12/9/2023 0 Comments Bald eagle island![]() In early November, the eagle traveled south to Nova Scotia’s Avon River. It spent the next few months on the coastlines of the Gulf of St Lawrence, with sightings in late July and early August. The trail went dark again for several months, until the bird was spotted in late June 2021 on Canada’s Gaspe Peninsula. ![]() A large winter storm had recently blown through from the north, so it’s within reason that the bird took an unintended southerly detour. Birders at a nature retreat near Victoria, Texas posted a photo of what was clearly a Steller’s sea eagle, but the image wasn’t detailed enough to confirm whether or not this was the same individual. The eagle’s exact path from west to east is unknown, except for a perplexing sighting from southern Texas in March 2021. eBird data shows a handful of Steller’s sea eagle sightings in Alaska and the Aleutian chain, with the birds likely island hopping their way across the Bering Strait.īut this most recent sea eagle took things a bit too far, and kept going across the continent to the eastern seaboard. While that’s still far outside of the bird’s typical range, it’s a somewhat normal vacancy for this species. This particular eagle was first sighted in August 2020 near Denali, Alaska. © Sascha Wenninger / Flickr How Did It Get Here, And Where Is It Now? A Steller’s sea eagle preparing to snatch a fish in Japan. Only 4,000 individuals remain in the wild, and the species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. The Steller’s sea eagle is found along Asia’s Pacific coastline, from the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, down along the coasts of mainland China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. As their name suggests, they prey on ocean-dwelling fish and are often noted following fishing boats in search of scraps. They have a bright orange beak and feet, and rich, dark brown plumage with conspicuous white on the shoulders and tail. The other common contenders for the title are the Philippine eagle and the harpy eagle of South America. (For comparison, that puts them somewhere between a bald eagle and a California condor.) They’re one of the largest eagles in the world, depending on if you measure by wingspan, weight, or overall mass. On average, Steller’s sea eagles weigh between 11 and 20 pounds and have a wingspan of 6-to-8 feet. A Steller’s sea eagle in flight in its native range. The first thing you’ll notice about the Steller’s sea eagle - if you’re lucky enough to see one - is its size. This species, Haliaeetus pelagicus, is one of 10 birds in the sea eagle genus, along with our familiar bald eagle. Think of the Steller’s sea eagle as eastern Asia’s equivalent of a bald eagle, but on steroids. Read on to learn about this bird’s remarkable and unexpected journey, and where it might end up next. For the last several months, the bird nerd corners of the internet have been abuzz with sightings of this rare Asian species across Canada and New England. That’s exactly what has happened to one wayward Steller’s sea eagle. But it’s not every day that a bird get so lost it ends up on the opposite side of the world. Or a bird’s navigation system - which scientists think is linked to the Earth’s magnetic field - goes haywire. Thousands of species regularly undertake cross-continental journeys, navigating via an internal compass that scientists still don’t fully understand. The shoals club down the street offers several dining options, 2 pools, and beach umbrella/chair service.Ĭatherine was very responsive and helpful with the reservation and any issues that came up during our visit.Bird migration is a marvel. The turtle conservancy headquarters is around the corner- there is a sandwich and Italian ice window there. We did not end up using the crofter, but fit 2 families of 3 comfortably in the main house. The house is well-equipped with games, beach toys, boogie boards, etc… The back entrance of the house leads out onto a maze of boardwalk paths through the forest.Įverything in the house worked as described, and Catherine generously arranged (and paid for) extra rental bikes for us when hers went missing. Located in the thick jungle-like maritime forest, offering shade and peace in between beach trips. Close enough to the most beautiful beach on the island to run back when we forgot something, or to take the bikes instead of a golf cart. Catherine’s home was the perfect spot for a family vacation with 2 toddlers.
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