A Foggy Pelagic Trip

June 4, 2016

I had a pelagic trip on my bucket list, so signed up for one at the Acadia Bird Festival. The weatherman had suggested that we would start with fog, but it would clear. I got up at 4:20 to get ready and then drove for about forty minutes to get to the pier in Bar Harbor. I was standing in line by 5:45 and we started boarding around six. After talks from the captain and the birding leaders, we got underway in a moderate fog.

I was probably about half way down the ultimate line - we could buy breakfast and coffee at the window just to the right

Loading up - I ended up at the very top 

A look at the harbor while waiting to start our trip

One of the leaders describing our trip

I usually stay outside, no matter what, when birding from a boat so I decided to go to the top deck. We went around the harbor a few minutes before taking off towards Grand Manan Island. Birds were few and far between and were mostly disappearing into the fog. We did several passes in front of Grand Mann and saw lots of puffins and razorbills as well as a couple of phoebes and a magnolia warbler. Our guide told us that fog makes migrating passerines  look for land wherever they can find it. He also talked about a time birds crashed to land and were landing on people. One person stuck her arms out and had fifty-two birds land on her. 

My brightest picture of the Grand Manan Lighthouse

Puffins were seen several times, albeit very dimly

Razorbills looking like penguins

A swimming razorbill

It was nice to see a double crested cormorant in breeding plumage- he was just lifting off

We also learned that Global Warming is causing Maine water temperatures to rise faster than the average. Fisheries are already changing and the phyto and zooplankton are starting to grow about two weeks earlier, causing fish to start growing earlier. This is resulting in puffins catching fish that are too large for their young to swallow so they starve in a place where there is plenty of food. And the fish that require really cold water are disappearing and other fish are spreading into Maine from the South. 

Later, when I visited the Nature Center at Acadia NP, I saw two menus for a local popular seafood restaurant. One was their current menu and the other was for an expected menu fifty years hence. Lobster had completely disappeared as had haddock and other northern fishes. But several new species of fish had taken their place. 

We passed lots of rocky shores and birds flying into the fog

While we were at Grand Manan we talked via a radio link to a lady that is doing research there and who writes the blog, Summer with the Seabirds. This was her second summer to do research there and she listed the number of nests for each species that nests on the island. Nesting season is just starting up so read the blog to find out how successful this year turns out to be.

This was pretty much our view of birds at the best light

We went on to Petit Manan and saw double cormorants, murres, common loons, common terns, lots of black guillemots. This island has a huge colony of terns, including common, roseate and arctic terns. But the fog, rather than lifting, got thicker and darker and I was no longer able to even see a little ghostly movement when the leaders called a bird. So I went into the lower cabin and read my much more engaging mystery in warmth.

 Black guillemots

Black guillemots in flight

A common eider pair

But I do have two free tickets to this same boat, which will mostly be taking people out to do whale watching, and I may get better looks at some of these seabirds. My friend, Terri, tried to buy me a ticket from a speaker at the Down East Bird Festival,  who works as a interpreter on this boat. Instead, he gave her two tickets after she told him I was working as a volunteer at Moosehorn.   

A few of the seals we saw

A very dim view of cormorants

Wildlife has to share with people

Almost back to Bar Harbor

I had lots of other adventures during the mostly cloudy weekend.  I have several more stories to share with you. And I had a great couple of visits with a friend I met while living at Outer Banks, NC. She is up here to volunteer at Acadia National Park for the summer.

I'm linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday.  Click the link to see lots more blogs. I was pretty amazed at the yellow-billed spoonbill.

A Visit to Bar Harbor

Our weather has been very spring like – warmer with showers. Of course it mostly rains on weekends which is when I'm off. So, if it rains, I don't want to spend my gas money for nothing, so I usually plan to work.

Spring is getting exuberant

Last Friday it was expected to rain, but Saturday was supposed to be pretty good before getting rain again on this Sunday. So I worked on building my new garden on Friday,  then got up and waited for the morning rain to end before setting off to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. I went in and out of clouds and fog on the way, but just before I got to Acadia National Park, the weather got sunny. I went to the visitor center and got information about the park, then decided to go on into Bar Harbor for Lunch.

Bar Harbor is a cute, touristy town. I parked my car in a parking lot right on the water and immediately was immersed in beautiful views. The tide was out, the weather was warm and lots of people felt it was time to get into shorts and sandals. But I was comfortable in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of beautiful, old, and probably very expensive houses with rocky shores and tide pools and long views to distant islands against a sky filling with clouds.

My first view of the bay around Bar Harbor

My first black guillemot

This little girl exemplified the day - loved to watch that hat teeter across the rocks

The newborn leaves were a very bright yellow-green

I spotted a trail winding along the shore in front of big estates and decided to walk it first while the noon crowd died down. 

The shore trail

I admired this photographer framing the island

Two birds flew very closely into the shore.  I realized one was a herring gull with a big piece of food, and the other was a crow.  The next pictures show what happened next. 

Gull has it and Crow wants it

The little guy was fast and snatched it

Then flew off with it, leaving a still hungry gull

One of the tour boats left as I walked the trail

At the end of the shoreline trail, I walked back towards Main Street and then took it back to the car, stopping to take pictures and detouring a few times to visit interesting shops. When I reached the car, I decided to park it in a different place in the parking lot, just to make sure I would not be in the same place for the three hours allowed.

First wild violets I've found

There were lots of spring gardens - but this poppy closeup was my favorite picture

I somehow managed NOT to go into any of these stores- but next time......

And a wonderful reminder of why I garden

A little park just above my parking lot and the pier

All the different store fronts made for a most interesting walk and views

I saw a place that looked like it would serve good lobster and walked to it, only to find that it wasn't yet open – the Season starts Memorial Day Weekend for lots of businesses. I walked on, finally coming to a kiosk selling trolley tickets and asked the man for a good restaurant. He pointed me to the West Street Cafe, almost across the road.

The herring gulls were the only gulls around but were VERY spiffy in their
bright pink shoes and blazing white shirts. 

A series of these cute cabins are for rent

This was the closest I got to seeing a whale

The West Street Cafe

I hoped to sit outside, but that area was full, so I had to join the few people inside. I was determined to have lobster, even though I really prefer it cooked spicier. Service was very quick and the lobster lovely. I was still hungry so added in a little bowl of clam chowder which may have been the best I've ever eaten.

The lobster 

When I got back to my car, it would not start. It would not even sputter. I had to wait about an hour to see if someone in three cars around me would give me a jump. Right after I gave up and tried to call AARP, a guy came by and gave me a jump. I was planning to drive along the auto tour in Acadia National Park, and do a short hike. I decided to do the tour, but not to take the hike. I got out my spare key and left the engine running when I stopped to take pictures.

On my way back home, I stopped at a Home Depot to get the materials from which to build a trellis frame. It will have a string trellis that I can take with me. After buying rebar, electrical conduit, and PVC corners and a 'T', I had to take more time to tie the 10' piece on top of the car. But that made me arrive in the best place to get a beautiful sunset picture.

Sunset on the way home

I came home and rushed to edit the best pictures and write the blog. I have to go into town to get wi-fi to put it up, but it will only be a few hours late. Then, Sunday, the day you may be reading this, I have to pick up a steam cleaner and then vacuum and steam clean the rugs in the other bunkhouse, and in the trailer into which I'm moving for the summer. In the late afternoon and early evening, I plan to watch the eagles which I haven't had time to visit for a few days. And I hope to get some peas and bean seeds soaking, so I can plant them on Monday. My move to the trailer was also scheduled to happen this weekend, but I need to get a few things fixed in the trailer – including my shower - before I move over there. I suspect I'll be working on that plus the garden for the next several evenings. And I'll have to make another appointment for my car – I just got the battery terminals and cigarette lighter replaced. Now I think I may need an alternator.

As I'm writing this, I'm listening to barred owls courting. That's one of my favorite night sounds and one I haven't heard for several years.  Life is good. Hope  yours is the same.