THE EAGLE HAS LANDED. There's a new resident making a home in one Cape Neddick neighborhood: none other than the emblem of the United States, the American bald eagle. Pictured here in its favorite tree, the eagle has become a favorite neighbor to the human residents in the area of Ocean Circuit Drive. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) may weigh up to 14 pounds and have wingspans as wide as eight feet. They choose their habitat near rivers, lakes, marshes and even the seacoast, where they can find fish, which is their preferred food. "In winter, the birds congregate near open water in tall trees for spotting prey and night roosts for sheltering," according to FWS. "Eagles mate for life, choosing the tops of large trees to build nests, which they typically use and enlarge each year. ... Bald eagles may live 15 to 25 years in the wild, longer in captivity." The bald eagle was chosen as the national symbol in 1782, but less than two centuries later, in 1963, the species was in danger of extinction. After nearly 25 years of protection, the FWS had estimated almost 9,800 nesting pairs in the country and, on June 28, 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the list of threatened and endangered species. Bald eagles are still be protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which prohibit killing or harming eagles, their nests or their eggs. For more about the American bald eagle, visit www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/BaldEagle.htm.
Courtesy photo

HAIL TO THE CHIEF. The York Beach Fire Department's Chief David Bridges has won the top honor awarded by the York County Firefighters Association: the 2007 Firefighter of the Year. Bridges is seen here with York Beach Capt. Mark Gay, who is president of the association, as well as Paul Banville, Corey Hathorne and Gary Woods. Gay said the association chose Bridges for his years of service as a firefighter, beginning with the York Beach Fire Department back in 1971 and, as Gay put it, "holding every position from firefighter up through chief." He said Bridges' efforts to improve the York Beach Fire Station and its apparatus were also recognized at the recent awards ceremony. For his part, Bridges said he never thought of himself as a candidate for such an award because his goal has been to simply do what is best for the department and the taxpayers. "I was quite surprised. I didn't have any idea that was coming," he said, adding, "I'm honored by it."
Courtesy photo