Maine Audubon Sea Trip to Matinicus Rock

Just 5 miles east of New Harbor Maine lies Easter Egg rock, the southern most nesting island for the Atlantic Puffin.  Through a Maine Audubon sea trip with 3 other friends, we visited there and Matinicus Rock-- about 3 hours further out at sea.  The water was calm for the entire trip and the fog had burned off.  At Eastern Egg rock, we saw a Roseate Terns on the rocks and in flight.  According to Eric Hynes, staff naturalist, "the breeding plumage was still so fresh that the rosy cast to the breast was noticeable."  The seabird colony at Matinicus is truly one of the gems of the Gulf of Maine.  It includes hundreds of Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills,  Common Murres, Arctic Terns, and other birds.  Harbor seal, gray seal, harbor porpoise, and fin whale also were spotted along the way.   Other birds included Red-necked Phalaropes, Wilson's Storm-Petrels, a Sooty Shearwater and other pelagic species.   This is a "must do" trip, and tells good news about the restoration of seabird colonies in Maine .    The journey was great, as well as seeing New Harbor early in the morning. Lobster boats were leaving, lupines were blooming, and the fog cast a soft lens on the houses,  barns, and fences.  I especially loved coming back to New Harbor, since it reminded me of special times with my mom and dad, who have vacationed there.  Together we enjoyed a lobster roll at the restaurant and where the boat (Hardy Boat Cruises, www.hardyboat.com) docked.