A few weeks ago, this column revealed that I was going to be a spotter for the Isle au Haut Ferry when it ventured out to visit the gray seal pupping colony south of Stonington. During the 20 mile boat trip out to Seal Island, my role would be to watch for unusual birds and shout out my sightings to the rest of the passengers. Well, it didn’t quite go that way.
Last weekend was kind of crazy. Gale force winds swept the ocean on Friday night. Waves were still high on Saturday, and a storm was predicted for Monday. That left Sunday as the one day we could squeeze in a visit to the second largest gray seal pupping colony in the United States.
Winds were high and waves were still rough on Sunday. We went anyway. The sun was so bright and the air was so clear that you could see all the way to Europe, and that’s only a slight exaggeration. It was beautiful. Really, one reason I value offshore trips in winter is that there is never, ever any fog.
Bird spotting started off well enough. An immature bald eagle passed overhead while we were still moored. Buffleheads, black guillemots and long-tailed ducks cavorted in the harbor. Small flocks of surf scoters frolicked beyond the anchored lobster boats. Common loons began popping up as soon as we hit open water.
We made a brief stop for passengers on Isle au Haut. From there, the lighthouse at Robinson Point is always a good place to look for purple sandpipers. These cheerful little birds nest higher in the northern hemisphere than any other shorebird. At least half of the North American population settles onto our coastline in winter. They are the color of wet granite, but I know they blend in and I can usually find them. Alas, they were not at the lighthouse.
But as I stared forlornly back at where the sandpipers should have been, a submerged loon popped to the surface directly in front of my binoculars, about 150 yards behind the boat. It was skinny. The bill was shorter and more upturned than a common loon. It was a red-throated loon — an uncommon bird in Maine. On four previous winter trips, I had not been able to spot one. On this occasion, when I finally did, there were 30 people on board, and only one person saw it. Me. Dagnabit.
Things picked up about 20 minutes later. A small flock of razorbills took flight a half-mile away. I got two witnesses on them, leaving 28 people wondering what we were excited about. Razorbills are in the same family as puffins. However, while puffins leave in the winter, razorbills stick around. We would spot a few more later.
After a few more moments, I spotted a large gull heading straight toward the boat. It was big. Too big. And the wing beats were deep and powerful. “Northern gannet!” I cried out. Nobody could miss it. Gannets are the largest ocean-going birds to be found in Maine waters, with a wingspan exceeding 5 feet. They nest in huge colonies in Quebec and Newfoundland. More gannets would join us when we reached the island, circling overhead as we watched the gray seals. They were spectacular.
Although it was early in the pupping season and only a hundred gray seals had gathered so far, they put on a good show, loafing on the rocks or splashing in the water around us. Above them, three eager bald eagles soared, waiting for seal births so they could scavenge the placentas.
As we left the gray seal colony behind, I spied another bird just off the starboard side of the boat, about 75 yards away. “Razorbill!” I cried. Then I took another look. Like other members of the puffin family, it was black on top and white on the bottom. But this one had a thinner, stubbier bill. “No, it’s a thick-billed murre!” I yelled. The nearest nesting colony is in Witless Bay, Newfoundland. A few reach Maine in winter, but it’s a rare sighting.
It remained rare, even on this boat. Most of the passengers were now in the warm cabin, celebrating their gray seal experience. Only a few people lingered outdoors in the rear of the ferry, and only one person saw the murre. Me. What good is a spotter if nobody else sees the birds?
Bob Duchesne serves as vice president of Maine Audubon’s Penobscot Valley Chapter. He developed the Maine Birding Trail, with information at mainebirdingtrail.com. He can be reached at duchesne@midmaine.com.