Vinalhaven Sightings

Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report – June 18^th, 2018

Brought to you with the kindly support of MCHT and VLT

Highlights – Ancient Murrelet, Red-billed Tropicbird, Red crossbills, mushrooms including Dye makers Polypore, Mourning Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker, and so much more!

motherly love

Business: contact us – hey – ain’t too proud to beg – send us your sightings, photos, nature reports, whatever– you name it, we’ll take it! vinalhavensightings@gmail.com . Sharing is good, so be good and share.

Tiit Trick – click on the photos to enlarge. They’ll fill up your screen magically! But it’s not magic, like it’s not magic that I can be in the middle of nowhere and talk on a cellphone with my mom in South Carolina. You can tell me the science behind it, but you can’t convince me witchcraft is not involved.

Upcoming events – Vinalhaven bird walks – Thursdays starting on June 21^st, 8am at Skoog Park. There are good times to observe in the woods, and birds are a great window to learning about your neighbors (not human ones that is). Check ‘em out! Thursdays from now through the end of summer! Who else is looking forward to the end of summer? Just kidding.

Off island – “Nature Bummin” - St. George Historical Society - June 28, 7pm at the St George Grange at Wiley’s Corner. The historical society was kind enough to invite me to speak at their next meeting which happens to be next Thursday! Should be a fun show – and there is a potluck before the meeting – at 6pm. With a title like “Nature Bummin” the show will ride the spectrum of nature topics and kingdoms to the fullest. Whatever that means. If you are on the mainland swing by!

Side plug – Seal Island is a sea bird nesting island like no other, and no one can take you on a tour like Captain John Drury on the Skua. Spaces are filling up quickly so contact John today to make your reservations for the “trip of a lifetime” (I just made up that quote – but it is an awesome trip). Contact John through his blog – sightingsfromskua.blogspot.com .

red-billed tropicbird

Sightings - we ain’t too proud to brag either – this in an historic VSR, as we (the royal “we”) can honestly say there has never been a post that included the tri-fecta of Ancient Murrelet, Red-billed Tropicbird and Red Crossbill. In fact, I am going to be so bold as to say there have never been any nature posts from anywhere where all three of these species are reported. So you have to ask yourself – do you feel lucky? Well, do you, punk? You should! Anyway, let’s get going..

black guillemot

Seal Island – few reports have been floating in from Seal, but John Drury “throws us a bone” every now and then and his reports always “hit the spot” (not literally). Along with the “standard” (just kidding) multitudes of Atlantic Puffin, Arctic and Common Terns, Razorbills, Black Guillemot, Laughing, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls there have been recent sightings of both the Red-billed Tropicbird (local legend) and an Ancient Murrelet. VSR readers know of the Red-billed Tropicbird and its yearly presence in the Gulf of Maine (last 14 summers) with activities over the last 10 summers focusing on Seal Island. Quite a treat to see, or even just know about really, and his return is welcomed with open arms.

common tern with fish

Alcid lovers (you know who you are!) are aware that Ancient Murrelets are more of a northern Pacific phenomenon and that sightings in the Atlantic are few and far between. That said, an Ancient Murrelet was spotted at Seal Island last week, which makes the second Ancient Murrelet sighted in the three or four years. Could it be the same bird? Can this be a new tradition similar to the tropicbird? Is Seal Island big enough to accommodate both the Tropicbird and the Murrelet with their associated egos? Good times!

From the ferry – Seals and pups are the early June thrill from the ferry – for me. The teams of moms and pups seem to be breaking up – they grow up so fast!

Speaking of growing up fast – June is the “easiest” time to find woodpecker nests as young woodpeckers continuously beg and cry from their nest cavities from dusk til dawn (pretty much). I found 12 active woodpecker cavities this year – 4 on Vinalhaven, 8 on the mainland - which may be a personal record (it’s really all about me). 10 were Hairy Woodpecker cavities and 4 were. Downy. At this point the nests I crossed paths with are empty (what a syndrome!) So look (and listen!) for youngsters flying around and begging from their parents for the next few weeks. Good luck and welcome!

Pileated Woodpecker – Calderwood Neck - Walt Day reports a Pileated Woodpecker regularly visiting his property all spring. More and more reports of Pileateds over the last few years, they are everywhere on the mainland, only makes sense that they would be on Vinalhaven! Very cool news!

male Red Crossbill

Singing around the island – Brown Creepers have “turned it up a notch” in my time in the wood s recently – lots of singing. American Redstarts, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Ovenbirds, Black and white, Yellow, Black-throated Green, yellow rumped, and Magnolia Warblers, Song and White-throated Sparrows, Hermit Thrush, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Purple and Gold finches, Golden-crowned Kinglets….lots of song still being blasted in the woods and along roadsides. Seems like the Kinglets and Creepers may have moved on to brood two – good for them!

female Red Crossbill

Speaking of Red Crossbills – while “getting stuff” from the MCHT shed on Reach Road a family of Red Crossbills visited the few, heavily coned Spruce trees that are left standing on the property after the October wind storm. Actually makes it easier to figure out which they are in when there are only a handful to choose from!

youngster red crossbill

The nice thing about Crossbills is you know they are going to be really high up in the tree because they are going to be where the most cones are. The bummer thing about Crossbills is that you know they are high up in the tree, so observing and photographing them can be tricky. This group of a male, female, and youngster were somewhat user friendly and seemed to enjoy the fixin’s the tree had prepared in its cones.

sticky tongue

Check out the photos – the crossing of the bill is clearly visible and one shot got a quick view of a crossbill tongue which is rumored to be very sticky.

Basin Preserve – platform trail – young Hayscented Ferns are a favorite kind of green. Hope folks are getting out to see that color!

Macks pond trail – young, developing Dye-makers Polypores are slowly growing mushrooms on a log that lays across the trail (who’s the steward over there anyway?). I didn’t have the heart to cut up and remove as the Dye-makers has grown on this log in years past – when the tree was perpendicular with the ground. Anyway – Dye-makers often bloom in the same spot for years so check out your favorite Dye-makers spot…especially with the (little) rain we’ve gotten. Could use some more!

On the mainland – bike rides – they have been good – a four woodpecker nest ride hit the spot.

Couple other highlights – mushrooms – Oyster mushrooms love late May rains ad have been numerous on Big-toothed Aspen

And on father’s day I rode to Rockland to meet up with Leif for our radio show (every Sunday night on WRFR.org, or 93.3 in Rockland Maine. 7-8pm!) when I spotted this King Bolete (the king!) in a front yard in South Thomaston.

I think this may be the first time I have ever found a King in June, which is now one of my 12 favorite months to find a King! July for sure, September is even better around these parts – in California they were a January –March kind of thing. Well, anyway! Happy June everybody!

reptiles on the road – always love crossing paths with reptiles and seeing them from my bike and their actually being alive (rather than roadkill) just makes the experience that much sweeter for me (and it is all about me). Anyway, riding by an area in “downtown” Tenants Harbor called Ripley’s Creek I spotted this huge Snappin’ Turtle making its way from the traditional “mound in the middle of the turn around/parking area” towards a marsh called The Marsh and the safety of the waters held there within. It hung out long enough for me to contact Amy and Leif (thank you Verizon!) and they got to watch her make her way back to a more aquatic world. Very cool.