Virginia webcam keeps eye on eagles' chicks, nest
You can catch the parents tend to three babies in the tree-top bald eagle nest at Norfolk Botanical Garden in southeastern Virginia via the garden's special Web cam: www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org.
Watching the cam can keep you glued to your seat for a spell, bird watchers say.
The first egg was laid Jan. 31 and hatched March 11; the second was laid Feb. 3 and hatched March 13; and the third was laid Feb. 6 and hatched March 14.
So how does a chick, also called an eagle or hatchling, get out of that eggshell?
Reese Lukei with the Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., answers such questions on his eagle nest blog: www.eaglenest.blogs.wm.edu.
"By now the developing embryo is almost fully formed and has developed a strong muscle on the back of its neck called a 'hatching muscle,' and a small sharp 'egg tooth' on its upper beak. Hatching is a very physical process and a challenge that can take two to four days. Up to this time the soon to be hatchling has been all folded up, but now begins to stretch out, and punctures the inner membrane with its beak at the blunt end of the egg and for the first time breathes 'air.'
"The chick then slowly rotates counterclockwise by pivoting its legs and with the 'egg tooth' scratches the inside of the shell. With the 'hatching muscle' it punches a hole (called pipping) in the eggshell. With body movements and stretching the eaglet breaks the eggshell into two pieces and the hatching process is finally complete."
Virginia wildlife biologist keeps a similar blog at www.dgif.virginia.gov/eaglecam.
Parents constantly bring food to the nest and keep a close eye on their offspring. Late spring or early summer, the eaglets learn to fly and hunt for themselves, according to wildlife experts.
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