A mother's love is on full display, as a bald eagle has gone to great lengths to keep her eggs warm.
Mother eagle protects her eggs as snow falls. Check out the following time lapse version of the video as the mother stays her course.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
Mother eagle continues protecting her eggs as snow falls.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
Not even the mother eagle’s tail feathers can be seen at this point.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
The eagle’s mate has returned to the nest.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
The eagle’s mate has returned to the nest.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
The transition from one bird to the other begins.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
The transition from one bird to the other begins.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
Transition complete!
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
And the process starts again.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
Snow has begun to cover the second eagle, but it remains steadfast.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
Around 5:20 p.m. on March 5, the eagle on duty was facing a new direction. Everyone needs a little change of scenery.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
Goodnight eagles. It’s almost 7 p.m. and the sun has gone down.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
What a difference a day makes. The eagle (it’s not clear if this is Freedom or Liberty) sleeps comfortably atop the nest in the sun Friday
(Screenshot/ Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/ Pennsylvania Game Commission
The sun is shining, making for a more comfortable day of protecting eggs.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
On Saturday, March 7, one of the eagles is seen continuing to protect the eggs.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
On Saturday, March 7, the sitting eagle shares a glimpse of her two eggs as she stands up for a brief moment to rotate them.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
On Saturday, March 7, the sitting eagle shares a glimpse of her two eggs as she stands up for a brief moment to rotate them.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission
After getting the eggs in the right place, the eagle leans its chest down (the brood patch, if this is indeed the female) and wiggles around as it nestles the eggs in.
(Screenshot/Pennsylvania Game Commission)
UPDATED: 8:45 a.m., Friday March 6: What a difference a day makes.
Morning has broken, and the sun is shining in Hanover.
It’s not clear which of the two eagles — Liberty or Freedom — is currently on egg-sitting duty, but all’s well.
Earlier: 3:30 p.m., Thursday March 5: The mate of the snow covered eagle has returned to the nest. Check out the photos to see the transition as the second eagle took over egg-sitting duties.
While a smudge on the camera blocks some of the view, the seamless switch was pretty amazing to watch. The two “love birds” made the transition in such away that their eggs weren’t exposed for even a moment. Check out the gallery to see a visual timeline.
EARLIER:
WASHINGTON — No one likes cold eggs. Not even the United States’ national bird.
The Bald Eagle Live Stream in Hanover, Pennsylvania captured an amazing sight Thursday, March 5 as an eagle became covered with snow as it refused to leave its nest.
Inside the nest were two eggs.
Despite being so blanketed with snow that only its head remained exposed, the bald eagle was stoic. Occasionally, as the eagle’s beak became covered, it moved its head for room. But other than that, the national bird remained steadfast.
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, eagles stay warm by eating and fluffing their feathers. They keep their eggs toasty with a “brooding patch.”
Naturalist Jack Hubley tells LancasterOnline that there’s no need to worry about the eagle getting too cold. The feathers provide insulation.
“They raise and lower their feathers, increasing and lowering their body temperature.”
Since the eagle is covered in snow, Hubley said, it indicates the bird isn’t losing body heat.
