I headed down to breakfast, and Maureen suggested that I call John Norton to reconfirm today's tour. I was about to run up to the phone when he pulled into the parking lot (visible from my breakfast spot on the back porch) accompanied by his faithful black lab and a cooler. Ah, we're going!
Breakfast and conversation first though... blueberry waffles and fresh fruit provided a good start to the day, and since the boat was leaving much later than usual I had plenty of time for a chat with my hostess. Maureen told me the sad tale of some tourists who came here focused on the tidal change and who expected the 11 to 14 foot difference between high & low tide to be instantaneous. They were quite disappointed. Add that to their plan to spend time here shopping and I suspect they wished they hadn't stopped in Jonesport. This is a very small village that in conjunction with its neighboring town of Beals is (apparently) home to the largest lobstering fleet on the Atlantic coast - but it is not home to stores. You're right, it wasn't funny to those that experienced the disappointment, but it made me laugh. If that was a mean thought on my part, I'm sorry...
The rain stopped before we headed out on the boat, and we started with a warning that if the rain was falling when we arrived at the puffin's home, we wouldn't be able to land on the island. Tern chicks are hatching, and the babies will die if they are exposed to the wet & cold. Their bodies don't yet have the ability to regulate their temperature, and the adult terns are in guard mode - they swarm in the air and dive-bomb any walking objects. If it's raining when the adults take off, the babies will get cold and wet. So all of us on the boat put in our orders for a dry landing slot. The weather conditions that are difficult to deal with on a small boat (according to our very experienced captain) - lightening, and wind - weren't present this morning, so it was time to head out to open waters.
Rain returned as we were rolling over the waves. It was cold too, warranting many layers of clothing. How many? I was wearing a sleeveless long underwear tank, a short-sleeved shirt, a Patagonia R.5 light insulating layer, a lightweight fleece vest, and a rain jacket. That worked, and I was quite comfortable for the ride to the island.
There were only 12 people enjoying our voyage to the puffins today (I believe the landing limit is 20), and ten of my companions were on a Mass Audubon Society trip. What luck! It's fun to be with people who know the birds - or whatever your focus of the day is. I was able to ask - and get answers to - silly questions like "why do the cormorants dry their wings by holding them out in the wind?".
Quite a while before we got to Machias Seal Island we saw a puffin flying by. The first of many... I learned something funny about these birds and their flying attitude. As we watched the puffins run and take off, their bright orange feet splayed out to the side. And then as they moved into flying mode, they pulled their feet in and crossed them. Hmmm... an aerodynamic trick?
Rain, gray skies, and then - no more rain, and a lighter sky. The fog on the horizon showed as a clean white line of clouds hovering just above the water. And then a low slung island appeared in front of us. Birds wheeling in the air, dropping in to the water, leaping back into the air. Fishing, making noises, flying. What a beautiful sight.
We were lucky and were able to disembark for a quick visit. We went directly from the landing spot to the blinds, with strict instructions to watch where we were placing our feet to avoid stepping on any eggs. Unlike the puffins who nest under the rocks, the terns drop their eggs without any obvious planning. There were eggs in the grass, and an occasional tern sitting on an egg rather than trying to attack a human head.
In spite of the fact that we were told we would have a very short visit, it seemed that we had at least 30 full minutes in the blinds. Scritching noises, the puffins were apparently prancing across the roof of our blind. The puffins on the rocks were standing, prancing, flying. They were accompanied by an occasional razorbill - a much more formal appearing bird than the puffins. Black and white plumage is quite a contrast to the painted beak and orange feet of the puffins. From the blind, directly back to the shoreline and to the small boat that delivered us back to our transport for the day. As we moved from the open water to the harbor area, we passed a small island with an eagle posing on the shore. Beautiful.
I wonder - do you think that my wearing a rain hat had anything at all to do with the rain stopping for our visit with the puffins? No, I didn't think so either. But maybe I'll try that trick again sometime.
Off the boat, walking up the ramp to the dock. It was about 2:30 - still time to wander. I refueled with a quick snack, then headed out wandering in the Jonesport area. I didn't think too long about waking up my bike - while the rain had stopped, there were still sprinkles and the roads were very wet. I might have made a different decision about rolling wheels if the puffin tour had ended at the more usual hour of noon, but with wet roads and not much time my feet became my transportation. Just wandering with my cameras was a good end to the day.
By the time I headed out to Tall Barney's for dinner, the fog had rolled in once again. The roads remained dry, and I'm hoping that the dry roads stick around for tomorrow. I'm planning to head up to Machias as a starting point for my ride; if the weather tomorrow is anything like yesterday, I won't be able to judge the riding conditions from my room on the ocean.
Weather wizard - I'm really just looking for dry roads here. Sunshine would be an huge plus, but dry roads are my first wish. Can you help?
