FORT MYERS, Fla. — Just in time for 2024, a new member of the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam family was welcomed to the world — E23!
Two eggs first made an appearance in the nest back in November. Now a month later, E23 is reported as "already active and asking for lunch."
But while one hatched, cam leaders wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the other egg didn't make it.
"A bittersweet day as we celebrate E23 & mourn the future life of Egg 2 and all that could have been," the post read in part.
Season 12 for the Southwest Florida eagles kicked off in October and this isn't the first time M15 has had kids of his own.
He and his ex-wife Harriet raised two eaglets that are now soaring in the skies. But after the disappearance of Harriet, M15 was seen pulling the heartstrings of a different female eagle. But with the new arrival of a fresh season, the papa bird also brought a fresh lover – F23.
Cam leaders previously said M15 has been keeping company with her – perching together, staying close to one another and also engaging in mating behaviors.
Along with keeping physical touch and quality time alive, the two birds worked on restoring the nest together.
The Southwest Florida Eagle Cam has been live-streaming this nest since 2012. Following some downtime after Hurricane Ian, the live look returned — and the eagles rebuilt their nest. Today, it uses four discreet cameras that monitor the birds around the clock.
For anyone wanting to watch highlights from the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam, you can find them here.
10 Tampa Bay's previous coverage contributed to this story.