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Eaglet Emerges at National Arboretum, Live on a Webcam
An eaglet broke free of its shell Friday morning at the National Arboretum in Washington, where a live webcam has been fixed on a bald eagle nest for 24 hours a day. The hatching started on Wednesday night in the first of two eggs in the nest, with one eaglet making significant progress emerging from its shell.
The American Eagle Foundation said the adult bald eagle pair — nicknamed Mr. President and the First Lady — were the first to nest in the location, high in a tulip poplar tree at the National Arboretum, which is operated by the Department of Agriculture. The eagles began nesting there in 2014, the first to do so since 1947.
The adult eagles are sticking close to the eaglet and its unhatched sibling, sometimes making visibility poor on the video stream. “This is a wild eagle nest, and anything can happen,” the foundation’s site warns. “Things like sibling rivalry, predators and natural disaster can affect this eagle family and may be difficult to watch.”
In 1963, bald eagles were close to extinction with just 487 nesting pairs remaining, according to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. But the population has since recovered and is no longer considered endangered.
Watching live footage of birds in their habitat can be both riveting and a test of patience. Long periods can go by with little happening aside from the ruffle of a feather.
But for a spell in 2011, New Yorkers were fixated on a webcam showing red-tailed hawks in a nest overlooking Washington Square Park, following a tale of the health and, ultimately, the death of the mother hawk, named Violet.
If you are really into watching eggs hatching, here is another webcam to keep an eye on. It shows a peregrine falcon in her nest on a ledge on the 41st floor of the Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus, Ohio.
A third egg has just appeared in the nest, the Ohio Department of National Resources said Thursday. Watch for a possible fourth egg over the weekend.
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