The first eaglet of the season, a light gray puff ball, hatched in the Pittsburgh bald eagle nest at 7:40 a.m. Saturday, according to the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.
A second egg is expected to hatch Sunday.
This is the 11th eaglet for the Hays bald eagle couple, which is in its eighth year of nesting on the same steep, remote hillside above the Monongahela River near the Glenwood Bridge.
All the action at the nest can be viewed live by a webcam sponsored by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania and CSE Corp. of Murrysville.
The legion of eagle followers has been waiting for the hatch since the first break in the shell – known as a pip – was documented Friday.
The bald eagle couple have been continuously incubating their two eggs for 37 days. The eagles will continue to incubate the remaining egg.
“The adults will bring back food to the nest for the eaglet and tear the food into small pieces that the eaglet consumes,” said Rachel Handel, Audubon spokeswoman.
The Hays webcam is a collaborative project between CSE and Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, Arborel Tree Service, Davey Company and JASE Construction services.
This live video feed has been granted a Special Permit by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for educational purposes.
