27 August 2021

Southport Island, Maine

I spent a few days with family on Southport Island, Maine. It’s a good place to see harbor seals – just rent a kayak and paddle out, and they can approach to within 20 m. At night you can see them gliding through bioluminescent water under your boat. Good places to try are 43.8498N 69.6632W and 43.7856N 69.6569W.
The forest had Eastern chipmunks, American red squirrels, flying squirrels (didn’t see them well, but in spruce forests so could be Northern), Eastern deer mice, and woodland jumping mice. Found meadow jumping mice at 43.84524N 69.66396W (in tall herbs near the garbage bins). A big brown bat came to drink from the pool at 43.84626N 69.66338W.
In the town I saw a huge Amrican mink cross the road at 43.83978N 69.65561W. It was so big that it made me wonder if it had some sea mink genes from past hybridization. The island’s coast is classical sea mink habitat.

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2 Comments

  • 27 August 2021
    Andrew Block

    Nice. Vladimir. Part of my neck of the woods:-) Glad you saw chippies, there have been virtually none from CT to NJ since this spring and virtually no gray squirrels. When I was in Maine in July I had some chippies and a few squirrels and down in Delaware there were a few of both, but not in between. I’m not convinced covid doesn’t have something to do with it:-( Sure the mink you saw wasn’t a fisher;-)

    Andrew

    • 27 August 2021
      Vladimir Dinets

      There was a huge explosion of grey squirrels and chipmunks in NJ in 2020, likely as a result of oak mast in 2019. Last fall we had a massive squirrel migration, on some freeways you could count 10+ roadkills per mile. This year there are still a few around my house, but not nearly as many. Foxes apparently didn’t breed this summer in my area. Deer mouse numbers are also down, but voles and jumping mice are up.
      Pretty sure it wasn’t a fisher or an otter: saw it very well, even the white chin spot.

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