Vinalhaven Sightings

Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report – June 4, 2020

Brought to you with the support of VLT and MCHT – Thanks to both organizations!

Highlights – Black Bear footage, Warblers, Seal Island report, flowers, ferns, orange peel cup fungus videos!, new otter latrines, owl pellets,

Contact us – with all the observable nature stuff going on around Vinalhaven it feels good to have a safe place where you can unload and share your sightings with other humans. Send your photos, sightings and whatnots to vinalhavensightings@gmail.com . The place to ‘be’ really, and to share.

Thanks to those who sent in photos and sightings! thanks for sharing!

coral slime mold!

Banner Moffat and Black-backed Gull wings

photo sent in by Banner Moffat

PSA – Hey there – welcome to June. Lots going on in the world right now, lots going on island as well. Staying with the covid theme….

The town has been posting daily Covid-19 updates and information on the town’s website – Check it out!

https://www.townofvinalhaven.org/home/pages/covid-19-resources

Black-backed Gull wings

Photo by Banner Moffat

See you out there. From 6 feet away of course!

Sightings – And so, at the time finishing touches and cleaning up grammar for this VSR it has been brought to the VSR’s attention that rumors and footage of a Black Bear swimming in the Thorofare have surfaced. We are posting the video here – and for those who aren’t fans of colorful language turning off the volume may be a good move.

PLEASE TURN VOLUME DOWN NOW...thank you

ancient June bug

photo by Jim Conlan

The sighting has been confirmed and accepted. Word is it’s a small male bear, and no one is sure how long it’s been out on the islands. Appears to be reclusive and will likely keep out of sight and out of trouble. Would love to find a bear track in mud on island! See what you can find, while not looking for it! more info reported as we receive…

This in from Jim Conlan – ‘The robin chick I accidentally dislodged in a crawl space. But put it back. The June bug came out of an antique kerosene heater that came out of an attic. I doubt the heater has been used for the last 75 years making that a very old June bug.

Robin chick - saved by Jim Conlan

photo by Jim Conlan

Ancient kerosene heater!

photo by Jim Conlan

Side note I got the heater up and running.’

bunchberry almost in bloom

Very cool and Thanks for sharing Jim!

young painted turtle

From John Drury - East Main St – Pileated Woodpecker

Seal Island - leaches storm petrel - heard and smelled.

Great cormorants – (5/6) 35 individuals on Seal,

(5/17) @20 nests, great cormorants and 20 nests Double- crested Cormorants, difficult count conditions.

On greens - Ruby crowned kinglet, blue-headed vireo, American redstart, black-throated green, magnolia, yellow-rumped, Nashville’s, and black and white warblers. Still most conspicuous warbler here has been Northern Parula.

John has been talking about American Redstart aggressiveness and mating behavior close to his home on Greens. Looking forward to more reports and hearing how the scene there develops.

Thanks John!

hermit thrush nest

photo by Beth Guilford

Pocus Point – Beth Guilford isolated with birds recently on Pocus Point and from her reports saw some beauties! Scarlet Tanager, Red-eyed Vireo, Black and White Warblers, and lots Northern Parula. Beth also found this beautiful Hermit Thrush nest! Thanks for sharing!

oak fern

Feeding youngsters around the island – lots of Golden-crowned Kinglets feeding youngster. Crossbills with young at Lane’s, by the Library, in the Basin, at Huber and Coombs Neck. Found 3 Hairy Woodpecker nests this week – (photos will hopefully be in the next VSR) – 2 in the Basin and one along Seal Bay. Now (the next couple of weeks) is the easiest time to find their nests – babies are consistently begging for food and will only get louder. Keep yer ears open for ‘em!

Warblers – Basin – Black-throated Blue, Black and white, Yellow rumped, Black-throated Green, Magnolia, Nashville’s, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Ovenbird … Lane’s island – every single Yellow Warbler in the world, American Redstart, Black throated Green … Huber – ovenbird, parula, black throated green, black and white

Common polypody/rock fern

photo by Erin Creelman

Also – lots of Alder Flycatchers, Catbrids, Cedar Waxwings, Winter Wren, Brown Creeper, song sparrow

white-throated sparrow

rock fern sori

photo by Erin Creelman

lady slipper flower last week

Flowers – Moccasin Flower, Pink Lady Slippers are getting on towards peak bloom, and many around island are pink and proud. Armbrust Hill has a healthy population towards the high point of the park right in town. The first ¼-mile stretch of the Huber trail can have an impressive number of lady slippers in bloom, some years numbering over 100. Still early but saw dozens in bloom this week. Love dem orchids. Can be seen at most, if not all preserves on island! Enjoy

gang of slipper

...did you know you can tell the differnce between pink lady slipper flowers by the veiny pattern on the flower...

...an easier way is to just follow the flower stem to the plant itself....and then remember where you were...

look for the random white lady slipper

same species, less frequent coloration

with last years seed pod

last years pod and this years flower

Twinflowers, lowbush blueberry, bunchberry, and starflower are in bloom as well.

twin flower

low bush blueberry

starflower

Orange peel cup mushrooms. Found these beauties off Wharf Quarry Road. The sound is my breath as I mimic wind to inspire spores to be forcibly released into the air. The “smoke” is the spores!