Steller's sea eagle brings a show to bird watchers in Conception Bay North

Bird watchers have flocked to the Conception Bay North community of North River to see a bird rarely spotted in Newfoundland and Labrador.

A Steller's sea eagle has been seen in the region over the last three weeks. The eagle is one of the largest birds of prey on Earth, and has a wingspan of about 2.4 metres.

"She flew over my head, and it felt like a small plane was going over my head. It cast a shadow, a magnificent wingspan," Lynne Strong, a resident of North River, told CBC News on Monday.

"I felt like this bird could pick me up. It was big."

Strong lives a stone's throw away from where the bird has been nesting. The community has been full of bird watchers hoping to catch a glimpse of the animal — which she has affectionately dubbed as Stella.

This isn't the first time a Steller's sea eagle has been seen in Newfoundland and Labrador. One was seen at Terra Nova National Park in December, and another was seen at Trinity Bay in 2023.

Strong said the bird watchers she's met with believe Stella could be the same bird seen in Trinity Bay.

She said the bird has also shown a key interest in the two bald eagles that frequent the area, and has a theory as to why.

"She's very interested in the bald eagles, and of course they have chicks," she said.

"Stella sits in a tree and watches, so I'm not sure if she's looking to mate. Or my dark side tells me that if mama eagle left those birds, I think she would do something nefarious.

Strong said it appears the eagles aren't pleased with Stella's presence. 

"There's been a few spats over the water," she said.

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