Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!bbn.com!mips2!granite!horvath
From: horvath@granite.cr.bull.com (John Horvath)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: going to maine coast, what should I look for?
Message-ID: <1990Jun6.154551.3586@granite.cr.bull.com>
Date: 6 Jun 90 15:45:51 GMT
References: <1990May31.170926.3878@cbnewsl.att.com> <64@sun13.scri.fsu.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Bull HN Information Systems Inc.
Lines: 41

In article <64@sun13.scri.fsu.edu> sandee@sun13.UUCP (Daan Sandee) writes:
>In article <1990May31.170926.3878@cbnewsl.att.com> nora@cbnewsl.att.com (nora.y.mclaughlin) writes:
>>In 1.5 weeks, I am going on vacation to Maine.  I'll be by the coast
>>Any comments on what may be special to look for there. I hear there
>>are puffins some where up there.
>....
>Barney Norton runs a birder's boat out to Machias Seal Island, which has the
>only Atlantic puffin colony in the U.S. plus Razorbill, Arctic Tern, and Comn
>Murre.

It isn't the only US colony. There is one further south, somewhere
off of Vinalhaven? This other place (that I can't remember the
island's name) is written up alot because a US agency is funding attempts to
restore a breeding population there. Wasn't there an article about
their 10 year results in the past audubon magazine? 
Whatever it is named, getting there is more limited than Machias Island.
Although there are frequent opportunities during the summer to get there.

Machias Island is pretty interesting historically and geographically.
Its right at the border of the US and Canada. BB Norton says that its
his island since his father gave it to him and its US soil. Canada
says its in there waters and maintains the lighthouse there. The US
apparently has no comment. When BB takes people there, the
Canadians limit how many and when. This is fine, since it is in the
best interest of the breeding birds.

Lots of tourist trap places claim that they can show you puffins from
their tour boats. Its highly unlikely since the puffins are pretty
much confined to these two areas. Any other sightings usually happen
only by chance or after storms.

The Maine coast is pretty big, at least 300 miles (depending how you
measure it). The best chance to see the good stuff is in the more
isolated nothern coastly end.

There are alot of harbor seals and gray seals are becoming more
frequent. Whales are more dispersed there then they are further south.
The past two years, the osprey population has seemed to explode 
everywhere along the coast (IMHO).

Have a good time.