Seabirds of Matinicus Rock Plus

Topics: Trips

A 32-acre island ledge 25 miles offshore at the mouth of Penobscot Bay, Matinicus Rock is one of Maine's most important seabird nesting colonies. Here, Atlantic puffins, razorbills, common murres, black guillemots, arctic and common terns, and laughing gulls all gather to nest. A red-billed tropicbird spent the last three summers here. Motoring out of New Harbor aboard the Hardy III, we’ll cross the mouth of Muscongus Bay, passing close by the seabird colony at Eastern Egg Rock where roseate terns nest. With plenty of open-water habitat along our route, we could see a good array of pelagic species, including Wilson’s storm petrels, northern gannets, common murres, phalaropes, greater and sooty shearwaters, black-legged kittiwakes, and jaegers.

This year, if the seas and weather hold, we will motor on to Seal Island as well.  Seal Island is another major seabird nesting site and the preferred location the last two summers for “the” red-billed tropicbird.  The possibility that we might go on to Seal Island limits the boat capacity to 50 participants so get signed up early. 

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