When will the eggs hatch in Decorah?

We've had a lot of people ask when the eggs will start hatching in Decorah. Mom laid the eggs as follows:

• Egg #1:02/23/2014 @ 4:55pm
• Egg #2:02/26/2014 @ 5:33 pm
• Egg #3:03/02/2014 @ 6:43pm

As several of our mods have pointed out, this almost exactly mirrors 2011. So if the hatch occurs as it did then, we should see hatch #1 on April 1, hatch #2 on April 3, and hatch #3 on April 6. However, eagle eggs can take from 35 to 39 days to hatch, and the spring of 2011 was unusually warm and dry. If we go with the 39 day figure given this year's extreme cold, hatch #1 should start on April 3, hatch #2 on April 6, and hatch #3 on April 10.

In short, we're predicting that the hatch could start any time between April 1st and April 5 based on what we know about the eggs, the eagles, and the weather. We'll be watching Mom & Dad as they roll the eggs to see if they just roll them, or if they stop and stare, looking for a pip hole or listening for a chirp from inside the shell, and offering chirps back as encouragement for the chick to chink away at the egg.   The pipping process can take from 12-24 hours before the hatchling emerges. Stay tuned!