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April 2, 2021

Welcome to the world, eaglets!

Dad Feeding Chicks 3-31-2021

Rainy Days and Mondays

It's hatch time!

The eagles have landed!

The first chick hatched on Friday, March 26, at about 1:25 p.m. The second chick hatched at about 3:20 p.m. on Sunday, March 28.

The moments we've all been waiting for - the cute little eagle chicks have come! Both chicks entered the world after their egg shells successfully collapsed under the pressure of the growing chick's body.  Mom was present for the first hatch, dad for the second.   Before hatching, the eggshell became thinner and weaker than when it was laid, as the growing embryo absorbed calcium from the shell for its bones. At that stage of development, the chick was already breathing with its lungs and it would rub its egg tooth against the shell, cutting a small hole. The hole grew larger, until the egg hatched.

After Eaglet 1 (E1) hatched, mom took advantage of the leftover albumen (egg white) and consumed it.  The albumen is mostly consumed by the chick before hatching and is rich with important protein and fat.  

Our pair is busy taking turns feeding and caring for their young.  Even our young male has stepped up to the task of feeding the young, and has been doing a great job feeding them tiny, appropriately-sized bites of food.  With lots of prey brought into the nest, there are lots of remains scattered about, too. 

It's understandable that people who spend a lot of time watching this eagle family may become emotionally invested in their welfare. But we need to trust nature to work in its own ways.  It may be hard to watch sometimes, but what's unfolding in the nest is part of a normal, natural process.  Sometimes we need to take  a break from the cam.  Usually, a concerning development in the nest resolves within a few hours, or a day or so.  We need to remember that we are just observers and will not and should not intervene.    

We hope you are enjoying this intimate peek into the lives of this eagle pair.  As always, we appreciate your dedication, your interest in our program and your generous donations!  Thank you!

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Visit the DNR EagleCam: mndnr.gov/eaglecam

Minnesota Nongame Wildlife Program

DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program helps preserve and protect thousands of Minnesota wildlife species, some of them threatened or endangered.  The program is supported almost entirely through voluntary donations, either directly or by designating an amount to donate on your Minnesota individual income tax form (look for the loon). Donations help us restore habitats, conduct crucial surveys and monitoring, engage in outreach and education (like our Eagle and Falcon cams), and complete other important projects.  Visit mndnr.gov/nongame to learn more.