North American seabirds stream down from Canada into the Gulf of Maine every winter, yet most ocean birds remain out of sight for Maine birders. Every tour boat from Kittery to Eastport gets tarped, drydocked or hauled out around October.
All except one.
In truth, the Isle au Haut Ferry is not exactly a tour boat. Its main function is to carry passengers between Stonington and the small residential community on Isle au Haut. But with two boats in service and a squad of captains, there’s often time to have a little fun booking excursions.
In summer, their special trips to see puffins on Seal Island are among Maine’s best.
Once a year, birders charter the ferry to seek harlequin ducks around Isle au Haut. It’s a tradition that’s been going on for at least 35 years, off and on. Penobscot Valley Audubon chartered the boat last Saturday, taking 30 participants out in search of wintering waterfowl.
Days are somewhat warmer in March, but spring weather patterns are notoriously unpredictable. Last year it took three tries to get in one boat trip, due to high winds and waves on consecutive weekends. Another year, we went out in wind-driven sleet and still had a great time.
This year’s weather was a welcome relief — above freezing, bright and sunny.
Harlequin ducks breed on whitewater rivers in Canada, Alaska and Greenland. Their specialty is feeding in turbulent water, where no competitors dare go. There’s no water more turbulent than the surf pounding Maine’s rockbound coast and offshore islands in winter.
Harlequins can be found in small numbers along the entire New England coast in winter, but the largest concentrations gather in the archipelago surrounding Isle au Haut, attracted by its abundance of islands and ledges pounded by surf.
Birders might feel lucky to see a dozen harlequins along the Maine coastline, yet our offshore outing this year produced 170.
Purple sandpipers also like the surf zone. Unlike most sandpipers, they shun beaches and mudflats, opting to forage instead in the seaweed zone exposed by a falling tide. They are accustomed to waves. When a big one crashes, they quickly flutter away and return immediately. We spotted 47 scattered around various ledges.
While one side of the island gets hammered, the lee side is relatively calm. It provides a bit of shelter for seabirds that don’t relish getting tossed around on a breezy day. There are so many islands and ledges in the archipelago around Isle au Haut that the abundance of birds is sometimes overwhelming.
Long-tailed ducks are common in many of Maine’s coves and harbors in winter. But this common? We tallied 225 during the three-hour voyage.
Maine’s nesting loons head for saltwater in winter. Adult breeders will only remain at sea until the ice melts on inland lakes. We spotted 35.
Red-breasted mergansers nest on freshwater across Canada. They’ll be heading back there within the next several weeks. On Saturday, we recorded 32.
Common eiders are far less common than they once were. Their populations have suffered a serious decline, and we only managed to score 106. To that number, we added 30 black scoters, 20 surf scoters and 11 white-winged scoters.
Black guillemots are related to puffins. Unlike their cousins, they stay fairly close to the mainland. I expected many, and the total of 42 did not disappoint.
All these birds are looking for food. Some of these birds are food.
Bald eagles prominently occupied the ledges of several islands, awaiting an opportunity to snag an unwary duck or gull. They aren’t often successful, but with so many targets to choose from, sooner or later they get lucky. Our official total listed four eagles, but I’m pretty sure I saw six.
Larger islands typically have a grassy center above the high-water line. It’s the perfect place for northern harriers to forage. Most of these hawks leave the state, but I’m never surprised to find them offshore in winter, including the two we spotted hunting over Saddleback Island.
All of these birds can be found in selected spots along the Maine coast in winter. It’s not necessary to get on a boat to see them. But where else could you cruise along from island to island, moving from flock to flock, and see so many species in just three hours?
Along the entire coast, there is only one boat that does it, and only once a year. And every year, I’ll be on it.
