News from the Seabird Islands: Summer Updates from Project Puffin

News from the Seabird Islands
National Audubon Society Seabird Restoration Program

August 7, 2004 - News from the Seabird Islands

Seal Island Puffin Colony Grows to 302 Pairs! After many hundreds of hours sitting in tiny observation blinds, Audubon researchers discovered 69 more active puffin burrows than last year’s end of season count of 231 pairs. With only a few days remaining for the 2004 field season, supervisor Carlos Zavalaga reports that the count is nearly complete for the year. This rapid growth confirms Carlos’ predication that the colony is experiencing exponential growth. This remarkable tally is a wonderful way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of puffin restoration at Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge. The team also banded 19 healthy puffin chicks by ‘grubbing’ under the rocks- a tortuous process of stretching and twisting into deep rock crevices to extract the chicks.

Egg Rock Puffin Colony Expands to 63 pairs, two more than last year. With just a few days remaining, this is likely the final count. Additionally, 43 puffins were trapped this summer and now have leg bands, which allows our staff to track individual birds. The trapped birds include BI76, a 27 year old bird and native puffin K. Both birds are in the Adopt-A-Puffin program. All of the Adopt-a-Puffin birds have returned except Y75, a 27-year-old puffin. Puffin ‘traps’ are simply wooden box with a trap door on the top. The boxes are set at locations where puffins are likely to land. When a puffin flies up to the box to investigate and lands on the trap door, a staff member hiding in a nearby observation blind pulls a string which opens the box and deposits the surprised puffin atop a soft pillow inside. Staff members then gently remove the puffin for banding.

72 Puffin Chicks were ‘grubbed’ so far this summer on Matinicus Rock. Grubbing at Matinicus Rock is especially challenging as the crevices are large enough for staff to completely emerge themselves by shimmying under boulders in attempts to find and pull out young puffin chicks for observation, analysis, and banding. Sometimes researchers find amazing surprises. Maryka Lier, intern, was shocked to discover a fledgling puffin entangled with a two-foot long balloon string that had trapped it inside the burrow. She untangled the bird so that it could fledge. Perhaps the string was brought in as nesting material.

Terns Most of the terns on our seven islands are leaving in family groups, for various ‘staging’ areas along the northeast coast as they commence their epic migrations to the southern hemisphere. Overall, the season rebounded after late spring predation by peregrine falcons and gulls, but a nutritious supply of fish was often lacking and many parents brought in euphasid shrimp, which are a poor substitute for herring and hake. Island biologists reported that a substantial number of tern chicks starved because of this ‘food stress.’ A mink and Great Blue Heron were observed at Pond Island at the close of the season preying on tern fledglings.

BOSTON GLOBE FEATURES OUTER GREEN ISLAND ON FRONT PAGE, AND PUFFIN-WATCHING IN THEIR TRAVEL SECTION!

The tern restoration project on Outer Green Island made it to the front page of the Friday, August 6th Boston Globe. Supervisor Julie Hart was described as ‘one of a few hundred ecologists around the world who dedicate months of their lives to lonely campaigns to build new colonies of threatened or displaced migratory birds.’ There are three photographs accompanying this well-written and descriptive article. Find at:

Biologists turn Maine island into tern haven | PDF version

Reporter Jane Roy Brown wrote about her puffin-watching adventure aboard the Hardy Boat for the Sunday, August 1st Boston Globe Travel Section. Find it at:

Getting to the puffin place | PDF Version

Seabird Cam The Seabird Cam has focused on puffins nesting near the Egg Rock Tower blind for the past month. Viewers have benefited this year by Audubon staff and volunteers that are driving the camera most of the day. Over the past week, viewers may have noticed researchers trapping puffins within the view of the camera (see above). Only one week remains for the camera, as the puffins will soon leave for their winter home on the North Atlantic. To see puffins and other Maine seabirds in real time, click on www.projectpuffin.org and click live video.

July 14th, 2004 - News From the Seabird Islands

Outer Green Island The nesting season at Outer Green Island was already extraordinary, but a mid-season tern survey yesterday discovered an even greater number of terns than previously observed. One hundred and eighty-five late-nesting pairs of Common Terns. I thought there might be fifty to a hundred, said supervisor Julie Hart, but this was really beyond my expectations. The first census, conducted during the official tern census dates in mid-June, turned up 510 Common Tern nests and seven of the endangered Roseate Tern. Currently there are 695 Common tern nests and eleven Roseate Tern nests.

"It's not unusual to find more nests after the census period," said project director Steve Kress, and we think many of these are likely to be those of adults who may have been spooked or scared off other islands by predators. The colonization of Outer Green Island by Roseate Terns made the headlines in the July 12th edition of the Portland Press Herald. To read the complete article and forward it to a friend, visit:
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/coast/040712terns.shtml

Eastern Egg Rock - Supervisor Ellen Peterson reports that she and her team of interns have identified 54 active Puffin burrows so far, a promising sign that we may very well break last years end-of-the-season total of 59 nests. Ellen and her team constructed a new wooden observation blind on the East side of the island and set it just above the intertidal zone, looking back at the rim of giant boulders that fringe the island. Its amazing how this different view helps us better understand the colony says Ellen. Already, we are finding new areas used by puffins.

Matinicus Rock- Supervisor Paula Shannon reports that most of the Razorbills have already fledged their chicks and they are starting to raft together before leaving the island. It is an impressive sight to see more than 200 Razorbills on the water at once around this small colony. Razorbill numbers reached an all time high this year with 231 active nests. Arctic Terns finally hatched their chicks at the island, after a much-delayed start to the nesting season caused by disturbance from Peregrine Falcons and Ravens. Now the big question is: Will the terns delay their migration to Africa and Antarctica by at least two weeks to finish rearing this years chicks?

Pond Island NWR and Jenny Island- The mysterious chick-ailment known as funk has returned to Pond Island. The ailment has become increasing problematic this past week and is now affecting about 20% of the chicks. A new three year study funded by the USFWS will attempt to determine the cause of the problem. Crows and Great Horned Owls have also plagued the island again this summer. Despite these challenges, supervisor Matt Martinkovic reports that there are more terns nesting here than any previous year and that 438 pairs of Common Terns and 9 pairs of Roseate Terns are nesting, many of which are already fledging young. Matt also reports that the colony on Jenny Island is doing well this summer. One attack by owls has not greatly affected the colony and many new nests are still being laid.

Seal Island NWR A second Razorbill nest was discovered this week at Seal Island. A solitary pair has nested in the same crevice for the past several years, but now it has a neighbor. Carlos Zavalaga, Island Supervisor, spotted the new nest when he discovered a Razorbill returning with a beak load of herring and hake. The Seal Island team has documented 115 active puffin burrows to date and more are being confirmed each day.

Stratton Island - Four Black-crowned Night-Herons have been seen in the middle of the tern colony on several nights recently. These highly-skilled predators will eat tern chicks and eggs and cause parent birds to abandon their nests during the evenings. Supervisor Suzanne Sanborn and resident intern Robbie Lambert have taking turns staying up most of the night to learn more about the interaction. Using night vision binoculars, they have seen the herons prowl the beach and eat tern chicks. Terns respond to this behavior by abandoning the chicks at night, exposing chicks to chilling temperatures. Nocturnal abandonment induced by night-herons may occur because herons use the white plumage of brooding adults to locate chicks. Observers in previous years have observed night-herons nudging brooding terns from their nests and then eating chicks.

SEABIRD CAM: The real time seabird cam has set new records for popularity, with more than 1000 visits/day. We have recently increased our bandwidth to accommodate the enthusiastic response. The best hours for watching are 9-11 AM when staff control the camera for close views. At other times, the camera is set for an auto-tour of commonly used locations such as loafing ledges and burrows. At this season, many puffins are feeding young, bringing herring and hake to their chicks. To see the Egg Rock puffins, guillemots and other seabirds by visiting our website: www.projectpuffin.org

July 7, 2004 - News From the Seabird Islands

Tern Census Completed!

After a wet and chilly few weeks, and after the disruption of tern colony activity on several islands by Peregrine Falcons and Great Horned Owls, the annual tern census was completed recently on our seven islands, and here are the results:

We have a total of 5,946 terns nesting on seven managed islands. This is a very slight decrease from 2003, when 6,014 pairs nested, but below our record number in 2000 when 7,182 pairs nested. Weather, predation, food availability, and wintering ground conditions all play into this number, and it is well known that tern numbers fluctuate from year to year.

Outer Green Island
The most dramatic finding reported by our island teams is the huge jump in numbers on Outer Green Island, in Casco Bay. Last year they had 94 Common Tern Nests during our annual early summer census, and this June they counted 510!! Seven nests of the endangered Roseate Tern were also discovered during the census week and three additional pairs were found after the census. The growth of the colony has elated island supervisor Julie Hart. Roseate Terns have not nested on Outer Green Island for at least 90 years. Colonization by Roseate Terns is likely due to several factors: the existence of a Common Tern colony, the management of the island against predators, and the new CD which for the first time played Roseate Tern vocalizations in addition to Common Tern voices.

Other Tern News
Pond Island reported a jump from 438 nests from last years total of 313. Jenny Island declined from 467 to 213 and Eastern Egg Rock also declined from 1232 to 1075. Seal Island stayed about the same as last year, with 2,339 total tern nests. Matinicus Rock dropped from 1210 to 946, primarily because of early season predation by a Peregrine Falcon that led to delayed nesting by a full two weeks. Stratton Islands tern colony grew from last years total of 349 to 418.

Puffin News
Eastern Egg Rock supervisor Ellen Peterson tells us that there are more active puffin nests this year (45) than there were at the same time in 2003, (36). This bodes well for the possibility of breaking last years record of 59 nesting pairs. Matinicus Rock supervisor Paula Shannon excitedly reported that on July 4th, they grubbed the first puffin chick of the year from out of a rock burrow, put a band on its leg, and spontaneously named it fireworks! Seal Island supervisor Carlos Zavalaga tells us that there is so much activity in the puffin colony that it is frequently difficult to tell how many nests there are and who is breeding with whom. So far Carlos and his team have confirmed 74 active puffin burrows (with eggs or chicks) as compared to 49 at the same date last summer. They are finding nests in areas where there was little activity before, further evidence that the colony continues to rapidly grow.

Seabird Cam
The live-streaming video camera on Eastern Egg Rock was moved from the tern colony to the puffin colony, and were thrilled at the images coming back to us. The camera was moved to the new location on July 4th, in celebration of the 23rd anniversary of puffins nesting at Egg Rock in 1973.

Visit www.projectpuffin.org on your computer and tune into the comings and goings of Atlantic Puffins nesting at Eastern Egg Rock. This time of year, most have young in the burrows and they are busy delivering small fish. Others (especially nonbreeders) are spending time socializing at favorite loafing ledges. The best time to observe is mornings until about 1PM, but they may be present at any time throughout the day and especially at dusk, just before they retreat under boulders for the night. Audubon Staff operate the camera from 9-11 AM from the seabird center in Bremen, improving the chances of obtaining close-up views. At other times the camera is set to rotate on an auto-tour visiting puffin loafing ledges and burrow entrances.

May 11, 2004 - News From the Seabird Islands

SEABIRD CAM LANDS AT EGG ROCK

Reminiscent of the Mars Rover landing craft, SEABIRD CAM has landed on the south end of Eastern Egg Rock- earlier than ever before. The camera is presently sitting on the highest spot of the island, set to move every few minutes between several pre-selected locations.

This is the earliest date that we have placed the camera on the island and it will give provide insight into activities of the birds at this early part of the season. Puffins are not likely to be seen at this date as they are incubating eggs under the boulders. Also, terns are winging their way back to the island from the southern hemisphere. However, there is still much to see- especially in the morning when Laughing Gulls are setting up territories. Any day the Common and Roseate Terns will settle onto the island by the hundreds and begin staking out territories. Some nests will be within a few feet of the camera.

To view the camera, it is necessary to have the latest version of Real Player downloaded into your computer. The clarity of the image will depend in large part on the bandwidth of your computer. Soon we will also have live sound from the island. To view SEABIRD CAM, go to www.projectpuffin.org and click on live video.

OUTER GREEN ISLAND

Intrepid biologists Mat Martinkovic and Robbie Lambert set up camp on remote Outer Green Island May 8th after several days of delay due to strong winds and rough landing conditions. Matt reports that the day they arrived, four Common Terns landed on the island and in the next few days the number increased to over 200- all busy with courting and setting up nesting territories. These numbers are remarkable considering that only four terns were present at the island on the same day a year ago. In 2003, Outer Green Island had the highest productivity of any Common Tern colony in the Gulf of Maine, so the arrival of so many terns at this early date bodes well for a highly successful summer.

2004 BIRDATHON

We have just mailed announcements for our 16th annual Project Puffin birdathon to be held on June 1st. The annual fundraiser has a goal of $20,000, which is necessary to support our summer field program. Join in the fun and win prizes by guessing the number of species and the total number of puffins that we will see on birdathon day. The grand prize this year is a 34 tall plush puffin donated by Barbaras Bakery- maker of Puffin Cereals. If you have not received your birdathon announcement, please e-mail puffin@audubon.org to request a copy.

Seabird Camera is on the Internet. Focused on incubating terns. Tern eggs are hatching this week. Watch for the first chicks to make their appearance on our real time, streaming video. See the Island Live by clicking below...

You can support Project Puffin through our Adopt-a-Puffin program. By adopting a Puffin, you contribute to insuring the future of Puffins on Maine's Coast...and now you can do it online!

For General Information and Questions:
puffin@audubon.org

Mailing Address:
Project Puffin
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, New York 14850
607-257-7308