Quoddy Link Birds

Sept. 18th - 25th

LITTLE GULL

LEACH'S STORM PETREL

RED-NECKED GREBE

NORTHERN GOSHAWK

WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS

SURF SCOTERS

BLACK SCOTERS

RED-THROATED LOONS

PARASITIC JAEGERS

POMARINE JAEGERS

PEREGRINE FALCON 

NORTHERN HARRIER

RED-TAILED HAWK

ATLANTIC PUFFIN

MANX SHEARWATER

Red-necked phalaropes

Great cormorant

Sooty shearwater

Great shearwater

Common murre

Black guillemot

Razorbill

Northern Gannets

Common eider

Great blue heron

Bald eagle

Arctic tern

Bonaparte’s gull

Black legged kittiwake

Osprey

Some excellent bird activity on the bay lately. Most of the activity remains near the inshore, near a small grassy rock called Green's island that lies between Deer island and Campobello. During ebb tide this area has been the location of the largest gull feeding groups that I have ever seen, containing mostly HERRING, BLACK-BACKED GULLS and BONAPARTE'S gulls, ARCTIC TERNS and KITTIWAKES as well as hundreds of DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS and a few GREAT CORMORANTS as well. These groups easily numbered in the thousands of birds. At times, the groups of feeding birds are so thick that you can not see the minke whales that are surfacing within them.

Gulls feeding of Green's island

Juvenile Bonaparte's gull with herring

Adult Bonaparte's gull with herring

Kittiwakes and Bonaparte's gull

Great Cormorant

The island itself has been covered with BALD EAGLES, with up to 15 spotted on the small island at one time and a few GREAT-BLUE HERONS can be seen perched alongside the eagles. Both species are feeding on the abundant herring schools that surround the island.

Adult and immature bald eagles on Green's island

Eagle pursuit

Adult bald eagles

Immature with adult Bald eagle and herring

Adult bald eagle

Great-blue heron on Green's island

Great Blue heron on Green's island

The astounding numbers of feeding gulls have attracted numerous PARASITIC and POMARINE JAEGERS. My fascination with these birds continues as I am astounded by the diversity in plumage within these two species. It seems like no single jaeger is the same and telling the species apart can be very difficult for even the most skilled observer.

Parasitic jaeger

Parasitic jaeger and Bonaparte's gull

Parasitic jaeger and Bonaparte's gull

Pomarine jaeger

In this next photo you can see a PARASITIC and a POMARINE jaeger pursuing a BONAPARTE'S GULL. This image highlights how difficult it can be to identify to species and how both species can appear very similar in size. I am pretty confident at ID'ing these species after reviewing my images, but in the field it is a different story.  If anyone sees that I have made a mistake please let me know, these guys are hard!

Parasitic jarger on left, Pomarine on right

Small groups of the three SCOTER species can be seen moving through the area. I have not seen many on the water yet.

Things in the offshore areas are quieter then they were at the beginning of the year but still small numbers of MANX, GREATER and SOOTY SHEARWATERS are around. A few RAZORBILLS, MURRES and PUFFINS can also still be spotted. NORTHERN GANNETS have increased greatly over the last week or so, with large groups of birds plunge diving off of Whitehorse island.

Feeding Gannets

The numbers of migrant raptors are down from earlier, with only a NORTHERN HARRIER spotted crossing letete on the 18th and a RED-TAILED HAWK seen in the same area on the 25th. However, an interesting sighting occurred on the 22nd when I spotted a NORTHERN GOSHAWK over open water off of Head Harbour light. The bird was being chased and harassed by a PARASITIC JAEGER.

Northern Goshawk and Parasitic jaeger. Terns in foreground.

Other noteworthy sightings include a LEACH'S STORM PETREL seen well offshore on the 22nd and a first of fall RED-NECKED GREBE seen swimming near the St. Andrews wharf on the morning of the 24th.

I havn't had a whole lot of time to scan for rare gull species amidst the masses of feeding birds, but I did manage to spot a LITTLE GULL on the 25th. 

Little gull

I am sure that these large groups of gulls hold other rare species, like SABINE'S GULL and hope to pick one out soon, hopefully during the pelagic trip on the 30th! If havn't already signed up for the trip and are interested make sure to call the office and book in, we still have a bit of room. The number to the office is 529-2600.
Happy birding!
-Nick