On Seal Island, unbanded puffins (of unknown origins) outnumber puffins transplanted from Newfoundland.

Eastern Egg Rock: Machias Seal Island puffin nests at EER

The number of nesting puffins increased by three pairs at Eastern Egg Rock for a high count of 19 pairs this summer, equaling the island's 1986 high. The total has crept upward in the last three years from a low of 14 pairs in 1993. The increase may reflect movement of birds into the colony from as far as Machias Seal Island (MSI), located 120 miles to the east. MSI is home to about 1,000 nesting pairs of puffins, yet it is an island just twice the size of Egg Rock.

Proof that outside recruitment occurs at Egg Rock was gathered this summer when MSI puffin #516 was discovered nesting on the island. Puffin #516 was banded as a fledgling at MSI on July 18, 1991, before it headed out to sea. It was seen previously at Matinicus Rock on five days in 1993 and again in 1994, and for ten days on Egg Rock in 1995. This bird was seen delivering fish at a new Egg Rock nest site this summer. Within a few minutes, an unbanded puffin was confirmed as its mate. Young puffins have been known to settle at colonies other than their own, but this is the first such example at Egg Rock. In addition, a second new nest with two unbanded parents was discovered nearby.

The origin of the unbanded birds will never be known, but we do know that these unbanded puffins are comprising an increasing proportion of the Egg Rock colony. This summer, only 17 (45%) of the breeding birds were surviving Newfoundland transplants (the oldest birds are now 19 years old), while 21 were unbanded, non-translocated puffins. It is likely that most of the unbanded puffins are young produced at Egg Rock, because the boulders on Egg Rock make it difficult to reach all chicks for banding. However, the sighting of MSI #516 indicates that recruitment includes young produced elsewhere.

Another heartening event occurred this summer when 55 puffins were seen at once -- a major increase in the island's previous high count of 32 in 1992.

Seal Island NWR: 40 puffin pairs nest!

In 1992, eight years after restoration efforts began, seven pairs of puffins recolonized Seal Island. In 1996, 40 nesting pairs were discovered, 60% more than last summer. Seal Island, located 20 miles offshore from Rockland, Maine, once hosted the largest puffin colony off mid-coastal Maine, but hunting for meat and feathers decimated the original colony by 1887 (see Egg Rock Update 1984, 1992, 1995). Most of the expansion has occurred near existing burrows, leaving large areas of suitable habitat for future growth.

The previous record high count of puffins seen at one time -- 63 in 1995 -- was also exceeded this summer, when interns counted 102 puffins on July 30. A tally of translocated vs. non-translocated puffins showed a preponderance of non-translocated birds: 84% of the puffins were either banded as chicks at other Maine Islands (Matinicus Rock and Machias Seal) or were of unknown origin (likely also from Maine colonies). The colonies on Matinicus Rock and Machias Seal Island are also growing, producing young that are now immigrating to the newly restored colony on Seal Island. This summer 70% of the known Seal Island breeders were immigrants -- the remaining 30% were birds translocated to Seal Island as Newfoundland chicks. Seal Island puffins are very successful at rearing young: this year we estimate that 95% of the nests successfully produced fledglings.

Matinicus Rock: 123 active puffin nests

The Matinicus Rock puffin colony was reduced by hunting for food and feathers to just one pair in 1901, but protection by Audubon-hired light keepers in that year and subsequent protection by Audubon biologists has helped this colony continue its steady recovery. This year we counted 123 nests and banded 35 chicks, all of which were in excellent health.