Vinalhaven Sightings

take off.....hoser

Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report

March 15 2022

Highlights – Harp Seal, Otter from the ferry (finally!), Razorbill, Red-necked Grebe, molters including Black Guillemots, Pileated Woodpecker, Brown tailed Moth action, Harbor Seals,

Business – contact us – vinalhavensightings@gmail.com – send us your sightings, your photos, your email address, your concerns, your comments. Heck, this is the place to send in your photos of Limited Editions foods! Yes, we are those people. So share, its fun and I’ll be nicer to you. I mean, if that’s even physically possible.

brown tailed moth webs
arent any 'prettier' up close.
that is a judgment

Tiit trick – click on the photos to make then jumbo sized. If you dare

Brown Tailed Moth – webs, webs, webs. February was ‘Brown-tailed Moth Awareness Month’ or something like that. VLT did a great job getting the word out on BTM information in The Wind and with a live stream demonstration of BTM web removal. With things slightly warmer, the month of March is a great time to put that information into action, if you haven’t done so already.

harbor seals are 'easier on the eyes'

Walking the trails around Lane’s I removed over a hundred BTM webs, hoping to keep the trail BTM-free this summer. I’ve included a few shots. The webs are kinda lovely in a way. Way ‘more funner’ to kill than look at.

When they are in webs the chances of getting the hairs and associated rash is less – some say even impossible, but I don’t like to push my luck on these kinds of things. Clip, soak, destroy, repeat. Go get ‘em! It’s the most wonderful time of the year. In a way.

british soldiers
photo by Linnell Mather

Sightings – Linnell Mather was kind enough to send in these photos from a recent visit up Calderwood Neck way. British soldier lichens, Woodpecker sign and red-belted conks. The quote from Linnell

red-belted conks
photo by Linnell Mather

‘The mosses were so green and vibrant …. add in the dots of red of the British soldiers, and I was one happy hiker.’

woodpecker sign
photo by Linnell Mather

Thanks for sharing Linnell!

pileated Woodpecker
Photo by Banner Moffatt

Pileated Woodpecker – (3/7) Banner Moffatt sent in this visitor to his place up Crockett Cove way. Banner mentioned he sees them every month or so. The story with Pileated Woodpeckers on island is increased presence and numbers on island when compared to the 2005 woodpecker census. Always fun to see, and fun to hear about others seeing them around the island!

Harp Seal circa '05, in Vinalhaven Harbor

More from Banner – (3/1) ‘the inlet where Drinking Place Creek dumps into Crocketts Cove freezes up solid in cold weather and in the middle of the ice, hundreds of feet from any land or unfrozen water was a seal’. What seals like to haul out on ice in winter along the coast of Maine? Harp Seals!

harbor seals

I’ve dusted off this blast from the past of a Harp Seal on ice in Vinalhaven Harbor back in 2005. Probably the coolest photo I have ever taken from my own yard. But come to think of it maybe not.

Not necessarily an ‘every winter’ visitor to the island, Harp Seals are hard to pick out in the water, but are easy to find on ice, when there is ice! I’ve seen Harp Seals on ice around the island in the harbor, Pleasant River and in the Basin. In years where the ice was ‘lacking’ Harp Seals have hauled out onto island beaches for rest. Anyway – great sightings Banner!

red necked grebe

Ferry rides – (3/9) – Ye Olde-tailed Ducks, red-necked Grebe, Black Guillemots, Razorbill, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Eider, Common Loons,

love that razorbill

female ye olde

you are as good as an otter
keep telling yourself that

Cool molting Common Loons

love the feet

And different looks as the Black Guillemots make their way ‘Back to Black’.

little preening action

this dude is just about ready to go

Mammals from the ferry. Harbor Seals! We love ‘em unless we don’t.

thats the look.
the look of love

And finally after many winters of tracking river otters from the ferry I finally crossed paths with one (in the flesh). The results was just about the worst view of an otter I’ve ever gotten. I’ve included a crappy photo I took. But a bad look at an otter is better than no look for sure.

this guillemot sunk slightly before divng

In all honesty (refreshing, right?), I only saw the otter because it swam by a Loon that I was checking out. Another classic moment that proves/is evidence of the nature observation philosophy/law/’thing that happens’ ‘One thing leads to another’. Here’s the official wording.

Sure I am watching something (anything) at any particular moment, but as I am watching and appreciating I’m always looking to ‘upgrade’ my views if the opportunity arises.

ye olde gang

Just the way we roll. And an otter is an upgrade on a loon. Or at least you see them less? Let’s go with that. Add in the fact that the loon probably isn’t going anywhere. It was a fine choice to go with the otter, I may sound guilty but I feel no guilt.

Lane’s – 3/9 – while dealing with Brown Tailed Moth webs on the trails I came across a few of these Goldenrod Ball Galls. The galls are made when a small spotted-winged fly (Eurosta solidaginis) lays eggs on goldenrod in May and June. The eggs then hatch and the fly larva burrows into the stem. The goldenrod then grows the gall around the fly larva, which will then overwinter inside the gall. In the spring the larva tunnel out of the gall, only to return inside the chamber to pupate. And then, finally, emerge as an adult the whole thing happens again. Sometimes. In a fly’s ‘perfect world’. I mean, it must happen, but the gall balls I see usually have been tampered with.

Such was the case here. The galls I found this time each had been pecked open and the chamber emptied by a bird. I have watched Chickadees work these galls open, but maybe this was the work of Yellow-rumped Warblers as I’m not sure how many chickadees make their way to the sections I found these at.

Either way, a tasty (judgment) larva meal for an overwintering bird on Lane’s. Where the treats are limitless…..