Steller’s Sea-Eagle spotted during a snow storm at the Thorpe Trail. Photo credit: John Putrino
January is typically not the busiest month at BRLT preserves. During these short winter days, the trails see a slow flow of visitors willing to brave the winter chill. Recreators might gather on preserves following a big storm to enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, or sledding, yet mostly these visitors are year-round locals who know the trails well and rarely stop in with questions. The visitor center at Oak Point Farm is characteristically quiet this time of year. However, January 2022 was no typical month. Seemingly overnight, Oak Point Farm and other BRLT preserves were flooded with out-of-town visitors, many of whom had never stepped foot on a BRLT preserve before.
This surprising surge came in response to a most unusual sight in coastal Maine–a rare and celebrated bird–a Steller’s Sea-Eagle–native to Eastern Russia and Japan, had been making its way across North America. Recent sightings placed the bird in Midcoast Maine, and indeed at a number of BRLT preserves and trails. This species is the heaviest eagle in the world with a distinctive large, bright-yellow beak and a wingspan as wide as eight feet. Even in its native regions, the Steller’s Sea-Eagle is a rare sight with only about 4,000 of the species remaining in the wild. The arrival of this bird has captured the interest of dedicated birders, some of whom traveled from across the country to glimpse this sighting of a lifetime. Indeed, nature-lovers across the spectrum, including those new to bird-watching, have appreciated the unique opportunity to view the Steller’s in person while they can.
In mid-January, confirmed sightings of the Steller’s Sea-Eagle were made on BRLT’s Thorpe Trail as well Indiantown Island (from shore). Suddenly parking lots from Oak Point Farm to Ocean Point Preserve filled with cars, and the fields and shorelines filled with on-lookers, many peering through long scopes. While looking for the Steller’s Sea-Eagle, many visitors became familiar with BRLT preserves and enjoyed spotting other wildlife species on the trails. The saga continues as the Steller’s Sea-Eagle remains along the Midcoast Maine region with the most recent sightings South of Boothbay just a few days ago.
The included photographs share some of the excitement that this incredible bird has brought to our region in the dead of winter. All pictures of the Steller’s Sea-Eagle are used with the generous permission of local photographer, John Putrino of @manbythesea. To learn more about John and to see his work, visit his website: https://www.manbythesea.com/
On-lookers scan the skies at Oak Point Farm
Steller’s Sea-Eagle takes flight. Photo Credit: John Putrino
Many birders came with large scopes and lined up along shores in search of the Steller’s Sea-Eagle.
