While the eaglets that hatched in a North Fort Myers nest seem to be doing well, the inclusion of a stuffed toy squirrel brought as food by the adult eagles is not a cause for concern.

The nesting eagles, Harriet and M15, have been adoring parents to the second hatch this nesting season. The first clutch of two eggs went awry. The first eaglet to hatch died in January from a possible poisoning and a second egg failed.

The second clutch of two eggs, laid in late February, were successful.

According to the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam website, the eagle pair have been doting parents.

"Harriet and M15 have their work cut out keeping E15 and E16’s needs met as they approach 2-weeks-old," the website narrative said. "Harriet did her share bringing fish and prey to the nest. M15 used his hunting skills to provide food for hungry eaglets."

However, Harriet apparently mistook a toy squirrel for a real one and brought the stuffed plush critter, complete with a purple manufacturing tag, to her chicks.

"The de-furring never ended in anything but fluffy stuffing," a narrative on the website said. "M15 seemed to want to offer it food while the E15 and E16 climbed over and snuggled with it. All seemed perplexed with the belated April Fool."

More:Fort Myers eagle drama: Harriet produces second egg and an intruder stops at the nest

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More:Harriet and M15 produce a third egg after loss of eaglet to poisoning

Ginny Pritchett McSpadden, one of the eagle cam site administrators, said the stuffed squirrel wasn't anticipated as a problem. 

"So far we have just seen it moved around in the nest," McSpadden said. "The eaglets have just scooted over it while exploring the nest so far."

Another site administrator, Essec09, said they hadn't seen any stuffed items at this nest before, but it is not unusual. 

"A number of nests seem to have stuffed items on them - eagles, hawks and especially osprey," Essec09 said.

"It is not uncommon to see man-made objects in eagle nests," said Michelle Kerr, public information specialist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "It is important to discard trash properly to keep wildlife safe."

If you see wildlife in distress, you should report it to FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com.

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