Pittsburgh eagle nest draws a flock of visitors
One eaglet hatched as many monitored video stream.
PITTSBURGH - A bald eagle nest in a Pittsburgh neighborhood has been attracting visitors since one of the three eggs hatched.
The nest in the city's Hays neighborhood along the Monongahela River has a popular live video stream, and now residents are flocking to the area in hopes of catching sight of the new parents.
The video stream has garnered the attention of international viewers, while the nest has attracted the interest of predators.
One night, the mother eagle chased away a raccoon that tried to raid the nest. On Friday, a hawk took several swipes at the male eagle while he was on the nest.
Bill Powers of PixController, which provided the video camera, said the female chased the hawk away.
The first egg was laid Feb. 19, the second Feb. 22, and the third Feb. 25. The same pair of eagles also raised one eaglet in the area last summer.
State Game Commission officer Gary Fujak said eaglets have a 50 percent mortality rate during the first year. He said the nearby river provides the eagles with fish, though they will also eat ducks, rabbits, and squirrels. Stray cats could also be prey.
"There could be some things happening in the nest that aren't warm and fuzzy," Fujak said.
One eaglet was born Friday, and the remaining eggs are expected to hatch within the next week if they're still viable.
Dotty Farally brought her 6-year-old cousin, Gabbi, to the trail along the river. The girl has been watching the eagle cam at school.
"We saw that he was hatching, so we came down to experience it a little bit," Farally said.