Hays eagle nest destroyed, but plenty of time to rebuild

The well-known Hays bald Eagle nest met its demise on Tuesday during a storm.

The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania says the nest already looked compromised, going back a few months, was finally destroyed on Tuesday.

No birds were in the nest at the time of collapse.

One egg was laid in the nest this year and that egg did not hatch.

“If there was a time for the nest to collapse - this is probably the best that we could hope for,” spokeswoman Rachel Handel told KDKA Radio.

The bald eagles still have months before they start their courtship and a new nest being built will be part of the courtship.

Handel says mating usually occurs in late December through mid-February when eggs are typically laid.

It’s actually the fourth time the nest has collapsed. It happened in 2017 when the female was sitting on an egg. The whole tree collapsed, but the eagles were able to rebuild the next and successfully raise an eaglet.

Since the nest appeared, 20 bald eagles have been fledged at the Hays nest.

The Audubon Society provided a timeline of the Hays nest:

2024 First egg of 2024: February 20, Egg cracked and is not viable: March 19 - new male in Bald Eagle pair

2023 First egg: February 17; second egg: February 20. First hatch: March 26; second hatch: March 28.

2022 First egg: February 11, Second egg: February 14, Third egg: February 17. First hatch: March 21; second hatch: March 22; third hatch: March 25. Fledges: June 10 and June 16 (2)

2021 First egg: February 12, Second egg: February 15, Third egg: February 19. First hatch: March 23 @ 4am; second hatch: March 23 @ 10 pm; Third hatch: March 27. Fledges: June 6, June 12, and June 23.

2020 First egg: February 13, Second egg: February 16. First hatch: March 21, second hatch: March 23.

2019 First egg: February 12, Second egg: February 15, Third egg: February 18. First hatch: March 23; second hatch: March 25 (one egg not viable). Fledges: June 11 and June 16.

2018 First egg: February 13; Second egg: February 15, Third egg: February 19. One egg cracked, not viable. First hatch: March 23. Fledge: June 11.

2017 First egg: February 20. Hatch: March 29. Fledge: June 15.

2016 First egg: February 13; Second egg: February 16; Third egg: February 20. First hatch: March 21, Second hatch: March 22; Third egg not viable.

2015 First egg: February 17; Second egg: February 20. First egg broken: March 13. Second egg broken: March 27.
Unsuccessful nesting season.

2014 First egg: February 19. Second egg: February 22. Third egg: February 25. First hatch: March 28. Second hatch: March 30. Third hatch: April 2. Fledge dates: June 20, 21, and 27.

2013 (no webcam) Incubating behavior by parents: March 11. Hatch behavior: April 14. Eaglet seen in the nest on May 13. Fledge: June 9.