Most pictures are from the Maine Bald Eagle Cam Discussion Forum's
thread on the NCTC Eagle Cam
Additional info and pictures from the Hancock Wildlife Channel's
thread on the NCTC Shepherdstown Bald Eagle Cam
Liberty and Belle have been in this location at the the National Conservation Training Center near the Potomac River since late 2002, built their nest mostly in late 2003 and early 2004, and Belle laid her first egg February 14, 2004. The pair raised two chicks in 2004, one in 2005 and three in 2006; they had three eggs in 2007 but none survived the spring storms.
July 14, 2007 - visit to the site
© 2007 Paula Compton, used with permission, all rights reserved
Based on past experience, look for eggs in the first half of February, chicks in mid-March, and fledging in early June.
- eggs laid: first egg laid on or before February 4 - first seen at 9:17 am on the 4th (cam had been down so may have been a day or two earlier); second egg laid around 8 pm on February 6; third egg laid around 5:30 am on February 10
- hatched: first egg March 13, 2:39 am; second egg March 14, 7:25 am; third egg March 17, 6:52 am
- fledged: June 4 (83 days if oldest); June 5 (83 days if middle); June 12 (87 days if youngest)
- last seen: all 3 seen July 2 (~15.5 weeks); 2 seen July 13 (~17 weeks); 1 was sighted in the area a week or so later
Sherri's photos - March 13, 2008
right after hatching (lying in front of the two remaining eggs) and first feeding
Paula's photos - March 14, 2008
second egg hatches
Sherri's photo - March 14, 2008
"Look how strong our 2nd chick is for only a few hours old!"
Sherri's photos - March 15, 2008
JudyB's photos - March 16, 2008
a bit of a squabble between the two older ones ................and a look at the newest one (the little dot on the right)
oldest one showing off her (?) wings ........................ and all three were fed at this feeding
Sherri's photos - March 17, 2008
JudyB's photos - March 18, 2008
Sherri's photo - March 19, 2008
JudyB's photos - March 20, 2008
(oldest one is one week old)
Sherri's photos - March 21, 2008
(middle one is one week old)
Sherri's photos - March 22, 2008
JudyB's photos - March 23, 2008
Sherri's photos - March 24, 2008
(youngest one is one week old)
JudyB's photos - March 25, 2008
JudyB's photo - March 26, 2008
Lori's photos - March 26, 2008
Sherri's photos - March 27, 2008
(oldest one is two weeks old)
EmtyBelfry's photo - March 28, 2008
(middle one is two weeks old)
Sherri's photos - March 29, 2008
JudyB's photos - March 30, 2008
Sherri's photos - March 31, 2008
(youngest is two weeks old)
JudyB's photos - April 1, 2008
It looked to me as if Big stretched out her wing and just whomped Belle on the side! Twice! Or maybe three times! And when Belle got halfway up to turn around and see what in the world was hitting her on the side, Big burrowed under so she could be brooded. Or at least that's the way it looked to me!
JudyB's photos - April 3, 2008
(oldest is three weeks old)
Note the dark second coat coming in (and the big wings) on the oldest! Not to mention her deciding she's too old to be brooded and making a break for it! She's three weeks old today.
JudyB's photos - April 4, 2008
(middle is three weeks old)
I really like the first one - Big really wants to be underneath, but she's just getting too big!
PattiO's photo - April 5, 2008
Very interesting, Mom brought the fish over and put it right in front of the chicks and let them try to pick at it. The little one even try to have a go at it!
Sherri's photo - April 6, 2008
(youngest is almost 3 weeks old)
"What are we doing wrong here? how come little squirt is getting all the food?"
EmtyBelfry's photo - April 8, 2008
JudyB's photos - April 10, 2008
(oldest is four weeks old)
First picture reminds me of morning yoga class!
PattiO's photos - April 12, 2008
Lori's photo - April 14, 2008
(youngest is four weeks old)
JudyB's photo - April 14, 2008
EmtyBelfry's photo - April 15, 2008
JudyB's photos - April 17, 2008
(oldest is five weeks old)
Sherri's photos - April 20, 2008
JudyB's photos - April 21, 2008
(youngest is five weeks old)
Lori's photos - April 24, 2008
(oldest is six weeks old)
JudyB's photos - April 24, 2008
(oldest is six weeks old)
Sherri: I just saw the most amusing situation a little while ago……also, a sign of the ‘growing up’ of our chicks. 
Parent came in and dropped off a small fish (or piece of one) and one immediately goes into protective mode for it. Parent left right away so obviously one of those 'life lessons' going on. 
Watch the one circling around!…..
SNAG!........and snag back!
They have a tussle over it 
…… and the winner.
Poor ‘let looks all around as if to say “Where did it go?”
……the sib checks to make sure he got it all!
Then makes a statement! Do you think he was wailing because it is all gone OR saying “ha-ha, I won!”
Sherri's photos - April 26, 2008
florafreeek: I'm sure you noticed that Tiny stayed as far away as possible from the action 
Smart baby that one is.
JudyB: Does indeed seem like a lesson taking place! They are about 6 weeks old, and that is about when they really start eating on their own, I think.
JudyB's photos - May 1, 2008
(oldest is seven weeks old)
All three are standing up on their "adult" feet now. They're not full size yet - but they're not much smaller than that parent either.
7:08 am: Adult came in with a fish and the one that was standing got there first, grabed it and started to mantle over it. Adult finally got it back (admist a lot of noise) and begin to feed all three with them trying to pull off their own bites also. The one I am thinking is Tiny just grabbed the whole piece and there was a tussel between him and the one next to him. Mom again got it back and continues to feed. Sooooo much noise. Another, I think the middle one, just grabbed a huge piece and moved to the other side of the nest with it. Adult continues to feed the other two. Just like that, feeding is over, adult gone, and not so little ones picking for scraps.
JudyB's photos - May 8, 2008
(oldest is eight weeks old)
Sherri's photos - May 10, 2008
JudyB's photos - May 15, 2008
(oldest is nine weeks old)
You'll notice that they are all perched as high as possible on the edges of the nest - and I'm wondering if the ones nearest the cam have found something a bit higher - they are looking mighty tall! You'll also notice that even the big ones do still get beak fed upon occasion. (And don't worry about Tiny - he was over in the feeding area earlier - and I think he may have decided to just take his share back to his area - looks to me as if there's food under his feet there! 
).
SamJennsGrandma: One of them has one talon actually outside the nest at the bottom edge. Flaps his wings a big flap and hops to right side of nest. In the meantime, another lays in middle of nest with one talon and wing stuck straight out to the side. Oh, and just like that the first one is on the other side of the nest. Again, he flaps wings, hops across nest, stepping on the second ones leg and on to the bottom edge of nest. Turns and really streches out those wings, flaps, hops, and is ocross the nest again. Now back to bottom edge.
Sherri's photo - May 18, 2008
JudyB's photos - May 22, 2008
(oldest is ten weeks old)
SamJennsGrandma - May 20: Looked in on these three before going to bed and expected to find them curled up sleeping but they were all sitting up. Could not see really well because of the spider web but two of the were moving their feet and one was preening I think. Wonder why they are up so late.
JudyB: I never think to look at night, but wonder if they may be getting big enough to start sleeping on their feet, like eagles do when they're not brooding.
Lori's photos - May 22, 2008
(oldest is ten weeks old)
Three little eaglets laying in a row
Quiet and calm as far as eaglets go
Middle one faces right, these others to the left
All safe and sound in their little eagle nest.
Lori's photo - May 28, 2008
JudyB's photos - May 29, 2008
(oldest is eleven weeks old)
Well, Big is eleven weeks old today. I know that an occasional eaglet fledges before that - especially the southern eaglets, it seems - but I think of the eleven week anniversary of an eaglet's hatch as the beginning of its journey from eaglet to fledgling. I don't think Big (or Middle, who will be eleven weeks old tomorrow) are quite ready yet - but it won't be long!
SamJennsGrandma - June 3: Big Guy (I think) is doing a lot of flapping and getting a lot of height and air while the other two sit at bottom edge of nest out of the way watching. Cam has cleared up but not getting any sound.
Now they are all three sitting together (Big Guy has joind the others) and look like they are having a family discussion. Tiny looks so cute sitting there up so straight and paying attention to his big brother/sister.
SamJennsGrandma - June 4: Everybody spread out over nest. Lot of wing flapping and looked one time like big guy actually hopped out of nest onto branch at very bottom of nest and then hopped back in. THEY NEED MORE ROOM. 
Lori's photos - June 4, 2008
glo77's photo - June 4, 2008 - 11:48 am
(age 11 weeks, 6 days if it's the oldest one who fledged)
Lori's photo - June 5, 2008
(oldest is twelve weeks old)
napper: I only see one eaglet. Did the second fledge?
glo77: Yes second fledge has happened.
Paula's photos - June 7, 2008
First picture is Tiny practicing; second is Liberty in the nest with Tiny,
while a juvie looks at the nest from above; third is sunset at the nest - Liberty, Pearl and Middy above the nest, and
Tiny in the nest; fourth is the nest at sunset from a distance.
© 2008 Paula Compton, used with permission, all rights reserved
JudyB's photos - June 9, 2008
(youngest is twelve weeks old)
JudyB's photos - June 12, 2008
(oldest is thirteen weeks old)
JudyB: I didn't see Tiny in the nest a lot today, so I think he's at least spending time in the outer branches, if not completely fledged!
Paula: Tiny Fledged on June 12th, at 12 weeks and 3 days! The cam was acting up, so it was a case of now you see her, now you don't!
JudyB's photos - June 20, 2008
(middle one is fourteen weeks old)
Lori's photos - June 26, 2008
(oldest is fifteen weeks old)
JudyB's photos - June 30, 2008
(youngest is fifteen weeks old)
Lori's photos - July 2, 2008
This was the last time all three were seen in the nest - oldest is almost 16 weeks, youngest a bit over 15 weeks
JudyB's photos - July 3, 2008
(oldest is sixteen weeks old)
JudyB's photos - July 7, 2008
(youngest is sixteen weeks old)
Sherri's photo - July 13, 2008
(youngest is almost 17 weeks old)
That was the last day two eaglets were seen in the nest; they spent several hours there
Sherri's photos - July 16, 2008
That was the last picture we got of an eaglet in the nest; the oldest is almost 18 weeks old, the youngest a bit over 17 weeks;
there was a report that one of the eaglets was seen in the area a week or so later, successfully catching a fish in the river.
They've been flying for a little more than a month.
Fare well.