Big Bear Eagles, Jackie and Shadow now have 3 eggs to watch over. Egg #1 arrived on January 25, 2024, egg #2 on January 28th, and #3 on 31st. The 3rd eggs was laid the evening before the February 1st storm. They switch places incubating the eggs during the day, but Jackie protects her eggs throughout the night.
No matter how many times Jackie gets covered with snow during the storm, she simply stands up, shakes it off, rolls her eggs and settles back down to incubate them. The reason for rolling the eggs is to keep the eggs evenly heated at a temperature close to 105 degrees so the embryos don’t stick to the insides of the shells. This is done about every hour or two by either parents. Jackie and Shadow’ each have over 7000 waterproof feathers with downy feathers underneath which keeps them toasty warm and dry. They also both develop a brood patch on their chest during nesting that allows them to scoot the eggs in close to their skin. With their body heat, they keep the eggs safe, warm and protected.
About 35 days after all eggs are laid the “Pip watch begins. The eaglet inside the egg is ready to hatch. When a tiny hole or crack appears this is called a “pip”. The eaglet uses its “egg tooth”, which has formed at the top of its beak, to puncture the membrane inside the egg. It can take up to 2 days for the eaglet to hatch. The parents do not assist in this process.
Jackie and Shadow’s nest is located about 145 feet up in a Jeffery Pine tree in Big Bear. The observation of Jackie and Shadow can be followed thanks to the Friends of Big Bear Valley, owners and operators of the live feed. The live Eagle camera and sound system is solar powered and runs live stream—available to watch 24/7. Visit their website: http://friendsofbigbearvalley.org
