Eaglet E21 hatches, second egg imminent
Southwest Florida’s most famous eagles pair, Harriet and M15, are once again proud parents with the hatching of E21 late Wednesday night and a second hatching imminent with a pip being seen Thursday morning.
Eaglet E21, which was laid in the nest on the Pritchett property off Bay Shore Road on Nov. 29, finally came out of its shell on Wednesday at 8:22 p.m., about 36 hours after pipping out of the shell.
The eaglet didn’t seem to want to eat very much at first, but showed later Thursday morning it was finally able to dine.
Meanwhile, a pip was seen in E22’s egg at around 11:16 a.m. on Thursday. A close-up was seen of a small crack as the new baby used it to keep its balance. That egg was expected to hatch late Friday evening or early Saturday.
E22 was laid on Dec. 2.
Both eggs were laid in the early evening shortly after nightfall. They also came a little bit later than normal as Harriet and M15 were busy rebuilding their nest after it was destroyed by Hurricane Ian.
People were able to watch the event on the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam, now in its 11th season of showing us the daily goings on with Southwest Florida’s most famous couple.
Several thousand people watched as the egg finally split in two as a result of E21’s egg tooth and 36 hours of work, trying to escape.
What happens next?
According to www.eagles.org, When first born, the eaglets are covered with white down. By the time they are 9 to 11 days old, the first down is replaced by a second down which is much darker in color.
Eaglets come into the world totally helpless. They cannot hold their head up; their vision is limited; their legs are too weak to hold their weight, cannot regulate their body temperature, and must rely 100 percent on their parents to protect them and care for them.
Feathers begin to appear when they are about 24 days old and grow in by the time they are six weeks old, able to stand and tear up their own food.
Fledging occurs at 10 to 14 weeks. They are still fed by their parents for a time before they leave the nest.
To reach CHUCK BALLARO, please email news@breezenewspapers.com