A Surprise Visitor to the Lake

Maybe it was the spring-like weather. Maybe Lake Pocotopaug was simply too nice to pass up as a rest stop. Whatever the reason, East Hampton was the site of a majestic and most welcome guest on Tuesday.

A Bald Eagle.

Populations nationwide have continued to recover enough that, in 2007, the Bald Eagle was officially removed from the federal Endangered Species List. Connecticut reclassified the Bald Eagle's status in the state from endangered to threatened in 2010.

According to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the nesting population has increased gradually and, in 2010, 18 pairs of Bald Eagles made nesting attempts in the state.

So, as rare as it might be to spot one in East Hampton, let alone Connecticut, maybe it is something you can look forward to, if you keep a sharp eye out.

That is what Jeffrey Artikes did on Tuesday and we are fortunate to have him share his photo with us.

"This big guy put on a nice show at the Lake on Tuesday afternoon about 2:30 p.m.," Jeff said in an email. "He hung around for about 20 minutes and then cruised the lake."

A great idea considering the weather we've been having.

To learn more about what the DEEP has to say about Bald Eagles, click here.

Thanks Jeff!

Readers who have a photo they would like to share may email it to michael.bartolotta@patch.com or upload them directly on our gallery.