There was a big black blob floating on the floor. It seemed like a mass of seaweed that had seemingly grow to be indifferent throughout a very excessive tide. Nevertheless it was significantly massive. The water was extremely nonetheless on a characteristically foggy fall day after which instantly erupted into loud clapping and splashing. What seemed like an indistinguishable darkish blob on the water was truly a raft of geese.

At the moment of yr, it’s common to see massive numbers of birds flying overhead as they migrate to hotter climates. Geese are the obvious of the bunch with their massive dimension, loud honking and copious droppings. Their tell-tale V form typically stands out towards an in any other case grey sky. Different frequent flocking birds embrace starlings, which collect in intensive numbers known as murmurations — a pure phenomenon I wrote about a few months in the past. Typically these gatherings are for extra environment friendly flight throughout long-distance journey, and generally they’re for feeding collectively or avoiding predators. Sea birds collect in flocks as nicely, generally within the sky like a gaggle of gulls circling overhead however extra typically within the water just like the raft of geese I lately noticed.

I may inform from a distance that they weren’t eiders, the most important of the ocean geese and simply identifiable by the males’ white wing patch. Their smaller dimension and constant coloring meant that they have been in all probability scoters. Scoters are chunky little geese that bob up and down on the water with their tail feathers sticking up in again. They’re a type of hearty Maine sea duck species that keep round by means of winter. Some migrate farther south, however a lot of them overwinter right here and are sometimes seen in massive teams alongside the shore. They collect in teams for lots of the identical causes that birds do within the sky: for cover, for feeding, and effectivity and path of motion. However on the water, in addition they collect for social functions. After they aren’t in breeding season, scoters, like many birds, are searching for a mate. After they collect in teams, they’re assessing their choices.

Whereas the scoters I noticed have been in a type of amoeba-like formation, they apparently generally take extra shapely varieties like swimming in a line, very like in addition they do in flight, and even gathering in a circle. It isn’t clear why they might tackle the round formation, nevertheless it could possibly be that they do that to corral the fish that they feed on. That is very like the native pogey (or menhaden) boats that set a handbag seine (a round web that may be drawn up like a handbag) round a faculty of fish. It’s a intelligent option to collect massive numbers of fish.

Perhaps I’ll have an opportunity to see this round formation, as these scoters are more likely to be right here by means of the winter, not like among the shorebirds that migrate farther south. A few of their migrations are probably the most athletic feats possible. Birds as tiny as plovers can fly as much as 3,000 miles with out stopping. Maine has a number of completely different shorebirds from sandpipers to plovers to turnstones and dowitchers that breed approach up north and cease by means of Maine over the summer season earlier than persevering with on their approach as far south as South America. Whereas it’s common to see little teams of shorebirds working forwards and backwards with the waves on the seashores in the summertime, after they migrate, they typically fly alone. Maybe that’s all of the extra cause why it’s so neat to see a giant, floating, gregarious group of scoters sticking collectively, prepared for winter. They’re a testomony to the hearty character of Maine’s coastal life.

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