The nesting season has ended badly for the bald eagles that had been tending two eggs in the nest at Codorus State Park near Hanover that's monitored by a webcam livestreamed through the website of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

The female bald eagle that has hatched her eggs in the nest annually for the past several years has been driven off by another female. Gone from the nest since Monday, March 19, she is unaccounted for and may be injured and on the ground away from the nest, or dead.

The male, which protected the eggs in the absence of the female and through much of the recent snowstorm, left the nest Wednesday.

The eggs are covered in snow and have been for much longer than they could remain viable.

The 2018 nesting attempt has failed.

An intruding female, which attacked the nesting female multiple times before the latter finally abandoned the nest, has visited the nest several times Wednesday and today. Many observers have speculated that she has claimed the nesting territory.

The Game Commission posted this message with the webcam livestream on its website:

"While the Game Commission does not have a biologist on the ground in the area, it does appear that there may be another adult eagle around the nest. "Extra" bald eagles may be adults that have not yet paired up and claimed a territory; they may attempt to interfere with this pair in order to claim a mate or territory.

"With the population filling the available habitat in many parts of Pennsylvania, it would not be surprising to see some increase in nest failure as a result of these interferences and competition disrupting the care of nest and young.

"The big take-away lesson, bald eagles are well-adapted to Pennsylvania. They are well-adapted at selecting nest sites, building nests, and caring for eggs and young. This is one of the great lessons of the Game Commission's bald eagle recovery effort and its annual monitoring of active eagle nests. As bald eagles are filling available habitat in some parts of the state, there will be some conflicts between competing eagles.

"We have never in modern history been witness to such conflict events and we will all learn as we go. In most conceivable circumstances, nature will be allowed to take its course without intervention. Should an injured eagle end up grounded, the Game Commission could facilitate its transfer to a licensed rehabilitation facility."

The female laid her first egg in the nest near Hanover at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 20, and the second at about 6 p.m. Friday, February 23.

This year's eggs came more than a week after last year's, which she laid the first on February 10 and the second on February 13. The first egg hatched March 20 and the second on March 21. By June 7 both eaglets were experimenting with flying away from the nest.

In 2016, eggs were laid on February 18 and 21. One of the eggs hatched March 28, but the nestling died two days later, perhaps injured by a branch being moved in the nest. The other egg never hatched and remained in the nest until May 23, when one of the adults removed the remnants from the nest.

In 2015, eggs were laid on February 14 and 17. Adult eagles were covered in snow on the nest on March 5, drawing international attention. The eggs hatched on March 24 and 25, and the two young eaglets fledged about June 22.