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Audubon Society Confirms Eaglet Hatch In Hays Nest

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Three years have passed since the very first "Eagle Cam" in Hays recorded the successful breeding of three young eagles. But this year, things didn't look good.

A winter storm toppled the tree the nest was in, taking a newly-laid egg with it. But the parent eagles built a new one, and laid another egg.

"From all the behaviors of the adult birds, looks like an egg has hatched," says Jim Bonner, executive director of the Audubon Society of Southwest Pennsylvania. "They've been seen bringing food in, and starting to pull it apart."

He says the Society has relied on photographs and videos from bird watchers to make the determination, since the new nest is outside the live camera's range of sight.

"Sunday into Monday," he adds, "people started seeing some changes in the eagles' behavior. And after a day or so seeing enough behaviors, we felt comfortable saying a chick has hatched."

Granted, there's not much to see on the live Eagle Cam from Hays. But the Audubon Society also has live video streaming from a nest in Harmar, where there is some activity. Bonner says that nest was not affected by the storm that took down the habitat in Hays.

"That one is up running. The birds are on at least one egg. Again, can't see the bottom of the nest. And they're due to begin hatching sometime next week," Bonner said.

WATCH THE EAGLE CAMS:

He says the entire region is now host to the once endangered bald eagles.

"As our waters continue to improve and some of the other environmental factors around Southwestern Pennsylvania got better, we're starting to see the birds come in and thrive," he said.

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