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by OntPhoto on Tue Jun 23, 2015 7:49 pm
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As it gets closer to opening time in mid-July, it doesn't look good for any meals being served for dinner.  Indicated they may not be ready for serving food other than breakfast this summer.  However, they have a "helper" who can assist.  Perhaps if food is brought over from the mainland, this helper will assist in the food preparation?  Maybe bar-b-q. They indicate there is likely no chef for this year. Maybe next year.  Kind of weird if you ask me, to open accommodations on an island and not be ready to serve meals other than breakfast.  I still think this must be some mix-up in communications or they're going right down to the wire.  They're still looking for volunteers to help them set up (see their Facebook page where you can translate into English from the French).

Updated end of June 2015
They hope to hire a chef in 2 years time.  For now, you need to bring your own food from the mainland and a helper will try and help with the food preparation and cooking.  There is a bar-b-que which guests can use.  You can always bring your own chef I suppose. Bookings are open now.  I really hope things work out for them as I think it is a great idea to offer lodging right on the island.  They were supposed to open 2 summers ago but there were delays.  Me, I may just stay on the mainland this year.  Although it is worth staying on the island as you can photograph puffins from early morning to sunset.

Based on wording (in French but Google translated) on the room booking site, it mentions that rooms are smaller than what you'd expect to see at regular lodging places and bathrooms are shared and showers require the use of tokens to conserve water.  If they are charging tokens for showers, I am wondering if there are any baths (if I had to guess, maybe not).


Updated July 14, 2015.

Two days before the official opening and they have confirmed no lunch or supper will be available as part of the lodging.  You need to bring food over from the mainland and store it in their fridge, etc.  They have helpers who can give tips on food preparation but pretty much you will mostly be cooking your own meals (with some help).  One can always hire a cook and bring them over to the island if you are part of a large group.

Only thing you get as a guest is breakfast, a cocktail, some "bites of the land" and a boat tour.  Showers are pay by token and bathrooms are shared. 
 

by OntPhoto on Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:46 am
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Their website has much better info now.  A bird watching package includes 3 meals a day on the island.

http://www.ileauxperroquets.ca/en/island
 

by Bob Boner on Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:35 am
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The one time I was on Machias Island we got only about 15 minutes in one blind before the boat folks told us to get back on the boat because the sea was getting too rough and they were worried about getting back to the mainland.
Bob Boner
 

by OntPhoto on Thu Jun 09, 2016 2:59 pm
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Bob Boner wrote:The one time I was on Machias Island we got only about 15 minutes in one blind before the boat folks told us to get back on the boat because the sea was getting too rough and they were worried about getting back to the mainland.
That would be disappointing.  It's bad enough you normally only get maybe 45 minutes (I forget the exact time allotted) in the blind.  I know one local photographer who drove up to Grand Manan for puffin trips by boat to Machias and found out the boat was not even ready for use.  Did not get any compensation.  However, she made the most of her time while up there by taking aerial photos of lighthouses in the region. 

Machias is the place to go for a quick fix of puffins and razorbills and other murres.  You get to see them up close like 4 feet from your eyes.  You come home with puffin photos, not always in ideal lighting or settings but puffin photos nevertheless.  You get you fix until you long for a more fulfilling experience.

Places like ile aux Perroquets is for those who wish to have the greater experience at a leisurely pace and get to see puffins for most of the day.  I think the organization that runs the BB on the island is a non-profit.  
 

by OntPhoto on Sat Jul 16, 2016 9:44 am
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PS.  July 2016  - someone reported a snowy owl on Ile Nuu (sp?).  One of the few places in NA reporting them this summer. This is one of the islands you can travel to on one of the tours offered from the mainland..  Most of the photographers who go to ile aux Perroquets don't bother to go visit the other islands as they're mainly interested in the puffins.


Last edited by OntPhoto on Sun Jul 31, 2016 7:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 

by OntPhoto on Sun Jul 31, 2016 7:53 pm
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Very good documentary on the life of the Atlantic Puffin including the efforts to recolonize the bird down in Maine and covering other colonies in Wales and Newfoundland.  

The name Puffin Patrol actually comes from a puffin rescue effort started more than a decade ago by "Juergen and Elfie Schau from Berlin, Germany who were visiting their summer getaway in Witless Bay." They noticed a lot of wandering and some dead puffins on roads and decided to do something to help. Young puffins get disoriented by the city lights especially on foggy and windy nights thinking it is the moon light. They have a hard time finding their way back to water without human assistance. "Each summer, Witless Bay residents collect the puffins — or pufflings — wandering on roadways in the town located about 30 minutes outside of St. John's."  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/up-up-and-away-puffin-patrol-returns-to-witless-bay-1.3204162



The Nature of Things on the CBC with Dr. David Suzuki.

http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/puffin-patrol



PS.  Some Puffin and other seabird photos taken on Ile aux Perroquets.

http://passionphotonature.com/forum/vie ... &sk=t&sd=d
 

by Steve Zamek on Mon Aug 01, 2016 6:19 pm
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I recently had a great Atlantic Puffin photo experience near Borgarfjordur Eystri in Iceland, at a small peninsula called Hafnarhólmi. It’s a easy walk along a wooden stairway and boardwalk, where you find yourself in the midst of a puffin nesting colony.   The birds seemed quite comfortable with the nearby human presence. Many of the birds sometimes were within several feet of the platform. (I put away my long lens and opted instead for the 100-400 zoom.) Kittiwakes were nesting along the cliff edges as well. The town itself is also quite pleasant.

Although my experience is limited, I found this site to be far superior to Latrabjarg Cliffs, in terms of Puffin photography.
Steve Zamek
[url=http://www.featherlightphoto.com/]Feather Light Photography[/url]
 

by OntPhoto on Tue Aug 30, 2016 6:18 pm
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Steve Zamek wrote:I recently had a great Atlantic Puffin photo experience near Borgarfjordur Eystri in Iceland, at a small peninsula called Hafnarhólmi. It’s a easy walk along a wooden stairway and boardwalk, where you find yourself in the midst of a puffin nesting colony.   The birds seemed quite comfortable with the nearby human presence. Many of the birds sometimes were within several feet of the platform. (I put away my long lens and opted instead for the 100-400 zoom.) Kittiwakes were nesting along the cliff edges as well. The town itself is also quite pleasant.

Although my experience is limited, I found this site to be far superior to Latrabjarg Cliffs, in terms of Puffin photography.

Thanks for sharing that location Steve. The selflessness spirit of sharing. I am mostly covering good spots in eastern Canada but the audience here is geographically wide. 
 

by OntPhoto on Mon Jun 08, 2020 10:36 pm
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I lost track of this but they seem to have it all under control now.

Staying on the mainland and taking a water taxi to Ile aux Perroquet.  $100 a night.
https://www.minganie.info/en/accommodat ... gan/motel/

Staying on the island itself. More expensive. $400 to $500 a night. Mostly shared accommodations and a higher cost for a single accomodation.
https://www.ileauxperroquets.ca/en/packages/


Machias Island from the Canadian gateway on Grand Manan has seen a big increase in pricing.  It used to be $80 CAD but now the cost is around $150 CAD.  Machias is good for first-timers but the stay in a blind is limited to maybe 40 minutes (that was many years go).
 

by michaeldespines on Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:45 pm
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Machias can be tough but I have had good luck there and have a beautiful 16x24 inch metal print of a puffin on my wall that I shot from those blinds. The key is booking multiple days to maximize your chances. Some days the weather is too rough and you can't land on the island. Some days it is crowded. Other days perhaps too sunny. But then other days it is great. I have been in a blind by myself. I have had overcast conditions that made for perfect lighting regardless of the time of day. I got some fun puffn-running-on-water shots from the boat. Got some nice flight shots while standing by the lighthouse. One time no one else showed up for some reason so they let us stay in the blinds longer. Don't listen to the naysayers. Yes you will have to work for it. And probably need some luck. But isn't that nature photography?
 

by OntPhoto on Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:05 pm
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michaeldespines wrote:Machias can be tough but I have had good luck there and have a beautiful 16x24 inch metal print of a puffin on my wall that I shot from those blinds.  The key is booking multiple days to maximize your chances.  Some days the weather is too rough and you can't land on the island.  Some days it is crowded.  Other days perhaps too sunny.  But then other days it is great.  I have been in a blind by myself.  I have had overcast conditions that made for perfect lighting regardless of the time of day.  I got some fun puffn-running-on-water shots from the boat.  Got some nice flight shots while standing by the lighthouse.  One time no one else showed up for some reason so they let us stay in the blinds longer.  Don't listen to the naysayers.  Yes you will have to work for it.  And probably need some luck.  But isn't that nature photography?
Now imagine, you are on Machias Island and can spend the whole day walking about on the island photographing puffins interacting, flying,  etc.  That would be Ile aux Perroquets :-)  And if you stay on the island, you can watch the puffins from sunrise to sunset. 
 

by michaeldespines on Sat Jun 20, 2020 4:19 pm
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OntPhoto wrote:
michaeldespines wrote:Machias can be tough but I have had good luck there and have a beautiful 16x24 inch metal print of a puffin on my wall that I shot from those blinds.  The key is booking multiple days to maximize your chances.  Some days the weather is too rough and you can't land on the island.  Some days it is crowded.  Other days perhaps too sunny.  But then other days it is great.  I have been in a blind by myself.  I have had overcast conditions that made for perfect lighting regardless of the time of day.  I got some fun puffn-running-on-water shots from the boat.  Got some nice flight shots while standing by the lighthouse.  One time no one else showed up for some reason so they let us stay in the blinds longer.  Don't listen to the naysayers.  Yes you will have to work for it.  And probably need some luck.  But isn't that nature photography?
Now imagine, you are on Machias Island and can spend the whole day walking about on the island photographing puffins interacting, flying,  etc.  That would be Ile aux Perroquets :-)  And if you stay on the island, you can watch the puffins from sunrise to sunset. 


Great, party on.  If you can swing Il aux Perroquets fantastic - hope you get some great shots.  My point is simply that one should pick and choose based on what is possible based on one's budget, geography, etc.  Perhaps for whatever reason Il aux Perroquets is not a viable option for someone.  Some folks in this thread say to avoid Machias as it is a waste time as it can be difficult.  Machias is a viable option for getting nice photos.  I find it irritating that people complain when a site is not "perfect."  "Well, if i can't sit in my lawn chair and get a perfect, full frame shot in great light what is the point in going" attitude. People are of course free to go where they like, but IMO one will miss many wonderful places if one only considers "perfect" locales.  
 

by OntPhoto on Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:32 pm
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There is actually an article on Ile aux Perroquets in the latest Canadian Geographic magazine.  Saw it at Walmart but didn't have a chance to read it. I will find some time soon to read it instore, maybe at Chapters.  Ile ux Perroquets is for those who want the immersive experience with atlantic puffins just like ile Bonaventure is the immersive experience for those who like northern gannets.

I am not sure if anyone can travel into Newbrunswick right now to get to Grand Manan (for Canadian puffin trips to Machias Island).
http://www.grandmanannb.com/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-retirement-covid-19-entry-restrictions-1.5619433
 

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