First eaglet of the season hatches in North Fort Myers

The first of the two eggs laid by Harriet, Southwest Florida’s most famous mother eagle, hatched on Wednesday.

The eaglet gets the designation E21 and was confirmed to have hatched by the Dick Pritchett Real Estate Southwest Florida Eagle Cam at 8:22 p.m. Wednesday.

Harriet laid the first egg on November 29 and the other on December 2. Typically the eggs have a 35-day incubation period.

Those 35 days brought us to where we are now. The first pip, or break in one of the eggs, happened Tuesday morning.

Hatching normally lasts one to two days after a pip appears. Harriet’s longest pip-to-hatch period was 59 hours with E16.

The current eggs are E21 and E22. Bald eagles typically have 20 egg-laying years, with an average of two eggs a clutch, meaning Harriet should have nine egg-laying years ahead.

Marti Lord, who has followed the eagle family for nine years, is grateful for the special look the cameras at Dick Pritchett Real Estate give to an eagle’s behavior and life.

“I think more people are aware and more cautious of how they approach wildlife now. I think there’s a lot more people that are interested in this live camera, thanks to the Pritchett’s. Extremely educational. I mean, I know elementary schools follow along. And it’s just. It’s a really great educational tool. And I think a lot of that helps,” said Lord.

After hatching, it’ll be 10 to 12 weeks before the eaglets leave the nest. They often stay around for a couple of months, learning from their parents and honing their flying and feeding skills.

You can keep up with the eagles and their soon-to-be eaglets by watching the Dick Pritchett Real Estate Southwest Florida Eagle Cam by clicking here or in the player below.