Birds and beasts of Maine!

Auks (diving sea birds – puffins, guillemots, razorbills), common eider ducks, earless seals, and even a bald eagle nest. The island was FILLED with cedar waxwing calls (but the waxwings themselves were elusive).

We were lucky to get a boat ride to Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge, 12 miles away from Vinalhaven. Largest grey seal pupping colony in Maine (2nd largest in North America, one website claimed). They have a live cam showing the “best-of” from pupping season last December. SO MANY birds on the way, my eBird list was hoppin’.

Lots of fun to see the difference in the birdscape, as compared to our lake birds. There were double-crested cormorants there as well, lots of them.