DEP Invoice or Financial Record, September 30, 2001

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Making the area hospitable to puffins has also Dr. Stephen W. Kress, director of seabird restoration for the National drawn other birds, like these laughing gulls. Audubon Society, and Julie Kleinhans take a puffin’s measurements. <.ojasa Since 1973, Dr. Stephen W. Kress colony — it’s a restoration of a whole las done whatever it took to per­ community of seabirds,” Dr. Kress suade puffins to put down roots once said. Eastern Egg Rock now also has again bn Eastern Egg Rock, an 11- the largest colony of roseate terns, ^11 acre island off the mld-Maine coast in Muscongus Bay. He stocked the an endangered species, and the larg­ est colony of laughing gulls in Maine. 1'1 Island with chicks and decoy puffins The knowledge gained may be im­ to make them feel at home, and then portant in other areas where sea­ cleared out the hungry gulls. Now he birds have lost their historic habi­ can declare victory. tats, Dr. Kress said. The same strat­ ■t' For the first time since the 188O’s, egy that has worked so well for puf­ Eastern Egg Rock has a puffin popu­ lation. The Island had 37 nesting pairs this summer and 25 puffins not yet old enough to breed, said Dr. fins will be tried next winter on Mid­ way Island, where Dr. Kress’s team will try to restore several kinds of petrels that were killed when rats irrrT iI Kress, director of the seabird resto­ were introduced. ration program for the National Au­ More information about the Two decoy puffins help the real bird, at right, feel at home. Sean Devlin and Risha Sparhawk were interns dubon Society. project Is available online at Puffins like to nest where they have plenty of company, with the puffin restoration project this summer. “It’s not Just a restoration of a www.projectpuffln.org.