Say hello to the newest member of the Big Bear Bald Eagle coalitition.
The two proud parents were joined by thousands of people watching live as one of the eggs began to hatch Sunday morning to the delight of the viewers of a solar powered webcam installed over the nest.
The first of two eggs began hatching around 10 a.m. Sunday morning, with the mother eagle sitting to the side. It took about an hour for the hatchling to fully make its way out of the shell, with the mother standing patiently to one side, watching as the chick emerged.
The tiny little fluff can't regulate its body temp, so mom and dad will continue to share nest duties. But, he won't be tiny for long, baby eagles are known to grow up to 6 oz per day - the fastest of any North American bird. By eight weeks, the eaglet is big enough to begin flapping its wings, and begin flying on its own. Once an eagle is old enough, (usually at around 22 weeks) the juvenile will leave the nest in search of its own territory and mate.
The organization, Friends of Big Bear Valley, installed the solar-powered camera to provide a live feed of the eagles' nest located on US Forest Service land in the mountains above Los Angeles. The area around the eagles nest has been closed to the public to protect them.
If you want to learn more about the eagle nestcam, you can visit the group's website at FriendsofBigBearValley.org.