Schoodic Island nesting bird survey: 2016

Lehnert, Erin

From the purpose: "Seabird nesting islands are found all along the Maine coast. At least 300 are in some form of protected status (i.e., federal or state ownership, land trust or conservation easement, or other protected status.) Several of the park's islands are known to be current islands for nesting ducks and seabirds, although annual surveys of these islands are not conducted most often because of their remoteness and then by the lack program support. Schoodic Island is one of these islands, and unlike most of the other ANP seabird nesting islands, is visible from the mainland. For at least the last few decades is has been thought to have one of the largest nesting population of common eiders. In addition to other seabirds (i.e., herring gulls, black-back gulls, petrels, etc.) it was known to have a good nesting group of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocora auritus). Several studies and monitoring programs over the decade have reported poor nesting successes for several species of seabirds common to the area. The idea to establish tracking program for these birds for at least one ANP island, without incurring the expected costs associated with a remote seabird nesting monitoring program, was justification to suggest and attempt a pilot shore-based survey of Schoodic Island's nesting seabirds. Such reasoning, prompted the park biologist to propose a Schoodic Peninsula based survey be attempted. The primary purpose being to assess the feasibility of establishing a method to track the populations of seabirds by conducting counts of birds (i.e. shoreline waters, intertidal zone, etc.). The results would answer where such an approach was possible, and if, begin to establish a population baseline that could be compared in subsequent years using similar survey techniques. The pilot effort also might answer whether the survey could provide additional information such as timing of hatches, hatch successes by species, and changes in species and gender compositions. If successful, the program would begin a means to follow the status of nesting seabirds, for at least for this island, without the more costly boat or aerial surveys or the more disruptive and harmful on-island counting surveys."