Harriet and M15 the famous SWFL Eagle Cam raptors expecting a couple of eaglets Andrew West/news-press.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The first egg belonging to Florida's famous bald eagles hatched Tuesday night, according to the dickpritchettrealestate.com who own the eagle cam. The second egg could hatch later this week.
Both eggs — products of Harriet and M15, southwest Florida's celebrated couple — will probably transform into tiny, furry-like balls of eaglet this week. The first egg started to hatch Tuesday morning.
"Around 8:30 (a.m.) the eaglet had made its first appearance with the crack in the egg, so now we'll just wait and see," said Virginia "Ginnie" Pritchett McSpadden, whose family owns the North Fort Myers, Fla., property where the eagles nest. "The first process is the egg tooth on the eaglet's beak, and it's up to the eaglet how long that will take. It can take two hours or up to 48 hours, so it's a strenuous for the little guys."
November 2017: Nesting season begins: Harriet, the famous Florida bald eagle, lays an egg
The website said the first eaglet, E10, hatched at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Parents Harriet and M15 have been sharing incubation duties but will soon be forced to seek out massive amounts of fish and other critters to feed rapidly growing eagles. It only takes 90 days for an eaglet to become the size of an adult.
The first egg was laid Nov. 19, with the second one coming Nov. 22. Since the first egg started to crack Tuesday, the second egg should begin to come apart soon.
The second eaglet will be dubbed E11, Prtichett McSpadden said. More than 115 million viewers have watched the family over the last six years.
Ozzie and Harriet were the original couple, but Ozzie died after a series of fights with Harriet's new mate, M15.
Over the years the eagles and eaglets in this nest have been entangled in fishing line, attacked by great horned owls and entrenched in a love triangle.
October 2017: Famous bald eagles survive storms and begin rebuilding
David and Kathy Kochanowski, of Jacksonville, Fla.s, stopped by the Pritchett property Tuesday to see the eagle, birds they typically watch from their home.
"He'll probably fully hatch within a couple of days," said Kathy Kochanowski. "And egg No. 2 will (crack through its egg) any day now."
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They've been following the Harriet saga for several years.
"We followed Ozzie and Harriet and it was so emotional when Ozzie died," she said. "Then M15 came in. And he's been a great mate. And then with all that's happened (to the other eaglets). There's always something special happening here."
The incubation period for bald eagles is about 35 days.
December 2016: Watch: 'Eagle cam' streaming Fla. bald eagle births
"We started cameras to let them be an educational resource and we do want people to stay at home so the area can be as calm as it can be, especially at this delicate time," Pritchett McSpadden said. "We want people to be able to see them, but it's best if they can do that from home."
Southwest Florida Eagle Cam
• 2012-13: Ozzie and Harriet rear two eaglets, and more than 16 million watched the stream during the first year.
• 2013-14: Ozzie and Harriet again produce two eggs, but only one eaglet survives.
• 2014-15: The couple produces two eggs; one eaglet survives. This was the last season Ozzie would mate; he died after fighting with M15.
• 2015-16: Harriet and M15, which stands for male 2015m produce two eggs. Both hatch and produce fledglings.
• 2016-17: The new couple produces two eggs, but only one hatches and survives.
• 2017-18: Couple lays two eggs.
Follow Chad Gillis on Twitter: @ChadGillisNP