Sept. 12th - 20th

Groups of feeding gulls within the West Isles is at a seasonal high, with Bonaparte's gull as the dominant species, numbering in the many thousands of birds. Kittiwakes are also quite numerous with a few young of the year showing up. I haven't had a lot of time to scan through these large groups, but did pick out a nice adult LITTLE GULL the other day. Looking forward to having many eyes on the boat for the upcoming Pelagic trip on Saturday the 27th, who knows what we will find! PARASITIC JAEGERS have also been fairly common in the area.

Recent arrivals include all three species of Scoter ducks that are beginning to show up in small numbers. I expect thay many more will be arriving this week. The common eiders have been forming some impressive rafts numbering in the hundreds of birds.

We have had a few good days with NW winds that brought some migrant raptors through the area as well as a few monarch butterflies. Also noted some light raptor movement on the 20th, a day with strong SW winds.

Bird activity offshore remains fairly low, with shearwaters, gannets and alcids being mostly absent. A few Great Shearwater, Atlantic Puffin, Razorbills and Northern Gannets have been sighted in very low numbers.


Sightings of interest by day:

Sept 12th - Unidentified raptor off Green's Point. MERLIN and NORTHERN HARRIER over South Wolf Island 3:25PM. PARASITIC JAEGER off Adam Island.

Sept. 13th - First 2 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS of fall in Passamaquoddy Bay. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK over South Wolf Island at 11:35PM

Sept. 15th - NORTHERN HARRIER over Macs Island at 2:20PM. 2 PARASITIC JAEGERS off Bliss Island

Sept. 19th - First of fall SURF SCOTER in Letete passage. 3 BROADWING HAWKS over Macs Island at 10:20PM. Adult male NORTHERN HARRIER over Fish Cove at 10:30PM. AMERICAN KESTREL and MERLIN over Macs Island at 2:15PM.

Also...Monarch and Mourning cloak sighted butterflies offshore

Sept. 20th - Juvenile RED-TAILED HAWK over Macs at 10:20AM. First 6 BLACK SCOTERS of fall off Spruce Island. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK settling onto Campobello Island coming from open bay in strong SW wind. PARASITIC JAEGER in Head Harbour passage. Adult LITTLE GULL off Black Rock, couldn't get a photo as it flew off too quickly.

Bald Eagles on Spectacle Island

Black and Surf Scoter

Great blue heron. Photo by Jolinne Surette

Raft of Common Eider

Raft of Common Eider

Gulls on Black Rock, mostly Bonapartes and kittiwakes and perhaps some rarities

Gulls on Black Rock, mostly Bonapartes and kittiwakes and perhaps some rarities

Merlin

Monarch butterfly, female

Northern Harrier

Parasitic Jaeger

Juvenile red-tailed hawk?

Sharp-shinned hawk