Eagle Cam’s Harriet lays two eggs
Fans of Southwest Florida’s favorite eagles didn’t have to wait very long for the newest set of offspring to be laid.
Unfortunately, the fate of the first egg might not be good as it was buried in the nest shortly after it was laid.
Harriet laid the egg expected to be dubbed E9 – eaglet 9- late Tuesday afternoon, and thousands waited with bated breath for the second egg to be laid, which happened early Friday evening.
One of the things people watching the popular live eagle cam that has drawn millions of views worldwide since it launched on October 2012, quickly noticed, though, was the unusual way the pair was behaving shortly after their first egg was laid. That the first egg disappeared from view, buried in the middle of the nest.
Close-up views of the nest showed the egg was nowhere to be found, creating a not-so-good prospect for its development, especially since it will have no contact with the parents’ natural warmth.
The egg laying at this time of year brings Harriet back to her usual schedule, which had always been right around Thanksgiving, with hatching coming around Christmas.
Last year, with all the drama surrounding the death of her first mate, Ozzie, and her finding a new mate, M15, Harriet didn’t lay eggs until after Christmas.
Harriet and her mates have been pretty successful in raising their young. Since the cam’s inception, six of eight babies have fledged, although the ride of E8 proved to be a very difficult one last year.
E8 was caught in some wiring a few weeks after birth. The eaglet had to be extricated and was sent to CROW on Sanibel to recuperate before being returned to the nest.
Shortly after it fledged, E8 was knocked out of the nest by an owl and found injured nearby, prompting another trip to CROW and a longer recuperation time.
It was returned to the wild around the time Harriet and M15 returned to what was left of the nest Ozzie and Harriet had shared in a tall pine off Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers.
The wet winter and summer softened the nest to the point it collapsed, prompting the pair to rebuild. There was question of whether there would be another delay in their nesting season.
But Harriet was right on time and the eagle cam website was abuzz in activity when the first egg was laid. Nobody was able to see the egg up close even after it was laid, though, as it was already buried.
Three days later, when the second egg was expected to be laid, most were waiting in anticipation. Finally, shortly after dark on Friday, the second egg was laid.
With the first egg likely gone, most online were talking about the possibility of another egg as Harriet has typically raised a brood to two. It was said online the two adults were in the air mating, though that does not necessarily mean another egg will be laid.
The eagle cam may be viewed at dickpritchettrealestate.com/eagle-feed.html.