The Hog Island Ornithology Camp, in coastal Maine, was created in the 1930s to foster a desire to learn and care about the environment and the wildlife that inhabits it. Still running today, despite some economic troubles, I took part in this year’s Hog Island Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens. It was a great five days; I got to meet 14 other enthusiastic young birders, as well as famous and important figures in the birding community, like Kenn & Kim Kaufman, Scott Weidensaul and Steve Kress. Enjoy a recap of the week in pictures:
The sun shines our first evening at Hog Island.
The view of the "Queen Mary," one of the main buildings on Hog Island, that connects to the dock.
Early morning bird walks with Kenn Kaufman (holding scope).
Ospreys nest on the Island.
And guillemots scour the bay.
Bald Eagles also nest on Hog Island.
(Lots of guillemots.)
An Upland Sandpiper, believe it or not.
Singing Savannah Sparrow.
Rubythroats buzz about the gardens.
Here, Scott Weidensaul bands one of them.
Eiders live not too far from us.
Here, females are attempting to sneak their young by this hungry Great Black-backed Gull.
Our first view of Eastern Egg Rock...
..home of puffins...
...and more puffins...
...and more puffins...
...and more...
..and...Razorbills?!
We got to land on the island (thank you Steve!) and see birds up close, like this feisty Common Tern.
The gulls and terns were none too happy with people walking through their colony! I got pecked on the head more than once...
But boy, was it worth it. Common Tern feeding a chick, perhaps only a day or two old.
More puffins, of course.
But more terns too. Here's a Roseate.
Common Tern chicks seemed to be the only young terns to have hatched this early in the month.
But guillemots were raising young too.
Leach's Storm-Petrels, not often seen by the light of day so close to land, also nest on Eastern Egg Rock.
Arctic Terns definitely had quite a presence on this tiny 7-acre island.
This one has a geolocator attached to its leg.
Did I mention there were guillemots?
If you sat still, they'd return to their favorite rock, even when you were 20 feet away...
Red feet!
Another cooperative Roseate.
ANOTHER RAZORB-- oh, that's a decoy.
We also took a gorgeous hike through the interior of the island.
Lots of neat habitats.
The understory was incredibly healthy.
A far cry from what I'm used to in NY.
Insectivorous pitcher plants were cool to see.
The beach was pretty neat too.
A trip to the mainland brought us this really cooperative Virginia Rail.
And in honor of International Guillemot Appreciation Day:
Quite a celebration. I guess guillemots are pretty cool birds.
And as the sun goes down on the last day of camp...
...it couldn't be any more pleasant.
Until next year...
I miss Hog SO MUCH
great to see the pictures Ben!
Thanks! And now I know why you spoke so highly of the food
Benjamin
Dear Banjamin,
We met on the owl walk in Pelham. I ejoy all your emails about birding. I especially connected with the one on Hog Island. My husband, Berni and I went there in the summer of 1958. I was a new teacher in Chappaqua and won the scholarship from the Chappaqua Garden Club. It was our first trip to Maine, our first lobster and our introduction to birding. I remember to this day some of the tips and ways to remember bird calls. It is great to hear that they are still in operation.
Just a quick note, I saw a scarlet tanager yesterday for the first time in years. Yet I now realize that I have been hearing them but thought the song was that of the Rose Breasted Grosbeak.
Thanks again, Ann
Glad you enjoyed the photos. Maine is something, isn’t it? And yes, tanagers are birds that sound similar to a few others and often keep to the treetops — congrats on finding one!
Benjamin
All I can say is WOW and OH MY GOSH those are fantastic pix Benjamin!! I miss it so much! thank you
My faves are of the Queen Mary, the Savannah Sparrow, and the the decoy Razorbill
Thanks Darcy! When you take lots and lots of photos some are bound to turn out alright
Awesome post Ben – great pics – looks amazing – have to try go myself some day!
Luke
I’m surprised you haven’t been, Luke! Sunrise Birding should do a grouse/chicken tour to Colorado…
Can you believe only 38 days ’till August 20th??
Benjamin, awesome post!! I was there a few years ago, and it was certainly an incredible experience. You’re awesome pictures brought back lots of good memories… so are you going back soon, do you think?
Anyways, cool to see this, and it’s really really good news that Hog Island is running again
Hey Andy!
Not sure — I got lucky this year that I didn’t have any state exams during the week of camp, but next year I may not be so lucky, depending on when they schedule tests for the classes I’m taking…
Looks like a great trip. Wonderful photos. (found you thru the ctbirds listserve- thanks for posting)
dan
Hi Ben B’wards, Your description and photos brought back many fond memories…from seeing the “Queen Mary” for the first time, while standing on the “mainland” dock waiting for the boat (only that morning getting the part necessary to be sea-worthy) to ferry us across to Hog, and without which we would not have experienced the birds of Eastern Egg Rock, to the wonderful last night’s supper/celebration- prepared by a truly ingenious, intrepid chef with a European name (which escapes me now)…could he still be there?
Perusing your life list also brought back cherished memories. I too started with House Sparrow and was glad to be in your company (NYSYBC Field Trip) for the Sandwich Tern.
Cheers, Bob
Bob -
Glad you enjoyed the photos! Could your chef have been Janii–I think he studied in France?
Benjamin
Ben, I’ve seen a lot of photos but yours are stunning and what a story they tell. I’m so glad you responded to the listserv notice about Hog Island otherwise I would never have seen your photo story. I hope we’ll see you in future years. Check out the Friends of Hog Island website, http://www.fohi.org. WOW, WOW, and WOW – a photo of a geolocator on an Arctic Tern – how rare is that!!!
Ben, I’m the web producer for http://www.fohi.org, and I’d be honored if you would grant us permission to republish this post, with attribution and a link, on our site.
We have hundreds of Hog Island alumni who subscribe to our updates, and I am sure they would be transported right back to the island after seeing your post.
Thanks for considering …
Jay [dot] Collier [at] thecompass [dot] com
Jay -
Sure, see my email.
Benjamin
Thank you, Benjamin.
-Jay
I posted your wonderful story and pictures on the Friends of Hog Island website:
http://fohi.org/2010/11/30/coastal-maine-for-teens/
Thanks!
wonderful pictures and sentiments….Hope you can make it for 2011….I’ll be cooking…
Thanks–NY schools run late into June (I got lucky last year), but hopefully I can make it!
Thanks so much for your pictures and comments. I spent one of the best weeks of my life on Hog Island. When I wrote my husband, he was afraid I wouldn’t come home. I did, but Janii’s cooking was hard to give up. Your pitcher plant picture brought back great memories of the walks on the island. I stayed in the Queen Mary and painted a picture much like your photograph. I’ve never been on Eastern Egg Rock, but I did get to Wreck Island and the Great Blue Heron rookery-a step into another world of white-washed trees with a raucous symphony of BIG hungry young in the nests above. Never to be forgotten. I’ve been on the board of Mid-Coast Audubon ever since, and have the privilege of going on field trips with excellent birders every month of the year. The Christmas bird counts are my favorite, visiting out of the way places along the coast year after year. It’s amazing that even if the weather is cold and miserable, the company of dedicated birders with a mission always makes it fascinating. Keep Hog Island in your heart. It’s future is tenuous in these lean money times.
Hey, fellow Hog Island fan! I was wondering if you’d let me use one or two of your pictures on my own wordpress. Your photos are stunning and bring back a lot of wonderful memories. I went to hog island when I was in middle school over ten years ago, so all my pictures are from a tiny disposable camera. I want to write a post about some of my memories there, but don’t have the visuals to go with it
I’d really appreciate being able to use your photography on my blog. I’d give you credit and a link here, of course. I just want other people to be able to see what we saw.
Certainly!
Thanks for the great post! I was at Hog Island this year and the place hasn’t changed a bit from your photos (that’s a good thing!). I’d have to say the eiders were my favorite. I’ll be back next year!
I’ve posted a short video from Egg Rock on YouTube. I think we had the same common tern on the roof!
-Owler
Benjamin,
Your photos are truly wonderful, and give one a sense of being there. I grew up on Hog Island, for 20 amazing summers (my father taught marine life, and then was director for 10 years), and I come back to help with FOHI as often as I can, though it’s a bit of a trek from San Francisco.
You were so lucky to be able to land on E. Egg Rock; we used to do that regularly with the campers back in the 50′s and 60′s, but not since Steve Kress miraculously brought the puffins back to nest.
Hog Island is such a special place, thank you for sharing your beautiful images.
Peggy