Whew! Missing Mama Eagle Returns to Berry College Nest; Watch Live

Georgians heaved a collective sigh of relief this afternoon when word came from Berry College that its famous mother eagle has returned to the nest.

Officials aren’t sure how long the mother eagle was gone, but Berry College posted on its Facebook page Tuesday morning that their mother eagle was missing, which had viewers of the eagle cam tracking the next concerned about the fate of her eaglet. An update this afternoon said she’d returned.

The message said: “YAY!! Both parents are back! We are so happy. Everyone enjoy your day now! Viewing our eagles is not for the faint-of-heart!”

Berry College's website says the couple spent several months repairing and adding to the nest and catching fish and coots in the nearby Berry quarry, Oostanaula River and Garden Lakes. 

An egg was produced on January 14, according to the website, followed by a second egg on January 17. An eaglet chick hatched on Saturday, February 22, from one of the two eggs laid in January. But the other egg is not viable and is still in the nest.

The college says this is the only live, streaming video camera of a bald eagle nest in Georgia.

The earlier Facebook note to eagle fans said that the eaglet would thrive as long as the father continues to feed the young eagle.

Authorities wrote, in part, “Dr. Carleton believes that the eaglet is now large enough and strong enough to continue to progress successfully toward adulthood. Because of her size, predators would be unlikely to attack her. Our staff and the local photographers who are so familiar with her patterns have been checking areas she is known to frequent. We understand that many of you feel helpless, but we encourage you to remember that these are wild animals, and we are privileged to have a glimpse into their world, which is often difficult to understand.”