Penobscot Bay, Maine
1896
June 25
  Clear with light S. to S.E. wind, the sea very calm all day.
  We got off in the boat at 8 A.M. and beat down the Bay against
a light breeze but favored by a fair tide. Our destination was Black Ledge
which we reached at noon. This is the outermost island of the whole
group and it is inaccessible save when the sea is very calm. We had
no difficulty in landing there to-day.
  Black Ledge. A small rocky island of about an acre in extent at high
water wholly composed of reddish brown & gray rock the portions washed
by the tides covered with black sea weed. The upper surface is very
irregular with rounded or flat surfaces several yards in extent separated
by miniature canons [sic] full of jagged rocks & rounded or rectangular
boulders of varying sizes. The highest points are perhaps 20 ft. above
the sea.
  We found about a dozen Herring Gulls nests but the fishermen had
been before us for only one nest had eggs, a set of two. The nests
were built among the more jagged rocks on narrow shelves or in wider
crevices, one under a shelving rock. They were very large & bulky &
and all were composed wholly of the black sea-weed. The sea-weed on
the underside of each nest was in putrid & slimy condition &
alive with small white maggots.
 Conary also found a Black Guillemot's nest with 2 eggs so far in
under a heap of jagged rocks that Watrous could only just reach
it. The eggs lay on some loose pieces of shale. As we were anchoring
a Guillemot flew out from the canon[sic] in which this nest was 
found. Four Guillemots were swimming 100 yds. off the island all 
the time we were there & we saw 6 or 8 others further off on
the sea. No other birds were observed here except two [female] Eiders
fishing 200 yards south of the rock & a Tern that flew over it.