Lovebirds! Eagles Lay First and Second Eggs Together

Image Credit to @EaglesGreenway on X

Love is in the air! Two bald eagles, named “Rosa” and “Lewis,” laid their first egg on Valentine’s Day. The birds of prey, whose nest is on the Dulles Greenway toll road in Northern Virginia, “usually lay their eggs three days apart, meaning that a second egg is anticipated for Saturday.” Today, on February 17, they laid their second egg. Previously, “Martin,” the bald eagle, shared the nest with Rosa. After he flew the coop back in December, “Lewis” and another unnamed eagle fought over Rosa’s affection, with the former winning Rosa’s heart. Readers with a keen eye will notice that Rosa, Martin, and Lewis are all named after leaders from the Civil Rights Movement- Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and John Lewis. 

This is not Rosa’s first round of eaglets caught on camera. Last spring, Rosa and Martin laid three eggs together named “Pi,” “Pat,” and “Flora,” which viewers watched grow via the live stream camera. The parents also had “Orion” back in 2022. Bald eagles usually mate for life; their species usually lay 1-3 eggs yearly. In this case, however, Rosa and Lewis are outside the norm. 

Viewers first saw Rosa and Martin on the Loudoun Wildlife Conservacy’s Eagle Cam. Set up in 2021, the livestream followed a trend of various wildlife camera streams being broadcast online during the pandemic. From bear cams in Katmai National Park to otter cams in the Monterey Bay Aquarium, those looking for an escape during the looming uncertainty brought upon by the pandemic did so by streaming these cute critters from their homes. The website “explore.org” features over 100 various livestreams across the world.