The Southwest Florida Eagle Cam nest is officially on ‘Hatch Watch.’ What to know before eaglets arrive

Samantha Neely, Fort Myers News-Press
Updated ·3 min read
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As we eagerly await the start of a new year, a significant portion of Southwest Florida residents and avid bird watchers have another countdown they are watching like a hawk.

The Southwest Florida Eagle Cam administrators and viewers are glued to the livestream feeds as they wait for the newest additions to the nest to hatch any day now.

These eggs were laid by the nest's newest couple, M15 and F23, last month. This marks a historic moment for the North Fort Myers nest, as it's the first set of eggs in the nest since Southwest Florida icon Harriet disappeared earlier this year after more than a decade of nesting in the region.

When did F23 lay her eggs?

The first egg was laid on Friday, Nov. 24, at 9 p.m.

"(F23) is doing very well, the hormones and instinct really kicked in. She was so exhausted after she laid the egg," an administrator wrote in the live chat on Nov. 27.

Days later on Nov. 27, viewers and livestream operators saw the second egg around 1:44 p.m., officially announcing it hours later on Facebook.

"Just months ago we were crossing our fingers for a successful mate/bond, and now we have two eggs," Southwest Florida Eagle Cam wrote in their post.

What are the names of these eggs?

These egg have been designated as "E23" for Eaglet 23 and "E24" for Eaglet 24.

What do eagle eggs look like?

An eagle's egg is typically 2.3 to 3.3 inches long and is a little more than 2 inches in width, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The Avian Report also notes that bald eagles in the southern parts of North America will have smaller eggs than those who lay their eggs in the northern regions and Alaska.

They have dull white, tan tinge to them and are more oval-shaped compared to a chicken's rounded shape. Some eggs also might have brown spots on them from the nests and parent's soiled feet.

What is a 'pip' in a egg?

Throughout the livestream chats and social media comments, many fans voice their eagerness to see a "pip" in one of the eggs. But what does that mean?

There are two different types of pips — the hole poked through the membrane is called the internal pip and hole pecked through the egg shell is called the external pip.

According to East Tennessee State University, the chick can breathe the air that filters through the porous egg shell once it breaks through the membrane, starting the final process of hatching. Pipping can take anywhere from one to two days.

When are the eggs are expected to hatch?

Eagle eggs take an average of 35 days to hatch, which means viewers should see these eaglets hatching either right before or at the start of 2024.

What are the plumage phases of an eaglet?

E22 takes flight from the nest tree at Dick Pritchett Realty in North Fort Myers on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The famous eaglet from SWFL Eagle Cam fame may be leaving the nest for good soon. Its sibling, E21 has been gone for a while now. Their mother, Harriet disappeared from the nest in early February. It is unsure what will happen to the nest site, which has been an internet sensation for a decade.

Once the eggs finally hatch, what comes next? What can viewers see over the next season?

According to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, young eaglets experience several different plumage phases before leaving the nest, such as:

  • Primary down — Eaglets are in the primary or natal down phase and are fluffy grey in color with a whitish head and throat

  • Secondary down — Longer, thicker, dark-grey wool covering by their third week

  • Transitional — During the transitional stage at age four to six weeks, the eaglet has its first dark brown-to-black “pin” feathers emerging on the back, shoulders, breast and wings

  • Juvenile — Fully feathered by 10 weeks of age and exercises its wings by jumping up and down in the nest

Where can I find the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam?

One of the bald eagles from the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam at Dick Pritchett Realty in North Fort Myers preens from the nest tree on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. The bald eagle duo of M15 and F23 are streamed live on the SWFL Eagle Cam are incubating two eggs and are in the process of becoming first time parents. When the eagles are incubating the eggs, they are barely visible from the ground.

Want to make sure you don't miss sudden hatchings? You can watch the live stream at dickpritchettrealestate.com or on YouTube at SouthwestFloridaEagleCam.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Southwest Florida Eagle Cam eggs to hatch any day now. What to know