Take a “beak” inside the lives of Irvin and Claire, the bald eagle couple that’s made its nest next to U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works Irvin Plant in West Mifflin. The company launched a 24/7 live camera today to observe the nest of the family in a Sycamore tree.
“I could not wait for today to share it,” said Don German, Irvin Plant manager, who oversaw the project. The pair moved in next door to the plant in 2019, German said, and have had three eaglets fledge the nest so far.
Earlier this year, German said coworkers started talking more about how “cool” it was to have eagles on the property. Inspired by the Hays eagle nest camera roughly 8 miles away, German contacted Pix Cams, who provided the live footage. After getting approval from the state Game Commission, the installation was planned and debuted live Tuesday.
The juxtaposition of bald eagles and a steel mill is not lost on German.
“I have 32 years with U.S. Steel: Made in America, mined and melted here in Pennsylvania. And to have America's bird on our site and to call it home, it’s amazing,” he said.
Irvin, named after the plant, and Claire, named for U.S. Steel’s Clairton plant, have typically had eaglets in March. As their family grows, German asked that people not try to visit the nest in person due to safety concerns, but rather watch the livestream on the company’s website.
