The popular Big Bear Bald Eagles, Jackie and Shadow are in the news again. The possibility of Jackie laying a 2nd clutch has come true. Jackie laid the 1st egg of the 2nd clutch on February 24, 2026. She gerenerally lays two to three eggs per clutch each is about three days apart. Egg #2 arrived on February 27th, so if she is expecting a 3rd egg, we can watch for that on Monday, March 2nd. If it does happen it will be too late for this issue of NewsPlus to share the news.
Jackie and Shadow’s 1st clutch of this year in January had two eggs. Unfortunately ravens breached the nest on January 30, 2026 and both eggs were lost.
As for the 2nd clutch of the season Jackie and Shadow covered the 1st egg almost the entire day after it was laid. The the next day they seemed to be delaying incubation as they did with their three eggs last season. This is done to allow all eggs in the clutch to hatch closer together, giving the younger chick a better chance of survival.
The observation of Jackie and Shadow can be followed thanks to the Friends of Big Bear Valley, owners and operators of the live Eagle cam feed. The nest tree is equipped with an infrared light (IR) so the camera can view the nest, eagles, and other visitors at night. The light is not visible to the eagles or humans. For Jackie and Shadow, the nest is in complete darkness. The live Eagle camera and sound system is solar powered and runs a live stream—available to watch 24/7. Visit their website: http//www.youtube.com/fobbvcam or visit friendsofbigbearvalley.org
