Pinnipeds and Whale Watching "Humanicus whalewachterous"

Gray Seal

While out on the whale watch trip, we not only came across humpback whales and seabirds, but also two species of pinnipeds.  Pinnipeds are seals and in our area, the most common species are the gray seal -Halichoerus grypus and the harbor seal - Phoca vitulina.  Gray seals are sometimes called "horseheads" because of their large snouts.  Harbor seals snout are more doglike.  Both species of seals enjoyed "human observation" as they gazed at us on the boat as we were watching them.

Gray Seal

Harbor Seal

The waters of the Atlantic Ocean were basically still and clear so you could observe the harbor seal swimming under the water.

Harbor Seal Swimming under the Water

We also observed a new species of animals, whose population increases every year.  The species is "Humanicus whalewachterous".  This species arrives anywhere there is whales in a great variety of ocean crafts.  You all know if you are a member of this species.

"Humanicus whalewachterous"

"Humanicus whalewachterous"

"Humanicus whalewachterous"

"Humanicus whalewachterous"

"Humanicus whalewachterous"

"Humanicus whalewachterous"

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Machias Seal Island, a Magnificent Trip, Finally.

Atlantic Puffin in Flight

The day we were going out to Machias Seal Island to photograph the puffins and the other bird and animal life around, started out very foggy and we had to leave at 7 AM because of the weather forecast for possible thundershowers in the afternoon.  We arrived at Bold Coast Charter Company in Cutler, Maine, where Capt. Andy got us aboard his boat, the Barbara Frost, and we set sail in the pea soup fog for Machias Seal island.  Capt. Andy pushes boat, so we can get there as soon as we could and while we were traveling, he lectured us on the safety requirements, plus history of and information about what we would see.

Canadian Lighthouse on Machias Seal Island

When we arrived at the island, the weather was bright and sunny, Capt. Andy loaded the first group into the skiff to take us from the Barbara Frost to the landing area on the island.  However, he was not able to land and so he returned to the boat and loaded everybody aboard.  People were very disappointed.  The plan now was to go to a nearby island and photograph the seals, then return to a smooth place on the ocean, anchor and then take small groups of people in the the skiff and close, so they could photograph the puffins and razorbill auks on the water and at the shoreline.

Gray Seal getting ready to launch into the water

Gray and Harbor Seals

Northern Gannet in Glide Mode

The first group went and as they approach near the landing place, the water had calmed down enough that Capt. Andy thought we could land.  He returned to the Barbara Frost, talk to us saying if we land,  we would have to be on the island for at least three hours and would we mind.  The reason everyone was excited is that the "normal" time in the blinds range from 1/2 - 1 hour.  Everybody said let's land.  So Capt. Andy called the people at the lighthouse on the island and then he returned to the island where people were landed in three trips.

Capt. Andy taking the first group to the Island

 Once on the island, the whole group was immediately taken up to a patio area, where the rules were explained.  The main thing is, once we were in a blind, we had to stay there.  If we leave the blind, we had to immediately go back to the patio and we would have to stay there and could not go back into the blinds. The reason for this  is to keep the disturbance of the birds to a minimum.  Because we were going to be on the island for at least three hours, the plan was to change blinds at the hour and a half mark.  We were divided off into groups and off we went to be placed in our blinds.  The reactions of people who had not been ever on the island was wonderful to see once they looked at the beautiful puffins and razorbills.

Atlantic Puffin swimming

Atlantic Puffin just coming out from its burrow

Atlantic Puffin with wing flap

"Listen to me I am talking to you!"

Flock of Razorbill Auks

 At the hour and a half mark, we changed blinds and shot again with our cameras.  These magnificent birds.

Finally, we had to leave and went down to the landing area, where again we were loaded into the boat and carried back out to the Barbara Frost.  While I was waiting to leave, I was able to photograph a number of the puffins flying as they came rocketing by.  You have to see them, to realize how fast they fly.  The puffins flying make the gulls flying look like turtles.

Atlantic Puffin flying with fish in its mouth

Razorbill Auk in flight

Arriving back into the Cutler harbor.  We were able to photograph the Little River Light, which was built in 1840, along with the boats in the harbor.

Little River Light Cutler

 Once on shore, everybody was extremely hungry, so we returned to Machias, and the entire group, went and ate a very late lunch/early supper.  Everybody was so worn out that instead of going for a sunset, they want to go back to the room to rest and download and look at the pictures from that amazing trip.

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Friday's Birding

"Yawn"

Harlequin Duck

From left to right, juvenile Great Cormorant, adult Great Cormorant, juvenile Great-crested Cormorant

Because last Thursday was Thanksgiving, I did not go out with Doug for a usual Thursday birding trip.  However, we did bird on Friday.  We first went to the summer Street fields in Bridgewater, with Doug finally got to see the Northern Lapwing.  The biggest problem was that it was extremely foggy and you could barely make out the bird due to the fog.  In fact, I didn't even bother taken my camera out of the car.

We then traveled down to Plymouth, Massachusetts, where we stopped at Jenny's Pond and was surprised since there were so few birds around.  We then traveled down to Plymouth beach, where they are still working on the seawall and did cite a number of different duck species offshore, but again too far out for photographs.

Our next stop was Manomet Point, with the sun was now finally out.  Looking over the rocks, there were a good number of harbor seals resting on the rocks.  Both Great and Double-crested Cormorants, the usual gulls species and some beautiful Harlequin ducks swimming and feeding in the water.  All the seals were making a racket.

We then traveled down to the Cape Cod Canal Visitors Center, in Sandwich, Massachusetts and walking down along the canal we observed a large number of Common Loons feeding.  In fact, at one point, one of the loons started calling flapping its wings and running over the water, looking like was going to take off, went into the air and landed across on the other side of the canal.

Common Loon

Feeding among the rocks and seaweed was one of the brightest song sparrow's that I have seen, it had such gorgeous color, that it took a moment to identify the bird as a song sparrow.

Song Sparrow

 Off of the mouth of the canal around one of the furthest green buoys Razorbills were feeding and there was a flyby by a pair of Dovekie's.

We finished off our trip to the Cape Cod Canal by traveling back to the other side of the canal in Bourne, where we sighted some horned larks in the field.  On the lower rocks a herring gull was eating a starfish.

Horned Lark

Herring Gull eating a starfish

Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing in the setting sun

We decided on our way home to go back to see if we could get a better look at the Northern Lapwing.  On arriving at the Summer Street fields, we joined a number of birders and photographers who were observing the lapwing at the top end of the field in the corn stubble.  A much better outlook the early this morning.

So ended another great day of birding.

Machias Seal Island–People, Birds and Seals

As I have been continuing to my photographs I came across additional ones for Machias Seal Island that I thought would be interesting to the readers of my blog.

Here is a map of the Bay of Fundy showing the location of Machias Seal Island.
A group photograph along with photographs of the group on the boat and listening to Capt. Andy tell us about the safety features and what to expect when we reach the island.

Puffin on the Boardwalk

Spotted Sandpiper

While were on the island, besides the Alcids that were present they were Savannah Sparrows and a Spotted Sandpiper.

Common Murre Flying with Fish in Mouth

I was also able to capture a  Common Murre  flying with a fish in its mouth





After we left the islands and before returning back to Cutler we went and visited the small island where the harbor and gray seals hang out.

Gray Seal

Harbor Seals

Gray Seal

Gray seal with Harbor Seals behind

The Way you can tell the difference between harbor seals and gray seals by the head silhouettes. The harbor seals head silhouette is very rounded with a very shot dog-like snout and the four head slopes into the snout in a concave curve. The gray seals head has a heavy, open quote hot-like" snout and a convex fore head profile. Also the gray seal has a very broad nose. If you examine the pictures the differences are noticeable.

Vancouver Island Day Three

Finally I'm able to write my blog for day three of my Vancouver Island trip.  After the group met for breakfast, we left with Glenn for another trip to Goldstream Provincial Park to do scenic’s in the temperate rainforest.  It definitely was a rain forest, because of all the recent rain, the trees were dripping, and this stream was running high.   There is a Rocky bar in which you can get out so you can photograph the stream, however, rather than the whole group being able to get out on the bar.  Only two people could get out at a time and they were extremely close to each other.  But, we were able to get the pictures we wanted.

Interesting facts about temperate rainforests is that North America, as the largest area of temperate zone rainforest on the planet and the Pacific temperate rainforest ecoregion occurs from Kodiak Island in Alaska to Northern California.  Vancouver Island is a sub-ecoregion.

A Pacific Wren put in an appearance, singing to us

After we left Goldstream Provincial Park and had lunch, we went searching for other areas to photograph.  However, because of the high wind and sun in the middle of the day we were not able to photograph much at that time. I obtained a photograph of a Northwestern Crow, which only occurs along coastal forest and intertidal zones from Washington State to Alaska.

We went to Marina Bay in Victoria and photograph the harbor seals that hang around the docks waiting to be fed.  The store at Marina Bay sells chopped up large pieces of sardines to feed the seals.  The seals were very entertaining; one of them slapped the water with its flipper asking for food.

We finished off the day that at the point where we were able to get numerous pictures of black oystercatchers, black turnstones and a northern river otter put in appearances and entertained us.

Black Oystercatcher eating a clam

Black Oystercatcher

Black Turnstone

So ended our day three on Vancouver Island.