REDDING — The bald eagle was considered extirpated from Connecticut by the mid-1950s. As breeding populations in eastern Canada and northern Maine began to recover in the late 1970s, migrant bald eagles began to appear in the state during the winter months on open rivers and at hydroelectric dams.

Then in 1992 Connecticut had its first nesting pair of bald eagles since the early 1950s.

Newtown resident and raptor researcher Larry Fischer will recount this remarkable comeback with slides and anecdotes during a special program, “Connecticut’s Bald Eagles,” at New Pond Farm on Wednesday, March 23. The program will run from 7 to 8:30 pm and will cover the earliest winter residents and Connecticut’s first nest to the present population of nesting bald eagles in the Nutmeg State.

Mr Fischer has scaled some of Connecticut’s tallest trees, going face to face with eaglets in their aeries, for some of these photos.

Cost for this program is $12 ($10 for NPF members), and reservations are requested; call 203-938-2117. New Pond Farm is at 101 Marchant Road, corner of Umpawaug Road.