Every day is my favorite including today! After another spectacular breakfast we boarded the Snowgoose III and Captain Bill and Meghan took us out Old Hump Ledge where Dr. Stephen Kress had attempted to start up a Storm Petrel colony using sound social attraction devices back in 1979. Our job today was to see if there were any signs of petrel nests on the island. We got in lines and spent about an hour combing through the grass and brush looking for any signs. We found old rocks that had been set up for nesting all those years before but found no burrows. We did find the box that had been set up and in the video Dr. Kress opens it up for the first time in 30 years - and guess what was in it. You will have to watch the youtube video to find out. Click here for the youtube video!

We then left Old Hump Ledge and traveled further out back to Eastern Egg Rock to carry back all the trash that had been collected a few days earlier and over the summer. Adam, Paula and Frank went out earlier to finish closing up the island and gathering any more items that needed to come back with us. "Seabird Sue" Schubel and Eric rowed the dories ashore and volunteers helped load the trash. We then traveled back to the boathouse on the mainland where we all worked to unload it all. Back to Hog Island for lunch.

Following lunch Eric Snyder who is a Geology graduate from Vassar College gave a short geology lesson about the island and following that Kevin McGowen took us on a bird watching expedition to see much of this wonderful place. Pete Salmansohn took a few on a long hike around. We then had wine and cheese and a "Lobstah" dinner and dessert was a special Seabird Sue designed dessert.

During the evening program - awards were given out for the Mystery Day questions and for the best "hopper" (person who helped out the most in clearing the tables). We ended the evening with a fun filled Seabird Jeopardy with two teams. I was on the Crow team and was able to share all my crow calls (the buzzer) and we out birded the other team but it was close.

I have included the photo of the following day when we left around 8:30am and were sent off by three large Puffins! I made the 10:15 boat and was back on Chebeague Island by 10:30.