Birds: Species

Where To Watch Atlantic Puffins

Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills reach their southern breeding terminus on islands off the Maine Coast and nest, along with Arctic Terns, on both Machias Seal Island and Matinicus Rock. Puffins (also known as "sea parrots") and their alcid relatives represent the northern counterpart of penguins in the southern hemisphere. Puffins are intriguing birds that are popular with birdwatchers as well as the general public, who often travel long distances to see them.

Eastern Egg Rock, Maine
The National Audubon Society and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology have been working on a project since 1973 to reestablish a breeding population of Atlantic Puffins on Eastern Egg Rock in Muscongus Bay. They have constructed artificial burrows and have transplanted nestlings from colonies in Newfoundland. At present, a small number of puffins are breeding successfully on the island.

Trips around Eastern Egg Rock are available with Hardy Boat Cruises from New Harbor, Maine between mid-June and mid-August (1-800-2-PUFFIN) and Cap'n Fish's from Boothbay Harbor (207-633-3244)

Matinicus Rock, Maine
Matinicus Rock is a mass of granite that rises to sixty feet above the high-tide mark, and has been maintained as a seabird refuge since 1967 by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Visitors are not generally allowed to land on the island, but puffins and Razorbills are easily observed from a boat. Boat tours are available from Matinicus Island, a small island two miles long and a mile wide, lies off the coast of Rockland, Maine. Rockland is about four hours from Boston, and there is regular ferry service to Matinicus Island, which lies fifteen miles from the mainland and is the largest of eight islands that form the Matinicus Archipelago. The trip takes an hour and a half each way. Write the Rockland Chamber of Commerce (Rockland, Maine 04841) for ferry schedules. For information on ferry schedules, check the web site of the Maine State Ferry.

At Matinicus you can make arrangements with a local fisherman to take you south five miles for a trip around There are several homes on Matinicus Island that offer overnight lodging and meals. The Maine Audubon Society conducts at least two full-day trips each summer to visit this puffinry, and this, no doubt, is the easiest way to visit the nesting colony. Call the field trip coordinator, Maine Audubon Society, Gilsland Farm, Falmouth, Maine 04105, for information (207-781-2330).

Generally speaking, Machias Seal Island offers the naturalist the most intimate opportunity to study and photograph puffins and Razorbills. If time and distance are a concern, however, Matinicus Rock offers a convenient alternative.

Machias Seal Island, Maine
Machias Seal Island is located in New Brunswick waters near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, ten miles off Cutler, Maine. It is a fifteen-acre, grass-covered island totally without trees. From mid-May to mid-August, a colony of Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills occupies the ledges and rocks near the southwestern shore of the island. In the grassy areas on the island not occupied by buildings, many Arctic and a few Common Terns nest and Leach's Storm-Petrels raise their young in deep ground burrows. Because Maine weather can be very foggy in early summer, the best time to visit is during the latter part of June or the month of July. It is wise to allow three or more days for the trip because of the possibility of fog and/or rough seas, which can prevent access to the island.

Boat connections normally leave from Cutler, Maine, which can be reached by driving east from Machias on Route 1 for four miles and then right on State Route 191. Driving time from Boston is approximately seven or eight hours, and in Machias there are motels and a well-known restaurant called Helen's. The boat ride to the island takes about one hour. Contact Norton Puffin Tours, Jonesport, Maine 04649 (207-497-5933) for boat reservations. Make reservations well in advance because the boats are generally well booked. Normally, the captains will take six to eight people in a party. A daily quota of visitors to the island determines how many people get to go each day.

Machias Seal Island has hundreds of pairs of Atlantic Puffins and lesser numbers of Razorbills nesting on the island. Usually, a few nonbreeding Common Murres summer on the island as well. Machias Seal Island is protected by the Canadian Wildlife Service, and there is a warden/naturalist present during the nesting season. Regulations permit landing for three hours. There are blinds on the island that permit close viewing and excellent photographic opportunities. One needs to be especially wary of the nesting Arctic Terns.

They furiously attack anyone who passes too close to a nest or a nestling tern that has strayed onto the path! It's wise to wear a hat while on the island.