Two Michigan Eaglets Have Now Hatched [Watch: Eagle Cam]

Updated at 10:18 a.m. Thursday

BEULAH, MI – Both Michigan eaglets have now hatched. The second wiggled out its shell just after 7 a.m. Wednesday, a day after its sibling.

With both eaglets successfully hatched, the latest excitement will be names. Some suggestions include Beulah, Platte and Honor. Carbon Media Group, which is operating he Eagle Cam in partnership with the Michigan Department of Resources, says the announcement will come "soon."

• What do you think they should be named? Tell us in the comments.

Updated at 11:30 p.m.

Worker productivity across Michigan may have taken a big dive Tuesday as adorableness reaches new heights with the successful hatch of an eaglet in a nest high above the Platte River State Hatchery near Beulah.

There are two eggs in the clutch, which is typically the case. If the visible pip in the second egg is an indication, baby “Beulah,” as some viewers have dubbed the new arrival, may soon have an eaglet siblings.

The eggs were laid three days apart — the second on March 15th — so it could be mid-week or later before eaglet No. 2 arrives.

The babes will likely be on camera for your viewing pleasure for a couple of months before the fledge — eagle-speak for leave the nest.

And what a pleasure it has been.

» Watch the Eagle Cam here.

» Watch the first hatch here.

» Watch the second hatch here.

Ed Canfield, of Bear Lake, noted that his grandchildren, both in Michigan and in Texas, are fully engaged in eagle mania and watch the Carbon Media Group camera, operated in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources — every day.

“Silly me,” she commented, but the truth is, she noted “I just can’t get enough of it.”

“I am addicted to watching this beautiful event transpire,” she wrote.

She’s not alone.

Nearly 1,100 comments have been logged on the site since the eagles began building their nest in early January.

Updated at 1:58 p.m.

During the night, an eaglet hatched under the watchful eye of viewers of the Michigan Eagle Cam fixed on a nest high above the Platte River State Hatchery near Beulah.

According to the comments, the first eaglet, which one viewer dubbed "Beulah," arrived at 2:28 a.m. Tuesday.

Updated at 6:03 p.m., April 18

The first of two eaglets is expected to hatch any time now.

Viewers watching the eagle cam at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery near Beulah on Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula — some of whom report they're losing massive amounts of time waiting for the big event — report a "definite pip" that has gotten larger on one of the eggs.

With the anticipation building, Carbon Media Group, which is operating the eagle cam in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, advised viewers to be prepared for what they may see and that "as awesome as nature is, it’s also harsh at times."

"It’s entirely possible that you may see unpleasant events and natural circumstances (predation, disease, etc.) in this active nest. In the event of such events, no human intervention by the Department of Natural Resources or any other agency will occur. Please view at your own discretion."

Viewer Lynda Spoonamore Byrd, who wrote that she feels as if she's "waiting on grandchildren," concurred.

"... You are right, we need to be prepared for the worst, and hope for the best," she wrote, adding:

"This has all been so fascinating, and I've learned sooo much for watching, reading comments and doing research of my own. ..."

Updated at 2:37 a.m., April 16

Carbon Media Group, which has trained a camera on a pair of nesting eagles at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery, has confirmed a pip on at least one of the eggs.

That means the first eaglet could hatch Saturday or Sunday!

Updated at 3:19 p.m. Friday

Interest is picking up on video from a camera trained on a pair of nesting eagles at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery as the end of the incubation period nears.

There aren't any eaglets yet, but they could hatch any day now. The female lay the first egg on March 12, and the second on March 15. The typical incubation period is 35 days. So eaglet No. 1 could appear this weekend.

Our Earlier Report

The email screamed like an eagle with excitement: “3 … 2 …1… Only Days Away From the Big Hatch!” the subject line read.

“Incubation time is almost up,” the email from Carbon Media Group announced. “Our two patriotic eaglets will hatch and emerge from their nesting eggs any day now!”

The Eagle Cam is located at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery near Beulah on Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula. Carbon Media Group is partnering with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to offer live stream action of the big event,

Some people commenting on the live stream site noticed a pip — a tiny hole that the eaglet inside the egg makes with its “egg tooth,” a sharp little point at the end of its beak, when it starts to hatch.

Someone else reported a section of the egg came off to reveal some gray fluff.

Everyone agrees that’s great news after a March 24 spring snowstorm threatened the eggs, which were just days old at the time.

The first egg appeared on March 12, the second on the 15th. Eagles incubate their eggs for about 35 days, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, so it was a very precarious time for them.

There have been other threats as well. Mom had to defend the nest against American pine marten that scampered up the tree and threatened the eggs.

See Also

• Watch Live Michigan Bald Eagle Cam: Fight to Save the Eggs

Image credit: Carbon Media Group