Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report

September 2, 2025!

Supported by VLT, MCHT, & U!

‘Question ‘pssh’ing’’

 

Highlights – Humpback Whale, Harbor Porpoise, Ocean Sunfish, Otter with young, Phantom Crane Fly, Red Crossbills, Wood-Nymphs, so more!

 

Business – This is the official ‘VSR! the reboot’ reboot, and the entire VSR staff is excited and pumped (and all that) to getting this here blog rolling again.

 

From the beginning the goal of this blog has been to have a semi-regularly posted place to share what folks been seeing nature wise on and around Vinalhaven (and yes, that includes North Haven, ferry rides and Seal Island!).

 

Puffin and youngster
photo by John Drury

Over the years, loads of people (more than 5!) shared their nature photos and sightings here and that has been great. With this in mind, we are ‘re-opening the lines for sharing’ so to speak, and ask that if you have anything you’d like to share please send to vinalhavensightings@gmail.com . We also ask for your patience with our (the royal ‘our’) response time.

 

Wilson's Storm Petrel
from the ferry

While we are at it – we are making an email list (a new one - old one is gone, rest its soul), one that I will send an email announcement to every time one of these things is posted. Very rarely will you ever get an email about anything else from this address (vinalhavensightings@gmail.com).

 

Send email addresses to the email above If interested in getting on this exclusive list!

Tiit trick - click on the photos to make them fill yer screen! If you dare!

solitary sandpiper

VLT Bird Walks – every Thursday, 8am at the VLT HQ/Skoog Park parking area (to carpool!). Bring yer binos, good attitudes and come and check out what’s happening with the VH bird scene at a couple of local hotspots. Never know what’s going to turn up! Now through the end of September? Into October?

 

The Vinalhaven Land Trust has a robust schedule of walk/talks offered during the summer and throughout the year. Go to https://vinalhavenlandtrust.org/calendar

to see more of what’s being offered.

 

Ghost Pipes

Sightings – Let’s get at it!

 

North Haven River Otters! – Bouzha Cookman and Bill Lehr were nice enough to share a video they took of a River Otter mother being flanked by her three pups! The youngsters can be heard chirping as they stick close to the mom.

 

This was an extended session with the otters and in salt water no less! (Always fun to see River Otters in salt water!) Bouzha and Bill mentioned they watched for many minutes as the otters worked the shoreline. While otters are mostly active at night, they certainly can be active during the day – and when there are active pups involved – any time is the right for a family otter adventure.

 

Keep yer eyes peeled when around any body of water – even vernal pools on the smaller side of medium. If there is water, otters know about it and have visited it! And will return!

 

Thanks to Bouzha and Bill for sharing! Legendary sharing - mother otter with three pups!

 

Black Swallowtail

Keep yer eyes peeled when around any body of water – even vernal pools on the smaller side of medium. If there is water, otters know about it and have visited it! And will return!

Thanks to Bouzha and Bill for sharing!

 

Captain Oakley Jackson of Osprey Adventures was kind enough to send in a few video clips (and a photo) from recent tours he has given. The Osprey heads out of North Haven and can get about anywhere in Penobscot Bay (and beyond probably).

 

Anyway – Oakley got these fantastic clips of a Harbor Porpoise being ‘friendly’ and hanging close to the Osprey for a period. Kinda makes you wonder what was going on below the surface, for a porpoise to hang with a boat.

 

I have a dream of seeing a porpoise getting attacked by a Great White Shark. And in that dream, I am watching it all happen from the ferry. That would be a remarkable tour on the Osprey – legendary tour even! And a ferry ride for ages! A Harbor Seal getting attacked would be accepted as well. 

 

Mola mola
photo by Oakley Jackson

from the Osprey - Holey Mola mola!

 

Here is a quick bit about the ocean sunfish –

‘One of the largest bony fish in the world ‘

 

‘Adults typically weigh between 247 and 1,000 kg (545 and 2,205 lb). It is native to tropical and temperate waters around the world. It resembles a fish head without a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long when their dorsal and ventral fins are extended.’

– lifted from Wikipedia

 

Good stuff Oakley! Thanks for sharing! If you are interested in cruising around the Fox Islands (and beyond) contact Oakley! (email: Oakleyj4@gmail.com, phone: (207)701-1815). On the Instagram too as (@osprey_adventures) .

 

Hang in there! – this is to remind you to not give up. This Cicada eventually got free on its own. You got this.

 

It was loud, but not as loud as that earthquake the other day. Sorry to have missed.

 

Red Phalarope
photo by John Drury

Sightings from Skua – Captain John Drury (johnbdrury@gmail.com ) runs boat trips out to Seal, Matinicus Rock and to islands in the Vinalhaven archipelago and was kind enough to send in photos from recent trips.

 

 

 

Humpback Whale breaching
Photo by John Drury

Peregrine Falcon and Tern #1
Photo by John Drury

Here's a pair of amazing shots that deal with Peregrine Falcon/Tern dynamics

Peregrin Falcon and Tern #2
Photo by John Drury

... and #2

Razorbill, Common Murre, Atlantic Puffin
Photo by John Drury

John leads the best pelagic tours around.

Humpback waving
Photo by John Drury

For more information about trips on the Skua contact John at (johnbdrury@gmail.com ) .

More from John in the next VSR! 

Thanks John! 

Phantom Crane Fly

What’s your favorite local Crane Fly you ask? Well, we are all always impressed when we cross paths with the Eastern Giant Crane Fly (Pedicia albivitta). There is always an audible reflective response– an ‘ahhh’ or ‘ohh’ or a loving ‘ewww’ – that accompanies these sightings.

 

And not that I am necessarily a ‘Crane Fly Guy’ or anything like that (I mean, I do like ‘em), but I’ve been respecting the Eastern Phantom Crane (Bittacomorpha clavipes) since seeing one back in ’97 in Ohio! 

 

I didn’t see another on for 20 years – that is largely on me – and then it took another 4 years to see a third. Not that they are rare or anything, my eyes just did not see em for long stretches.

 

Anyway - and boy was I happy when I went to Tip-toe Mtn. in August and crossed paths with 4 Phantom Crane Flies at one time! That’s right – more than doubled my life list (‘Life list’ – what a funny concept – Ha ha!), or more specific, more than doubled my personally ‘knowingly observed’ Phantom Crane Fly tally in one session. Bottom line – it was cool.

 

I’m not sure if I’d seen them land before – ‘usually’ (or the first three times I saw them) they are flying around, with impressive vertical posture and their white and black legs extended, giving a floral feel to the scene.

 

It’s easier to ‘get ‘em in focus’ when they land, and so here’s what we have here. 

Time at the cesspool

Bladderwort with full bladders
this one is for Javy! 

Amy Palmer tells me not to call things 'cesspools' since I don't really know that truly means and some people may not like bodies of water being referred to as such.

What's that floating by the bladders?

I am not a 'big' swimmer in general ('twas an awful lifeguard back in the day), but any water that I wouldn't go in because it looks gross (be it algae covered, trash-laden or so low and oxygen poor that my second fear (way, way) after sharks, the fear of bacteria rises up (not really an issue, just in the back of my mind)) I call a 'cesspool'. a 'VSR cesspool'.

Got dead Green Frog tadpoles? It's a VSR cesspool!

Green frog tadpole
One of 2 dead ones seen

Anyway, I lovingly call them 'cesspools' knowing full well that there is a lot of life thriving there. And then I do my one scoop (the one scoop rule!) and see what turns up. 

At the cesspool by the Fox Rocks/Middle Mountain the other day (8/27) this juvenile Spotted Salamander was chillin' and doing well. And that Green Frog never flinched, even with my one scoop near 'em. Plus the best view of a Solitary Sandpiper I've had in years, if not longer. 

Pays to visit your local cesspool. 

Everywhere I go – part of my gig with MCHT has me monitoring easements, which means that for a short stretch of the year I get to visit Vinalhaven and don’t ‘just’ go to the preserves I steward. Three species of birds I have heard at each property I’ve visited have been Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch and Red Crossbill.  

 

All three species are cool and all three are ‘irruptive’ species, ("Irruptive" describes something characterized by sudden, large, and often unpredicted movements or changes, such as an animal population suddenly increasing in an area)’. While Goldfinch and Waxwings are present every summer – with local populations larger/smaller connected to irruptiveness- Crossbill summers get a special note as they can be few and far between.

 

2008 was a summer of White-winged Crossbills – they were everywhere and in huge numbers – flocks of up to 75 were observed from Mia’s porch where we lived. Haven’t seen them in a mid-coast Maine summer since. See ‘em in winter – now that is a different thing.

 Each March Red Crossbills, (to my knowledge/from my experience), breed in small numbers on Vinalhaven.  As this somewhat early breeding time wraps up in May, adults and (eventual) fledglings will get into groups with other family groups - maybe up to maybe 20 – and then are gone by the time May wraps itself up. This is the flip side of being irruptive – disruptive? Deruptive? – and being on the tail end of a species irrupting to go somewhere else. ‘Where did they go?’ the children can be heard crying.

 

Red Crossbill eating grit

In 2021, right around solstice (June 20^th for non-pagans), mid-coast Maine (and beyond) were fortunate to be on the receiving end of an impressive irruption from beyond. Sightings were daily, and often easy and numerous, building up to an August full of fledglings and then – poof! – they were gone. ‘Irruptive bastards’ as they say!

 

2025 has been similar to 2021, with the exception that Red Crossbills are not as numerous (at least everywhere I go) but are still everywhere (or most places). In the last week or so I saw/heard them all along North Perry Creek, several places on North Haven, the Basin, Barney Point, and 31 Reach Road.   

 

I’m including a few photos and a digi-scoped clip of Red Crossbills I took earlier this month. They are eating dirt - or grit or small rocks. Apparently this is a way to not only add in digestion but also a way for the Crossbills to get minerals and other good things are the grit and rocks break up and pass through the digestion system.

 

A behavior ‘to watch for’ let’s say – I saw this across the street from where I live in St George 5 times over the course of 6 days, and my friend Kristen saw this more recently. Red Crossbills are out there, and are fun to watch.

 

Also – hey – good summer for Wood Nymph butterflies!

 

Recent visit with Mom!

in conclusion ….

 

We (the royal ‘we’) are psyched this here VSR is going again. However and whatever level you choose to participate with the VSR – be it from sharing photos and sightings to ‘just’ looking at the pretty pictures – whatever your connection is here we appreciate you. So thanks, and thanks for your patience.

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this VSR post. Come again.

And we'll see you out there!