FORT MYERS, Fla. — One of two Florida eaglets is expected to hatch in the near future after one egg had its first crack this week.
All eyes have been on the eagles as the Southwest Florida eagle family is anticipating two new eaglets. Early Tuesday morning, one of the eggs officially had its first crack, which means the hatching process has started.
The eaglet had only began working on cracking the shell by the end of Wednesday evening. Throughout Wednesday, the beloved bird couple, Harriet and M15, could be seen sitting in the nest, incubating the eggs.
"This is a great time to get family and friends watching!" a tweet from @SWFLEagleCAM said.
Harriet laid "Egg 1" on Nov. 29 and "Egg 2" on Dec. 2. Since then, the couple has been taking turns and patiently incubating the eggs – which is needed about 35 days before hatching, Dick Pritchett Real Estate explains on its website that hosts the eagle cam.
The couple successfully raised two eaglets last year, which garnered a lot of attention from the public, who loved to see the live cams of the tiny birds growing and thriving.
"Harriet and M15 are a well-seasoned and bonded Eagle pair. They use their excellent skills and instincts to nurture and protect their family and territory," Dick Pritchett Real Estate said in a post online. "Through all the trials in their life, they have also had tremendous successes."
The Southwest Florida Eagle Cam has been live-streaming this nest since 2012. Following some downtime after Hurricane Ian, the live look returned — and the eagles rebuilt their nest. Today, it uses four discreet cameras that monitor the birds around the clock.
To keep an eye on the eggs and see what the eagles are doing, click on the video below.