting
her feeder recently. As far as “Sibley’s” is concerned it’s a “drab first year
female” – she’ll grow out of it, just a phaze. Or so I think….
“Has made quite a home of the feeder” implying it has been
there for an extended period of time.
Seems a little late
for Orioles (don’t it?), and Alice got some nice video too!
Baltimore Orioles
are often considered a welcome sign of
spring (as well as a sign of baseball
mediocrity) and are not often thought of this time of the year – especially
after a few early snows have come thru. A check in the charts in the back of “Vickery, Pierson, Pierson (and palmer)” has the Baltimore oriole
listed as a “rare” bird for the state of
Maine for 2nd half of November and then for all of December. Rare in this situation is
described as follows…
”averaging 1 to 4
present annually in the state during the period”
Which gets us to the second question – have you ever seen Baltimore Orioles at your
feeding station this time of the year?
 |
| hot female red-bellied woodpecker action photo by Sally Conway |
Red-bellied
Woodpecker – Skin Hill Sally got
this beautiful shot of a female
Red-bellied Woodpecker on her feeder recently. The male showed up not too
long after. Always a treat to see, Sally is the only one reporting these that I
have heard. Question #3 – have you seen
any Red-bellied Woodpeckers lately? Official mascot of the high ropes
course at Camp Muskingham on Leesville Lake wherever the hell that is….
 |
| a young Baldie gettin' in on the action photo by Jim Clayter |
Eagles – Skin Hill
Sally and Jim Clayter took to the basin recently (not at the same time I think)
and got some sweet eagle shots from the
bridge. The basin bridge is a classic carcass dumping area for leftovers
after a deer has been processed, and from the looks of the shots Jim got not
much of that deer was used!
Anyway, lots of eagles around – and lots of deer leftovers
for them to eat!
 |
| youngster on the wing photo by Sally Conway |
Other birds – Green’s
Island – John Drury reports a Red-tail and a woodcock – not together….Reach
Road – Creeper, Woodcock….State Beach – Pipit…
Otters – They are easy? Really? - There’s no
better way to reconnect with things after hunting season is over than to visit
your favorite otter latrine. “The message board etched in spraint” is the true essence
of what a latrine is. Such a regular
and reliable (pretty reliable I’d
say) part of an otter’s lifestyle - sniffing
and poppin’ poop out - if you find a latrine out here you can be
entertained for years. 
My favorite latrine is in old harbor pond and is perfect in
many ways. It’s an especially big one,
with 50+ mounds from multiple otters giving their “2 spraints worth!” It’s the
local latrine associated with an
established den that has had regular use for the last 4 years, and of
course it’s likely that it was used for many years prior.
The latrine has been used by the infamous “gang of four” otters for at least two of the last three years
and from what was seen on two trips the 4 may still be together (What?).
(11/22) – A pre snow visit found the
latrine loaded with spraints (70+ mounds), and scattered with the white stuff released from their anal glands.
(That is so gross - sorry about that – I only type that because I have to.) Clearly spraint from multiple otters. A visit
to the den area showed recent use - Spraints
in smaller numbers (maybe 20) and (at least) 3 active den openings being used.
 |
| "white stuff" |
(11/30) “Normally” I hold my complaint about missing the first good snow for tracking
for after the Christmas holiday (tis the
season!) but I am happy to announce my recent disgust at the first “good” tracking
snow happening over the Thanksgiving
holiday. Thanksgiving was great, don’t get me wrong!
 |
| not sure exactly what's going on in this picture but it definitely came out of an otter! |
Anyway, we (the royal “we”) saw what was coming (warm rain) and
was able to check out the old harbor
latrine and local den in the snow before any evidence was melted away. And
so we (the royal “we”) only had one shot at tracking with the thanksgiving
snow. This was going to be fun.
The local latrine was freshly marked, with amounts only a multitude of otters could leave (or at
least a handful – give or take).
 |
| snowcone |
Brown snowcones, and interesting shapes and patterns
found in bodily extracts frozen in snow leave were some of the highlights.
 |
| this is the route the otters take to get to sand cove. notice the muddy snow in the lower left part of the picture |
The waterway that really wants to connect old harbor pond to
sands cove also showed fresh (night before) mud and movement of what looked to be at least 3 otters - possibly
more, too hard to tell from the mud on snow. Cool trails marking a reliable route the otters take to the ocean.
The same rocks at sand cove that have been marked for the last 4 years were
marked again. You can’t tell me these otters are not “tooooooo easy” – Flight and Willie – “white men can’t jump”.
 |
| and "there they go", muddy snow telling tales of otter passing thru |
 |
| closer view of muddy trails ends up it was 4 or 5 otters |
 |
| how cute are these muddy feet? |
 |
| this otter's "undercarriage" was a bit dirty cool tail and back feet prints |
A visit to the den
turned up more information. Mud in
the snow told us that the dens were
pretty moist these days. One thing that turned up was that it was actually 5 otters moving from the den
area, 4 in the “main house” and a 5th in a “guest cottage” just
down the way – maybe 100 feet off. First use I have seen of this “guest
cottage”.
 |
| three entryways into the main den |
For VSR regulars, finding evidence of a group of 4 otters in old harbor pond should be no surprise. We
(the royal “we”) have been monitoring groups of otters in old harbor and
carvers pond for the last few years, believed to be the same group. It had been
assumed that this group of otters was a female and young. Here’s a quote from “Elbroch and Rinehart” mammals of north America”
–
“Throughout their
range the most persistence social unit is a mother and her young, although
other social groups are possible”.
 |
| dirty hole |
These “motherly”
relations last 9 months to a year or so. This group has been running for
possibly three years at this count. So what’s the big deal?….well… here’s more
from “Elbroch and Rinehart”
“In coastal Alaska male
otters in particular are highly social, with most forming groups and only a few
remaining solitary. There groups can be quite large and last for multiple years
and they appear to improve otter feeding opportunities rather than provide
protection from predators. I northern California male foraging groups along the
coast consisted of 6 to 8 males that
stayed together year-round. They hunted together, shared food and dens, and
played with and groomed each other”.
 |
| otters are our favorites, but we don't play favorites |
Alright – so we are not in coastal Alaska or California, but
you get the idea – “the gang of four”
might be a “gang of dudes”. The main den might be a “man cave”. We lost track of them last winter, but a den located
between mack’s pond and cedar pond showed evidence of use last winter (200+
spraints found in last spring at the den).
Anyway, the coolest thing about otters being easy is that it’s
only to a certain extent. We will never know what the genders the members of
the “gang of four” are “aligned with”, and how could we? Otter sign is
reliable, but only so much information is really shared. Get ready for lots
more pictures of otter poop! Tis the season!
 |
| great corms - this one is for john |
Ferry Rides - We
were spoiled in early November with
the impressive numbers of birds seen along the ferry ride. As of late I have
been on some pretty tame rides - tame bird wise I mean, with early November in
mind especially.
I have made several trips and I have some lists, but lists
are boring. Not exciting. Highlights from the ferry rides – (11/25) – Horned Grebe, Black-legged
Kittiwake, 6 Great Cormorants, 40 Buffleheads, 7 bald eagles…..(11/18) small
number of Bonaparte’s gulls, northern gannet, black scoter, surf scoter,
bufflehead, surf scoter, old tails….have not seen a razorbill yet, might need
to ride the ferry more.
 |
| lego brownies are fun to eat |
Once again the VSR staff
will be on the 7am ferry 12/20 to Rockland if anyone is interested in doing
some from the ferry.
 |
| sir fangar's saber-tooth walker hard to get cooler than that! |
 |
| apparently star wars is still going on |
and what would a December VSR be without mentioning the birthday boy - Leif turned 6 on Dec. 3rd to a rockin' dance party/lego party.
see you out there!
