George and Gracie

Have You Tuned in to the Local Eagle CAM?

Eagles0225

February 2025 Issue

By Elizabeth Skenes Millen
Photography submitted by Hilton Head Island Land Trust


The Hilton Head Island Land Trust’s mission is to preserve and protect critical natural habitat and significant historical parcels of land on Hilton Head Island for the enjoyment of future generations. Two lovebirds that are taking full advantage of this noble mission are George and Gracie, the longtime eagle couple who call Hilton Head Island home. This pair of bald eagles have been together for years, and Hilton Head Island Land Trust (HHILT) is thrilled to be able to share them with you through a new Eagle Cam at George and Gracie’s nest.

The Eagle Cam, intended to educate viewers by showing nature in an unguarded fashion, provides live streaming of George and Gracie. Viewers will see nature at its best, and possibly its worst, with a front row view to watch life being started and sustained in a natural habitat untouched by humans.

The nest is located on private property in an undisclosed area. Eagles can be quite sensitive to human activity while nesting. This year is believed to be at least the 13th season for this pair of eagles. During the 2023-2024 nesting season, George and Gracie had three eggs with two eaglets fledging. This year, Gracie laid her first egg of the season on January 3, 2025 at 6:54 p.m. Her second egg came four days later on January 7, 2025 at 6:50 pm.  

However, the two must have had a busy holiday season because the typical mating period here is usually from October thru November, with hatch occurring in late December to the first week of January. The female bald eagle has a limited capacity to produce eggs each season and is only capable of egg production during mating season due to her ovulating only once a year. There is much preparation for both male and female eagles in order for eggs to be laid. Both birds must work to get their reproductive hormone levels to rise.

While bald eagles copulate throughout the year (bonding), they are not able to fertilize or produce eggs except when their reproductive hormones are high enough, which happens during the breeding (mating) season. This is the difference between the terms, “bonding” and “mating.”

.It takes 10 days for an egg to develop the hard calcium covering needed to protect and nourish an embryo and move through the reproductive tract. This process is exhausting for the female, making it a crucial time for her to remain as stress free as possible. George will make most of the food deliveries and take over much of the sentry duties so Gracie can rest.

These next few weeks are exciting as we all await the successful hatching of both eggs. You can watch George and Gracie in real time, 24 hours a day, by logging onto
www.hhilandtrust.org/eagle-cam. If you’re lucky enough to tune in at the right time, you may catch the fledglings hatch and watch Mom and Dad parent in days to come. Nature is wondrous and that is why thousands of people from all over the world log in day and night to see what George and Gracie, a true power couple, are up to.

Eagles0225 1

FUN FACTS

Good Trivia Knowledge:

1) A group of eagle eggs laid in a reproductive cycle
is called a clutch.

2) A bonded pair of bald eagles will mate for life and return to their same nest year after year.

3) The average bald eagle nest is 4-5 feet in diameter, 2-4 feet deep and can weigh more than 2,000 pounds.


Night Vision:
HHILT Eagle Cam has an IR camera, which uses infrared lighting that is imperceptible to the eagles. If you were to visit the nest site in person at night, it would look completely dark. This Cam does not interfere or intervene, allowing nature to take its course.

Size Matters: It is difficult to distinguish between male and female in bald eagles. The plumage and coloring is nearly identical. However, females tend to be larger than males, weighing 5 to 10 pounds more. A typical male bald eagle has a wingspan of around 6-feet, while a female’s wingspan can reach 8-feet.

Nesting: The act of “nesting” (repairing and building a nest), is in itself part of the courtship that stimulates hormone production in both George and Gracie. When finished, the nest’s crib rails can reach a height of 2-feet! The couple will continue to fortify the nest and rails throughout the season.

George and Gracie Sitting in a Tree: K-i-s-s-i-n-g during courtship is called “beaking.” The eagle beak is a sensitive organ with many receptors that gives sensory feedback perception of hot/cold, vibrations, wet/dry. They can “feel” with their beaks!  Beaking is used by a mated pair for strengthening and bonding their relationship. Even siblings will beak, which is a sign of acceptance, reconciliation, and familiarity with each other within their specific clutch.

Soaring Off: There is an aerial display that most are unlikely to witness. Both partners lock talons in midair and twirl towards the earth together, releasing in flight. It’s a spectacular dance of acrobatic prowess between a mated pair!

A Word to the Wise: HHILT also operates a local Raptor Cam, which gives a 24/7 view of great horned owls nesting.

Viewership: More than 1.6 million viewers from all over the world have tuned into the HHILT Raptor Cam, and now Eagle Cam, over the years.

My View From the Cam: At the time of writing this story (1/22/25), either George or Gracie was hunkered down, like the rest of us, keeping the eggs warm amidst a nest of full snow! (Pictured above on the far right.)

Please Donate: Your donation will help ensure the preservation of Hilton Head Island’s natural beauty, unique nature, and historical heritage. Log onto www.hhilandtrust.org.

Leave a comment

You are commenting as guest.