October 2026
Maine Coast Heritage Trust Supported!
Thx MCHT!
‘As Supportive as a New Pair of Knee
Sleeves’
Highlights: Black Bear, Ducks, Ducks Ducks!, Mushrooms, Praying
Mantis, Red-throated Loon, Shorebirds, Smooth Green Snake, Garter Snake, Owl
stuff, and so much more!
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| semi-palmated plover on the rocks |
Business: vinalhavensightings@gmail.com
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| rosy knows to wear orange! |
PSA – IT’S HUNTING TIME! WEAR ORANGE
(ORANGE) WHEN IN THE WOODS. Don’t tell us we didn’t tell yah! Flippant warnings still
count!
Share! – Hey – you got some nature sighting(s) or took a sweet shot or two of
an interesting, beautiful, smoking hot nature thingy? Why not share with
others who will appreciate your sharing! All the good reasons point to sharing!
Send sightings, photos, stories, email addresses to the email address
above and see your name in lights! Shane Carlson did, and his
legendary status is gunna shoot through the roof!
With that in mind – Big thanks to all who were kind enough to send in
sightings for this post – and previous posts as well! Thanks!
And thanks to you! For reading, skimming, or simply looking at the pictures. The
entire VSR staff appreciates your interest and your stopping by and checking out
these posts. Thanks!
Tiit trick – click on the photos and they will magically fill your screen!
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| black bear photo by Shane Carlson |
Sightings! – Black Bear!
– So – lots of reports/rumors
going around about Bear sign and the Black Bear triggering game cameras in the
woods. So many rumors – thanks to those who share ‘word of mouth’ rumors in
parking lots from Wharf Quarry Road to Lanes Island! - but with a lack
of ‘hard evidence in hand’ it was looking like we were going to have to ‘skirt
the bear issue’ in this VSR post, which would have been fine….
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| black bear photo by Shane Carlson |
…. but then you have a fortuitous path crossing with Shane
Carlson (always good to see Shane) between homewares and the health
and beauty section of Walmart (it’s where the cool people are). I was there
to pick out new knee sleeves at the most reliable ‘knee sleeve connection’
in the mid-coast, when Shane strolled by, we connected, and he showed me the
island bear photos his trail camera took a few weeks back! Fortuitous
timing!
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| back of the head photo by Shane Carlson |
Shane mentioned the camera was up for two days – to scout deer in the area for
hunting – when the bear not only triggered the camera but took interest
and eventually ripped the camera off the tree! Not getting into specifics
about location – so we’ll say the bear triggered the camera in the ‘greater
Basin area’. Can’t thank Shane enough
for sharing these!
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| river otter trail cam shot photo by Charity Reynolds Appell |
So, the Bear has now been on island for 5 months, with more sign found than actual sightings of the bear. Keeping to its own, New England Black Bears are known to be shy and mostly scared of people – so low sightings are not surprising.
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| deer photo by Charity Reynolds Appell |
…but hey – definitely want to extent a special invitation to folks (you people specifically) to send in ‘bear stuff’ to the email address above (and below)! Photos, sightings and stories – whatever yah got, it’s welcome at vinalhavensightings@gmail.com. Always! Maybe you’ll even be as cool as Shane. Maybe.
Thanks again Shane! Good luck with your deer hunt!
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| praying mantis photo by George Kendrick |
Insects We Trust! - Prey/Praying Mantis - George Kendrick was kind
enough to send in these photos of a Praying Mantis that he spotted on
East Boston Road October 12th.
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| praying mantis photo and finger by George Kendrick |
In his email, George noted that Preying Mantis are not native to Maine – he did the research! But yes, for how much love and adulation every encounter with a ‘P-mantis’ inspires, they are non-native, but also not considered ‘invasive’, so we dig seeing em. ‘Naturalized’ is what it’s called, and they are here to stay!
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| Mantis! photo and finger by George Kendrick |
Lots going on with these Mantii! Thanks for sharing George!
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| shamrock orb weaver |
Spiders – Shamrock Orb Weaver – I posted this clip and photo on Instagram
and people said it looked like a it was carrying a mushroom.
This one appeared to be searching for warmth and slowly made
its way to a patch of sun. Maybe moved 5 feet while I was there – a couple of
body lengths. Love to watch them move..
Garter Snake – (10/27) in the basin – this Garter Snake never
moved at all – frozen in time? Snake on ice? Just chilled (ha ha) as I took photos.
Literally did not move.
Saw another Garter snake a few hours later. That one
was warmed up and busted a move outta there. Yin and yang of cold bloodedness.
Either way is cool to me!
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| great blue heron on lanes |
Songbirds around island - John Drury reports recent Tennessee Warbler (10/29), Lincoln Sparrow, Red-eyed Vireo, Black and White Warbler, Palm(er) Warbler… Jay Manning reported a juvenile Common Yellowthroat on Lanes (10/27) … Janet Gohres reported juvenile White-crowned Sparrow mixed in with the strong numbers of White-throated Sparrows on island …. Loads of Yellow-rumped Warblers on Lanes these days … Blue Jays are acting weird; Crows are already in early murders …. A wave of American Robins has descended on the mid-coast this week…
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| yellow rumped warbler |
in the woods – Jay Manning reports multiple groups of Pine Siskins
seen in flight and heard around island, Red Crossbills could be heard
and seen in the Platform Trail area of the Basin recently, Brown
Creepers, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-capped
Chickadee.
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| gbh |
Ferry Rides – things are picking up! After a thrilling summer of
Wilson’s Storm-petrels & Humpback whales in the bay, ‘other things’ are
showing up and getting one bald observer excited for a winter of ferry rides!
And that bald observer is named me!
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| northern gannet |
Northern Gannets – Northern Gannets have been observable from the
ferry for much of October.
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| first year northern gannet |
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| gannets |
On a few ferry rides (at least) they could be seen turning ‘aerodynamics
into hydrodynamics with ease’ as they splashed into water. Several Gannets could be seen in flight at the
same time, and then dive one after another, with a hefty gathering of Gulls waiting
eagerly below. Gulls patiently waiting to pounce – so much to learn from
gulls!
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| adult |
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| first year gannet! welcome to Penobscot Bay! |
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| rainbow of gannets |
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| bonapartes |
Speaking of Gulls – Bonaparte’s Gulls are
turning up from the ferry and around island. This shot is from the ferry…
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| pleasant river bonapartes |
And this shot was from over the Pleasant River culvert on
Round-the-island Road. Quite the feasting scene there with incoming
tide.
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| pleasant river harbor seals |
Also, from the Pleasant River culvert – feasting scene includes two Harbor Seals. Undoubtedly it happens more often than observed, but two Harbor Seals followed the tide, the flow, and the food through the culvert and into Pleasant River!
If ripples tell underwater stories, well, then these
two could be seen chasing and corralling prey in the river. Exciting to see –
wave action and then two seal heads popping up! Good times.
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| throat shot |
Back to the ferry! Harbor Seals, of course, turn up all around the
island and from the ferry – here’s one in the water with its head tilted way
back – a throat shot, if you will!
And chilling on the rock ledges just outside of Leadbetter.
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| leadbetter deer |
Speaking of Leadbetter – here’s one of those famous Leadbetter deer! Lovely
from the ferry
Lots of Black Guillemots from the ferry as well! Classic
that we love.
Common Loons are living up to their name as a few dozen have been
observable from each ferry ride…a Red-throated Loon gave the ferry a fly
by (10/28)
And…Ducks! – yep, it’s Duck Time! Most wonderful time
of the year! Overwintering ducks are trickling in or showing up in numbers! Let’s
break it down!
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Ye Olde-tailed Ducks (aka Long-tailed Ducks, formerly ka ‘O******w’)
10/27 – Barney’s Point – Cay Kendrick sent a report of hearing and seeing a raft
of at least 20 Old-tails off Barney’s Point in Seal Bay. ‘First of
the fall’ for Cay – or anyone as far as I have heard.
10/27 – I spotted one (one old tailed!) from the ferry
ride to the island that morning. And then two males on the ferry ride to
the mainland the next afternoon.
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| surf scoters |
Surf Scoters – Unreliable year-round in small numbers, Surf Scoters are ‘increasing
their status’ in both Rockland Harbor and Old Harbor/Hurricane Sound
along the ferry route. Look for the white spots on the back of their black
waterfowl heads, should be consistent from now til spring..
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| white winged scoters |
Black Scoter! – Scoter Tri-fecta October! – Spotted a single Black
Scoter from the ferry a few weeks back - honking bright orange bill, always
a fun sight!
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| female and young bufflehead winter harbor |
Bufflehead – Classic spots are hosting Buffleheads already – Sizable
group of Bufflehead in Rockland harbor, north of the ferry when it’s
docked at the terminal. A good handful or two seen in the last few weeks,
should be there all winter.
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And a more sizable group of Bufflehead was seen from
the ferry in the Reach this week – maybe 20 or so. Check the coves!
As well as several groups in Winter Harbor and Seal Bay.
Big fans of Buffleheads for sure.
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| 2 female and 1 male eider male is molting |
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| male eider in molt |
Here’s a shot of a male molting out of their ‘eclipse’
plumage into the white breeding plumage that gets the female eiders all
interested.
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| red-breasted mergansers in the basin |
Red-breasted Mergansers – in the Basin – (10/20) – have not seen any Red-breasted
Mergansers from the ferry yet this season (old harbor and the reach
can be good) but did spot this group of em in the Basin a little while
back.
They may all look like females – but ha! Don’t let their good
looks fool you! Some are youngsters and some of those youngsters are probably males,
so they will molt out of their juvy plumage sometime soon. Whatmore,
some may be adult males in ‘eclipse’ plumage (there’s that word again!)
and will be molting into the green heads with ‘questionable hair days’ soon
enough.
Word on ‘eclipse’ plumage in waterfowl. Most duck
species are ‘sexually dimorphic’, in that males and females look drastically
different – males being colorfully flamboyant and females being less
flamboyant. Still hot in their own
way, and with great personalities. Or so I am told.
In some ducky species, males will molt after breeding and
bolting (male ducks are not good parental role models, but it does work for
them). Anyway, the molt results in a much less flamboyant presentation,
often resembling female or juvenile looks of the same species. They move into ‘eclipse’
until its time to ‘pass the genes’ again next mating season.
November should be good to see male Eiders complete
their transformation out of eclipse, as well as Red-breasted Mergansers
go through their changes! Exciting non-eclipse duck times! Yahoo!
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| orange jelly |
Mushrooms! – Lots been seen, sorta running out of room here, but Cay
Kendrick was kind enough to send in some great mushroom shots that she took
at the Huber Preserve from early October and let’s break it down! Here
we go….
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| purple club coral photo by Cay Kendrick |
Purple club coral – Cay crossed paths with a patch of Purple Club Coral (Clavaria
purpurea), with its clusters of purplish, spindle-shaped clubs. Not reported
every year – couldn’t tell you the last time I saw a patch, but it’s been a
while. Cool shroom and cool find!
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| marasmius sp photo by Cay Kendrick |
Marasmius sp. – Cay also sent in photos of one of our favorite shrooms to
cross paths within the woods – and when you cross paths with one, you cross
paths with many.
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From a hiker’s perspective the Marasmius were ‘polka-dotting’
the moss along the trail – adding some texture and lightness to a green world.
Beyond that visual, the Marasmius fungus (the ‘thingy’ that makes the mushroom)
is decomposing spruce needles. That’s right – at the bottom of each of the
polka dotting Marasmius mushroom caps is one, singular spruce needle that is
being decomposed. Charming aspect of a charming fungus.
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| red-juice tooth photo by Cay Kendrick |
Blood tooth, Red-juice Tooth (Hydnellum peckii) – Cay
also sent in a photo of somewhat flat looking mushroom. It was a little post
prime and a little discolored from maybe being rained on or whatnot. As it so
happens, I’ve been watching the fruiting body of a certain trailside Blood
Tooth fungus for the past 6 years (at least) and recognized the shroom.
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| red juice tooth undercarriage |
Kind of looks like a stalked polypore, but when checking the underside (undercarriage) of the shroom one sees a lack of pores and a whole lotta ‘teeth’. I found another fruiting body that was knocked over – totally toothed!
At this past prime stage dots of ‘red-juice’ are not present
on the cap.
Thanks for sharing Cay!
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| sawwhet owl peelt |
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| sawwhet owl scat and my finger |
I was fortunate to be able to visit my favorite saw-whet owl
spot in the basin and found some fresh scat and pellet (10/27)! The
pellet was still moist – the area was dry – couldn’t have been there too long.
And the scat was wet to the touch – which was surprising. I don’t normally
touch scat (seriously, I don’t) and don’t recommend it. But this scat was so fresh
– how could I not! I don’t know how long it takes for scat to dry, but this
couldn’t have been more than a few hours old. Cool.
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| greater yellowlegs and semi palmated plover |
Straggler Shorebirds – kayaking in Winter Harbor/Seal Bay (10/28) -
the rocky ledges had a few Greater Yellowlegs to gawk at, but the launch
itself at Carrying Place was the high tide hot spot for Semi-palmated
Plovers. Literally at the water’s edge along the boat launch. And on the
rock there. Good Fun!
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| greater yellowlegs likin' the waters reflection here |
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| semi-palmated plovers and deer leg |
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| semi-palmated plovers in a line |
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| greater yellowlegs |
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| an all time great limited edition photo by Mike Windsor |
Limited Editions come fast and furious at this time of year, but none is so
disturbing as this one sent in by longtime friend and VSR reader Mike Windsor.
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| dunkin body wash! photo by Claudia Dengler |
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| a new Leif (look) |
And just like that – Leif’s head becomes a clean slate.
Hey – be careful out there. Have fun!
We’ll see you out there!
