Lynne is a photographer in midcoast Maine and the “sister” half of a brother-sister wildlife collaboration that began in August 2025.
The duo created Backyard Wildlife Maine — with Facebook, TikTok and YouTube pages — to share the joy they find exploring their extensive family property in Lincoln County. Roughly 30 cameras are placed across a few hundred acres of woods to document the wildlife that passes through.
On Feb. 6, Lynne’s father called to tell her about a roadkill deer near her home. After obtaining a permit, they wrestled the mangled carcass into her clean, brand-new SUV and hauled it more than a mile into the woods, where they set up several trail cameras.
Within two hours, a bald eagle arrived at the carcass. The next morning, around 11 a.m., a cellular camera notification showed something different.
“I immediately thought it looked like a golden eagle,” she said. “But years of watching people get roasted online for misidentifying rare birds made me very reluctant to trust my own eyes. I kept telling myself to be cautious. After all, Occam’s razor, right? When you hear hoofbeats, think horse, not unicorn.”
Golden eagles are among the rarest birds of prey in Maine, and there is no official statewide population estimate. The species is listed as endangered, with no confirmed successful nesting documented since the late 1990s. Most birds seen in Maine are believed to be migrants or dispersing individuals from Canada.
That’s why verified golden eagle sightings carry significant weight.
Golden eagles are frequently confused with bald eagles, especially immature birds. While adult bald eagles are unmistakable with white heads and tails, golden eagles are dark overall, with a smaller head profile, longer wings and a pale golden wash on the back of the head and neck.
Juvenile golden eagles often show bold white patches at the base of the tail and bright white “windows” in the wings — key field marks that distinguish them from young bald eagles.
Lynne posted the image to the Maine Birds Facebook group seeking confirmation. Responses quickly affirmed her suspicion: an adult golden eagle.
A few hours later, a second golden eagle appeared — a juvenile with a bright white tail band. Video later showed it feeding with its wings spread over the carcass, a protective behavior known as mantling.
State biologists confirmed both identifications.
The carcass had originally been placed to photograph coyotes during mating season. Golden eagles were not what she expected.
Once connected with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Lynne agreed to assist with the agency’s golden eagle study. The project documents golden eagle presence, habitat use and movements in Maine through community science and trail camera reports.
Before the study began, golden eagles had been documented in 31 townships across 39 sites over the past decade. Since the project launched in January 2024, observations have been recorded in 20 townships, including 11 new areas where golden eagles had not previously been documented.
In 2024 alone, golden eagle presence was recorded on 99 separate days at 22 sites. Most detections came from baited trail cameras, which are among the most effective tools for documenting the species.
Repeated sightings in a particular area can allow biologists to target capture efforts. In some cases, eagles may be safely trapped and fitted with transmitters to better understand migration routes and seasonal movements — information that remains limited across the species’ eastern range.
To keep the monitoring effort going, Lynne continued baiting the site.
After the first deer was largely consumed, a second carcass was brought to the area. The juvenile visited for about 10 days and has not been detected in the past week, but the adult continues to return regularly.
A solar panel will be added to conserve battery life, allowing the camera to run continuously as they monitor the birds.
“I feel like an honorary raptor biologist after this experience,” Lynne said.