Greetings from Holtwood
This Good Friday afternoon I climbed the Mason-Dixon Trail to the overlook under the power lines to see if my earlier prediction of hatch date would be correct. It seems it was premature, since I found the female still in incubation mode.
I waited a long time with my scope on the nest, hoping to see some evidence of brooding a recent hatchling, but observed none. The only activity seen was infrequent lowering of her head to tear off a bit of food cached in the nest just beside her. It was probably fresh food, since I observed the mate circling the tower as I arrived in my car. I believe I just missed a food drop-off.
This picture is not much different than the last one, except she is lying in a different position. Hatching must occur very shortly; within the next few days. My hope is that observers, over the long holiday weekend, did not stop too close to the tower and did not make a lot of noise, since this is a very critical time for the eagle pair. I also hope that our next eagle watch, on April 12, will be able to present a proud pair tending to one or more chicks.
Jim Smith, Consulting Naturalist
PPL Holtwood Environmental Preserve
Holtwood, Lancaster County, Pa.