Hays bald eagle is hatching

In Pittsburgh’s Hays community, a bald eagle has been trying to peck its way out of an egg since 12:31 p.m. Friday. The pip, or pecking hole, was captured on livestreamed video administered by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. View the nest at aswp.org.

Audubon spokeswoman Rachel Handel said she’s happy to be the bearer of good news.

“I am really enjoying the positivity that’s building for the arrival of the eaglet. People need something to rally around right now, and the Pittsburgh Hays bald eagles are giving them a great outlet for that,” she said. “It can take up to 24 hours from the first pip until we see a hatch. Today we were able to confirm the pip, so we’re hoping to see an eaglet by tomorrow morning.”

The couple’s first egg of the year was delivered on Feb. 13, the second Feb. 16.

“The eggs were laid three days apart, so we can look for a

second eaglet on or around Sunday [or] Monday,” she said.

Since 2013, when the eagle pair settled on a hillside overlooking the Monongahela River in Hays, they’ve occupied four trees, delivered 16 eggs and fledged 10 juvenile eagles.

Unseasonably warm weather has made it easier for the eagles to find food. Ms. Handel said that when the eaglet hatches, the adults will feed it by breaking food into small pieces and putting it right into the eaglet’s mouth. All of that will be captured live on camera.

“The warmer weather has kept the rivers clear of ice, making for good fishing,” she said. “This morning, they had a large fish in the nest.”

The Hays webcam is a collaborative project of Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania and CSE. The live video feed was made possible through a special permit granted by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for educational purposes. Further support was provided by Arborel Tree Service and JASE Construction Services.