When two eagles fell ill back in May (and the pair’s two offspring were rescued from their nest after the adult male was electrocuted), Mainers were moved by the story. Thousands read the tales the BDN wrote, and many more have let us know that they wanted an update on the mother eagle and the eaglets. On Tuesday afternoon, we obliged, thanks to the folks at Avian Haven and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, who invited us to tag along as “Bangor Mom” was reintroduced to the wild. Watching a huge bird of prey return to the sky was an amazing experience, one that our visuals editor Brian Feulner captured in both video and photos. On an unrelated note, the weather has turned for the better (finally). And the black flies have taken notice. Ah, well … can’t have everything. Enjoy what promises to be another spectacular weekend, and stay safe as you enjoy your own Maine outdoor adventures.
— John Holyoke
Eagle that fell ill in Bangor released in Brewer
BREWER, Maine — The female bald eagle that ingested an unknown toxin and fell ill in Bangor three weeks ago emerged from a large dog crate, flapped its wings, and returned to the wild on Tuesday afternoon.
Soaring High: Kites not just for Kids
A group of serious kite enthusiasts in southern Maine, including an 80-year-old man from Scarborough that locals call “The Kite Man,” draw kite flyers from throughout New England to Portland’s Bug Light. Aislinn Sarnacki’s story first appeared in the BDN Maine Outdoors quarterly magazine, the content of which we make available on our website as the season progresses.
Maine author Paul Doiron talks about his latest, ‘The Bone Orchard’
Doiron’s latest, “The Bone Orchard,” hits bookstores July 15, and fans of the Bowditch thrillers will be happy to learn their hero is back in the thick of things, solving crimes committed in the Maine woods.
Blog log
“Yesterday morning, I fished on my remote secret Smallmouth bass pond. Caught lots of fish and took all precautions against bugs, including ticks. Hiked out and when I got to my vehicle, leaned down to pull my pants legs out of my socks, only to find a deer tick crawling up my sock …”
Act Out With Aislinn: My first turkey hunt, part 2: If at first you don’t succeed …
“Spring wild turkey hunting season is over, and I didn’t get a darn turkey … It wasn’t for lack of trying — I’ll tell you that …”
On the horizon
Attention prospective moose-hunters: It’s nearly time to learn whether you’ve been drawn for your hunt-of-a-lifetime (or whether you’ll be left in the lurch again). The lottery is set for June 14 in Presque Isle, and we’ll have all the results at bangordailynews.com as soon as the DIF&W allows. One thing to consider: If you get a permit, but it’s not in your favorite zone, or you want to target a bull instead of a cow, there’s an app for that … or at the very least, a website. The Maine Professional Guides Association will help facilitate permit-swapping transactions at www.mooseswap.com.
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