PETIT MANAN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Milbridge, Maine
and Satellite Stations: Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
Calendar Year 1987
U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM REVIEW AND APPROVALS
PETIT MANAN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Milbridge, Maine
and
Satellite Stations
Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1987
Refuge, Manager Date
Date
Refugb Supervisor Review Date V LFTf.M. Regional 01:rice Approval Date PETIT MANAN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Milbridge, Maine
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
Calendar Year 1987 INTRODUCTION
Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge is a 3,335 acre refuge complex consisting of 1,991 acres on Petit Manan Point, acquired in 1975 and 1976 through the Nature Conservancy; 1,155 acres on Bois Bubert Island, most of which was donated in 1980 through the Nature Conservancy; nine acres on Petit Manan Island, transferred from the Coast Guard in 1974; and five acres on Nash Island, transferred from the Coast Guard in 1983. The refuge is located in the towns of Steuben, Milbridge, and Addison, in Washington County, Maine.
Petit Manan Point has a rugged, windswept character. Its habitats include red and white spruce forests with some mixed hardwoods, coastal raised heath peatlands, fresh and saltwater marshes, blueberry barrens, cedar swamps, jack pine stands, old hayfields, rocky shores, and cobble beaches. It is noted for its use by migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors.
At the turn of the century most of the peninsula was owned by the Maine Coast Club, a company that intended to develop the land for "rusticators". Tennis courts, a golf course, a saltwater swimming impoundment, a deer enclosure, a wharf, and even a casino were built, and portions of the Point were divided into lots. However, their expectations were never realized, and the Club went bankrupt. Most of the Point was eventually acquired by the Mague family who turned it back into a saltwater farm, using the cleared areas for sheep pasture and blueberry grounds. The old Club buildings gradually disappeared, and, aside from two old camps and a small chapel, few traces of it remain. Bois Bubert Island is much like Petit Manan Point in character and wildlife. The island runs parallel to the Point, about one mile east. Approximately 90% of the island is owned by the Service; inholdings are being acquired as they become available. Like many of the larger islands in Maine, Bois Bubert once had a village with a school, but now only a few old camps remain on the inholdings.
Petit Manan Island, named by Samuel de Champlain after Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, in 1604, is a nine acre treeless island, two and a half miles south of the Point. Historically it has been one of the most important colonial seabird nesting islands in the Gulf of Maine. It is also the site of an historic lightstation. Nash Island is a nine acre treeless island approximately seven miles east of Petit Manan Point. Only half of the island is under Service ownership; the other half is privately owned. It is a former tern nesting island, but now only hosts nesting eiders and gulls. INTRODUCTION Page TABLE OF CONTENTS i
A. HIGHLIGHTS 1
B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 1
C. LAND ACQUISITION 1. Fee Title 2 2. Easements 2 3. Other 2
D. PLANNING 1. Master Plan Nothing to Report 2. Management Plan Nothing to Report 3. Public Participation Nothing to Report 4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Res. Mandates...3 5. Research and Investigations 3 6. Other Nothing to Report
E. ADMINISTRATION
1. Personnel 7 2. Youth Programs 8 3. Other Manpower Programs Nothing to Report 4. Volunteer Programs 8 5. Funding 8 6. Safety 9 7. Technical Assistance 9 8. Other Nothing to Report
F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT
1. General Nothing to Report 2. Wetlands 10 3. Forests 11 4. Croplands Nothing to Report 5. Grasslands 11 6. Other Habitats 11 7. Grazing 12 8. Haying Nothing to Report 9. Fire Management 12
i 10. Pest Control Nothing to Report 11. Water Rights Nothing to Report 12. Wilderness and Special Areas 15 13. WPA Easement Monitoring Nothing to Report
G. WILDLIFE
1. Wildlife Diversity 15 2. Endangered and Threatened Species 15 3. Waterfowl 16 4. Marsh and Waterbirds Nothing to Report 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied Species 16 6. Raptors 18 7. Other Migratory Birds 19 8. Game Mammals 19 9. Marine Mammals 19 10. Other Resident Wildlife :. . . 19 11. Fisheries Resources Nothing to Report 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking Nothing to Report 13. Surplus Animal Disposal Nothing to Report 14. Scientific Collections Nothing to Report 15. Animal Control 19 16. Marking and Banding 2 0 17. Disease Prevention and Control 2 0
H. PUBLIC USE 1. General 2 0 2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students Nothing to Report 3. Outdoor Classrooms - Teachers Nothing to Report 4. Interpretive Foot Trails 2 0 5. Interpretive Tour Routes Nothing to Report 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations Nothing to Report 7. Other Interpretive Programs 21 8. Hunting ...Nothing to Report 9. Fishing Nothing to Report 10. Trapping Nothing to Report 11. Wildlife Observation Nothing to Report 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation Nothing to Report 13. Camping Nothing to Report 14. Picnicking Nothing to Report 15. Off-Road Vehicling Nothing to Report 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation Nothing to Report 17. Law Enforcement 21 18. Cooperating Associations Nothing to Report
I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES
1. New Construction Nothing to Report
ii 2. Rehabilitation 23 3. Major Maintenance 2 3 4. Equipment Utilization and Maintenance 24 5. Communication Systems Nothing to Report 6. Computer Systems 2 5 7. Energy Conservation Nothing to Report
J. OTHER ITEMS 1. Cooperative Programs Nothing to Report 2. Other Economic Uses Nothing to Report 3. Items of Interest 2 5 4. Credits 26
K. FEEDBACK ' 26
L. INFORMATION PACKET Map Appended
SATELLITE REFUGES Appended
* Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge
iii 1
A. HIGHLIGHTS
The refuge received a $2,000 donation from Mr. John Hay of Waldoboro, Maine. (Section 1-2) The fourth year of the seabird management program on Petit Manan Island saw record numbers of eiders nesting, the first Atlantic puffin chick produced, and a black tern and a pair of black- headed gulls attempt to nest. (Sections D-5 and G-5)
Thirteen acres of blueberry grounds were burned this year, the first prescribed burning since the refuge was created in 1975. (Section F-9)
B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
The climate of coastal Washington County is moderated by the Atlantic Ocean. Summer temperatures are significantly cooler and winter temperatures are significantly warmer than inland areas. No weather data is collected at this station; however,in the Machias area, the average annual temperature is 43 degrees F., the average annual precipitation is 49 inches, the average annual snowfall is 75 inches, and the average frost-free growing season is 132 days. This area receives an average of fourteen thunderstorms per year. The average tidal range is 10.9 feet. Fog is an important influence on coastal ecosystems, occurring 33% of the time during the summer months.
Petit Manan Point W. French 2
The winter of 1986-87 will be remembered for its winter storms and snowfall. We had three major storms during the first three weeks of January, followed by three more in February. By the middle of February, over three feet of snow covered the ground, which lasted until the end of March. The blowing, drifting snow made access to the Point almost impossible for two months. The Magues, the only year-round residents of the Point, had to literally bulldoze their way in and out each day, two miles one way.
Summer was just the opposite: lots of high pressure systems brought many clear, dry days, with little fog. There was very little rainfall from June 3 until September 21, when a storm dumped over six inches of rain on the area during the night, bringing the yearly average back to normal.
The '87-88 winter started out like the previous one. The first snowstorm, a 12-incher on November 12, brought an early freeze-up to refuge flowages. By the end of December, over four feet of snow had fallen, with approximately two feet remaining on the ground.
C. LAND ACQUISITION
1. Fee Title
The Holley Tract (10g-I), a small, 25 acre inholding on Bois Bubert Island, was transferred this year from the Nature Conservancy. This tract, a tract on Cross Island NWR, and several tracts on Rachel Carson NWR were initially acquired by TNC several years ago, and were all traded this year for an estate on Rachel Carson that had been donated to the Service. The appraised value of the Holley Tract was $61,000.
Other inholdings on the refuge will be acquired as they become available.
2. Easements
Throughout the year the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a non-profit organization specializing in land preservation through easements, has worked on acquiring easements on our inholdings. Although no easements were recorded this year, there are some landowners that are seriously considering this. 3. Other Senior Staff Specialist Bob Miller, Realty Officer Jim Turner, 3 and Review Appraiser Ken Bodell visited the refuge in September to review future inholding acguisitions. They also visited the site of another potential refuge for the area, the 1000 acre Bog Brook marsh in the town of Deblois, approximately 20 miles north of Milbridge. This site was also visited by ARD Don Young, Refuge Supervisor Tom McAndrews, and Appraiser Walt Quist in September, and by Land Surveyor Roger Tornstrom in July. At the end of 1987, acquisition was still being pursued, with possible funding available in FY 89.
D. PLANNING
4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates
An Environmental Assessment for prescribed burning was prepared in February and approved by DRD Bill Ashe on April 14. Only two comments were received: one was from the Stewardship Director of the Maine Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, who was interested in participating in the burns? the other was from the county Soil Conservation Service District Conservationist, who expressed concern over erosion of the firelines.
5. Research and Investigations
Petit Manan NR87- "Monitoring Colonial Seabird Populations and Reproductive Success in Terns Nesting on Petit Manan NWR." 53533- 1. The Island Institute.
Objectives: 1. Monitor the populations and nesting success of gulls, terns, puffins, guillemots, and eiders nesting on Petit Manan and Green Islands. 2. Monitor the effects of competition by gulls for nesting space and predation on terns.
3. Investigate the relationship between tern nesting sites and vegetation substrate.
4. Monitor the effects of vegetation management on tern and laughing gull nesting success.
Since the initial gull control and seabird management program began in 1984, we have annually issued a contract to maintain and monitor the colonies. This year the $4000 contract was issued to the Island Institute. The contract pays two people $135 per person per week to live on the island from when the terns arrive 4 in May until when they leave in August. The field crew, David Folger, Matt Drennan, and Rick Schauffler, arrived on May 16 and stayed until September 1. a. Terns The seabird management program was initiated in 1984 with the goal of restoring the colony of arctic, common, and roseate terns to Petit Manan, which was historically one of the largest and most successful colonies in the Gulf of Maine. This is an especially interesting colony because it has traditionally been composed of roughly equal numbers of common terns and arctic terns; all of the other colonies in the Gulf are largely composed of one species. Petit Manan is close enough to the bays and estuaries to attract common terns, yet is far enough to sea to be ecologically considered an outer island, and be attractive to arctic terns. The nesting terns had been passively, and in some cases, actively, protected by lightkeepers over the years. Not only did most people simply prefer terns over the more aggressive gulls, but since the rainwater collected from the roofs provided the only freshwater for the three lightkeepers and their families, and since the gulls had the habit of loafing on the roofs,the gulls were not tolerated. This helps explain why the three main tern colonies surviving in Maine today are on lighthouse islands.
After Petit Manan Light was automated in 1972, it was no surprise, in fact, it was predicted, that the gulls would take over the tern colony. By 1978 tern numbers had started to decrease and by 1980 they were gone. They did not nest again until we initiated the gull control program in 1984. Within two weeks after the third application of 1339 Gull Toxicant, the terns were back. Today their numbers surpass the historical numbers, and, most importantly, their production is consistently high. A nest count was conducted this year on June 17; 1301 nests were found. With the sampling error taken into consideration, we estimate that there were approximately 1450 nests, with an approximate ratio of one arctic to one common tern nest. Production was lower this year, approximately 0.6 chick/nest, down from approximately 1.0 chick/nest; however, this figure is misleading because nearly all of the mortality was suffered in a severe rainstorm one night in early June when the first chicks to hatch were too big to be adequately protected by the parents, yet too small to avoid hypothermia. The chicks that survived this storm had good fledging rates. Actually, we are happy with anything above 0.4-0.5 chick/nest. This colony is also interesting because it includes over half of 5 the roseate terns nesting in Maine. Roseates, which were placed on the Endangered Species List this year, increased to 38 pairs, a 19 % increase over last year. Although only roseates are officially endangered, we are concerned about all three species of terns because their populations have declined drastically since the 1940's largely due to competition from gulls. It will take more active management programs at other colony sites to reverse this long-term decline. b. Laughing Gulls Petit Manan is also noted for having over half of the nesting laughing gulls in Maine. Fortunately, the laughing gulls do not compete significantly with the terns; very minor predation on tern eggs and chicks has been documented on Matinicus Rock, but never here. Kleptoparasitism has been documented here, but-has had no significant effect. Their nesting habitat requirements are also very different from the terns, as they prefer dense, tall vegetation, instead of the more open, rockier areas. Like the terns, they were rousted from Petit Manan by the large gulls, and returned in 1984 when the gulls were removed. Their preference for rank vegetation makes them almost impossible to census. From a partial fledgling count of 230 on August 18, and from the numbers of adults that would fly when the peregrine came around, we have estimated that there must be at least 400 pairs nesting, up from 150 pairs in the 1970's.
Black Guillemots D. Folger c. Black Guillemots Black guillemots are one of the rarest alcids, but are very common here in Maine. They nest in rock crevices and between small boulders and rocks, close to the water. In 1984, approximately 16 pairs of guillemots nested on Petit Manan; since then this number has grown to an estimated 80 pairs. Unfortunately, we do not have good population numbers prior to 1984; however, since the only thing that has changed is a decrease in the influence that the gulls have on the island, it is reasonable to assume that this dramatic increase is a result of the gull control also. d. Common Eiders Eider numbers on both Petit Manan and Green Island have skyrocketed since the gull control. (Although terns nested'on Petit Manan, and not on neighboring state-owned Green Island, it was necessary to control the nesting gulls on Green, too, because they had been found to be significant predators on tern eggs and chicks in a study done by Dr. Jeremy Hatch of the University of Massachusetts in the 1970's.) On Petit Manan eider nests have increased from 12 in 1984 to 25 in 1987. On Green they have increased from 50 nests in 1984 to 550 in 1987, an increase of 1000%! Why they prefer Green over Petit Manan is unknown.
During the search for gull nests, virtually all of the incubating female eiders are momentarily flushed from their nests, enabling us to get a very accurate nest count.
Alice, our first puffin R. Schauffler 7 e. Atlantic Puffin Until 1984 puffins had not been documented visiting Petit Manan. That year, up to 13 individuals regularly visited the island, loafing near the lighttower, courting, and prospecting for nest sites. Puffins, like guillemots, nest in crevices and between rocks; puffins, however, prefer large desk-size boulders over the smaller, breadbox-size boulders that the guillemots prefer. Petit Manan does not have the boulder fields that the puffin colony islands do, so there is almost no nesting habitat, but what it does offer is a site that is free from gulls. So, since the gull control, puffins have been regular nest prospectors on Petit Manan Island. There are a few crevices in the higher ledges around the lighttower that provide marginal puffin nesting habitat. In 1986, the first puffin egg was laid, but it was knocked out of the nest and cracked before it hatched. The same crevice was chosen this year, an egg was laid, and a chick was successfully fledged. We have tried to make artificial puffin burrows out of rocks. Some have been successful in attracting guillemots, but most have been washed away in winter storms. Therefore, it is doubtful that the puffin colony here will ever grow, but it is nice to have the colorful birds hanging around. We have also been successful in reading band numbers off the loafing birds, and have been able to document movement between Petit Manan, Seal Island NWR, Matinicus Rock, Eastern Egg Rock, and Machias Seal Island.
E. ADMINISTRATION
1. Personnel
(Left to Right) Widrig, Goettel, Ottman BG 8
1. Thomas A. Goettel, Refuge Manager, GS-9, PFT, E.O.D. 1/5/85. 2. Daniel Ottman, Biological Aid, GS-4, TFT, E.O.D. 5/24/87. 3. Ralph S. Widrig, Biological Technician, GS-5, TPT, E.O.D. 5/10/87. Daniel Ottman, a former volunteer from Harrington, Maine, and a Wildlife Management undergrad at the University of Maine, was hired for the summer months. He returned to school in September and was converted to intermittent status. Ralph Widrig, also a former volunteer, was hired on a part-time basis to work on a biological inventory of the Point. He was paid for two days per week, and volunteered for the other five. 'He was placed in non-pay status at the end of the fiscal year because we did not have a firm budget to work with.
' Number of Employees PFT PPT Temp. Ttl. FY 85 1 0 1 1.2 FY 86 1 0 1 1.5 FY 87 1 0 2 1.3 2. Youth Programs
Five members of the Moosehorn NWR YCC visited the refuge on July 30 to assist with wood duck nest box placement.
4. Volunteer Programs Ralph Widrig volunteered full-time throughout the year, even when he was converted to TPT and paid for two days per week. He has put together a plant list of over 300 species, a bird list of over 200 species, and has gathered many records of arrivals, departures and numbers. Ralph has put an incredible amount of time into the refuge and has been a great help.
5. Funding This was the third year that Petit Manan has had its own budget. Travel and Operating Allotment Salaries Fixed Costs Balance FY 85 $78,000 $25,987 $ 8.906* $43,107** FY 86 84,632 35,784 13,577+ 35,271++ FY 87 67,162 34,332 11,564+ 21,266A 9
* Includes $1,338 for Goettel's moving expenses. ** Includes $24,992 for purchase of boat w/ i/o diesel engine. + Includes $ 5,120 for office rent. ++ Includes $10,000 transferred to Moosehorn NWR and $8,132 for EOY purchase of 20' boat, generator, compressor, loran, and radar (wish list). A Includes $8,659 for EOY purchase of outboard motor, dingy, and new transmission for Chevy Blazer (wish list), and $2,000 donation.
Within the operating balance, $5,000 was received this year for ARMM projects: $1,500 for boat and trailer maintenance; $1,500 for interpretive trail rehab; $1,000 for parking lot and road rehab; and $1,000 for office furniture.
A total of $12,000 was initially earmarked to hire a TFT Bio. Tech. Since no funding was received for the Petit Manan Island seabird contract, and because no funding was allocated to set up the new 20' boat, we decided to redistribute these funds as follows: $6,200 for temporary personnel; $4,000 for the seabird contract (compared with $5,000 in FY 86); and $1,800 for the boat set-up. 6. Safety
There were no accidents of any sort this year.
7. Technical Assistance
A small oil spill occurred downstream from the Green Lake National Fish Hatchery on January 5. It was reported by hatchery personnel to Refuge Manager Goettel, who is the oil spill Field Response Coordinator for Maine, north of Portland. It was quickly taken care of by Maine Department of Environmental Protection personnel, so no response by this office was necessary. This was the only oil spill reported to this office this year; most are handled directly by DEP.
On September 8 Goettel attended a meeting with various biologists from the United States and Canada at the National Audubon Society camp in Medomak, Maine, to discuss the future of tern management in the Gulf of Maine. NAS Biologist Stephen Kress has volunteered to write the much-needed and long-discussed seabird management plan for the state, with the assistance of a small group of advisors. Also attending the meeting were Zone Biologist Atwell and Regional Office Biologist Ralph Andrews.
During the fall months Goettel assisted the Steuben Elementary School with the development of a small environmental education nature trail in back of the school. 10
During the fall months Goettel assisted the Frenchman's Bay Conservancy, a new non-profit local land trust that is interested in acquiring land and conservation easements in Washington and Hancock Counties. He has provided the Strategy Committee with advice on biological matters, and participated in a panel discussion on land preservation at their monthly meeting in October.
F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT
2. Wetlands There are over 300 acres of freshwater marsh and 200 acres of saltmarsh on Petit Manan Point and Bois Bubert Island. The' largest and most productive marsh on the Point was created from a heath in the late 1800's by the construction of a stone dam that was to provide water level control for cranberry production. The dam has since grown over with alders and been improved by beaver, and now provides some of the highest quality waterfowl habitat in Downeast Maine.
Cranberry Bog Marshes TAG
Although rainfall was scarce this summer, the flowages retained enough water for good waterfowl food production.
On September 24 Refuge Manager Goettel and Moosehorn's ARM Mills travelled to the Sandy Point Wildlife Management Area in Stockton Springs to harvest wild rice. Approximately 20 pounds of good 11 quality seed were gathered and sown later that evening on the Cranberry Bog marshes. The rice that was first sown there in 1985 has done very well, with several large patches well-established and getting larger each year.
3. Forests
Much of Petit Manan Point and Bois Bubert can be classified as commercial forest, chiefly second-growth red, black, and white spruce, white cedar, and larch, with mixed hardwoods such as red maple, paper and yellow birch, mountain ash and alders. There are also some jackpine stands on both. No wood harvesting is allowed at this time to allow the woods to mature to encourage bald eagle nesting and roosting. 5. Grasslands Two of the former sheep pastures totalling approximately 10 acres are maintained for upland species by mowing when necessary. They were not mowed this year.
6. Other Habitats
There are approximately 38 acres of blueberry grounds on the Point. They are important to migrating songbirds, raptors and whimbrels ("blueberry curlews"), deer, and as singing grounds for woodcock. After a decade of natural succession, we are slowly restoring them with a combination of mowing and burning. The arctic-like tip of Petit Manan Point with its shrub-slope peatlands and raised peatlands contains fragile ecosystems that will not be actively managed.
Bio. Tech. Widrig identified many unusual plants on the refuge this year, including:, a rare, white form of the moccasin-flower (Cvpripedium acaule); brook lobelia (Lobelia kalmii), rarely found on the Maine coast; Polygonum rati, a rare native buckwheat; and 10 species of orchids. To date, he has identified 286 species of vascular plants, including 23 species of Carex. five species of cotton grass, and 14 species of asters and goldenrods. In August he identified a significant population of the rare snapdragon, Gerardia neoscotica. which had been reported only once before in the United States, on the Point in 1932. He subsequently found a second population of it on Bois Bubert in September. Specimens were collected and sent to the University of Maine Herbarium.
Other unusual plants on the refuge include: beachhead iris, Iris hookeri; sea lungwort, Mertensia maritima; and roseroot stonecrop, Sedum rosea. Nodding Lady's Tresses, Soiranthes cernua TAG This year was an exceptionally productive year for the native mountain ash. A very good crop of the fire engine-red berries was produced across the Point, providing a good fall and winter food source for songbirds.
7. Grazing
One half of Nash Island is privately owned and is used for sheep pasture. The fence that separated the former lightstation property from the private property has long since been torn down, giving the sheep the run of the island. Replacing the fence would make the island a good test site for research on the effects of sheep on the coastal islands. 9. Fire Management
Four burn units on Petit Manan Point and three test plots on Petit Manan Island were burned this year. The Birch Clearing- South Field (4.4 acres) and the Parking Lot Field (4 acres) were burned on April 15, and the Meadow Brook Field (2 acres) and the 13
Shore Trail Field (3 acres) were burned the following day. Moosehorn's ARM Maury Mills assisted.
Burning the Shore Trail Field Blueberry Ground TAG
The Birch Clearing Field had not been burned in over 20 years, and the others in at least 10 years, so there was plenty of fuel. All burned well and good regrowth was seen in the blueberry plants. It is interesting to note that the whimbrels that were seen on the Point this year did not show a preference for burned or unburned fields. The "blueberry curlews", as they are known locally, are believed to be attracted to the fields to eat the blueberries, and therefore should favor the unburned fields. (Blueberry plants do not produce any fruit during the year in which they were burned.) The blueberry field near the parking lot, a favorite site for the whimbrels, is divided into two burn units, only one of which was burned this year. The flocks of up to 30 whimbrels that were seen there this summer used both equally, indicating that they may be attracted to the fields for insects, too, and not just blueberries.
Two small (10 x 10m) test plots were burned on May 15 on Petit Manan Island to test the effects of fire on tern habitat. The terns did prefer the burned areas, but, because greenup had already started by the time of the burn, the fire was not hot, and the effects did not last through the nesting season. By July, the plots were indistinguishable from unburned areas. An earlier burn next year will be a better test. Burn Test Plots, Petit Manan I TAG
The fireplow does a neat job TAG 15
All of the firelines for 1988 were made by the Maine Forest Service in October, using a JD~350 and fireplow.
12. Wilderness and Special Areas Petit Manan Island and portions of the Point and Bois Hubert are on the state Critical Areas Register.
G. WILDLIFE
1. Wildlife Diversity
A total of 205 bird species were sighted this year by Bio. Tech. Widrig. The refuge bird list now stands at 251.
2. Endangered and Threatened Species
Bald eagles use the refuge throughout the year for feeding and roosting. Several pairs nest in areas adjacent to the refuge. One adult pair was seen repeatedly together near Big Pond on Bois Bubert during the nesting season, but flying is the only way to check it out, and there is no money in our budget for flight time. Peregrine falcons frequent the refuge during the spring and fall migrations. When we started the seabird project in May, one had claimed the lighttower, but gave it up in a couple of days when he found out that we were there to stay.
Another bird, this one identified as a hacked bird from the Mt. Desert Island Class of 1986, took up residence on the Point and flew to the island daily for lunch. It was seen almost daily from May through July. It took at least 30 terns, both adult and fledglings. However, once the shorebirds began to arrive in mid- July, it switched to dowitchers, although it had to take two shorebirds for every tern. Although we would prefer not to lose so many terns, observing the hunt was spectacular, and the effects on the tern colony were interesting. Initially, the entire colony would go into a frenzy when the bird appeared, and stay excited until it left. After several weeks, only 500-600 birds at a time would go up, flying excitedly in a tight flock, until the peregrine, flying relatively low, singled one out and made its move. Its success rate was about 50%. The terns never really got used to it, which may explain why they largely deserted the island by the end of July, two weeks earlier than usual. 16
A freshly killed peregrine was found on Bar Island in Milbridge in September and turned over to refuge personnel. It had just killed a Bonaparte's gull, but had not yet started to eat it. The cause of death was not determined.
A piping plover was observed on the sandy beach near Chair Pond on July 13.
Over half of the roseate terns nesting in Maine nest on Petit Manan Island. 3. Waterfowl The refuge's importance to waterfowl lies in providing habitat during the spring and fall migration. In most years the black ducks produced inland and in the maritime provinces trickle down to the coast, using the inland flowages and marshes. In 1987, due to the extremely low water levels in August and most of September, they bypassed the inland areas and flew directly to the saltwater. By the middle of September, over 4000 black ducks, 500 green-winged teal, and lesser numbers of pintails, widgeon, and mallards were feasting on the abundant crop of leafy pondweed fPotamaaeton foliosus) and wild rice in the Cranberry Bog Marsh. The six inch rainfall during the night of the September 21 raised water levels by over a foot and a half, and about half of the ducks moved on. Of special note this year was a small flock of 11 Canada geese that spent a month at Over Cove during October and November.
Waterfowl brood counts performed in July recorded a total of seven black duck broods, one green-winged teal, and two unidentified teal broods in the Cranberry Bog Marsh. Totals for the entire refuge, based on our observations throughout the nesting season of broody hens, paired birds, and lone drakes, are believed to be closer to 30-40 black duck, 25 green-winged teal, and 5-10 wood duck broods. Different brood count stations will be used in 1988.
During any month of the year, rafts of from 3,000 to 10,000 common eiders can be seen off Petit Manan Point and Island. Rafts of up to 15,000 have been reported during the late summer/early fall molt. With the eiders can be rafts of black-winged and white-winged scoters, and flocks of goldeneye, oldsquaw, bufflehead, and red-breasted mergansers.
4. Shorebirds. Gulls. Terns, and Allied Species
A new nesting species was recorded on Petit Manan Island this year when a black tern laid a clutch of three eggs. Normally freshwater marsh nesters, we were not surprised when it deserted the nest two weeks later. Black Tern Nesting on Petit Manan Island R. Schauffler
For the third year in a row, a black-headed gull attempted to nest on the island in the laughing gull colony. This year's attempt was unsuccessful. Black-headed gulls are immigrants from Europe that have recently started nesting in Quebec, (see appendix).
Willets were confirmed nesting on the Point this year. Seven pairs were counted at Over Cove, Chair Pond, and Wood Pond Point. Although they have been seen in territorial displays in other years, this was the first year that chicks have been seen. This represents a significant comeback of this species to Maine, as they have not nested here during this century.
Over Cove is a locally important feeding and roosting site for migrating shorebirds. Twenty-four species have been recorded here, including oystercatchers, golden plovers, pectoral sandpipers, Baird's sandpiper, curlew sandpipers, and Hudsonian godwits. On November 21 Bio. Tech. Widrig observed a bar-tailed godwit there, the third record for Maine. Also of note was a flock of 32 red knots seen during the last week in October. An immature little gull was observed at Over Cove on September 13. Several Iceland gulls were seen along the western shore near Hogpen Cove in December.
Sooty shearwaters, common and thick-billed murres, parasitic jaegers, dovekies, black-legged kittiwakes, red and northern phalaropes, Wilson's storm-petrels, northern gannets, and common and red-throated loons are occasionally seen offshore. 18
Black-headed Gull D. Folger The annual woodcock census route was run on May 7. No significant change has been noted over the last several years. 6. Raptors
Each year tens of thousands of raptors pass over Maine's coastal islands and peninsulas. Thousands of sharp-shinned hawks alone passed over the Point in September and October. Merlins, too, are common migrants. Snowy owls were sighted in March, and again in November and December.
A gray phase gyrfalcon, an unusual record for the Point, was seen by Bio. Tech. Widrig on December 14. Both the Point and Bois Bubert offer good habitat for them, but they are notoriously hard to see. The clue that we had one there this year was that there were very few birds of any species, including gulls, on the refuge after the middle of November. When he saw a flock of 100- 200 crows and ravens huddled soundlessly in a tree, he knew something was up. A few minutes later he was fortunate to see the gyrfalcon glide silently over the homestead blueberry fields. Also of note this year were two turkey vultures seen on May 9. Ospreys are common in the area, usually arriving in April and leaving in October. A pair may be nesting near Chair Pond. 19
7. Other Migratory Birds
Nesting species of interest on the refuge include the boreal chickadee, Lincoln's sparrow, and 14 species of warblers, including the palm. Interesting species seen this year include blue-winged, prairie, and Kentucky warblers, a grasshopper sparrow, an orchard oriole, and a yellow-throated vireo, all of which were north of their normal range, and yellow-bellied flycatchers and black-backed woodpeckers, which were south of their normal range.
8. Game Mammals
White-tailed deer numbers are still increasing on the Point, although exact numbers are unknown. Two piebald deer are frequently seen near the homestead.
No moose or black bear were seen this year. Coyote and bobcat sign are frequently found. 9. Marine Mammals Harbor seals are still increasing on the Maine coast since bounties were removed almost two decades ago. As a result, each year more "abandoned" pups are picked up by well-intentioned persons. One was brought into the refuge office this year by a local wormdigger. It was turned over to the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, and then transported to be raised at the New England Aquarium in Boston.
A common dolphin, which is uncommon in this area, washed ashore in Gouldsboro Bay in November. Still alive when found, it died before it could be moved.
A small pod of finback whales was seen off Jordan's Delight in July. 10. Other Resident Wildlife
Spruce and ruffed grouse both nest on the refuge.
15. Animal Control
A total of 129 gull nests on Green Island, adjacent to Petit Manan Island, were baited with the avicide 1339 Gull Toxicant in two applications on May 29 and June 24. A total of 31 herring gulls and 25 great black-backed gulls were collected. No birds were shot this year. No gulls have tried to nest on Petit Manan since 1985. After four years of this program, gulls continue to nest on Green. This is probably due to a combination of immigration and 20 recruitment of first year nesters, but could also be due in part to bait avoidance, although we have not seen any firm evidence of the latter. Removal of 100% of the nesting gulls is unlikely; as long as the island looks promising, gulls will attempt to nest there. Some sort of gull discouragement, such as nest destruction or harassment will probably always be necessary. 16. Marking and Banding A total of 123 common, 116 arctic, and 30 roseate terns, 68 guillemots, 62 laughing gulls, and one puffin were banded this year as part of a study to determine intercolony movement and nesting site fidelity. They were also color-banded with red plastic bands to help us and observers at other tern colonies identify birds raised at Petit Manan more easily. All were hatch- year birds.
A small rocket net site for waterfowl banding was cleared on the Cranberry Bog Marsh with the help of Jerry Longcore's summer crew. Black ducks were slow to accept the site, but green-winged teal took to it well. Forty-seven teal were banded in one shot on October 15. Another site will be cleared next year. 17. Disease Prevention and Control No incidents of avian cholera in eiders were reported this year.
H. PUBLIC USE
1. General With such a small staff and an off-refuge office, it is virtually impossible to get an accurate picture of public use on the refuge. Generally, it is "nature-oriented", with hiking, birding, and cross-country skiing the most common uses. Clam digging is permitted, but hunting, camping, and trapping are not at this time. This year brought a noticeable increase in the number of visitors to the refuge. Most of them were interested in the seabird management programs.
4. Interpretive Foot Trails
There are two trails on the Point; both are popular with visitors. They require a minimum of annual maintenance. Parking Lot Kiosk TAG 7. Other Interpretive Programs On June 20 Goettel led a group of 25 members of the Maine Audubon Society on a field trip to Petit Manan Island. On June 25 and again on July 9, Bio. Tech. Widrig led a small group of botanists from the University of Maine and the Nature Conservancy on field trips on the Point to locate some of the refuge's rare plant species.
In March Refuge Manager Goettel and the University of Maine's bald eagle, "Bart", gave three programs to a total of 300 students and teachers at the Edmunds, Perry, and Pembroke schools. Two high school age groups from the National Audubon Society spent several days on the Point in July and August studying marsh and shore ecology.
17. Law Enforcement
The individual that was cited in 1986 for hunting on the refuge did not pay his fine by the January deadline, but, after several inquiries were made, it was determined that the court system had lost all the paperwork. They issued another FOC ticket, which he did not pay either. A court appearance was set up for June, but he did not show up. An arrest warrant was issued, and served by two Deputy U.S. Marshals and Refuge Manager Goettel on June 25. 22
He paid the $50 fine that day. He just needed a little encouragement. On a Saturday evening in September, while on routine patrol, Goettel stopped a vehicle in a closed area. The driver was obviously intoxicated and did not have a license, so he was arrested. The car was searched, but no firearms were found. Fortunately, one of the other three occupants was sober enough to drive, so the other three were released.
The individual under arrest was transported to the Hancock County jail because the Washington County jail does not have a federal contract. Because the U. S. Magistrates are not available on weekends, he spent Sunday in jail, and was then transported to Federal District Court on Monday. The Assistant U. S. Attorney then asked us to take him back to the county lockup because he preferred to see state violations on federal land prosecuted in state court. He was then transported back to Ellsworth and bailed that afternoon.
This is certainly a reasonable request; however, it is unfortunate that this could not have been decided upon beforehand because the subject had spent two days in custody before he was even arraigned, and because two refuge officers spent nearly an entire day transporting a prisoner unnecessarily.
The individual plead guilty and got a $500 fine and ten days in jail for the operating under the influence charge, seven days in jail for operating after suspension, and his right to obtain a license was suspended for one year. On the evening following that incident, another vehicle was stopped in the same place and at the same time. Fortunately, this individual was not intoxicated and so was only written up for motor vehicle trespass. Apparently word got around after that, because although many hours were spent on evening, night, and early morning patrols, no other trespass cases were made for the rest of the year. Two juveniles were apprehended in September operating ATV's on the refuge, and were given warnings.
In October Refuge Manager Goettel assisted members of the Civil Air Patrol with a search of the Point for an overdue private airplane. Parts of it were eventually found off Nova Scotia by a scallop dragger.
This was the second year of steel shot only regulations in this area. No violations in areas adjacent to the refuge were found. Most hunters are getting used to it and complaints are decreasing. 23
Goettel attended the LE refresher course at the Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR in March, and requalified in October at the Moosehorn NWR.
I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES
The Rainshed TAG 2. Rehabilitation Using funds from a $2,000 donation from Mr. John Hay of Waldoboro, Maine and Brewster, Massachusetts, the rainshed, one of the historic buildings on the Petit Manan Lightstation, was reproofed and re-sided with cedar shakes in September. The total for labor and materials came to $1,952.
Mr. Hay visited the refuge in June to see the seabird management program and decided to help the refuge by a direct donation to be used at our discretion. We decided on the rainshed rehab because it is an historic building that is used by the seabird management program and because immediate repairs were needed to save it. No funds are otherwise available in the refuge budget for such projects. We are certainly grateful for his generosity, and for his interest in and expression of support for our programs.
3. Major Maintenance
The Volvo outdrive for the 24' Privateer boat has been a major problem. On the first trip out this year, as we were pulling up 24 to the mooring on Petit Manan Island, the shift cable slipped out of its bracket at the outdrive end. It could not be fixed in the water and had to be hauled out. Then, the starter began acting up; some days it would work and some days it would not. It was pulled several times to be tested, all grounds were checked, rechecked, etc. Finally, we decided it was not worth the risk, so it was pulled out of the water in September for the remainder of the year. The problem may be a bad drive in the starter; a new drive is $300, a new starter is $900.
When the engine was winterized, we found that the same $1 washer that failed last year (while still under guarantee), costing over $1000 in parts alone, failed this year. Fortunately, we caught it before any further damage was done.
The front and side cabin windows were replaced this year for $350 because the poor visibility through the original windows was a serious safety hazard. In September we lost the overdrive automatic transmission on the diesel Chevy Blazer. It was towed to Bangor and given a three speed automatic transmission for $1,560. In August the Blazer also got two new tires and a windshield.
4. Equipment Utilization and Maintenance
The "wish list" boat, a 20' Sea Ox, was picked up at the factory in North Carolina while Refuge Manager Goettel was in the area attending the LE refresher. This saved over $1,000 in transportation costs. Total cost for the basic hull with a built- in gas tank was $5,842. It replaced the old 20' Chrysler that was received on excess from the LE Division in Maryland. The old boat was transferred to Ninigret NWR in Rhode Island.
The new boat was outfitted with a center console with lexan windshield and outboard motor splashwell at a local boatyard. The 14 year-old 115 HP Evinrude, also received from LE, was replaced with a 120 HP loop-charged, VRO Johnson in October, another wish list item. Total cost of the new motor was $4,247.
Also received off the wish list this year was a new Avon inflatable dingy for $992.
A small box trailer was received on surplus from the Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR in May. It was rehabbed for $120 by a local welder. The Smokey trailer obtained on excess from Forsythe NWR for use by SCA students was transferred to Great Meadows NWR.
Received on excess from the RO in February were two desks, two bookcases, and two credenzas, and from Great Meadows NWR, a map 25 table, copier table, and a 14 foot aluminum canoe.
The Mark III fire pump starter mechanism broke in May, but was repaired at no charge by the Maine Forest Service pump shop. 6. Computer Systems
The Regional Office purchased Lotus 1-2-3, R-Base, WordPerfect, and Crosstalk for several stations in FY 87. This software was received and installed in our IBM PC-XT in December.
J. OTHER ITEMS
3. Items of Interest
The Petit Manan Lightstation TAG
The Petit Manan Lightstation, nominated to the National Register of Historic Places last year, was listed in October. The lightstation consists of an imposing 130 foot tall granite tower, built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1855, which is still owned and maintained by the Coast Guard, and the lightkeepers house, rainshed, generator building, and fog signal building, all of which were transferred from the Coast Guard to the Service in 1974. Although the buildings are historically important, and are a good example of a complete lightstation, the reality of the situation 26 is that their maintenance is a financial burden to the Service. The buildings are valuable to us during the summer months, but we will probably ultimately depend on help from others interested in their preservation if they are to be adequately maintained.
Mrs. Priscilla Mague, who, along with her husband. Bill, and their four children, turned most of their homestead over to the Service in 1975, creating Petit Manan Refuge, passed away suddenly at her home on the Point on October 21. Her love for and support of the refuge will always be missed. Refuge Manager Goettel attended the Region 5 Project Leaders Conference at Wells College, Aurora, New York, in August; FWS heavy equipment training at the Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR in April; the Island Institute Conference on Hurricane Island in September; and a Pesticides Control Operator's workshop in- Portland in April.
Goettel was interviewed on WQDY's Talk of the Town radio program in April to discuss seabird and eagle management. Visitors to the refuge this year included ARD Don Young and Zone Supervisor Tom McAndrews in September, and Assistant Zone Supervisor Pat Martinkovic in October. Revenue Sharing checks were distributed as follows: Steuben, $5,541; Milbridge, $2,514; Addison, $240. This is approximately 6.7% less than what was received last year.
4. Credits
Goettel: All sections
K. FEEDBACK
It is not unreasonable to ask the question, "Is the amount of time and money spent on colonial seabird management worth it?" I think it is, both socially and biologically. Hundreds of people come to coastal Maine each year to see the tern and puffin colonies. Let's face it, puffins are cute- so, let's take advantage of it. Now that we have their attention, let's use the opportunity to tell people about everything from wildlife management to environmental problems facing us and the puffins.
Financially, there are several charterboats in the area that specialize in wildlife-oriented trips; one makes daily trips to a puffin and tern colony. He is booked solid throughout the season and he doesn't even advertise. Their contribution to this economically depressed area should not be underestimated. We also must look at the amount of money that is contributed by private 27 donors; the National Audubon Society's Puffin Project is self- supporting. Each year, nearly $100,000 is raised to keep the four NAS colonial seabird research field stations, one of which is on Seal Island NWR, operating. Obviously, these projects are important to a lot of people.
Biologically, without rehashing the pros and cons of protecting endangered species, look at the figures. Since 1984 the number of arctic, common, and roseate tern colonies has decreased from 54 to 35. Yet, the population has only decreased from 5800 to 5300 nesting pairs. There has been a decrease, but it has been in the smaller, unprotected colonies. There are now more terns in the larger, protected colonies. Without the protection and management of these colonies, there would be nothing to stop the gulls from taking over every tern colony in the Gulf of Maine.
Although in just a few years we have not reversed the overall tern population decline which began in the 1940's, we have slowed it down. We are fortunate that the National Audubon Society, Canadian Wildlife Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service have taken the lead in protecting the seabird colonies. It is active seabird management programs that are responsible for the existence of productive tern, laughing gull, and puffin colonies in the Gulf of Maine. Common Black-headed Gulls on Petit Manan Island, Maine
Mallheiv I*. Drennun, David C. Folger, and Charles Treyball
Black-fwailccl dull slaiulinx near nest on Belit Manan Island with iMUghing Gull in hackground. Photo/David Folger.
Volume 41, Number 2 195 N J UNI.: 1985, A PAIR OF ADULT COM- Laughing Gull colony. This nest was 15 study on Petit Manan Island. Thanks mon Black-hcadcd Gulls {Lams ri- m from a surveillance blind making ob also to Tom Goetlel of U.S.F. & W.S. Idi bundus) established a territory at servation relatively simple. and Dr. William H. Drury of College of the edge of the Laughing Gull {L. alri- The nest was located in a clump of the Atlantic, both of whom have sup cilla) colony on Petit Manan Island Na one meter high grass, Canadian Blue- ported our research efforts since 1984. tional Wildlife Refuge, Washington joint {Calamagrastis canadensis), and County, Maine, but did not attempt to Stinging Nettle{Urtica dioca). Less than breed. In June 1986, a single adult one meter from the Black-headed Gull's Black-headed Gull built a nest and laid nest was a Laughing Gull nest with three LITERATURE CITED one egg about 20 m from the same spot. eggs. Both were situated at the edge of DRENNAN. M. P., D. C. FOLGER and C. Petit Manan Island has been an im a clearing which the birds used as a TREYBALI,. 1987. Petit Manan Na portant tern nesting island since the landing patch when returning to their tional Wildlife Refuge, 1986; Changes in nesting scabird populations after three I9'10s and has been the site of the nests. years of gull management. Unpublished northernmost Laughing Gull colony on The Black-headed Gull laid a single report to U.S.F. & W.S. the east coast of North America for at egg and incubated until July 1, at which DRURY. W. H. 1973-1974. Population least 25 years (Drury 1973; Korschgen lime the neighboring Laughing Gull's changes in New England Seabirds. Bird- 1979; Nisbet 1971). After the United chicks hatched. That day the Laughing Handing 44:267-313; 45:1-15. States Coast Guard permanently moved Gull adults began to seriously harrass HOLT. D. W., J. LORTfE, B. NIKULA and oil"the island in 1974, Herring and Great the Black-headed Gull whenever it tried R. HUMPHREY. 1986. First record of Common Black-hcadcd Gulls breeding in Black-backed gulls moved onto Petit to return to its nest. By that afternoon, the United States. Am. Birds 4():2()4-2()6. Manan Island in large numbers, and the egg was cold to the touch, and we KORSCHGEN, C. E. 1979. Coastal Water- neither terns nor Laughing Gulls nested suspected that the adult had abandoned bird Colonics: Maine. U.S.F. & W.S, Bio there by 1980 (Drury pcrs. comm.). The the nest. In the following days the Black- logical Service Program. FWS/OBS-79/ United States Fish & Wildlife Service headed Gull was regularly seen with 09. acquired the island from the Coast roosting Laughing Gulls on the inter MONTEVECCHI. W. A., D. K. CAIRNS. A. H. BURGER. R. D. ELLIOT and .1 Guard, and in 1984 began a gull control tidal zone, but it did not return to its WELLS. 1987. Common Black-headed program in an attempt to re-establish nest. The bird was observed around the Gulls in Newfoundland and Labrador. the tern colony. Several hundred gulls island through the end of July. On July Am. Birds 41-A97-203. were poisoned, and terns and Laughing 9, the egg in the Black-headed Gull's NISBET L C. T. 1971. The Laughing Gull Gulls returned to the island in the same nest was found to be infertile. in the Northeast. Am. Birds 25:677-683. year. Since then, nesting populations The Common Black-headed Gull WESELOH, D. V. and P. MINEAU. 1986. Apparent hybrid Common Black-hcadcd have steadily increased. In 1986, we seen on Petit Manan in 1986 was a sol Gull nesting in Lake Ontario. Am. Birds estimated over 1500 pairs of Arctic itary bird. At no time did we observe a 40:18-20. (Slcnrn paradisaca) and Common {S. second L. ridihundus nor did we ever hirwido) terns, 30 pairs of Roseate Terns observe the bird acting as if it were {S. dougallii), and 400 pairs of Laughing paired with a Laughing Gull. We spec P.O. Box 162, Hulls Cove, ML Gulls nesting on Petit Manan Island ulate that this was a female Black- 04644 (Drennan); 2 Higgins Terrace. (Drennan and Folger 1987). headed Gull that was either inseminated Bar Harbor, ME 04609 (Folger); 1649 Researchers from College of the At by a male Laughing Gull, was stimu Hall Avenue, White Plains, NY 10604 lantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, were present lated into egg-laying by the breeding (Treyball) on the island from mid-June through Laughing Gulls around her, or began mid-August 1984 and from early May incubating a "dumped" egg laid by an through early August in both 1985 and entirely different bird. 1986. These sightings of this European spe From June 6 through June 12, 1985, cies add to the records already reported a pair of Common Black-headed Gulls for northeastern North America by We- was observed holding a territory at the seloh and Mineau (1986), Holt et al. edge of the Laughing Gull nesting area. (1986), Montevecchi et al. (1987), and They made no attempt to build a nest, others. Petit Manan Island occupies a and all but disappeared after June 12; unique position as the northernmost one bird was seen flying around the is colony of Laughing Gulls on the east land June 17. They were not seen again coast, and as such deserves close ob that year. servation for future breeding attempts On May 21, 1986, a single L. ridi- by Common Black-headed Gulls. bundus was observed roosting on the intertidal zone with Laughing Gulls. Subsequently, the bird was often seen around the island. In early June, it held a territory near the site where the pre ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vious year's pair was seen. However, on June 17 it was discovered on a nest ap We would like to thank the U.S. Fish proximately 20 m away, still within the & Wildlife Service for allowing us to
196 American Birds, Summer 1987 PETIT MANAN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE UNITKO STATU WASHiMGTON COUNTY, MAINt UNITED STATIS DIPAKTMKNT Of TNI INTIIIOI FISH AND WILOUFI SIIVICI
07o80'OO"
67 45 OO Town of Add. •7*52 30 *
ATLANTIC MANAN1 ISLAND OCEAN
VICINITY MAP SCALE IN MILES
67056'00" COMPILED IN THI DIVISION OF PIALTY FtOM SURVEYS iY 0 $. SCALE o 2000 4000 6000 _ 8000 FEET DECLINATIONMEAN 1 KILOMETER 1948 iOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS JULY If74 CROSS ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Cutler, Maine
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
Calendar Year 1987 INTRODUCTION
Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 1,703 acre island complex donated to the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1980 by Thomas and Virginia Cabot through The Nature Conservancy. Located in the town of Cutler in Washington County, Maine, the complex is composed of six islands: Cross Island, 1,654 acres; Scotch Island, 10 acres; Outer Double Head Shot, 14 acres; Inner Double Head Shot Island, eight acres; Mink Island, 11 acres; and Old Man Island, six acres.
Twenty acres on Cross were retained by the Cabot family for their noncommercial use, with the Service retaining first rights of refusal should they decide to sell. Nineteen acres are owned by Hurricane Island Outward Bound, Inc., an environmental education/ survival/ confidence building organization. It owns and maintains the former Coast Guard station, now known as the Cabot Biological Station.
Like many of the islands on the Maine coast, Cross has a long history of human habitation. Known by the Indians as Sebohegonet, it was used as a fishing base by both Indians and early mariners through the 19th century. In the latter half of the 19th century it had several saltwater farms and even a small village with a school and store. There were copper mines near Seal Cove and on Outer Double Head Shot, although virtually no evidence of this remains today.
The U.S. Lifesaving Service built a station on Cross in 1874, which became a Coast Guard station in 1928. The Coast Guard soon abandoned the old lifesaving station, and built a new station at Northeast Harbor in the 1930's. The island was owned by a paper company that clearcut it between 1939 and 1941. It was then purchased by a businessman who hoped to turn in into a hunting preserve. After World War II began, expecting little business, he sold it to the Cabots, and it became known as the Avelinda Forest Preserve.
Cross, Mink and Scotch Islands are forested with dense stands of red and white spruce, balsam fir, yellow and paper birch, and red maple. The shoreline is generally rocky, with some cliffs over 100 feet high on the southern shore of Cross. The maximum elevation is 160 feet. The Double Head Shots and Old Man are valuable colonial seabird nesting islands, vegetated largely by grasses and forbs with some white spruce. Old Man Island is one of only four nesting sites for razorbills in the Gulf of Maine. At the turn of the century, Old Man was the site of the sole surviving common eider colony in Maine, the rest having fallen victim to egg, feather, and meat market hunting. 1
B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
The climate of coastal Washington County is moderated by the Atlantic Ocean. Summer temperatures are significantly cooler and winter temperatures are significantly milder than inland areas. In the Machias area the average annual temperature is 43 degrees F., average annual precipitation is 45 inches, average annual snowfall is 75 inches, and average growing season is 132 days. The cold Labrador current has an important influence on Cross Island, helping make one out of every three days foggy during the summer months. The average tidal range is 13 feet; spring tides reach 15 feet. The area receives an average of 14 thunderstorms per year.
C. LAND ACQUISITION
1. Fee Title The 165 acre Northwest Head Tract was transferred from the Nature Conservancy to the refuge in October. It had been purchased by TNC from Mrs. Frederick Kneeland of Cutler in 1984, and was traded along with other tracts that TNC was holding on Petit Manan NWR and Rachel Carson NWR for property in the Wells area that had been donated to the Service several years ago. Its appraised value was $155,000.
Northwest Head (on left) TAG
Northwest Head is largely wooded, with a ten acre saltmarsh 2 between it and the main part of Cross Island. It is a favorite roosting place for bald eagles in this area.
2. Other
In September Regional Office Ascertainment Biologist Walter Quist and Volunteer Beth Goettel visited nearby Inner Libby Island. The owner originally wanted to trade the island for U. S. Forest Service lands in Colorado that he is developing for a ski resort. At year's end we were notified that the Forest Service can not trade land across state lines, so outright purchase is being pursued. The asking price is approximately $350,000.
Inner Libby is a striking island, treeless, with high cliffs and only two small cobble beaches for landing. It is densely vegetated with grasses and sedges, and forbs such as raspberry and cow parsnip. It is noted for having the greatest number of nesting eiders of any island in the Gulf of Maine, estimated to be over 1,500. (A close second is Franklin Island NWR with 1,400).
E. ADMINISTRATION
The refuge is administered and funded out of the Petit Manan office in Milbridge.
F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT
1. General
At the present staffing level there is no active habitat management on the Cross Island complex. Our emphasis is on habitat preservation and protection for bald eagles and colonial seabirds. 2. Wetlands
Over 200 acres on Cross is wetland, most of which is boggy, created by poorly drained soils in low-lying depressions or seeps. Dense thickets of alders have grown up along streams and drainages.
There are two saltmarshes of importance, one at Northeast Harbor, and the other between Northwest Head and Cross. When covered by the tide, they provide good black duck feeding habitat; when exposed, they provide good shorebird habitat.
3. Forests 3
Most of Cross is boreal forest, dominated by second growth red and white spruce, with some balsam fir and mixed hardwoods such as yellow and paper birch and red maple. Cross was last commercially logged between 1939 and 1941; old logging roads can still be seen throughout the island. The biggest threat to the forests on Cross today is acid precipitation and fog. The average pH of fog on the Maine coast is 3.8; of rain, 4.3. Once the acidic water is in the soil, the granitic bedrock of this area provides little natural buffering. Both Mink and Scotch Islands are forested like Cross. 4. Grasslands
Grassy Point is an unusual sand and gravel barrier beach called a Tombolo Bar. It is vegetated with a variety of seaside grasses and forbs such as oysterleaf and beachhead iris. On the edges of Cross' southern cliffs are interesting meadow communities of grasses, blueberries, black crowberry, cranberry, and stunted spruce, over a thick peat layer. Establishment and maintenance of these seaside meadows is not well understood. 5. Other Habitats
Other interesting habitats include the cobble beaches, dominated by salt-adapted species such as beachpea, sea rocket, and oysterleaf, and the cliff faces, which are dominated by roseroot stonecrop, black crowberry, and a variety of lichens.
South Shore of Cross TAG 4
A sea cave, accessible only at low tide, can be found on the southern shore. The Double Head Shots are noted for their raspberry thickets that provide good eider nesting habitat.
Old Man Island is treeless, although old stumps and snags remain from years past. It is thickly vegetated with a variety of grasses and forbs such as cow parsnip. 12. Wilderness and Special Areas Old Man Island is on the state Critical Areas Register.
G. WILDLIFE
2. Endangered and Threatened Species
There is one bald eagle nest on Cross Island. For many years the eggs laid have not hatched; this was one of the last pairs left in the state with hatching problems. This was the first year in over a decade that the eggs hatched and a chick fledged.
The Machias Bay area is an important area throughout the year for bald eagles. Both Mink Island and Northwest Head are noted as popular eagle loafing areas.
Outer Double Head Shot TAG 3. Waterfowl The saltmarshes of Cross are locally important black duck staging areas.
Approximately 200 common eiders nest on the Double Head Shots and Old Man.
5. Shorebirds. Gulls. Terns, and Allied Species
Nesting seabirds on the complex include 200 pairs of black guillemots, 270 pairs of double-crested cormorants, several hundred pairs of herring and great black-backed gulls, and 30 pairs of razorbills.
Razorbills TAG
Old Man Island is one of only four nesting sites for razorbills in the Gulf of Maine. The entire nesting population in the Gulf is less than 200 pairs, making it the rarest nesting seabird in the continental United States. The colony was visited once this year by refuge staff, and twice by Island Institute staff. The high count for loafing razorbills offshore was 115 on July 22. Unknown numbers of Leach's storm-petrels nest on Old Man and the Double Head Shots. 6. Raptors 6
There are three known osprey nests on Cross.
7. Game Animals Cross Island supports a healthy herd of white-tail deer. Numbers have never been accurately estimated. Although black bear are reported to be on the island, no sign has been seen in several years. Two moose were seen this year; one antlered and one antlerless.
11. Fisheries Resources The Refuge Manager attended a Department of Marine Resources hearing on April 20 in Cutler on the proposed lease of 30 acres of water rights in Northwest Harbor for a commercial salmon farm. Most of the fishermen attending the hearing were supportive of aquaculture, but not at this particular site as it is prime lobster fishing area. The lease was eventually granted for 20 of the original 30 requested acres. Construction had not yet started by year's end. Although it will harm the aesthetics of this remote, wilderness area, it will probably have little other impact on the refuge.
H. PUBLIC USE
1. General In 1968 Thomas Cabot gave 19 acres of Cross Island, including the former Coast Guard Station, to Hurricane Island Outward Bound, an environmental education/ survival/ confidence building organization. Since 1983 the former Coast Guard headquarters has been known as the Cabot Biological Station, run by the Island Institute, an offshoot of Outward Bound. It has been their Downeast base of operations since that time.
They currently use Cross for environmental education programs and overnight solo camping. A long term agreement between HIOBS and the Service is being pursued. This year, for a service project, their semester course picked up litter on over eight and a half miles of Cross' shoreline, collecting 677 pounds of plastic alone. Although the effects on the refuge are only temporary, it graphically taught the students a lesson about waste disposal and recycling. Other use of the refuge is by occasional picnickers, fishermen, and hunters. 7
The three seabird nesting islands are closed to all public use during the nesting season, April 1 through July 31.
8. Hunting Cross Island has been closed to all hunting by state law for many years at the request of the previous owners. However, the law has never been enforced, and deer and waterfowl hunting is common. The size of the staff prohibits frequent patrols of the refuge.
J. OTHER ITEMS 3. Items of Interest
A revenue sharing check for $2,222 was presented to the town of Cutler this year.
4. Credits
Goettel: All sections CROSS ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
ON.T,O.TAT,. WASHINGTON COUNTY. MAINE .•.TW'TOF'-TTNYIC. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR r,®M AND W,LDLIFE SERVICE
67 18 OO 67 17 30
44 37 30 44 37 30
I
44 36 on 44 36 OO
COMPILED IN THE DIVISION OF RFALT> FROM ^URVEVS OF THE U S O S AND U S F.AW.S. DECLINATION 1 KILOMETE* NEWTON . MASS FEBRUARY 1M1 oR ME 971 REVISED JANUARY 1986 SEAL ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Matinicus Isle Plantation, Maine
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
Calendar Year 1987 INTRODUCTION
Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 65 acre treeless island approximately 21 miles south of Rockland, Knox County, Maine, in the plantation of Matinicus Isle. A bombing and shelling target from World War II until 1952, it was transferred to the Service from the Navy in 1972. This remote, inaccessible, grass and granite island was once the site of the largest Atlantic puffin colony in the Gulf of Maine. It still has some of the best colonial seabird nesting habitat in the Gulf, with boulder fields for puffins, razorbills, and black guillemots, grass/ledge areas for terns, raspberry and grass thickets for eiders, and peat/glacial till substrate for Leach's storm-petrels. Seal Island has a maximum elevation of 65 feet. For over two hundred years Seal Island was used by fishermen as a summer campsite base while fishing for herring, groundfish, and lobsters. It was probably used by native American Indians long before that. An old dug well, mooring chains, tarred rocks where the fishermen waterproofed their nets, and an occasional bottle or piece of iron are all the evidence that remains.
The fishermen also harvested the nesting seabirds for meat, eggs, and feathers, which eventually lead to the demise of the colonies by the late 1800's. Although recolonized by herring and great black-backed gulls, common eiders, double-crested cormorants, and arctic terns during the first half of this century, Seal was never recolonized by puffins. The more adaptable and mobile terns nested on the island as recently as the 1950's, but were crowded off by gulls, a typical scenario repeated on many islands in New
Seal Island TAG 1
B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
The climate of the Rockland area is moderated by the surrounding ocean. Summer temperatures are significantly cooler and winter temperatures are significantly warmer than inland areas. The average annual temperature is 46 degrees F., the average annual snowfall is 60 inches, the average annual precipitation is 47 inches, and the average annual growing season is 143 days. The average tidal range is nine feet. Fog is an important influence on coastal ecosystems, occurring an average of 21% of the time during the summer months in this area. Although no formal records are kept on Seal, the National Audubon Society researchers recorded thick rain or fog on only 14% of the days that they were present, compared with 41% last year. •
D. PLANNING
5. Research and Investigations
53534-01. Re-establishment of Atlantic Puffins CFratercula arctica) and Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisea) on Seal Island, Penobscot Bay. Maine. National Audubon Society, Canadian Wildlife Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service.
Objectives: a. To re-establish Atlantic Puffins and arctic terns to historical nesting habitat on Seal Island.
b. To examine features of growth, post-fledging survival, and movements of puffin chicks transplanted from Newfoundland to Maine.
c. To further refine and test management techniques for re-establishing nesting populations of Atlantic puffins and arctic terns.
This was the fourth year of the project. On July 13, Dr. Stephen Kress of NAS brought 199 10 to 28 day-old puffin chicks to Seal Island from Great Island, Witless Bay, Newfoundland. An unusually high number of chicks, eight, died in transit this year, compared to one or two in other years. Why this large number died is unknown; however, due to logistical problems, the birds did not arrive at Seal until 10:30 PM, compared to 6:00 PM other years, so the additional four hours of stress might be responsible.
The chicks were fed approximately 90 grams of silversides daily, and received 100 mg. of Vitamin Bl, 100 i.u. of Vitamin E, and a multiple vitamin each week. There were no feeding comparison studies this year. Of the 191 that survived the trip, 187 fledged. Two escaped from their burrows at too young an age to survive, and two died in their burrows, possibly from attacks by a herring gull that was stealing fish from the burrows.
Puffin Decoys TAG
Puffins are reluctant colonizers of new islands; social stimulation appears to be an important factor in determining whether a prospecting puffin will explore an island. Therefore, puffin and razorbill decoys are placed in suitable nesting habitat on the island. Threaded 3/8" rod is cemented into cracks in the ledges so that the handpainted wooden decoys can be easily put out and then taken in at the end of the season.
There was a total of 53 puffin sightings from the blinds this year. Of these, 14 were landings. Two of these were three year- old birds that were transplanted in 1984, the first year of the transplant. One of these birds, #60, was first observed on the loafing ledges of nearby Matinicus Rock on June 8, then on Seal on July 3 accompanied by an unhanded bird, then on Petit Manan (35 miles east) from July 19-23, and then back to Matinicus Rock on August 6. The other banded bird, #59, landed on Seal on July 28 accompanied by two unbanded birds. They spent some time flirting with the decoys and exploring crevices. 3
Although these sightings and landings are encouraging, we are still a long way from re-establishing the colony. The fact that any puffins return at all is a miracle, for they fledge as downy chicks, receive no parental care once they fledge, and then, before they return, must spend at least three years at sea, avoiding predators such as large fish and gulls, as well as human-created hazards such as oil spills and fishing nets. In the similar project on Eastern Egg Rock in Muscongus Bay, Kress has recorded return age-class rates of from 6% to 56%, demonstrating that the odds for survival vary greatly from year to year.
Atlantic Puffin TAG
Another serious obstacle might be the nearby puffin colony on Matinicus Rock. Although the decoys offer some social stimulation, it is not unreasonable to assume that the young returning puffins are going to prefer the "real thing". But, the fact that they have pioneered new colonies at Petit Manan and Eastern Egg Rock is encouraging. One or two years of high chick survival rates will probably make the difference. 4
There were also more sightings of terns this year than in previous years. Arctic terns were sighted daily, both singles and pairs. It is important to re-establish the tern colony because the terns provide a small degree of defense from marauding gulls. Once again, competition from established colonies at nearby Matinicus Rock and Wooden Ball Island makes Seal less attractive to prospecting terns. But there is good nesting habitat on Seal, and a good food supply, herring, is usually in the area, so colony establishment is theoretically possible. E. ADMINISTRATION
The refuge is administered and funded out of the Petit Manan office in Milbridge.
F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT
1. General Seal Island is vegetated with a variety of grasses and forbs interspersed with granitic ledge and rocks. Representative plant species include New York aster, beach pea, yarrow, raspberry, gooseberry, chickweed, shepherd's purse, creeping juniper, ragweed, and red fescue. The only trees on the island are balsam poplars which reach a maximum height of only three to four feet before they die back from the salt spray. Seal is probably one of the most important stations in the state for the rare plant Sedum rosea. roseroot stonecrop.
Although not used as a target since 1952, the effects of the bombing and shelling can still be seen. Small craters and scarred granite are abundant, but the rank growth of grasses and raspberry has concealed most of the damage. Even the effects of the 1978 peat fire are fading beneath a quickly growing peat layer. No active habitat management is planned. 12. Wilderness and Special Areas
Seal Island is listed on the Maine Critical Areas Register.
G. WILDLIFE
1. Wildlife Diversity
We have supported the seabird colony restoration project for 5 several reasons. Our concern for terns is based on the well- documented regionwide population decline which began in the 1940's, much of which is due to competition with herring and great black-backed gulls for nest sites, and predation by gulls on tern eggs and chicks. Any restoration work is realistically limited to field station sites because gull control is a never- ending task. Therefore, the Audubon Society and the Service had to make a long-term commitment and establish a field station if there was to be any hope of success. Although far from endangered, Atlantic puffins have been declining in the western Atlantic since the 1920's. The Great Island, Witless Bay, Newfoundland colony has declined by 20-30% since 1975 because of gull predation, food scarcity, environmental contamination, mortality from fishing nets, and illegal hunting. We believe that we need to take a strong stand for protection now while we still have viable puffin and tern populations to work with.
The environmental education impact of this project should not be underestimated. Puffins are very popular birds and attract quite a bit of attention from the general public, not just dedicated birders. By getting their attention with puffins, we have been able to show people the problems associated with the burgeoning gull population, with ocean fisheries overharvesting, and marine contamination. 3. Waterfowl During the gull control, virtually all of the female eiders are flushed off their nests, enabling us to get a good nest count. This year, 214 eider nests were counted, down from last year's count of 324 largely because our first visit was later, so many had already hatched and had gone to the water. We estimate that there are approximately 350 eider nests on the island.
Flushing the females is not detrimental because most return in only a few minutes. No predation by gulls has been recorded as a result of this disturbance. Occasionally, other species such as blue-winged teal and black ducks use the small freshwater pools on the island. 5. Shorebirds. Gulls. Terns, and Allied Species
Other nesting species of note on Seal include approximately 100 pairs of black guillemots, 45 pairs of double-crested cormorants, and 1000+ pairs of the impossible-to-census Leach's storm-petrel.
6. Raptors
The Maine coastal islands are very important to raptors during the spring and fall migrations. Peregrine falcons and merlins in particular use the outer islands. 9. Marine Mammals
If Seal Island did not have seals, we'd have to change the name! Both harbor and gray seals are common throughout the year.
Our favorite activity after a hard day of wildlife management is watching Minke whales in Camp Cove after schools of herring. Fin and humpback whales are also sometimes seen.
Western Bight TAG
15. Animal Control
The success of the puffin and tern colony restoration is contingent upon many variables, but the first step is to clear the island of nesting herring and great black-backed gulls to eliminate nest site competition and reduce egg and chick predation. This year was the second year of the use of 1339 Gull Toxicant here. Our goal is to bait each active nest on the entire island, not just in the tern and puffin nesting habitat. I believe that we find over 95% of the gull nests. Each nest is baited with three to five small cubes of bread that has been treated with a margarine and toxicant mixture.
In 1986 a total of 2,592 nests were baited in three visits; 1,476 great black-backed gulls and 964 herring gulls were picked up 7
(.94 gulls/nest). A random sample found that 70% were females. This year, a total of 783 nests was baited in two visits, down 70% from last year! A total of 214 great black-backed and 167 herring gulls were picked up (.49 gulls/nest). Seventy-one percent were females. This is the same pattern that we saw on Petit Manan: the first year, not surprisingly, shows the biggest population decrease, and in the second year, the success rate decreases. Bait avoidance could explain this.
The higher proportion of females could indicate that they are usually the first back to the nest, or that they spend more time incubating, and are therefore more likely to be on the nest when the bait is applied. Several years of applications of the bait are necessary because of recruitment to the colony; new nesting by adults that have skipped a year or more of nesting; new nesting by newly mature birds; and because the baiting is not 100% successful. An additional 128 gulls were shot by NAS personnel over the season, compared with 230 last year.
Gull production on the island was near zero. Gull counts were consistently lower over the entire island than before the control. A spin-off benefit that we saw on Petit Manan and that we expect here is increased eider production, because the large gulls are significant predators of eider chicks. In 1986 we applied 1339 to gull nests on Matinicus Rock, an island nine miles southwest of Seal. Matinicus Rock has been a field station of NAS since 1939 and, with their help, has retained healthy tern, puffin, razorbill, and laughing gull colonies. In 1971 Wildlife Assistance applied 1339 at their request; four applications by tolling from a boat removed 96 gulls. Between 1971 and 1986 the nesting gull population built back up to approximately 70 pairs, with a resultant 50% reduction in tern reproduction. Our efforts in 1986 resulted in 70 nests baited in one application; 75 herring gulls were picked up. This year, only two pairs of great black-backeds and four pairs of herring gulls nested. The nests were broken up, and two of the individuals were shot. We did not need to apply 1339 this year. As a result, there were no observed cases of predation by large gulls on arctic terns or laughing gulls and the number of tern dreads in response to gulls was very low. Their reproductive success was much higher, .83 chicks/nest, compared to .68 last year and .34 before the control. The terns have also expanded their colony into the center of the island where the gulls formerly nested. Common and arctic tern numbers increased to 868 pairs this year, up from 777 in 1985, but still down from the 963 pairs recorded in 1982. The bottom line is that gull control can have dramatic results. However, 1339 alone is not the answer. Shooting non-nesting individuals raiding the colony and immigrating gulls is necessary. The colonies require almost daily attention to be adequately protected.
H. PUBLIC USE
I. General Due to the presence of unexploded ordnance on the island, it is closed to all public use. The National Audubon Society team is issued a Special Use Permit for their work and are individually required to sign releases absolving the Service of any liability should someone be injured by the ordnance. II. Wildlife Observation
Maine Whalewatch regularly runs birding trips to Seal Island and Matinicus Rock on weekends in May and June. They do not land, but they do stop long enough to allow the Audubon folks to get on board and give a short talk on the seabird restoration project. From 10 to 15 people normally come on the daylong trips.
J. OTHER ITEMS
3. Items of Interest A revenue sharing check for $291 was presented to Knox County this year.
4. Credits
Goettel: All sections SEAL ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
UNITED STATES K N O X CO U NTY , M AIN E UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THEea'to-oo" INTERIOR oeMA-ao" waaxxtFISH AND WIIDUFE SERVICE
68*-MW
COMPILED IN THE DIVISION OF REALTY "A FROM SURVEYS IY U.S.O.S. AND U.S.F.AW.S. MEAN 1000 FEET DECLINATION 1953 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AUGUST I97J 5R MA 848 402 FRANKLIN ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Friendship, Maine
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1987 INTRODUCTION
Franklin Island is located in Muscongus Bay, Maine, about six miles from the town of Friendship, in Knox County. This 12 acre island is all upland, vegetated with red spruce, raspberry, rugosa rose, and various grasses and forbs. It has a very acidic, organic duff soil layer on top of glaciated granite and schists, with a maximum elevation of 35 feet. It was acquired in 1973 from the Coast Guard, which still maintains an automated lighthouse tower.
The Two Bush Island unit of the refuge is located approximately 16 miles east of Franklin Island, and seven miles south of the town of Owls Head. Two Bush is a small, eight acre island owned by the Coast Guard and leased at no charge to the Fish and Wildlife Service for five year periods. It, too, has an automated lighthouse tower.
Franklin Island TAG 1
B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
The climate of the Muscongus Bay area is moderated by the surrounding ocean. Summer temperatures are significantly cooler and winter temperatures are significantly warmer than inland areas. In the Rockland area the average annual temperature is 46 degrees F. , the average annual precipitation is 47 inches, and the average growing season is 143 days long. Fog is an important influence on coastal ecosystems, occurring an average of 21% of the time during the summer. The average tidal range is nine feet.
E. ADMINISTRATION
1. Personnel
The refuge is administered and funded out of the Petit Manan office in Milbridge.
F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT
1. General
There is no active habitat management on the refuge at this time. Management is directed towards resource protection due to budget and personnel constraints. 2. Forests
Franklin Island was undoubtedly forested at one time with red spruce. About half of it was cleared when the lightstation was built in 1806. The remainder of the island is sparsely treed with red spruce, with a dense raspberry understory. Some say that the dead trees on islands like this were killed by the acidic droppings of cormorants, but this has never been proven.
Two Bush Island may have been forested at one time, but it is now treeless, vegetated with a variety of grasses and forbs.
12. Wilderness and Special Areas Franklin Island is on the state Critical Areas Register.
* 2
G. WILDLIFE 3. Waterfowl The dense raspberry understory on Franklin provides excellent nesting habitat for common eiders. It is one of the most productive eider nesting islands in Maine, with over 1400 nests. The eider nesting density here is certainly the highest; the 1400 nests are packed into less than six acres. Approximately 75 eiders nest on Two Bush Island. 4. Marsh and Water Birds
Franklin Island has a growing colony of approximately 30 pairs of black-crowned night herons. The island's sparse spruce stand with many snags provides good heron nesting habitat. 5. Shorebirds. Gulls. Terns, and Allied Species Franklin Island has approximately 20 nesting pairs of black guillemots and 20 pairs each of herring and great black-backed gulls.
Two Bush has approximately 50 nesting pairs of herring gulls, 20 pairs of great black-backed gulls, and 15 pairs of guillemots. Leach's storm-petrels also nest on both islands; they were encouraged to nest on Franklin by the National Audubon Society in the early 1980's through the use of vocalization recordings and burrow construction. 6. Raptors
Two pairs of ospreys nest on Franklin.
H. PUBLIC USE 1. General
Both units of the refuge are closed to all public use during the seabird nesting season, April 1 through July 31.
Pleasure boat traffic is more common in this area of Maine than in the Milbridge area, and the picturesque lighthouses do attract some visitors. Fortunately, landing on both islands is difficult, which discourages most. 3
3. Outdoor Classrooms-Teachers
Students from the nearby Audubon Ecology Camp in Medomak regularly visit Franklin Island during the summer on their field trips around Muscongus Bay.
J. OTHER ITEMS
3. Items of Interest
A revenue sharing check for $180 was presented to the town of Friendship this year. 4. Credits Goettel: All Sections
Franklin Island TAG FRANKLIN ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE OIPAITMINTUNITio 01 ifA111 T Ml IN T11101 KNOX COUNTY MAINE MtH AND"N"10 WILOUM lT*I,l SIRVICI
COMPIKD IN THI DIVISION OF CNOINfltINO aooo FROM SU1VIYS »Y O.S. AND ». J. F. A W. DICIINMIAN ATION OOO If 51
•OSTON, MASSACHUSITTS 5R ME. 864