![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25XFQw8tYbyi43pFtQysR09TqGhk6oNCDKaTROeaapJUYkYWYBCJkcXA-mQB9GDqj8M2G1w_uNNL-Kpebyax692IUi6y_MS3x5DNV9AjK0ahTYZSZ-IAV_xQEv4siF9uzBGfn/s200/mola-mola!.JPG)
Last week our
Hog Island Audubon Camp cruised out to Monhegan Island on the camp's new boat the Puffin V. On the way offshore we saw lots of
Northern Gannets, a
Red-necked Phalarope, and some scoters, but the highlight was this Mola Mola swimming next to the boat at point blank range.
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On Monhegan we saw lots of warblers and other migrants, including a
Lark Sparrow--a bird usually found much farther west, but that shows up here each year as a vagrant. It was fun to see some
Great Cormorants on the rocks at White Head, and we watched a school of tuna attack some baitfish--with some of the larger fish clearing the water while lunging at their prey. A few of us were lucky enough to see a Minke Whale as well. I also had a close encounter with a green snake while hiking back from White Head.
Merlins were flying all over the island, and the group got very close looks at a
Rusty Blackbird perched on top of a spruce tree.
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On the way back to Hog Island, the best bird was a juvenile
Sabine's Gull first seen on the water (and photographed by Scott Weidensaul) and then seen in flight. It has been a long, long time since I've seen one of these beauties--so a special treat.
Red-necked Grebes in flight and a few
Surf Scoters and
White-winged Scoters rounded out the birds as we cruised back into port. A great day of birding with some great company.
(photos:
Scott Weidensaul)
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