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"First got word of this bird's existent through a massbird post by Brian Cassidy the night before. Apparently photographed 5(?) days prior at Shaw Cove Boat Yard by David Ennis. However, more than one resident along the river stated to having seen the bird for consistently for the past couple weeks at least. One in Assonet Bay has had the bird perching in a large oak in their yard frequently while another living just north of Dighton Rock SP said they had seen it perching out on a dead tree in the water for the past week.
"With only the info that it had last been seen Friday at Shaw Cove Boat Yard, my brothers and I came up with a game plan for the morning. Matt and Joel covered SCBY up to Broad Cove at sunrise while I stood watch at Mallard Point. At 6:50AM the bird appeared at 10 o'clock of Mallard Point on the far side of the river flying down river. Flew a short distance before landing on the far side, not passing 11 o'clock of Mallard Point. Snagged a couple photos before calling several people and getting the word out. Shortly after Matt and Joel showed up the bird flew down and snagged a fish before returning to its perch. However, shortly after it was chased up river by two Bald Eagles and landed back from the river up in a large white pine stand. It continued here for close to an hour and 30 minutes before taking off again and heading northeast towards Assonet Bay. Sure enough, shortly after Marshall Iliff refound it in Assonet Bay in another stand of white pines, directly across from this viewing point 41.799289,-71.091491. It was viewed here for maybe 40 minutes (calling!!) before it again took off, this time heading to Shaw Cove Boat Yard where Matt and Joel while viewing from Dighton Rock State Park refound it almost instantly. Bird proceeded to chill here for the next several hours before being flushed by someone. Flew north and was viewed circling distantly for some time over the power station before finally disappearing.
"Best bet for tomorrow is probably viewing from Mallard Point before sunrise looking for it to leave roost."
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"With only the info that it had last been seen Friday at Shaw Cove Boat Yard, my brothers and I came up with a game plan for the morning. Matt and Joel covered SCBY up to Broad Cove at sunrise while I stood watch at Mallard Point. At 6:50AM the bird appeared at 10 o'clock of Mallard Point on the far side of the river flying down river. Flew a short distance before landing on the far side, not passing 11 o'clock of Mallard Point. Snagged a couple photos before calling several people and getting the word out. Shortly after Matt and Joel showed up the bird flew down and snagged a fish before returning to its perch. However, shortly after it was chased up river by two Bald Eagles and landed back from the river up in a large white pine stand. It continued here for close to an hour and 30 minutes before taking off again and heading northeast towards Assonet Bay. Sure enough, shortly after Marshall Iliff refound it in Assonet Bay in another stand of white pines, directly across from this viewing point 41.799289,-71.091491. It was viewed here for maybe 40 minutes (calling!!) before it again took off, this time heading to Shaw Cove Boat Yard where Matt and Joel while viewing from Dighton Rock State Park refound it almost instantly. Bird proceeded to chill here for the next several hours before being flushed by someone. Flew north and was viewed circling distantly for some time over the power station before finally disappearing.
"Best bet for tomorrow is probably viewing from Mallard Point before sunrise looking for it to leave roost."
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On Monday, December 20, 2021 at 8:08:19 PM UTC-5 Charles Duncan wrote:
Thanks to Steve Mirick for alerting us all about the STSE seen this morning in Somerset, Mass!Today, Jonathan Alderfer, Laura Blutstein and I were successful in seeing the bird from about 12:45 to 1:15 at Dighton Rock SP. It actually took flight at 12:58 and circled higher and higher and then was driven off to the north by a Common Raven where we lost it in the scope.In the course of the day, we learned a variety of things that may be helpful to any Mainers hoping to look for it. First, and perhaps most enticingly, this bird has been in the Somerset-Taunton area since December12th. It was not positively identified at first and the word never went out. In other words, there is good cause for hope that it may be seen for more days in that area.Today, the bird was first seen at the Somerset boat ramp, then from Mallard Point, subsequently at a private beach in Assonet where observers got sound recordings before going to a tree near Shaw's Boat Yard (private but permission given) in Dighton. This is where it was when we (and 60+ others) had good looks from Dighton Rock SP which is public, no fee and has lots of parking. After the sea-eagle flew off, folks looked hard both at the original sites from today as well as likely vantage points to the north, but did not refund the bird.The best source of current info is the Massachusetts Rare Bird Alert on an app called GroupMe. Details on how to subscribe and instructions on how to use the group are here: https://groups.google.com/g/massbird/c/hScNIsrixew. We would have been clueless without this group as the situation and location changed several times as we were driving the 2.5 hrs from Portland to the site.Hope this helpful!PS-1. If you haven't followed the amazing story of this bird beginning on the Denali Highway of Alaska, check The NY Times story of Nov 5 entitled "This Eagle is Very, Very Lost." https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/05/science/stellers-sea-eagle.htmlPS-2. I have often mentioned how much I appreciate Maine's skilled and friendly birding community. But I gotta say: this eagle flew across our great state, almost surely along the coast, to get to Massachusetts and NONE of you saw it. What is wrong with you peeps?!? Get with it, please.
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