BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 7, 2022
Don’t believe the conspiratorial hype: Birds are real. And they’re really cool. A massive example swooped into Maine at the end of 2021 in the form of a Steller’s sea eagle. One of only a few thousand in the entire world, thousands of miles from its usual habitat in eastern Russia, this impressive bird of prey sports an 8-foot wingspan and “honking” yellow bill. It has the rare avian ability to make a bald eagle look small. And it received a big reception when it popped up along the Maine coast. Birders from around Maine and the Northeast flocked to the Georgetown area to see the sea eagle. It made for a wonderful, if unusual celebration to close out 2021 and start the new year. This Steller’s sea eagle, though perhaps not a stellar navigator, has clearly found a place in people’s hearts. And it has in ours as well.