Photos: Bald eagle perches atop tree next to pond in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood
(Ben Achtenberg / The Refuge Media Project)
A bald eagle photographed recently perched atop a pond-side tree in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood is yet another good sign for efforts to restore the once-endangered species’ population in Massachusetts, according to state wildlife experts.
“It's a testament to the eagle restoration programs conducted by state wildlife agencies and their non-profit partners,” said Marion E. Larson, chief of information and education for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
Ben Achtenberg, a JP resident and director of the Refuge Media Project, said he photographed the bird on Dec. 26 along the shores of Jamaica Pond, the largest body of freshwater in the city of Boston.
Larson, who confirmed the photographed bird is an adult bald eagle, said spotting the species at this time of year in such an area is not entirely unusual, but still “interesting.”
“People are fascinated by eagles,” she said. “This is the time of year when eagles are seen in larger numbers throughout the state – many come from the north where water has frozen over.”
She noted that at the time of the photo, the pond had probably not frozen over, making it a good spot for the predatory bird to hang out.
The bald eagle, the official national bird of the US, has increased its population in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the country due to recovery efforts over the past several decades.
In 2011, a record number of 107 eagles were observed throughout the state during a midwinter survey in Massachusetts, according to Larson.
One popular, local midwinter bald eagle haunt is along the mouth of the Merrimack River, she said. An annual Eagle Festival will be held along the river in Newburyport next month.
To read more about the state’s bald eagle recovery efforts, click here.
To see other photos of local bald eagles, click here.
E-mail Matt Rocheleau at matthew.rocheleau@globe.com.
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(Ben Achtenberg / The Refuge Media Project)
(Ben Achtenberg / The Refuge Media Project)
