The mating pair of bald eagles featured on the livestreaming nest cam at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands near Leesburg have hatched their first eaglet of the year.

The proud parents last year were named Rosa and Martin in honor of civil rights leaders Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., after a contest among Loudoun County Public Schools students. After another, online naming contest, their eaglet last year was named Orion.

This year, they laid three eggs in February, and the first eaglet, dubbed DG3, hatched Tuesday morning. As of Thursday afternoon, a second eaglet has begun to peck its way out of its egg.

The nonprofit Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy manages the 149 acres of wetlands, which were created as an offset to Dulles Greenway construction that altered 64 acres of federally protected wetlands under an Army Corps of Engineers permit.

“We are excited to bring the awe and wonder of these eagles into people’s homes again this year,” Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Executive Director Michael Myers stated. “Last year viewers were captivated by Rosa, Martin and their eaglet Orion, and we can’t wait to watch this pair raise their young this year.”

According to the National Eagle Center, bald eagles typically lay one to three eggs each year, which begin to hatch after about 35 days of incubation. It can take up to two days for the hatchling to emerge. The eaglets will fledge–or begin to fly—in 10 to 12 weeks.

“We are elated to share the wonderful news that Rosa and Martin have welcomed their first eaglet into the nest this season,” Dulles Greenway Public and Customer Relations Manager Terry Hoffman stated. “We look forward to sharing these captivating moments with our eagle fans, as we await the arrival of eaglet number two and three in a few days. We encourage viewers to join the live-stream camera and speak with our eagle camera volunteers about Rosa and Martin’s offspring.” 

Watch the eagle nest cam live stream and find recordings at dullesgreenway.com/eagle-cam. The website also features a moderated chat every Monday from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Thursdays from  8:30 to 9:30 p.m. that allows viewers to comment and ask questions about the eagles.

Teachers may request a virtual classroom chat by emailing [email protected]. 

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