SEAGOVILLE, Texas — DEVELOPING: One of two eagle eggs at the John Bunker Wetland Center in Seagoville, Texas, hatched just moments ago after a crack and pip were visible early Thursday morning.
SEAGOVILLE, Texas — DEVELOPING: One of two eagle eggs at the John Bunker Wetland Center in Seagoville, Texas, hatched just moments ago after a crack and pip were visible early Thursday morning.
John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Director John DeFillipo says the first egg of the 2017 breeding season was laid on January 25 and the second on January 28.
The pip, as its called once its made its first crack at the egg, may take several hours to an entire day to break free from the egg at which point it will be an eaglet until it fledges, or flies from the nest, as a juvenile eagle.
Viewers have been able to watch a 24-hour webcam of the eagles and the hatching process on the John Bunker Wetland Center’s website, here.
DeFillipo estimates the second egg won't start the hatching process for another three days because the eggs were laid three days apart.
The hatchings mark the fifth season the “Wetland Eagles” have produced eaglets since they began nesting in the approximate 2,000-acre wetlands in 2011. The eagles returned for the 2017 breeding season on September 28, 2016, a moment which was also captured on the live webcam.
In 2014, the 200-pound eagles’ nest was successfully moved from a live, high-voltage tower to a higher replica tower built and donated by Falcon Steel.
To learn more about the eagles or the John Bunker Wetland Center, visit their website. Additionally, anyone interested in donating, including eagle nest monitoring, educational programs, or setting up Tom Thumb and Kroger charity rewards, visit their webpage, here.
