“There have been a lot of tears shed over these past close to two years of pandemic … but today, there were many tears of joy. To have the opportunity to view this incredible, beautiful, magnificent raptor – IN AUNTIE MOO’s HOME TOWN – on the DAY we were celebrating her 96th birthday … WOW!!! We could not have been more excited!!! As excited as she was about seeing SSE, she must have said at least 10 times how WONDERFUL it was to see that there are SO MANY PEOPLE out in nature and as excited as they were to see this rare and beautiful creature. A day to remember indeed.”
Barb Price shared this moving story of helping 96-year-old Aunt Moo to see the Steller’s Sea-Eagle on our Kudoboard. People have been coming to Maine from all across the nation to see this rare bird—from Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Texas, Michigan, Minnesota—and we want to share their stories. We’re hearing about a wonderful sense of camaraderie amongst birders, sharing of scopes, help from locals, support of local businesses, and more. There’s no question that wildlife watching is contributing to the Maine economy in the Boothbay and Damariscotta region this winter!
Amy Brubaker shared a story about her father: “Around the time that the Steller’s Sea Eagle was spotted in Taunton, MA, my 91 year old Dad, Dick (Bru) Brubaker, stopped by my Blue Hill, Maine home with a copy of the 1935 Audubon Book Hawks of North America. The book was given to him as a gift when he was 12 yrs old and way back then, in 1942, he had flagged the page with the Steller’s Sea Eagle. ‘I’ve always wanted to see this bird!’ he told us.”
Amy and her dad were able to see the sea-eagle. “After 80 years of anticipation,” she writes, “Dad got to see this glorious bird and then watch it lift off and soar along the shore. We felt so blessed and so supported by all those there that heard our story. One of the other birders took a family portrait to celebrate the “lifer” that took a lifetime to find!”
