The first of two bald eaglets has hatched in a Florida nest as onlookers from across the globe watched the fluffy hatchling break free of its shell live online.
The hatchling began tapping on its shell Thursday but took until Saturday morning to finally emerge. Shortly after it was born, the baby bird was heard singing as its mother, Harriet, stood watch.
A second egg has yet to hatch, and some have speculated that the sibling eaglets may be born in 2016 and 2017.
A video livestream of the nest in Fort Myers, Fla. has captured the fascination of viewers since it went online in 2012. But thousands of new watchers have taken to the webcam in recent days in anticipation of the arrival of the adorable new nestmates.
The live look is provided by Florida real estate company Dick Pritchett Real Estate. They use three cameras to capture the goings-on of Harriet and other eagles, with one camera positioned six feet above the nesting tree.
The company says the eagles are not aware of the camera and that the feed does not interfere with their wellbeing. In fact, the camera has already documented several nesting seasons throughout Harriet’s life.
