Pic of the Day

Atlantic Puffin, Fratercula arctica;  Machais Seal Island, Maine 

     A two and a half hour trip into the Gulf of Maine and I find myself on Machais Seal Island.  The treeless island is little more than a few acres in size and the only thing found there is a lighthouse and seabirds. Puffins are the star of the island, the bird that brings most birders from the mainland. 

     The Atlantic Puffins spent nine months of the year at sea, coming ashore only to breed. They can dive to 200 feet, and will fly more than thirty miles from the nest site to catch its prey.  With their short stubby wings puffins are not the best fliers in the air, but when it comes to flying underwater, puffins are at the top of the list. 

     The pigeon sized bird feeds on herring, sprats and sand eels.  Puffins swim (flies through the water) from behind a school of fish and grab fish on the left then right of the school, which lines-up the fishes heads facing alternate directions.  Puffins can hold up to a dozen fish in its beak.  Rows of spines in the upper beak (close-up photo) holds each fish in place as the puffin catches another fish. 

Nikon D300, Nikkor 500 f4, Digital Capture, ISO 200

Pic of the Day

    Harbor Seal – Machias Seal Island; Cutler Maine:  In earlier post I have shown photos of the seabirds taken on Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine. On my last trip to Machias seal the captain took the boat by an adjacent rock where harbor and gray seals haul out.  The light was terrible and the seals were just lounging on the rocks.  They were not very interesting, however, regardless of the light and lack of activity among the seals I shot lots of photos.   As the boat skirted the island I found this harbor seal bobbing in the water just off the island.  As the boat passed, the seal turned its head toward me and looked straight at me.  The simplicity of the image and eye contact made the scene very appealing, providing a image I was happy to capture.

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 300mm f2.8 VRIF, ISO 200, 1/3,200 @ f 4.5, Handheld

Recently Published Work

     I just returned from Florida, where I spent a few days visiting some of my favorite sites and family, (see the August 8 post).  When I returned, the summer issue of Creation Illustrated was in the mail.  This issue holds my latest  "A Lens on Creation" article.  This issues article is on Machias Seal Island and its spectacular seabirds.
     If you are intrested in subscribing to Creation Illustrated follow this link: http://www.creationillustrated.com

Pic of the Day

     Atlantic Puffin – Machias Seal Island, Maine:  While I was able to get flight shots of Puffins and Razorbills on Les Iles au Perroquets, in the Mingan Archipelago, I had to travel to Machias Seal Island to get close-ups. 

    I tired to get to the island out of Cutler, Maine.  However,  the one boat that travels to Machias Seal was booked for the entire month of July.  Fortunately I was able to catch a ride from Grand Manan Island, in New Brunswick.  Unfortunately, I did not get to the island until 2:30 in the afternoon.  This time would not have been too bad if the typical weather of fog and clouds prevailed, but the day was perhaps the most  beautiful I had ever seen in the Gulf of Maine.  The sun was high, bright and hot.  The hot weather kept most of the birds off the rocks and in the water.

     Once in the blind I lucked out with finding a rock perch used by the puffins that provided a clean background and also provided an angle to the sun that that reduced harsh shadows.  While shooting I was discouraged with the light and fewer number of birds.  But, after viewing the images I was quite pleased with the results. 

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 300mm f2.8, 1/800sec. @ f7.1

Whitney's Photo Blog

     My daughter and her husband recently made a trip to Maine.  They climbed Mt Katahdin and then they were off to Machias Seal Island where they photographed Atlantic Puffins and other seabirds.  They had a great time on Machias Seal.  Whitney has updated her blog and has some great puffin photos posted.  You can checkout her blog at: www.whitneyrobison.blogspot.com, she will soon be adding more puffins and other shot from the trip.   

Pic of the Day

Atlantic Puffin:  Perhaps my favorite image from the shoot. 

Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic Puffins – Machias Seal Island, ME: In the previous post I have written a little about Machias Seal Island, but the most fascinating thing about the island is its birds. The Puffin is the star of the Island. With its colorful bill it is often called the clown bird. One of the things I find so fascinating is its call. It sounds like a distant chainsaw to me. My first trip to the island back in the early 80’s was my first encounter with this species. As I stood in the blind shooting roll of film after roll of film I suddenly realized I was hearing a chainsaw off in the distance. I stop the rally of shooting for a moment and listen more intently to discover the soft rev of a two cycle engine was not from a chainsaw on the treeless island, but the puffins themselves. Others have told me that the birds voice sounds like a low growl, and others say a raspy purr. We all relate sounds to something familiar to what we have experienced.

Posted here are a few more of my favorite puffins from the shoot. I especially like the top image. The blurred wings and ruffled feathers give an idea of the constant activity that goes on in a puffin colony.

Nikon D3, Nikkor 500mm f4, Digital Capture, ISO 200

Pic of the Day

Atlantic Puffin – Machias Seal Island, Maine: Often referred to as avian clowns, Atlantic Puffins have the most colorful beak of any bird in North America. During the breeding season the drab color of the winter beak turns bright. Both male and female sport this multi-colored beak that plays an important roll in breeding rituals.
A colonial nester, puffins congregate on off shore islands and high cliffs along the mainland to breed. They lay a single egg in rock crevices and earthen burrows protecting the egg and young from predators.
Machias Seal Island, where this image was taken is a fifteen acre, treeless island about ten-miles off the coast of Cutler, Maine. The island is claimed by both the United States and Canada. The Canadians have established a wildlife sanctuary on the island and its lighthouse is the only manned lighthouse left in Canada.
Nikon F5, Nikkor 500mm f-4, Provia 100