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Ever wonder what goes on inside an eagle nest? Well, now you can see for yourself. Two bald eagles are nesting at Xcel Energy’s St. Vrain station in Platteville, and the company set up a nest cam to let viewers watch the birds incubate eggs and raise their chicks.
Eagles have nested at the massive 6 foot-wide and 5 foot-deep nest for several years, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife bands young birds there every spring. The eagles are incubating three eggs, which were laid February 17, 20, and 23, which means you should keep an eye out for signs of hatching beginning around March 24. After the eaglets arrive, you can watch the parents bring fish to the nest to feed their young.
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Fans of this nest camera should also check out the Valmont great-horned owl cam (also by Xcel energy), and the Boulder osprey cam. The great-horned owls are already incubating three eggs. If all goes well, expect the first one to hatch between March 13 and 20. The ospreys aren’t here yet, but they usually arrive at the nest in mid-March and then lay between one and four eggs in mid-April. The eggs will hatch 36 to 42 days after they are laid, in mid-to-late May.
Watching these cams is like tuning into your very own avian soap opera. Sit back and await the hatching.
—Image courtesy of Dave Menke, US Fish and Wildlife Service