For the famous bald eagles of Big Bear Lake, Jackie and Shadow, the 2021 nesting season has not gone “eggs-actly” as planned. The year looked promising when Jackie laid 3 eggs in early January. Less than a month later, two eggs were eaten by ravens and one was broken during the laying process. Nevertheless, Jackie and Shadow moved forward and had a second clutch a month later. Jackie laid the first egg (of the second clutch) on February 8th, and the second egg just three days later, on February 11th. According to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the incubation process typically takes about 35 days after the second egg is laid. So, on March 15th, the pip watch began. (A pip is the first sign of a break in the shell.) A pip was spotted on March 18th in the second egg, and a chirp was heard from inside the shell. The excitement was silenced, however, as nature took an unexpected toll on the little eaglet. On March 19th, a post in the Friends of Big Bear Valley Facebook group stated “The chick in the first egg that was working on hatching last night, appears to have stopped moving this afternoon. This is very sad and also, it is part of nature.” Now Jackie, Shadow, and eyes across the world, turn their attention to this remaining egg. As of March 23rd, there has been no sign of a pip in remaining egg. On Facebook, The Friends of Big Bear Valley posted, “This egg hatching is still within the window of possibility…At the same time, it does seem delayed and we cannot guarantee when or if it will hatch. It is up to the chick in the egg and mother nature.”
Watching the Big Bear bald eagle’s perseverance through the 2021 nesting season has been an inspiring journey. You can catch an up close and personal view of Jackie and Shadow on the Friends of Big Bear Valley’s live nest cam. To learn more, see the full timeline of the bald eagles in Big Bear.
You can also join us at Chirp Nature Center to watch the live footage on our widescreen TVs. While visiting, be sure to pick up bald eagle-themed items such as our exclusive Chirp Big Bear Lake eagle sticker, an eagle plush, and a Nesting Eagle Puzzle.
Want to learn more about the Big Bear lake eagles? Watch last year’s Eagle Talk with Big Bear Lake’s bald eagle specialist. On Saturday, May 15th, 2021 at 10 am, Chirp will be hosting a Virtual Bird Talk about Big Bear’s Bald Eagles. This event will be streamed on the Chirp Nature Centers Facebook page and Chirp Nature Centers YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for upcoming events, deals, and wild bird articles.
To protect the nest during nesting season, people are urged to stay away from the area and the northwest side of the lake is closed (see map below). If bald eagles feel threatened by human activities, they may abandon their nests, eggs and young. “We are very excited to see bald eagles continuing to successfully reside and raise young in this part of the forest,” said Marc Stamer, district ranger for the Mountaintop Ranger District. “But that success is shared by the public who continue to adhere to an area closure around the nest” – Bigbear.com. To ensure that Jackie and Shadow can nest in peace, trespassers can be reported to the Big Bear Discovery Center: 909.382.2790.
Area closure map:
A Brief History of Jackie and Shadow
In 2012, Jackie (or “Jack” before it was discovered she was female) became the first eaglet hatched in the history of Big Bear Valley. She was born to eagle mates Ricky and Lucy, who would have their second eaglet, Shadow, a few years later in 2015. Three years later, Jackie and eagle partner Mr. B had two chicks, Stormy and Big Bear Baby, but only Stormy survived. In March of 2019, Jackie had two more chicks, Simba and Cookie, with her new partner, Shadow. Only Simba survived, and left the nest that July. At the beginning of 2020, Jackie laid 2 eggs, neither of which hatched. In January of 2021, Jackie laid three eggs in the first clutch. One of the eggs was damaged during the laying process and the other two were eaten by ravens within days of each other. A month later, Jackie laid a second clutch, which eagles typically do if the first clutch doesn’t make it. As of March 15th, Jackie and Shadow have incubated the eggs for over 35 days, and pip season begins. A pip occurs when a baby bird breaks through its shell using its beak. The first pip was spotted on March 18th, but the eaglet stopped moving one day later. We anxiously watch the eagle cam in anticipation for the second egg to hatch. We will continue to provide updates on the Big Bear Lake Bald Eagle Updates article. Check back often for updates.
Bald eagles have historically wintered in Big Bear Valley only when other food sources weren’t available further north. Jackie and Shadow are the only bald eagles living in Big Bear Valley year-round.
To follow the latest updates on the new eggs, visit www.FriendsOfBigBearValley.org. Check out a comprehensive timeline of Big Bear’s eagles. And, keep an eye out for upcoming eagle-related events at Chirp Nature Center on our Activities page.
