Eagle watchers in Hays should know soon whether the pair of bald eagles that have lived there for at least five years will try again to breed this winter.
A windstorm Sunday evening destroyed the hackberry tree holding the nest, taking with it an egg laid Friday.
If the eagles are seen in coming day flying with twigs in their beaks, it is an indication that they are building a new nest and will attempt to lay and hatch eggs this season, said Bob Mulvihill, an ornithologist with the National Aviary in Pittsburgh.
“If their behavior shows them building a nest, they won’t waste any time,” Mr. Mulvihill said Monday. “The birds are not upset like we are. It’s not even in the bird’s brain. Their complete reaction was, ‘Oops, let’s start again,’ or ‘Let’s not work on it anymore.’ The amazing thing is, there’s no remorse, sadness and no depression. They won’t take the week off.”
WATCH: Live streams of local bird cams
Their tree came crashing down in the wind about 9:35 p.m. Sunday, leaving PixController Inc. eagle cam trained on the nest showing nothing but a gap in the trees on the hillside high above the Monongahela River.
Bill Powers, president of PixController Inc., the Murrysville company that operates the eagle cam in collaboration with the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, said he was watching when the female eagle showed signs of agitation and flew away moments before the nest disappeared from view as the tree fell.
Within 10 minutes, people were gathering on the bike trail below to determine the fate of the eagles, said Audubon Society spokeswoman Rachel Handel. She said chat lines associated with the camera also came alive with discussion.
PixController offered a eulogy for the fallen nest on its webcam site that’s recorded 5.4 million views since it was established in December 2013 to allow people to witness eagle behavior and their reproductive successes and failures.
“As we are left with a gaping hole in the skyline, we are also left with gaping holes in our heart,” the site says. “But, these eagles are from Pittsburgh, and we have no doubt they will rebound from this tragedy and rebuild a new nest next season.”
Or maybe this season.
Eagle nest destruction is a common occurrence. Mr. Mulvihill said if they choose to build a new nest and mate again this season, they have about a month. The female could lay an egg within 21 days after mating. But first they must scope out a sturdy tree overlooking the river with a strong V-shape configuration of branches to hold the nest, with open access for the large birds to land and take off.
A time-saving option would be to seize an existing red-tail hawk nest in one exists nearby, which also would mean doing battle once the hawks return in coming weeks.
“This has a lot to do with when a nest failure occurs in the season, how much energy has been invested and how much season is remaining,” Mr. Mulvihill said, also noting the impact of hormone levels.
Eagles, he said, hate to miss a reproductive cycle; with no guarantee of surviving until next season, they want to advance their gene pool. As it turns out, eagles in Florida typically rebuild their nests after a nest failure, he said. But they rarely rebuild nests in Maine, with only four documented cases of that ever occurring.
With Pittsburgh in the middle latitude, and scant research about local eagles, their intentions remained unclear Monday. What is clear is that no camera will be trained this season on any new nest.
“There is reason to be a little bit optimistic,” Mr. Mulvihill said. “Eagles tell you quickly what their intentions are. People who watch the eagles from the trail, if they see them making trips with nesting material, it is indicative that they are re-nesting.”
The female eagle was due to lay a second egg Monday but will reabsorb it or perhaps lay it at a place where where it won’t survive. The first egg may not have been viable.
Mr. Power of PixController said the female eagle gave signs something was wrong before the tree came down. “She was off the egg for six hours and went to sleep with the egg off to the side of the nest,” he said. “But then she jumped back on to incubate it. But that is a sign it was not viable.”
Eagle watchers — several showed up Monday in Hays to observe the scene — still can view the eagle cam in Harmar, where that pair of bald eagles has yet to produce an egg this season.
Jim Bonner, executive director of the local Audubon Society, said he’s confident the eagles will remain in the area. Two years ago their eggs didn’t hatch. And, yet, they returned last year and successfully fledged two eaglets.
“All the signs are good that they will rebound from this,” he said. “I expect them to be back at the end of the month laying eggs.”
He’s also heartened, he said, by the level of human interest and knowledge about eagles and the strong reaction to eagle successes and setbacks.
“People are invested in them,” he said. “These are our birds.”
David Templeton: dtempleton@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1578.
Two eagles rest on a branch Monday in Hays, the day after a wind storm blew over their nest. (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)
First Published: February 13, 2017, 5:22 p.m.
Updated: February 13, 2017, 6:05 p.m.