Squeeeeee! DNF surprised us with her first egg today! Prior to this, she laid her earliest egg last year, on February 15. Why did her first laying schedule advance so much this year? We’re not sure: photoperiodism overall determines when eagles lay eggs (https://www.raptorresource.org/2025/01/28/flashback-blog-when-will-our-eagles-lay-eggs-bald-eagle-breeding-in-iowa-and-florida/) but temperature and humidity can influence earlier or later laying within an eagle’s schedule. Maybe the record warmth and lack of snow cover made it easier for her to gain the resources she needs for egg laying?
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At any rate, congratulations to DNF and Mr. North on the new arrival. She usually lays her second egg about 36 hours after her first, so watch for egg #2 on Friday!
We’ll be announcing our first egg fundraiser shortly, but in the meantime, please consider donating to support our work here, if you can: https://www.raptorresource.org/support-the-raptor-resource-project/make-a-donation/. It took a bunch of really passionate people to get where we are today, and it’s going to take more to keep it going. Your support is just as essential today as it was in 2011.
Thank you so much!
The Raptor Resource Project