‘Bangor Mom’ eagle finds a new man

BDN readers have been rooting for the bald eagle that’s been called “Bangor Mom” ever since she fell ill on a city street back in May.

The eagle had ingested a toxin, and was taken to Avian Haven, a bird rehabilitation facility in Freedom.

Hours after she fell ill, her mate, also apparently having ingested a toxin, was electrocuted when he flew into a power line.

New mate? This young bald eagle has been seen in the presence of "Bangor Mom," the eagle that fell ill in May. (Photo by Sharon Fiedler)

New mate? This young bald eagle has been seen in the presence of “Bangor Mom,” the eagle that fell ill in May. (Photo by Sharon Fiedler)

The saga continued the next day, when the pair’s two eaglets were rescued from their nest just off Kenduskeag Avenue, not far from the center of the city.

And in June, after “Bangor Mom” was released in Brewer, many of those who watched her fly off were asking each other the same question: “What happens next?”

Sharon Fiedler, a wildlife photographer who has been photographing Bangor Mom and her late mate for years, was among those present for the release.

On Wednesday, Fiedler shared some good news: The eagle isn’t flying solo any more.

Fiedler said she’s seen the bird hanging out with a young male bald eagle not far from the spot Bangor Mom was found in May.

A young male bald eagle (left, obscured) sits with "Bangor Mom" in a Bangor tree. (Photo by Sharon Fiedler)

A young male bald eagle (left, obscured) sits with “Bangor Mom” in a Bangor tree. (Photo by Sharon Fiedler)

“I believe they’re back at that nest,” Fiedler said. “I caught ’em sitting in this tree that [Bangor Mom and her previous mate] always sat in.”

Fiedler said she knows the female bird is Bangor Mom because that bird has been banded — she’s also got a “birth certificate” from the U.S. Geological Survey documenting her earlier photography of the bird.

Fiedler is impressed that the bird apparently got back into the dating scene rapidly.

“She didn’t let any grass grow under her talons, I guess,” Fiedler said with a chuckle. “But she picked up with a younger man, which is a plus. She’ll be able to train him.”

 

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.