Both of the two eggs at the SWFL Bald Eagle nest have hatched yesterday afternoon. While last season's E15 and E16 hatched almost three days apart, the newest hatchlings E17 and E18 only have less than two hours of age difference!
Dad M15 taking over brooding duties soon after the hatches. Older sibling E17 still hasn't completely dried their down feathers, and E18 has split the shell open but still has it around them.
E17 making good progress. Both eggs got that first pip on the shell on the same day, and started chipping away at it like it was a contest for which one gets out first. Though the eggs were laid 4 days apart, delayed incubation - leaving the first egg uncovered more until both have been laid so it doesn't develop too quickly - caused Egg2 to be able to catch up to Egg1. The eaglets aren't given their number code names until after hatching, and if Egg2 had managed to hatch first, that eaglet would have been named E17 instead. It was a close race, but Egg1 still won.
Very newly newborn E17! E18 next to them is almost out as well.
Mom Harriet clears away the bigger piece of E17's shell from the nest cup.
Dad arrives for his shift, and to see his new babies for the first time.
The nest cup is a mess of egg shell and wet eaglet. They'll be more able to keep their big heads up for closeups in the morning, lol.
Harriet returns for her overnight shift, and M moves to the higher branches to watch over them.
And there they are, early this morning! Harriet got up and I think checked whether they're ready for food just now, but they're still quite wobbly.
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