July 26, 2015 - Common Murre and Arctic Tern

The Common Murre is another bird that I photographed on Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine. It is crow-sized; males and females look alike. It’s a very good diver, able to reach depths of over 300 feet. The Murre diet consists of small fish and some shrimp and squid.

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Common Murres are very sociable, gathering in large flocks to eat along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. This group was content to sit together on a rock preening and stretching. They nest on rocky islands and lay their one egg directly on the rock. No nesting material is used by the Murre. The egg is pear-shaped which makes it roll in a circle and prevents it from rolling off the rocky nesting area.

MurreCommongroupMachiasSealIsland20150616

This is also a Common Murre, but notice the white eye ring and thin white line extending from the back of the eye. About 10 to 25 percent of Murres have this characteristic. They aren’t a separate species or even a subspecies but are often referred to as Bridled Murres. Look back at the first and second photos and you will see that all Murres have this thin line but the feathers are not white.

MurreCommonbridledMachiasSealIsland20150616

A few Arctic Terns were also on Machias Seal Island. With their long, thin wings and long pointed tail, they are very graceful in flight. They are often credited with being the champion migrators among birds. Most of them nest high in the Arctic and fly to Antarctica when nesting is finished. That makes a round trip of over 25,000 miles each year.

TernArcticflightMachiasSealIsland20150616

One of the researchers on the island pointed out this juvenile Arctic Tern with its black bill and incomplete black cap.

TernArcticjuvflightMachiasSealIsland20150616

This is a courting gesture; the male is bringing a food offering to the female. This photo emphasizes the long pointed wings. Also note the forked tail of the female sticking up in the air. Both birds have metal bands on their legs.

TernArcticcourtshipMachiasSealIsland20150616

This Arctic Tern built a nest right near the lighthouse. When the bird is sitting on the nest like this, its wings are folded over its back and extend quite far into the air.

TernArcticnestMachiasSealIsland20150616