Tables for Machias Seal Island Report (1995-1999)
 

Table 1. Research blinds on Machias Seal Island and their use for feeding or productivity and growth observations from 1995-1999.
 
Name Feeding Productivity and Growth Common
Tern		 Arctic
Tern		 Puffin Razorbill
Seabreeze
X
X
X
X
    
Goofapuff
X
      
X
  
Windpole
X
X
  
X
    
Sunset
X
  
X
    
X
Northwest Notch  
X
    
X
  
Tern
X
    
X
    
Ocean Spray
X
X
X
X
    
Gully
X
X
X
X
    
Visitor Blind 1
X
      
X
  
Visitor Blind 3
X
      
X
  
Portable Blinds (2 blinds, 3 sites)
X
        
X

 

Table 2. Tern census tallies and species ratios for 1994, 1996, 1998 (data from Newell 1994, Newell 1996, Newell and Mackinnon 1998).
 
 

Year
Nest
Count
Lincoln
Index
Error
Corrected
Total
Species
Ratio
% Common
Terns
% Arctic
Terns
1994
2466
13 %
2787
*13.2 %
*86.8 %
1996
2041
10 %
2245
27.1 %
72.9 %
1998
2991
9.4 %
3272
30 %
70 %

*Ratio has been corrected after examination of the points where the species ratios were examined (Diamond 1999).
 
 

Table 3. Comparison of the two methods of determining tern species ratio in 1999.
 

Method ARTE COTE Total Observer(s)
Sampling 399 (75 %) 136 (25 %) 535 J. Hudson
Survey 800 (74 %) 287 (26 %) 1087 L. Bernard, K. Devlin

Table 4. Results of puffin burrow survey 1999.
 
Grid Line
Length containing burrows (m)
No. quadrats
(area m2)
No. burrows
Burrow density (no./m2)
1
15
3 (12)
13
1.08
3
54
9 (36)
22
0.61
5
47
9 (36)
9
0.25
7
23
4 (16)
8
0.50
9
63
13 (52)
39
0.75
11
38
8 (32)
23
0.72
13
90
18 (72)
16
0.22
Totals
330
64 (256)
130
0.51

 

Table 5. Number of Common and Arctic Terns, Puffins and Razorbills captured and banded on MSI between 1995 and 1999.
 

Species
Year
Adult
Chick
Total
Common Tern
1995
0
111
111
 
1996
10
69
79
 
1997
7
111
118
 
1998
1
154
155
 
1999
49
218
267
 
Total:
67
663
730
Arctic Tern
1995
8
265
273
 
1996
15
50
65
 
1997
81
150
231
 
1998
47
311
358
 
1999
253
344
597
 
Total:
404
1120
1524
Atlantic Puffin
1995
15
283
298
 
1996
49
296
345
 
1997
131
354
485
 
1998
54
315
369
 
1999
76
322
398
 
Total:
325
1570
1895
Razorbill
1995
1
20
21
 
1996
1
15
16
 
1997
6
42
48
 
1998
7
19
26
 
1999
5
39
44
 
Total:
20
135
155

 

Table 6. Summary of the peak laying dates and hatching dates on MSI for terns, from 1995-1999.
 

Species Year Peak Egg Laying Peak Hatching
Common Tern 1995 7 June 29 June
  1996 16 June 9 July
  1997 12 June 5 July
  1998 8 June 1 July
  1999 5 June 28 June
Arctic Tern 1995 2 June 24 June
  1996 13 June 4 July
  1997 10 June 2 July
  1998 5 June 25 June
  1999 31 May 24 June

Table 7. Summary of the Puffin and Razorbill egg laying dates and hatching dates of first chick for 1995-1999.
 

Species
Year
Peak Egg Laying
First Chick Hatched
Atlantic Puffin
1995
~2 May
~12 June
 
1996
3 May, 15 May
15 June
 
1997
30 April – 6 May
1 June
 
1998
14-21 May
8 June
 
1999
11 May
11 June
Razorbill
1995
~20 May
~24 June
 
1996
~13 May
16 June
 
1997
10 May – 6 June
16 June
 
1998
21-28 May
20 June
 
1999
17 May
15 June

Table 8. A summary of the breeding success of Common and Arctic Terns, Puffins and Razorbills nesting on Machias Seal Island between 1995 and 1999. Mean (SD) clutch size, number of hatchlings and fledgling per nest are listed.
 
Species
Year
n
Clutch Size
Hatching Success
Chicks/nest Alive at 
Day 15
Chicks/nest Alive at
Day 20
Fledglings/
nest*
Common Tern
1995
32
1.9 (0.65)
1.8 (0.75)
1.0 (0.82)
0.7 (0.78)
0.7 (0.70)
 
1996
33
1.5 (0.51)
0.8 (0.83)
0.2 (0.44)
0.2 (0.39)
0.2 (0.39)
 
1997
39
2.2 (0.46)
2.0 (0.71)
1.2 (0.79)
0.9 (0.89)
0.9 (0.86)
 
1998
31
1.8 (0.62)
1.4 (0.87)
0.6 (0.69)
0.4 (0.57)
0.4 (0.50)
 
1999
26
2.5 (0.58)
2.1 (0.82)
1.3 (0.62)
1.2 (0.65)
1.2 (0.65)
Arctic Tern
1995
31
1.7 (0.44)
1.5 (0.68)
1.1 (0.81)
0.7 (0.78)
0.7 (0.75)
 
1996
31
1.7 (0.48)
1.2 (0.75)
0.3 (0.48)
0.2 (0.42)
0.2 (0.42)
 
1997
39
1.8 (0.44)
1.5 (0.56)
0.7 (0.51)
0.6 (0.49)
0.6 (0.49)
 
1998
41
1.8 (0.40)
1.3 (0.73)
0.7 (0.52)
0.4 (0.50)
0.4 (0.50)
 
1999
32
1.8 (0.40)
1.3 (0.85)
0.8 (0.71)
0.6 (0.61)
0.6 (0.50)
Atlantic Puffin

1995

26

1

0.7 (0.45)

-

-

0.7 (0.49)
 
1996
60
1
0.8 (0.43)
- 
-
0.6 (0.50)
 
1997
65
1
0.7 (0.44)
-
-
0.6 (0.49)
 
1998
59
1
0.9 (0.24)
-
-
0.8 (0.43)
 
1999
84
1
0.7 (0.46)
-
-
0.6 (0.49)
Razorbill
1995
33
1
0.7 (0.47)
-
-
0.6 (0.49)
 
1996
73
1
0.5 (0.50)
-
-
0.4 (0.50)
 
1997
58
1
0.8 (0.42)
-
-
0.7 (0.46)
 
1998
47
1
0.8 (0.40)
-
-
0.4 (0.49)
 
1999
60
1
0.8 (0.41)
-
-
0.6 (0.49)
* Fledglings/nest - Those tern chicks found dead after day 20 were subtracted from the number of chicks fledged.
 

Table 9. Slopes of linear regression lines for weight, wing chord, culmen and tarsus versus age of tern chicks. Standard error given in parentheses. Regression for linear phase of growth (Day 5 to 15).
 
Species Year
Weight
Wing chord
Culmen
Tarsus
Common Tern 1995
7.0 (0.2)
7.2 (0.2)
0.78 (0.04)
-
  1996
5.9 (1.3)
5.2 (0.5)
0.73 (0.06)
-
  1997
9.2 (0.9)
6.1 (0.2)
0.79 (0.03)
0.41 (0.03)
  1998
3.9 (0.8)
4.4 (0.4)
0.54 (0.08)
0.20 (0.09)
  1999
6.5 (0.5)
6.5 (0.4)
0.81 (0.05)
0.40 (0.04)
Arctic Tern 1995
5.8 (0.3)
8.3 (0.2)
0.75 (0.04)
-
  1996
5.4 (0.5)
5.4 (0.4)
0.72 (0.06)
-
  1997
5.9 (0.9)
7.0 (0.3)
0.71 (0.03)
0.17 (0.02)
  1998
5.6 (0.6)
7.7 (0.6)
0.70 (0.09)
0.26 (0.06)
  1999
4.3 (0.5)
7.4 (0.5)
0.66 (0.06)
0.14 (0.03)

Table 10. Summary of the amount of time spent collecting observational feeding data from terns and alcids, 1995-1999.
 
Species Year Total Hours
Observed		 # of Sites for Observations # of Nests
Observed
Per Site		 Date of first
Observation		 Date of Last
Observation
Common Terns 1995
39
2
5
3 July
31 July
  1996
108.6
3
5
7 July
5 August
  1997
30.25
1
5
7 July
3 August
  1998
39
3
5-8
2 July
23 July
  1999
54
2
4-10
1 July
22 July
Arctic Terns 1995
37
2
5
30 June
29 July
  1996
78.3
3
5
7 July
7 August
  1997
51
3
5-10
30 June
17 July
  1998
70
2
5-10
26 June
16 July
  1999
73
4
3-8
26 June
20 July
Puffin 1995
47
4
~8-10
29 June
31 July
  1996
60
3
~8-10
7 July
7 August
  1997
17.5
3
~8-10
28 June
2 August
  1998
30.5
3
~8-10
30 June
27 July
  1999
40.5
3
~8-10
25 June
22 July
Razorbill 1995
32
4
~8-10
3 July
25 July
  1996
45
3
~8-10
7 July
3 August
  1997
25.4
3
~8-10
28 June
31 July
  1998
42
3
~8-10
1 July
17 July
  1999
47.7
3
~8-10
24 June
18 July

Table 11. Prey items fed to tern and alcid chicks in 1995-1999. Values are percent items identified that were actually swallowed
 
Species
Prey
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Common Tern Herring
84.9
77.8
89.2
53.6
50
  Hake
8.2
0.5
0.8
36.4
13.9
  Euphausid
0
11.8
0
0
2.4
  Butterfish
0
7.5
0
3.6
0.8
  Sandlance
0
0
6.7
1.8
11.4
  Other
6.8
2.4
3.3
4.5
21.5*
Arctic Tern Herring
78.4
64.0
68.9
58.6
44.7
  Hake
16.5
4.0
10.0
27.2
23.1
  Euphausid
0
22.3
10.0
4.7
0.5
  Butterfish
2.1
6.9
1.0
0
4.8
  Sandlance
0
0
10.0
6.5
23.1
  Other
3.1
2.8
0
3.0
3.8
Puffin Herring
85.0
77.4
36.6
12.2
61.9
  Hake
14.8
12.3
24.9
87.3
22.4
  Euphausid
0.2
7.3
0
0
0
  Butterfish
0
2.3
0.2
0.4
0.4
  Sandlance
0
0
38.3
0.2
15.1
  Other
0
0.8
0
0
0.2
Razorbill Herring
86.3
98.5
88.4
80.4
79.0
  Hake
13.7
1.5
7.6
16.8
8.0
  Euphausid
0
0
0
0
0
  Butterfish
0
0
0
0
0.6
  Sandlance
0
0
4.0
1.4
10.8
  Other
0
0
0
1.4
1.6
* 20.4% pollack
 

Table 12. Size of prey items fed to Common and Arctic Tern chicks between 1995 and 1999 as a percentage of the total identified prey items. Small items were < 1 bill length, Medium items = 1 bill length, Large items were between 1-2 bill lengths and Extra Large >2 bill lengths. Mean bill lengths (culmen) is 3.6 cm for Common Tern and 3.3 cm for Arctic Tern.
 
Species
Year
Total
Small
(<3.5cm)
Medium
(3.5 cm)
Large
(3.5> <7 cm)
Extra Large (>7cm)
Common Tern
1995
238
13
9
58
20
 
1996
246
6
13
43
38
 
1997
145
1
0
12
87
 
1998
148
18
15
62
5
 
1999
399
4
6
68
22
Arctic Tern
1995
155
5
9
61
25
 
1996
208
18
20
38
24
 
1997
245
18
18
57
7
 
1998
172
20
34
46
0
 
1999
273
15
9
64
12

 

Table 13. Size of prey items fed to Atlantic Puffin chicks between 1995 and 1999 as a percentage of the total identified prey items. Small items were < 1 bill length, Medium = 1 bill length, Large items were between 1-2 bill lengths and Extra Large > 2 bill lengths. Mean bill length (culmen) is 5 cm.
 

Year
Total
Small
(<5 cm)
Medium
(5 cm)
Large
(5> <10cm)
Extra Large
(> 10 cm)
1995
474
11
8
79
2
1996
392
49
17
33
1
1997
644
10
11
75
4
1998
963
0
5
81
14
1999
1700
0
2
72
26

 

Table 14. Size of prey items fed to Razorbill chicks between 1995 and 1999 as a percentage of the total identified prey items. Small items were < 1 bill length, Medium = 1 bill length, Large items were between 1-2 bill lengths and Extra Large > 2 bill lengths. Mean bill length (culmen) is 3.5 cm.
 

Year
Total
Small
(< 3.5 cm)
Medium
(3.5 cm)
Large
(3.5> <7cm)
Extra Large
(>7 cm)
1995
116
0
0
74
26
1996
150
0
4
74
22
1997
275
0
1
40
59
1998
324
5
11
77
7
1999
1178
0
1
22
77

Table 15. Numbers of Leach’s Storm Petrel found and banded on Machias Seal Island in 1998 and 1999.
 
Banded 1998
 Number  
Banded 1999

 

 Number
Too small to band (3)   Too small to band (4)
Downy chick (10) 16   < 2 weeks old (wing<50mm) 38
Primaries starting to come in (9) 40   Between 2 weeks and fledge (51-100mm wing) 58
Primaries half in (8) - ~six weeks old 10   Fledgling (101-155mm wing) 21
Adult 9   Adult 5

 

Table 16. Summary of the total number of days of fog, the average visibility, total precipitation, mean minimum and maximum temperature, and mean sea surface temperature during the 1995-1999 field seasons (May-July).
 
Year
Month
# of Fog
Days
Mean
Visibility
nautical miles
(SD)
Total
Precip.
(mm)
Mean Min. temp. ( C)
(SD)
Mean Max. Temp. ( C)
(SD)
Mean Sea Surface Temp. ( C)
(SD)
1995
May
3
11 (4.9)
71
6.6 (0.9)
12.6 (2.0)
8.9 (0.9)
 
June
10
8 (4.6)
103.3
9.1 (0.9)
16.2 (2.2)
9.9 (1.0)
 
July
17
6 (5.4)
66.3
11.4 (0.9)
20.1 (1.8)
9.5 (0.6)
1996
May
3
12 (5.2)
85
6.1 (1.0)
11.7 (2.6)
6.6 (0.7)
 
June
9
8 (6.5)
91.8
8.5 (0.6)
14.1 (2.4)
8.5 (0.7)
 
July
19
5 (6.4)
126.4
10.7 (0.9)
15.6 (2.2)
10.1 (0.9)
1997
May
1
11 (5.6)
134.1
6.3 (0.7)
11.4 (2.0)
6.6 (0.8)
 
June
7
10 (6.6)
46.8
8.2 (1.2)
14.4 (2.9)
8.5 (0.5)
 
July
9
10 (6.7)
15.3
11.1 (0.6)
17.7 (2.0)
10.9 (0.6)
1998
May
4
13 (8.1)
101.4
7.4 (0.8)
14.2 (1.9)
8.2 (0.7)
 
June
17
9 (9.1)
194.4
7.7 (1.3)
14.3 (1.8)
9.3 (0.9)
 
July
21
8 (9.4)
157
10.7 (1.0)
17.8 (2.8)
11.3 (1.7)
1999
May
1
16 (10.8)
48.3
7.2 (0.9)
13.7 (2.2)
8.7 (0.9)
 
June
7
10 (10.5)
21.7
9.2 (1.2)
15.9 (2.5)
9.7 (0.8)
 
July
11
11 (10.9)
31.9
11.1 (0.6)
17.9 (2.2)
11.4 (0.7)