While I was distracted by the COVID-19 emergency, the Hays bald eagles hatched two eggs!

The first eaglet appeared on Sat 21 March 21 at 7:40am, above. The second one hatched on Monday 23 March at 6:40am, below.

In the day between hatchlings, Audubon Society of Western PA captured this video of the mother rolling her second egg. Notice how carefully she holds her talons inward as she steps near her chick. What a good mom!

Watch the Hays bald eagle family online at http://aswp.org/pages/hays-nest.

p.s. Stay safe, folks. Online viewing is best! Allegheny and seven other Pennsylvania counties are now under a Stay At Home order through 6 April. (Click for details) We are allowed to go outdoors but must stay six feet apart.

(photos and video from Bald Eagles of Western Pennsylvania — Audubon Society of Western PA)

Seven years ago we suddenly had three bald eagle nests in Allegheny County, PA. Hays and Harmar were new and Crescent Township was only a year old.

On Throw Back Thursday, let’s look back to March 2013:

• Eagle Excitement: How Hays Woods became a great place for bald eagles.
• Clash Of The Titans: Harmar bald eagles clash with red-tailed hawk to take their nest.

(photo by Steve Gosser, 2013)

28 February 2020:

There’s happy news at the Harmar bald eagle nest, observed by Gina Gilmore.

Gina was on hand on Wed 26 Feb 2020 at 1:57pm when she saw — and filmed — the female bald eagle behaving as if she had laid her first egg. The bird stood in the nest, often looked down between her feet, and remained standing as if she was waiting for an egg to dry. Then she settled down to begin incubation.

Click here or on the image above to see Gina’s video. When you play the video, click on the speaker icon at bottom right to turn on sound …

This egg is the 10th at the Harmar site since nesting was first confirmed in 2013/2014 and the 1st for 2020. A second egg is due today or tomorrow, 28 or 29 Feb, at Harmar.

Thank you, Gina Gilmore, for filming this happy event. Without an eaglecam on the nest, we rely on observers like Gina to note behavior that indicates an egg has been laid. See more of Gina’s photos on her Facebook page.

You can help observe the Harmar bald eagles from this small dirt parking area (blue pin) along Freeport Road. Click here for Gina’s photo of the viewing area.

NOTE: If the parking area is full you’ll have to go elsewhere.

(photo by Gina Gilmore)

The female eagle at the Hays bald eagle nest laid her second egg of the season on 16 Feb 2020 at 6:30pm — exactly three days after the first one!

Audubon of Western PA spread the news at the Bald Eagles of Western PA Facebook page:

Watch this nesting pair on the Hays eaglecam at http://aswp.org/pages/hays-nest.

(photo and text from Bald Eagles of Western PA — Audubon Society of Western PA Facebook page)

Happy news on Valentine’s Day! Last evening the Audubon Society of Western PA (ASWP) announced:

[Pittsburgh, PA, February 13, 2020] – Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania confirms an egg in the Hays, PA Bald Eagle nest. The egg, laid at 6:30 pm this evening, is visible in the nest on the eagle cam when the incubating adult stands up: http://aswp.org/pages/hays-nest. There is typically a 2-3 day span in between eggs being laid in a Bald Eagle nest. In 2019, the Hays Bald Eagles laid three eggs; two hatched and the juveniles successfully fledged the nest.

– Bald Eagles in Western PA Facebook page

ASWP also posted this video of the first egg roll:

Join the conversation at Bald Eagles in Western Pennsylvania Facebook page.

Watch the Hays Bald Eagle cam at http://aswp.org/pages/hays-nest.

(photos and video from Bald Eagles in Western Pennsylvania – Audubon Society of Western PA Facebook page)

Note: The photos and video are in black-and-white because the camera uses infrared to see the nest in the dark.

Heads up, Bald Eagle Fans!

Yesterday on their Bald Eagles in Western Pennsylvania Facebook page, Audubon of Western PA pointed out that the first bald eagle egg at Hays is usually laid between February 12 and 17.

Watch for eggs on the Hays Bald Eagle cam at http://aswp.org/pages/hays-nest.

Join the conversation at Bald Eagles in Western Pennsylvania Facebook page.

See great photos at the Eagles of Hays PA Facebook page. Dana Nesiti visits the Allegheny Passage trail and other sites along the Monongahela River to capture the eagles in their natural setting.

Eggs coming soon!

(photo by Dana Nesiti at Eagles of Hays PA Facebook page)