The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania confirmed the hatch of an eaglet at the rebuilt bald eagle nest in Pittsburgh's Hays neighborhood.
The Hays couple, the first bald eagles to breed in Pittsburgh's city limits in more than 150 years, are in their fifth year of nesting on a hillside above the Monongahela River.
Their success seemed improbable this year.
The pair lost their first egg and their aerie tree in a windstorm in February. But the resilient formerly endangered birds went to work quickly to rebuild a new nest and lay another egg within a week.
“It's remarkable and it's the drama that plays out in nature for all creatures,” said Jim Bonner, executive director of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. “We are lucky to have a close-up view of this particular pair.”
What is more remarkable are the dozens, and sometimes hundreds of people watching the Hays eagles, he said.
Indeed, it was the watchers on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail below who confirmed the hatch by the birds' behavior.
On Monday, there were reports from trail observers, including photographer Dana Nesiti of West Homestead, that one of the eagles brought two fish the nest and one the birds fed small, bite-size pieces to what is presumably an eaglet deep inside the nest bowl. Plus, it was time: The birds have been incubating at least one egg for 35 days, the amount of time needed for a successful hatch.
A live webcam, which once offered close-up and tight shots of the nest, is now a distance away with limited views of the new nest.
The webcam could not be reinstalled at the new aerie because the birds' nest sites are protected against disturbance by federal law.
It's unknown if there is another egg in the nest. Time will tell, Bonner said. But the recent hatch is believed to be the third and likely final egg of the birds' first clutch. But that's debatable and perhaps impossible to know for sure, he added.
Mary Ann Thomas is a Tribune-Review staff writer. She can be reached at 724-226-4691 or mthomas@tribweb.com.
