WASHINGTON — The egg-pic saga continues Saturday as egg-specting eagle Liberty laid her second egg. Whew.
The Earth Conservation Corps, where the bald eagle makes its nest, said in a statement that Liberty laid the egg at 7:30 p.m. She laid an egg earlier this week on Tuesday.
The father of these future eaglets is most certainly Liberty’s longtime mate Justice, Earth Conservation Corps said, as male eagles can fertilize up to three eggs when they mate. But Justice has not been seen since Feb. 9.
There’s speculation on what could have happened to Justice and where he could be. There have been sightings of solo eagles in areas Justice frequents.
In his absence, a new male eagle Aaron Burrd arrived and has been trying to get his talons on Liberty. He’s even attempted to mate with her!
With Justice gone, Liberty has had to carry out the responsibilities of taking care of the eggs and herself all on her own, which include hunting for fish and protecting the nest.
But her resolve is starting to weaken. Vigilant viewers of Earth Conservation Corps’ Eagle Cam reported that the dastardly Aaron Burrd has been coming in during the night and Liberty has been showing him the ropes on how to be a father.
For the moment, Aaron Burrd could care less about the eggs but his instincts could change and he could destroy the eggs or the eaglets when they hatch, Earth Conservation Corps said.
But here’s another twist to this high drama, there’s another male eagle that has appeared! What!? What!?
The new male eagle has been named M2 by ECC Citizen Scientists.
Stay tuned for the next installment or watch the drama as it unfolds.
