Bald eaglets hatch on north shore of Lake Ontario first time in decades

Since 2009, a pair of bald eagles have been nesting on both the north and south shores of Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) near Hamilton.

Now that they've reached maturity, the eagles have hatched their first young, the first bald eaglets to be born on Lake Ontario's north shore in decades.

"We actually saw a little one poke its head up out of the nest," the RBG’s Head of Natural Lands, Tys Theysmeyer, told CBC News. "No one really knows when the last ones were born in this area. That's how long it has been."

The first eaglet was spotted on March 22. The second was spotted the following day. Officials are unsure if other unhatched eggs are in the nest. Theysmeter told the Hamilton Spectator that bald eagles can lay up to four eggs at a time.

The eagles' nest had been closely monitored from a nearby trail since mid-February, after Theysmeyer observed that one of the eagles was "squatting" on the nest for some time.

"I've been personally going down there once a week and figured they would be hatching soon," Theysmeyer told the Hamilton Spectator, adding that, considering the typical 35-day incubation period, the eggs were likely laid around Valentine's Day.

CBC News reports that by the early 1980s, bald eagles were "all but extinct" in the northern Lake Ontario region, largely due to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT. At one point, only four active nests could be found in the entire Great Lakes.

Today, there are 31 nests around the Great Lakes. The nest at Cootes Paradise is the only active nest on Lake Ontario.

"This milestone is a testament to the restoration efforts of Project Paradise," Theysmeyer said. "As we bring Cootes Paradise back to the condition it was in before the 20th century, species that once called this area their home will continue to return."

The nest, located in the Hopkins Woods Special Protection Area, can be viewed from the Marshwalk Boardwalk, accessible from the RBG arboretum.