Paul Campus, Campus Carrier Editor-in-Chief

The Berry bald eagles are back, and they aren’t alone.

At the time of publication, two eggs were being incubated in the eagles’ nest behind the Cage Athletic Center. The first of these eggs was laid on Jan. 14 at approximately 3:10 p.m., and the second was laid on Jan. 17 at approximately 7 p.m.

Director of Agriculture Operation & Sustainability Eddie Elsberry, who has been observing the eagles since they first appeared on campus, said that, even though it’s not certain, he does not expect another egg to be laid this season.

“If there’s not [an egg laid] in the next few days, there probably won’t be another,” Elsberry said.

Though rumors are circulating that one of the eggs may be cracked, Elsberry said they cannot confirm nor deny any damage. Elsberry said he has his own theory of what viewers are seeing.

“It looked like pine straw to me,” Elsberry said.

Elsberry said the eagles themselves seem healthy, though no one is allowed to approach them and make sure.

“They’re eating, and incubating their eggs,” Elsberry said. “Everything looks normal.”

Those who have been observing the birds said the eagles that have nested behind the Cage Center are the same ones that laid eggs last year. Elsberry said that eagles are extremely territorial and tend to return to the same nest every year.

Six other eagles have been spotted around campus: two fledglings (young birds), and four sub-adults (older birds that have not grown their signature white head feathers yet). Observers have found a nest on the Etowah River, as well as a few on Lake Weiss in Alabama. Elsberry said they speculate that there may be a nest near the Rocky Mountain Project recreational area, but nothing has been confirmed.

These eagles have become famous nationwide thanks to the nest-cam that streams 24 hours a day. Cameron Jordan, director of e-communication services, said that since its initial release, the nest cam has had over 700,000 views. The live feed was originally streaming on Berry’s own broadband, but after the feed was embedded on the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website, viewership increased exponentially, and the feed was outsourced to a streaming service that could handle the increased traffic, Jordan said.

Jordan said Sony donated the camera itself. After nesting season ended in the summer, the physical plant and telecom department ran wiring and fiber up the tree in which the nest is located. Georgia Power donated time and manpower to install the camera correctly, and the feed went live in September 2013.

Director of News and Editorial Services Chris Kozelle said the eagles have driven national interest in Berry. This interest is measured by the number of news articles being published about Berry across the nation, as well as the Berry eagles Facebook page. The Facebook page jumped from 4,500 followers to 7,400 followers after the eagles were featured on the DNR website and on WSB-TV. Kozelle said various educators who use the nest cam in their classrooms have contacted Berry to get more information on the eagles.

Elsberry said that after a 35-day incubation period, the first egg should hatch on Feb. 18, with the second hatching three days later.