The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania says the first bald eagle egg of 2024 has been laid.
This marks the 11th years bald eagles have been nesting on the hillside in Hays.
A new male is in the nest with the existing female from previous years. The other male, who had been with the female since 2013 disappeared in September last year.
“Bald Eagles live about 20 years in the wild, so it’s not surprising to lose one of the original breeding pair – Bald Eagles don’t become sexually mature until the age of 5 and they’d been together for at least 10 years,” the Audubon Society said in a release.
A new camera has also been installed this year with the help of an arborist from Davey Tree.
The camera has a better resolution compared to the previous camera.
A new power supply has been provided by Duquesne Light and US Steel this year.
The camera is coordinated by Pix Cams.
While the egg(s) are in the nest, an adult is also covering the egg, so you’ll always see an eagle in the nest and sometimes you’ll see the adult stand up and roll the egg to keep it at a constant temperature.
Another egg could be laid in the next couple days.