— 2007 Season — This season, the refuge began a new seabird restoration project on Eastern Brothers Island in Jonesport. The island recently supported a small population of great black-backed and herring gulls, black guillemots, common eider, and Leach’s storm-petrels. The island is strategically located between Petit Manan and Machias Seal Islands, and could potentially draw terns from both colonies. In addition, Eastern Brothers provides exceptional breeding habitat for Atlantic puffins, razorbills, and black guillemots. This project helps to meet both State of Maine and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service objectives to increase the number and geographic distribution of tern and alcid colonies along the Maine coast. In early April, the refuge placed Atlantic puffin and razorbill decoys along the 80-foot cliffs on the south side of the island. We also placed a technician on the island to discourage gulls from nesting on Eastern Brothers. In mid May we placed tern decoys and a sound system, playing the vocalizations of an active tern colony, on the eastern end of the island. Throughout the season, we observed both razorbills and Atlantic puffins in the water adjacent to the island. We documented one pair of common terns nesting among the decoys, and the pair raised one chick. We are hopeful that Eastern Brothers Island becomes a productive tern and alcid colony in the near future. |