LEWISTON – Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary has added 45 acres of land, rounding out the eastern part of the property.

“This is a piece of the puzzle,” said Susan Hayward, president of the Stanton Bird Club, during a news conference Wednesday. “We’ve never been able to say we own the mountaintop. Now we do.”

The property, which includes meadows, ledges and wetlands, has been owned by the Field family for generations. When the bird club recently learned it was up for sale, officials jumped at the chance to buy it. An anonymous donor helped pay for part of the purchase. A loan paid for the rest.

Officials declined to say how much the land cost, how much the anonymous donor contributed or how much the club borrowed to buy the land.

Lewiston’s city Web site lists the property at 62 Old Bloody Hill Road and values it for tax purposes at around $25,000.

The bird club will begin a fundraising campaign to pay off the loan. It will be the club’s third such effort recently. It just finished raising $250,000 for the first phase of a construction project and it plans to obtain at least another $100,000 for construction phase two.

Officials say they aren’t concerned about asking for more donations.

“We haven’t even scratched the surface yet,” said Tom Robustelli, who serves as chairman of the bird club’s fundraising committee.

Along with obtaininig funds, the club must now also inventory the new property to see exactly what animals, habitats and natural features are on it. That could take a couple of years. Depending on what’s found, the land may be opened for recreation or it may be preserved as a sanctuary without public access.

Created nearly 90 years ago, Thorncrag is open to hikers, bird-watchers, cross-country skiers and other nature enthusiasts. The new land brings its expanse to 357 acres, with a mix of ponds, streams, trails and woods.

The Stanton Bird Club owns and oversees the sanctuary. With 300 members, membership dues help pay for Thorncrag.

The club’s last Thorncrag land purchase was in 2003. It bought two acres at the end of East Avenue.