Hanover eagle eggs left unattended in snow deemed 'no longer viable'

A tumultuous start to the Hanover bald eagles' nesting season came to an unfortunate end for viewers of the Pennsylvania Game Commission live stream. 

Following Winter Storm Toby, the pair of eggs in the nest near Codorus State Park were left unattended and buried under snow on Wednesday afternoon into the night.

"We believe these eggs are no longer viable," the game commission said in a Thursday Facebook post.

The snowstorm played a role as well as a reported "intruder" bald eagle that visited the nest territory on multiple occasions this month.

More:Hanover bald eagles face intruder at nest near Codorus State Park

The season started with questions over the future of the nest after it collapsed in January.

Still, the eagles, believed to be the same pair since the eagle cam started four years ago, got to work on rebuilding the nest. The female eagle laid two eggs in February.

READ:Hanover bald eagles welcome second egg of the year

Last year, the eagle pair braved Winter Storm Stella and saw two eaglets hatch and fledge from the nest.

The game commission said it monitors eagles in the state as a population, not just individuals, and the population as a whole continues to thrive despite some failures.

However, it is unlikely that area eagles will renest at the site near Codorus State Park, where the live stream produced by the game commission and HDOnTap has captivated thousands of dedicated viewers for years.

"Nature can be difficult to watch," the post said.

WATCH:Stella timelapse: 30 hours of Hanover eagles in 60 seconds