Welcome to the world E19; Harriet and M15's latest eaglet finally sees the SWFL light

Michael Braun, Fort Myers News-Press
·4 min read
After a few hours of tantalizing snippets a full view of the newly hatched eaglet of Harriet and M15 was seen shortly after 1:20 when M14 moved off the nest.
After a few hours of tantalizing snippets a full view of the newly hatched eaglet of Harriet and M15 was seen shortly after 1:20 when M14 moved off the nest.

A doting eagle dad kept thousands of viewers in tantalizing suspense for several hours Monday finally uncovering the North Fort Myers nest and showing the eaglet in all its newly hatched glory.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m., M15, mate to bald eagle mama Harriet, finally relinquished some time on the nest to give more than 6,200 viewers on the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam a full-on view of the tiny fluff ball named E-19, the newest eaglet.

The countdown to hatch began in earnest on Sunday when shortly before 10 a.m. one of the moderators at the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam website confirmed the egg had a pip.

The pip in one of Harriet and M15's eggs seen Sunday turned into a full-fledged crack by Monday heralding the imminent hatch.
The pip in one of Harriet and M15's eggs seen Sunday turned into a full-fledged crack by Monday heralding the imminent hatch.

The pip is an opening in the shell that usually heralds the emergence of a chick within the next day or two, according to the nonprofit National Eagle Foundation.

Though the exact time of the full hatch was shielded by M15's dotage, between noon and 1 p.m. M15 moved portions of a shell and brief glimpses of a portion of the eaglet flashed on screen.

Eagle cam site administrators set the official hatch time set as 12:43.04 p.m.

The event caused quite a stir on the chat portion of the eagle cam site.

"Shirleyj13: Hi - so exciting welcoming the new baby!!"

"MR16: Pretty special!!"

"SusanNY: Wow... what a strong wee tyke! Welcome to the world outside your shell E19. A good meal, coming your way. xo"

"Sandra Greathouse: Congratulations to this beautiful Eagle family! Love them so much!"

"Lori Clarke: Happy Hatching Day!."

A brief glimpse of the nearly hatched eaglet of Harriet and M15 was seen around noon Monday. The full eaglet, sans egg and fully hatched, was observed shortly before 1:30 p.m.
A brief glimpse of the nearly hatched eaglet of Harriet and M15 was seen around noon Monday. The full eaglet, sans egg and fully hatched, was observed shortly before 1:30 p.m.

Now attention goes to E-19's nest mate, still in the shell, as a new pip drama is anticipated within a day or two.

Some viewers insisted they saw a pip on the second egg but no official word had been made as of Monday afternoon.

""Egg-citing" Day here! We have a pip in one of the eggs & expect to see a baby eaglet emerge very soon," Southwest Florida Eagle Cam owner and operator Virginia Pritchett McSpadden said Sunday.

The second egg, laid days after the first, could show evidence of a pip by Wednesday or Thursday, if it follows past egg practice at the North Fort Myers nest.

The North Fort Myers eagle pair are back on schedule after a rough patch that started in late 2019, when one of the eggs they produced never hatched. The chick that came from the other egg died about a month after emerging, likely after eating prey that had poison in its system. That was followed by a rare late-season clutch the following spring. Both eaglets survived and flew.

A pip in one of two eagle eggs in the North Fort Myers nest of Harriet and M15 was officially noticed shortly before 10 .m. Sunday.
A pip in one of two eagle eggs in the North Fort Myers nest of Harriet and M15 was officially noticed shortly before 10 .m. Sunday.

Related: Is a Christmas eaglet on the way? Famous eagles Harriet and M15 may have a cracked egg

More: Harriet the eagle makes it a deuce: Second egg laid at North Fort Myers nest this season

The current eggs, however, appeared Nov. 20 and 24, in keeping with Harriet’s previous clutch timing, which until 2018, had been a uniquely reliable Southwest Florida sign of the Christmas season: Her first egg meant the holiday was about a month away.

Earlier, on SWFLeaglecam.com and at the site's Facebook page, which live streams the bald eagles’ lives to a worldwide audience, viewer Jennifer Daddario posted a photo of the egg earlier Friday with the caption, “Could it be?”

Shortly after the pip was announced Sunday, with more than 1,500 viewers tuned in to watch, one of them, LisSTL, summed up everyone's enthused feelings: "Hello everyone! I was so excited this morning when I saw the pip. Wishing the Best ..."

This marks the 11th season that Dick Pritchett Real Estate has offered viewers a window into the raptors' home lives, with four cameras documenting them 24/7.

The egg is one of two in the nest, carefully tended by female Harriet and her mate known as M15. If things go as they should, the other chick will appear shortly after its sibling. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. eagle eggs can take up to 35 days to hatch.

Previously: Harriet and M15 start another bald eagle nesting season at North Fort Myers site

A pip in one of two eagle eggs in the North Fort Myers nest of Harriet and M15 was officially noticed shortly before 10 .m. Sunday.
A pip in one of two eagle eggs in the North Fort Myers nest of Harriet and M15 was officially noticed shortly before 10 .m. Sunday.

Since bird scientists frown on naming wild animals, the preferred reference formula is the initial for the bird’s sex, followed by its number of appearance. Harriet got her name before that custom was being observed, as did her late mate, Ozzie, who died in 2015 after a fight with M-15.

More than 150 million people worldwide have watched the eagles, who have their own fan club and YouTube channel.

Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Southwest Florida Eagle Cam: Harriet and M15's eggs are beginning to hatch