BALD EAGLE: HATCHLING TO ADULT
FIRST DAY OF ISSUE
May 14, 2026
It was a glorious day on the Mississippi River in Wabasha,
Minnesota for the Bald Eagle Hatchling to Adult first day
of issue ceremony at the National Eagle Center. The ceremony at
the Center's outdoor amphitheater was very well attended by both
stamp collectors and bird enthusiasts, and folks who were neither.
As if on cue, a pair of bald eagles flew high above the ceremony
right around the time of the unveiling.
The birders were very excited to meet David Allen Sibley (standing
second from right), author of the famous Sibley Guides to Birds and
the artist who created the artwork on the stamps. Many folks brought
copies of his various books for him to autograph (and didn't bother
with autographs from other ceremony participants). I did have my ceremony
program signed by all ceremony participants, including the two
high school students who gave an outstanding rendition of the
National Anthem but who did not participate in the formal autograph
session.
I had Mr. Sibley sign two of my FDCs as well:
While waiting in line to purchase stamps I met Craig Goodwin, who
took the photo of the eagle that appears in the selvage of the pane.
Unfortunately he was not part of the ceremony nor acknowledged as an
honored guest. I was pleased to get Mr. Goodwin's autograph on a
pane of stamps.
After lunch we visited the National Eagle Center and met three of
its permanent residents.
These birds have disabilities that do not allow them to live in the
wild, but they are well cared for by NEC staff who are on site 24/7.