Several people have told me they’ve seen Bald Eagles at Songo Pond recently. Mac Davis says that’s not unusual, especially when ice fishermen are around. This majestic bird prefers fish and, in fact, is better at scavenging rather than catching live prey. This is especially true in winter. Any dead fish left by ice fishermen means an easy meal.
Its tendency to scavenge was one reason Ben Franklin was critical of the bird, writing in a letter to his daughter, “The Bald Eagle. . .is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly. . .[he] is too lazy to fish for himself.” Like many other large predators, Bald Eagles (photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region) have suffered at the hands of humans. In Alaska, eagles were so numerous that a bounty was paid for killing them up through the early 1950s. The insecticide DDT also had a dramatic impact on Bald Eagle populations. In 1978, the bird was listed as endangered in the lower 48 states. This listing, along with the banning of DDT, has resulted in a dramatic return of our National Bird. Today they are much more common throughout their original range and can be found widely throughout Maine’s coast, rivers and lakes.
Even so, I still get excited when I see one. Last year, a young visitor to one of our Valentine Farm bird walks declared she had come in hopes of seeing a Bald Eagle. All of the adults chuckled and warned that she shouldn’t get her hopes up. Fifteen minutes later a shadow moved across the field by the parking lot. A mature eagle with its bright white head and tail clearly visible flew over at tree top level with lazy wing strokes while we cheered and whooped. This was probably one of the birds known to nest along the Androscoggin in Oxford County.
Eagles may travel widely looking for fish, their preferred food. This winter, keep watch for a soaring bird with an six-foot wingspan. Scan the tree line along ponds with ice fisherman. If you see one, take a moment to be thankful that we have done what is necessary to protect this bird, our National symbol, from eradication.
James Reddoch, of Albany Township and Boston, leads birding events for the Mahoosuc Land Trust. Visit Mahoosuc Land Trust at 162 North Road, Bethel, ME. To learn about upcoming events or to contact James, send your emails to info@mahoosuc.org.
Bald Eagle. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region
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