BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — The female osprey nesting at the Boulder County fairgrounds that was "relentless" in protecting her eggs through the pounding hailstorm two weeks ago was rewarded for her dedication when the first of her three eggs hatched on Thursday morning.
Boulder County Parks & Open Space hosts a camera that livestreams the nest. About 7 a.m. Thursday, the camera showed a crack in an egg and then the chick fully out of its shell.
Mom and Dad osprey were hard at work caring for and feeding the chick. The second egg hatched about 7:30 a.m. Friday.
This is one of several osprey nests in Boulder County. The male and female ospreys returned to the nest for the season on March 28. The female laid three eggs between April 15 and April 21.
Severe thunderstorms with hail moved through northern Colorado on the night of May 9. 9NEWS viewers in Longmont, Firestone, Erie and Berthoud shared photos of golf ball-sized hail that damaged cars.
The female osprey protected her eggs as she was pounded by pea-sized hail and never left the nest, according to Boulder County Parks & Open Space, which shared video on social media.
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