Welcome to the world E9! It’s happy birthday and happy new year for what might be the most watched eaglet in the world right now. On Dec. 31, 2016, New Year’s Eve, at 7:33 a.m., E9, one of the eggs in the Southwest Florida eagle’s nest hatched. It had been an anxious 48 hours as eagles Harriet and M15 stood watch over the nest, incubated the eggs and waited for the first inner cracks of the egg shell (pips) to result in a live baby bird. All eyes are on the second egg and unfortunately, it is unclear whether the egg is viable or not. M15 and Harriet are on egg duty and the second egg is still being incubated, yet many remain worried for its welfare. But that won’t stop the celebration many are feeling as E9 is here and the miracle of __life in the wild is witnessed by all, thanks to the live streaming eagle cam. You can watch the Southwest Florida eagle cam streaming live online in the video player above. Check the photos and videos below for a recap of E9’s exciting and glorious entry into the world.
Dick Pritchett live streams the eagle’s nest from three cameras. This is the fifth season since Pritchett began live broadcasting the eagle’s nest from North Fort Myers, Florida. Harriet and M15 laid two eggs, E9 on Nov. 22, the other egg arrived on Nov. 25.
Great confusion surrounds the viability of one of the eggs. On Nov. 25, Harriet buried one egg, causing many to assume the egg wasn’t viable and she would only tend to one of the two eggs. After the second egg was laid, Harriet was seen incubating both eggs on Nov. 28 and has done so ever since. It is unclear whether the second egg will hatch or if it remains nonviable and maternal instinct kicked in overdrive, causing Harriet to incubate the previously buried egg. For the next several weeks, M15 faithfully stood duty, relieved Harriet of incubating duties and brought food to the nest while Harriet was hard at work, bringing the miracle of __life to the masses via live streaming eagle cams.
Beginning Dec. 27, all eyes were on the eggs as the time frame for pip watch had arrived. The eggs had incubated long enough that it would be time for the eaglet chick to begin pecking his or her way out of the shell. Signs of cracks and holes in the shell from the inside out were soon to appear and they did. On Dec. 29, 2016, the pip was clearly visible and the world has been on hatch watch ever since. You may see a video in the player below from Dec 29, 2016, when the first pip was spotted on the egg E9.
M15 and Harriet have demonstrated superb nurturing skills. On Dec. 30, 2016, M15 left his perch above where he stands guard and flew into the nest to give Harriet a break from incubation duties. When Harriet was ready to take over, M15 didn’t want to leave the eggs. You can watch that video below. You can see a photo from the moment where M15 brought Harriet a fish as well.
There was another exciting moment on Dec. 30, 2016. At one point, M15 moved from his incubation duties and the pip was clearly visible in the egg. Not only could you see the impact of E9’s hard work, but you could see the little eaglet chick’s eye tooth working away at the shell. The video also revealed the first glimpse of the tiny bird inside the shell working tirelessly to be free. You may see that fascinating look inside the shell and the first peek at E9 in the video below.
It was a cold night in North Fort Myers, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Fahrenheit. E9 certainly picked a chilly night to be born and Harriet seemed exhausted from her work. At one point, Harriet fell into a deep sleep while she remained the protective and dutiful mother, guarding her eggs through the cold night. By 10:40 p.m. ET, Harriet was completely asleep. While Harriet slept, E9 continued the hard work and pipped continuously.
Creating a sense of community, viewers from around the world not only watch the eagle cam live stream but share their own derivative videos and photos of monumental moments and events as they are captured. Most fascinating of the videos so far is the exciting and superb moment when E9 completely broke free from the shell. You may watch the video from Dec. 31, 2016, when E9 successfully and completely hatched in the video player below.
By 11:40 a.m. ET, New Year’s Eve, E9 was hatched, but still in a portion of the shell. M15, the wonderful father eagle, stepped up to help the little eaglet and removed the shell. You may watch that video below.
YouTube user Lady Hawk has created a playlist highlighting many of Harriet’s, M15’s and now E9’s most precious moments. You may watch those videos in the playlist below. Lady Hawk also captured some of E9’s finest moments after hatching.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the live eagle cam provides numerous opportunities for learning. Here is a list of teaching plans, activity ideas, lesson ideas, bald eagle facts and more that will enhance and complement watching the eagle cam live streaming online.
Bald Eagle Lesson Plans and Educational Resources
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Bald Eagles: wildlife History and Habitat
- The Center for Conservation Biology: Facts About Bald Eagles
- Annenberg Learner: Bald Eagle Life Cycle and Facts
- The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All About Bald Eagles
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Eagle Facts (PDF)
- Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey: Bald Eagles Lesson Plans
- Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey Lesson Plan: Blogging Using Live Cams (great resource for those following the Southwest Florida live streaming eagle cam, PDF)
- The Bald Eagle: An Educational Activity Guide by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
- Celebrating the American Bald Eagle by Farr Integrating IT (lesson plans, links, and Native American mythology and legends)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: National Wildlife Refuge Coloring Book (PDF)
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: Bald Eagle
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife: Bald Eagles in California
- National Park Service (NPS) Channel Island Bald Eagles
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Bald and Golden Eagles
- Missouri Department of Conservation Field Guide: Bald Eagle
- New York Department of Environmental Conservation: Bald Eagle Fact Sheet
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Bald Eagle
- National Park Service Kenai Fjords, Alaska Bald Eagles
- National Park Service: Bald Eagles in Yellowstone
- Columbian Park Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette Parks and Recreation: Bald Eagles
- Texas Parks and Wildlife: Bald Eagles
- Bald Eagle Coloring Page(Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection)
- Bald Eagle Activity Sheet (PDF)
- Chesapeake Bay Program: Bald Eagles
- National Park Service Webrangers: Bald Eagles
- Bald Eagle Awareness Week Activity Book from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (45 page, PDF)
- U.S. Forest Service: Bald Eagle Facts (PDF)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Coloring Book (PDF)
- Arkansas Birds Coloring Book (PDF)
- Arizona Activity and Coloring Book: Bald Eagles (PDF)
- Wildlife of New Jersey Coloring Book: Bald Eagles (PDF)
Are you watching the Southwest Florida eagle cam live streaming online? Now that E9 is here, the next weeks will be full of exciting moments as the baby eagle grows and eventually leaves the nest.
[Featured Image by Rocky Grimes/Shutterstoc]
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