There’s a bald eaglet in the Mon Valley Irvin Works nest

It’s a hatch!

It’s official. Meet USS 7.

The first eaglet at the U.S. Steel Mon Valley Works Irvin Plant nest hatched just before 11 a.m. Sunday.

Don German was just one day off on his prediction for the first bald eagle egg’s pip, a tiny hole or crack made by the chick as it starts to emerge and breathe.  The PixCams on the Irvin Works nest announced in its livestream chat that the pip happened at 5:31:19 p.m. Saturday.

Plant manager German, who had been betting on Sunday, and so many others have been watching the live cam closely since pip watch began on Thursday. He believes the second egg’s pip may occur Thursday at 8:14 a.m. Many of the faithful will be watching the livestream and posting updates there and on the Steel City Eagles Facebook page. We’ll keep tabs on it through this week.

Incubation of the eggs, which parents Claire and Irvin have been handling competently throughout and despite the rain and cold, snowy weather, normally takes between 34 and 41 days.