Watch the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam (SWFL) from Southwest Florida and follow M15 at the famous bald eagle nest. Use the Pond Cam link below to watch on YouTube. Cam 3 and the 4K cam are currently offline. You can also find season updates, nest history, and FAQs here.
2025–2026 Season at a Glance
- E26 hatched: December 18, 2025
- F23 last seen: February 27, 2026
- F23 presumed dead: March 4, 2026
- E26 fledged: March 10, 2026
- M15: remained in the territory as E26 became independent
Latest SWFL Eagle Nest Posts:
Pond Cam
Nest View
Southwest Florida Eagle Cam
Typical Season Timeline
- Nestoration: late October-November; sticks, rails, soft grass & moss
- Egg window: typically November, with increased nest work and time near the nest bowl
- Hatch window: about 35 days after an egg is laid
- Fledge window: about 10-12 weeks after hatch
- Post-fledge: young eagles continue learning to fly, find food, and become independent
Read more
2025-2026 SWFL Eagle Season Recap
- Egg #1: laid November 13, 2025, and hatched December 18 as E26.
- Egg #2: laid November 15, 2025, but did not hatch.
- F23: last seen February 27, 2026. On March 4, nest operators announced that she was presumed dead after credible reports of a deceased eagle found less than two miles from the nest.
- E26 fledged: March 10, 2026, at about 6:32 p.m. ET.
- M15: continued delivering food and defending the territory as E26 developed into an independent young eagle.
Meet M15 & Remembering F23
- M15: A veteran bald eagle known for his nest building, hunting, territorial defense, and dedication as a parent. In 2026, he continued caring for E26 after F23 disappeared.
- F23: M15’s mate during the 2025-2026 nesting season and mother of E26. She helped raise E26 until her disappearance in late February 2026 and was presumed dead in early March.
How to Watch the SWFL Eagle Cams
- Watch the Pond Cam: Use the YouTube link above to open the stream in a new tab.
- Playback: On YouTube, select the full-screen button for a larger view. When rewind is available, use the playback bar to catch earlier activity.
- Audio: Make sure the YouTube player is unmuted if you want to listen. Wind can sometimes mask vocalizations.
- Local time: The nest is in Southwest Florida and operates on Eastern Time (ET).
SWFL Eagle Nest History & Notable Moments
- Nest building: Watch for M15 carrying and positioning sticks, grasses, and other nesting material as breeding season approaches.
- Food deliveries: Fish are a major part of the eagles’ diet, along with other prey found throughout Southwest Florida.
- 2026 milestone: After the loss of F23, M15 continued caring for E26 until the young eagle fledged on March 10, 2026.
- Wildlife visitors: Other birds and wildlife can occasionally appear around the nest tree and surrounding habitat.
Southwest Florida Eagle Cam FAQs
Q: How can I watch the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam?
A: Use the Pond Cam link above to watch on YouTube in a new tab. Cam 3 and the 4K cam are currently offline.
Q: What happened to F23?
A: F23 was last seen on February 27, 2026. On March 4, Southwest Florida Eagle Cam operators announced that she was presumed dead after credible reports of a deceased eagle less than two miles from the nest. Definitive identification was not possible, but the location and timing led operators to conclude that F23 had most likely died.
Q: What happened to E26?
A: E26 successfully fledged on March 10, 2026. M15 continued providing food and protecting the territory as E26 became more independent.
Q: When do Southwest Florida eagles usually lay eggs?
A: Egg laying at this nest typically occurs during the fall nesting season, often in November. Bald eagle eggs generally hatch after about 35 days of incubation.
Q: What are the best times to watch the SWFL Eagle Cam?
A: During active nesting season, sunrise and late afternoon can be especially active periods for nest work, food deliveries, and eagle visits. Activity can occur at any time of day.
Q: Are the SWFL eagles wild?
A: Yes. The Southwest Florida Eagle Cam documents wild bald eagles living and nesting in their natural environment.
- Get email updates for major SWFL Eagle Cam events, including eggs, hatches, and first flights: Sign up for our newsletter.
The live videos are provided by Dick Pritchett Real Estate on YouTube(see video for link).
From 10/15 – This video shows a little bit of the surroundings by the cell tower (at the 6 minute mark of the video). It’s not just woods, there are houses close by. I was wondering what was nearby.
From 9/30 – This video shows more of the cell tower. Eek! So many wires on the level 3 platform under the level 4 platform (where they are building their nest). A branch was brought but then a branch fell down. Couldn’t tell if the wind did that or the eagle.
To give some perspective as to where the cell tower is located, it’s all the way to the left. You can see it.
Thanks Tina. That is a good way off.
Yes but M15 can see the nest 🪹 tree 😉
I suppose but it has to look awfully little. I think the tree is smaller than the tower.
Debbie yes the cell tower is much taller
So I wonder if even eagle eyes can see that tree that far.
Yes, and he can still go fishing in the pond.
Hi Tina. Yay! I wonder if he saw the hooties last night?
Hi Karen oh I not sure 🤔 because they came at night and Eagles 🦅 don’t have great night vision. Hope you and hubby are doing well ❤️
Thanks Tina. I thought that the tower would be closer to the old nest. They say that an eagle’s territory is a 3-mile radius around the nest. Now it’s a 3-mile radius around the cell tower. Wish the cell tower company would install a camera before eggs are laid. Electricity is already available at the tower. If there’s no cam, I guess that we’ll have to depend on occasional updates from individuals in the area like Androcat, but it won’t be a nest that we can watch every day. It won’t be the same.
MaryNj I think he will make keep his 3 mile radius to the old nest.. he has been there for years now and he loves it .. it definitely won’t be the same 😢
That makes me so sad. I’d like to know what goes on in that little eagle head. The average January temp is 74, record is 86. So that is pretty warm on metal. Factor in humidity. There are a lot of trees on the Pritchett property and area and a stocked pond, familiarity. Grassy areas. Not a great deal of activity on the property.
Maybe the breaking branches have made him nervous about using the old nest tree. I wonder what is in the area around that cell tower. Is it thick woody areas or houses? Is there a busy highway back there, or is it unpopulated and less built up than the old nest area? The Pritchett property is terrific for an eagle, plus the river where they sometimes bring fish from is closer to the old nest.
Thanks, Tina. I was wondering. 🥰
Karen you are welcome 🤗
The Florida heat is a scorcher. I would think that is a poor choice with that hot metal surrounding a possible nest.
That is what I thought!
Since it’s higher up then a tree, there may be a little more of a breeze up there. Hope that they are building the nest on the shady side of the tower, and hope that they have eggs sooner rather than later, so that the eaglets fledge before it gets super hot in the nest.
Hope so. I still wish they would choose another site for the nest.
I think that we all wish that they would have chosen a tree in cam view on the Pritchett estate. Oh well. That’s nature. The eagles do what eagles will do, try the best they know how to survive and flourish.
FYI: Jackie’s final results are in. Youtube video by Lady Hawk.
Oh Wow!! 😮 I wish it was not there. Androcat made a video of M15 and his new female building an alternate nest. I don’t think we’ll be seeing too much of them except for occasional visits to the pond for fish. Click on the word ‘more’ under the video to expand the text and scroll down. In the comments under the video, Androcat and the commenters discuss the location, safety of it, other places where cell towers have been used, etc. Not sure how happy that cell phone company is about that. How will they maintain/repair their equipment if… Read more »
Do you know how the law reads? Is it a federal or state law? I wonder if a site under the law constitutes an active nest if just a few random sticks are brought in? Could random sticks be removed before a real nest takes shape?
I’ve read comments that it’s a federal law that governs eagles and eagle nests, but I have never personally read the law. M15 brought 12 sticks one day just while Androcat was filming, so I don’t think that it’s only a few sticks at this point.
Thanks Mary. It seems like an inhospitable place for a nesting site, but then again, it will probably do much better at tolerating a hurricane! Well maybe not. I don’t know what the surface looks like. Seems the nest could me scooted about, blown apart, without the natural cupping of tree branches, and the metal would get very hot. But what do I know? As everyone says, trust the eagles.
The base looks like solid metal to me. In the cooler months, that will be okay. They have to keep the eggs and hatchlings warm. The pieces of equipment will provide some shade. Too many wires up there though. Scary. Perfect for a branching eaglet to get tangled in.
Yes, you are right. She brought nine sticks one day and they’ve been working on it since mid August.😭
Sad 😞 It’s interesting that they have been working on the new nest since mid-August because M15 brought 3 sticks to his old nest in September. So strange. I guess some old habits die hard.
i seen the video of the new nest location and I pray 🙏 that they don’t use it..
Hi Tina good to see you.
Hi Debbie nice to see you too❤️ I have been very busy.. since early February My first granddaughter had her first daughter so I’m a great grandma and I’ve been doing daycare for her three days a week along with taking care of the other three older ones they have been a great help for the other three children all summer..
I figured it had to be grands. I don’t think I’ve seen much of you for 2-3 years!
I’m usually on for a little while early morning and later after dinner
In the comments under the video, Androcat mentioned that these towers emit strong radio frequency (RF) waves. Wish they wouldn’t use it.
Yes I also read that.. but I guess M-15 really likes to hang out at this specific Cell tower and has for some time before nest building even started..
and I believe I read that they have shut the tower down because of them building there🙏🙏 praying that’s true
They said that the cell tower has a superb view of the whole surrounding area. Must be higher than all of the trees. That would be good for the eagles if that’s true about the shutdown, but if the nest is successful this season, M15 and his mate will come back again next season, which means that the cell tower will be offline for about 7 or 8 months every year.