Bald Eagle mom lays eggs in Hilton Head nest. What do we know about bonking and fledging?

Gracie the eagle recently laid two eggs on the Hilton Head Island Land Trust’s newly-installed second Eagle Cam. She laid her first egg on Jan. 3 and her second on Tuesday. Gracie and her mate George have been nesting at the undisclosed location on the island for 13 years, but this season is their debut on the big screen.

The land trust’s first Raptor Cam, which started in 2021, is still running though the nest is currently empty after sustaining damage from Hurricane Helene. It was previously occupied by ospreys and a pair of Great Horned Owls who took over after the original owners, a pair of eagles, abandoned the nest.

It’s possible Gracie and George could have another egg on the way, according to Robin Storey, president of the Hilton Head Island Land Trust. Gracie and George had three eggs last year, though one didn’t survive. It’s typical for eagles in this area to have two eggs.

People can view the Eagle Cam here.

The original Raptor Cam attracted viewers from across the world and it typically averaged 300,000 viewers each season. Storey is hoping that two cameras will bring more views this year, but with the first nest sitting empty the clock is ticking.

“We did see both the owls visit in the fall and they were doing some nesting behaviors,” Storey said. “There is a glimmer of possibility that they may nest, but we already had one egg at this time last year.”

Ospreys will start nesting in February, and Storey is hoping a pair will arrive and provide the nest with some much needed “nest-oration.”

Gracie and George’s eggs were a little late this year, Storey said. Typically Gracie lays her eggs in December instead of January. Now that the eggs are in the nest, fans can expect Gracie and George to switch off sitting on the eggs until they hatch, which typically takes about 35 days.

The eaglets will likely hatch a few days apart. Once they emerge from their eggs, they’ll grow rapidly, gaining about half a pound each week until they’re about nine weeks old, according to the land trust.

To gain all this weight the eaglets need a lot of food, and any Eagle Cam viewers will likely watch a behavior called “bonking,” where they fight each other for food that their parents bring, Storey said.

“It’s hard to watch as humans,” Storey said. “But it’s normal for eagles.”

After they’ve grown for about 10 to 14 weeks, the eaglets will fledge, or start flying away from the nest, according to the land trust.

This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 3:47 PM.