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Live Eagle Cam — Big Bear, California

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  • Update on BIg Bear
    62 hours straight!!...a new record!
    Several times during this continuing snow storm, Jackie was completely covered over in snow!
    …and then she would pop out through that white blanket, reposition herself, roll her 3 precious eggs and settle back on top of them.
    In that dedication over the past 3 days, Jackie set a new record!!
    This is the longest time she has ever stayed on the nest incubating her eggs without a break!—61 hours 58 minutes!
    When there is bad weather, Jackie will not leave her eggs. She will not let Shadow have a turn on the nest. She will not eat because she has to get off the eggs to do that…she simply covers her eggs, pushing them into the brood patch on her chest, so she can keep them as warm, dry and protected as possible.
    Yesterday afternoon, Shadow called out to her from a distance, checking on her--(listen carefully on the video starting at minute 2:12 to hear him). And she answered, letting him know that she was fine…but that it wasn’t his turn yet.
    After dark, as she repositioned herself, she took an extra few seconds for a PS ('poop shot'), relieving herself off the side of the nest…and this good news means that her body was still feeding off of the food stored 2 days earlier in her crop.
    This morning, Shadow wasn’t waiting any longer…without being asked, he flew to the front porch balcony.
    Jackie let him know that she wasn’t sure she was ready to have him take over. But he waited patiently, even ignoring her little whines of ‘not yet’…and finally, after over 2-1/2 minutes, his quiet persistence paid off. Jackie climbed out of the nest bowl, flapped snow from her wings and flew off for a well-deserved break…
    …but not without calling back to him from a distance…a thank you…and then maybe a few last-minute instructions.
    Shadow took some time trying to figure out how to get over that huge pile of snow surrounding the nest bowl…and finally just ran for it, up and over…then climbed ever-so-carefully down the snow bank toward his treasured eggs. Once inside the nest bowl, he knew exactly what to do. And he positioned himself just right to settle down over his eggs for some long-awaited daddy duty.
    Nature and our amazing eagles know what they are doing, no matter how hard it might appear to us. Thank you all for your curiosity and your amazing willingness to watch and learn.
    Sandy
    Hedda GablerFlakeNoirGNTLGNTNeesy
  • This is a relief. I have no experience watching eagles in snow situations, so all these updates are so appreciated.  This is nature and anything could happen, but I appreciate good knowledge and facts. 
    FlakeNoirGNTLGNTNeesy
  • Adorable experts…
    Jackie and Shadow have settled into a beautiful routine of smooth, efficient shift exchanges…one arrives and waits patiently—well sometimes patiently—and the other gets up and gives over their turn on egg duty—well, except for all the complaining about having to give up their turn involved during the process—but in any case, they are keeping those beautiful eggs warm and protected like the adorable experts they are.
    When most of the storm had stopped, Shadow arrived soon after sunrise for a lovely, exchange…well, except that he had to yell a little at Jackie when she flew off the nest and almost ran him over as he stood on the front porch balcony. But he managed to get into the nest bowl, have a little nap, snatch a morsel of left-overs, and get through his shift with only a bit of long-distance discussion and some nice wing-stretching yoga.
    They had an easy duty-shift when Jackie brought in some fluff. And later Jackie did a nice fly-by on her way in with a big stick…which she only had to carry right across Shadow’s back 2 or 3 times before he agreed to get up and let her have her turn.
    The next time Jackie brought a stick, Shadow complained, but got up right away. And when he came back later, he patiently waited on the front porch for over 34 minutes before she let him have the nest.
    When Jackie brought some nice fluff for the nest, Shadow kindly turned the eggs over to her within a few seconds. And then he even brought her back a nice fish dinner. What a awesome mate Jackie brought into her life--and of course both Jackie and Shadow know she deserves it.
    After such a wonderful day, Jackie settled gently in on top of those eggs for the night…and without more snow coming down, seemed to get some comfy, restful sleep.
    Thank you all for enjoying Jackie and Shadow’s very special and unique personalities as they allow us to view their lives up close.
    Sandy
    Hedda GablerGNTLGNTFlakeNoirNeesy
  • E23  6 weeks old wingersizing

    Hedda GablerGNTLGNTFlakeNoirNeesy
  • Screenshot 2024-02-13 145100jpg

    Screenshot 2024-02-13 145827jpg
    M15, E23, F23 sharing a meal in the nest.

    81152E23greatpicSTANDtalljpg
    E23 standing on rail


    E23 Wingerciszing in nest.  44 days old
    GNTLGNTHedda GablerFlakeNoirNeesy
  • Melting snow


    GNTLGNTHedda GablerFlakeNoirNeesy
  • Sunset in FL


    Snow in Big Bear


    GNTLGNTHedda GablerFlakeNoirNeesy
  • Spidey, I haven’t seen any owl attacks??? Anybody know what is happening with them? Did they leave the territory?
    GNTLGNTFlakeNoirNeesy
  • Spidey, I haven’t seen any owl attacks??? Anybody know what is happening with them? Did they leave the territory?
    They are using the old nest in the northpasture. Owl family or mom, dad,  owlets.  This far-- no attacks.  


    Video opens with the two owlets in the nest, watching the nearby pines where Mama was perched. I could not see her; the pestering birds told me where she was, behind foliage. I later saw her fly from that spot, but did not catch it on video. The owlets watch Mama, the pestering birds, preen, groom their feet, and scratch. A hawk flies past with a crow chasing, and the crow lands on the back branch of N2, then moves up higher. The owlets react (one in defensive posture) to the hawk swooping just above, then returning to the back branch. The hawk brought Mama to the nest tree lightning quick, and the hawk took off, flying again behind N2. Mama stayed at N2, moving up higher, and a mockingbird showed up to pester her. As soon as she moved up, the owlets briefly went into defensive posture at what they saw. (Crows were chasing two hawks, and I think Papa owl ran one off. I was not able to pan quick enough to catch that.) Mama stayed on N2, and I left to visit E23. From my observations at church, things quieted down for the owlets, Mama went back to her roost spot, and the owlets rested. The older of the two owlets is turning seven weeks old Saturday (based on observations 1-5/1-6-24; using 1-6-24 as the hatch date/guess), and the second owlet is 2-3 days younger. Owlets typically start branching at six weeks old, so they have likely branched. I have not seen them branching on my visits. Notes: Incubation first observed 12-2-23, first observation of feeding 1-6-24 (observations by local photograher). My first observation of incubation was 12-5-23, first observation of feeding 1-10-24 (I was aware of the prior documentation on both). On the evening of 1-5-24, I did not observe behavior indicating a hatch had occurred, so the 1-6-24 feeding observation was likely one of the first feedings for a new hatchling (day 35 since incubation was first observed). This is Nest 2 (N2), the alternate nest built by Harriet and M15, completed in the fall of 2020 (start of Season 9). The owls are nesting here for the third consecutive season. For the 2020/2021 season, the owls nested successfully in a different tree in the W pasture. The owls used N2 for the 2021/2022 season; however, the clutch failed shortly after feeding behavior was first documented. The owls were successful in N2 for the 2022/2023 season, fledging three.


    GNTLGNTHedda GablerNeesy
  • Fluff and other stuff…
    A small storm rolled in a few days ago bringing snow to the eagle’s nest and habitat. Of course Jackie had absolutely no trouble at all weathering this little storm as she has proven just weeks ago, she has much experience and is a pro when it comes to snow!
    Jackie and Shadow once again prepared together by bringing in some extra fluff, along with a few more sticks, and by filling their crops with plenty of food to hold them over. They took time to work on the nest, arranging the new fluff and they even managed to squeeze in a couple little beak kisses for fun!
    In the late afternoon, before the storm, Shadow delivered a piece of fish to Jackie which she happily accepted and gobbled down without any hesitation. He had already eaten part of it but she didn't seem to mind at all. She sweet talked all the way through her meal, thanking him profusely and telling him how delicious that fish tasted!
    Shadow was desperately waiting to get back on the eggs and hung around nibbling fluff & a couple of Jackie's tail feathers but he soon realized it was a “no go” when she moved over and laid back down. He finally headed to the front porch clearly disappointed, just like a sad puppy dog with its head down. Maybe a whole fish will do the trick next time!
    Jackie stayed in the nest the entire next day through the inclement weather but Shadow was finally reunited with their precious eggs soon enough. He happily got in nearly three hours of Daddy duty. He and Jackie continue to communicate extremely well and they have learned to interpret their calls and beautiful chortle songs they sing together, along with Shadow's “snortles” and Jackie's “twerplings” like they've been together for an eternity.
    They both continue to roll and incubate the eggs, as well as aerate the nest bowl to keep it fresh for their little ones on the way. The rain and snow is somewhat welcome as it also helps to cleanse the nest. They are very intentional when they incubate, curling their feet around the eggs, then there's a little beak plant and finally they wiggle their way down to get comfy and cozy to keep those eggs warm.
    Jackie has squeezed in as many little power naps as she can & they have both posed for some lovely close-up shots in the past days. Most of the snow has melted now and winds have calmed, so hopefully they have a little break in the weather. The sun broke through last evening to shine just perfectly on Jackie's beautiful face!
    There is always more to come in this love story and each day brings a new and exciting adventure for this pair, so stay tuned eagle family!
    “Wildlife in the world can only be protected by the love of compassionate hearts in the world.” Mehmet Murat Ildan
    Let's all agree to continue to be lovers of wildlife!
    BKind22

    Morning eagle song …
    Our beautiful eagle pair awoke yesterday morning to a spectacular blue and orange sky. They were ready with a morning song to begin their day, with chortles that sounded like music to the listeners ears. They were likely just discussing their day like they always do, but their conversation sounded so light and lyrical.
    Jackie had a thin layer of what looked like frost on her back feathers. Her view of the lake this morning was stunning as usual, with the glorious sun rising in the distance. A layer of fog was hovering over the lake and most of the snow had already disappeared around the nest.
    Shadow didn't waste much time getting to the nest from the Cactus Snag tree, but of course on the way over, he did stop and pick up a stick somewhere along the way. Jackie may have been thinking he might bring her a fish & Shadow may have thought she would get up faster off the eggs! Once she stretched her wings, she was off quickly and was likely going to get a breakfish and enjoy the sunrise at the lake.
    Shadow then stepped gently and cautiously into the nest to be with their eggs. At this moment, he was likely just the happiest Dad eagle in the world as he began his first Daddy duty shift of the day!
    BKind22
    GNTLGNTHedda GablerFlakeNoirNeesy

  •  E23 on a north east nest rail, carefully steps down on nest



    E23 hopping in nest-- airborne


    ck the shadow in the nest
    GNTLGNTHedda GablerFlakeNoirNeesy
  • Breaking Out Is Hard, But You Can Do It!
    February 29th is a leap day, and also the day when we start our Pip Watch. The ‘Pip’ we are watching for is the first tiny hole or crack in the eggshell and it’s created by the chick inside.
    So what’s happening behind the eggshell?
    As the chick reaches maximum size inside the egg, the amount of oxygen supplied through the egg membranes becomes insufficient. Sitting comfortably inside the egg is no longer an option, it’s time to go and do some hard work!
    Hatching is a very strenuous process that usually takes between 1 and 3 days from start to finish. It is a major test for the chick.
    First things first: the chick has to assume a very special Hatching Position inside the egg with the head tucked under the right wing and the beak pointing toward the Air Cell. The Air Cell is located at the blunt end of the bald eagle egg. It slowly expands as the inner membrane drapes over the chick and the remaining yolk and fluids are absorbed into the chick's belly. These nutrients will support the little one through the entirety of the hatching process and beyond.
    The chick’s beak has a special sharp protrusion at the top, called the Egg Tooth, which will aid greatly in breaking through the egg membranes and the hard egg shell. The Egg Tooth can be visible after hatching and disappears slowly as the beak grows around it. Sometimes, it remains visible even after several weeks!
    As the oxygen level continues to decrease, the Hatching Muscle at the back of the neck starts contracting. This is the best developed muscle the chick currently has, and it will play a crucial role in the process. Internal Pipping occurs once the Egg Tooth pierces through the inner membrane and the chick breaks into the Air Cell, taking its first gulp of air. Once that is accomplished, the chick will need about a day to get a lot of rest and adapt to breathing air, while the membrane responsible for the oxygen continues to recede slowly and the remaining fluids are absorbed. At this time the chick is able to vocalize softly. Internal vocalizations may be hard to hear on cameras even with highly sensitive microphones, but Jackie and Shadow should be able to hear the little chirps just fine.
    External Pipping occurs once the oxygen level decreases again, prompting the chick to use the Hatching Muscle and the Egg Tooth to poke the first crack in the egg shell visible to us. The Initial Pip often looks like a small, star shaped raise or a hair width crack in the smooth surface of the eggshell. Once the chick pips externally, it will need more rest before hatching contractions can resume again, expanding the Initial Pip and turning it into a larger Pip Site. The chick will continue to vocalize between the periods of rest and sleep, and we are usually able to hear those vocalizations with our sensitive microphone.
    The final effort occurs when the chick rotates inside the egg by pushing with its legs while simultaneously using the Egg Tooth to scrape the eggshell, effectively “unzipping” itself. Sometimes the rotation can only encompass half of the circumference of the egg, and it would be enough to break out.
    We have noticed that when Shadow is on egg duty during hatching, he tends to be quite fidgety (isn’t he always?), rolling the egg this way and that. He may even refuse to get off the eggs to show Jackie the new addition to the family!
    With lots of resting involved, the whole process may take several days. The yolk absorbed right before hatching will provide enough nutrition before the chick is ready to take on the world.
    Exhausted, looking almost bald, the chick finally arrives into this world weighing only about 3 ounces. You probably guessed that it will need more time to rest and dry off to turn into a fluffy dandelion covered with light gray natal down. Since the natal down is quite thin, the chick will need warmth from parents until the thicker, thermal down develops (this is not going to happen for another 2 weeks). Meanwhile, Jackie and Shadow will continue to brood the hatchling and the remaining eggs, making sure they stay warm enough.
    On February 29th, when egg1 is 35 days old, we start looking for early signs of hatching. Jackie and Shadow may start paying more attention to the eggs, spending some time “listening” to the eggs or maybe even stocking the pantry (leaving uneaten fish on the nest).
    In the past, our eggs hatched around 38-39 days. However, this is our first full 3-egg clutch and we noticed that this time around egg1 got considerably more delayed incubation, so we would not be surprised if it hatched a little bit later.
    We invite you to join us in wonder as we patiently impatiently wait to find out what Nature and Jackie and Shadow will bring us!
    Cali


    May be an image of vulture and text that says Hatching Process Hatching Position Air Cell Internal Pip Egg Tooth Inner Membrane Outer Membrane EggSe Egg Shell- External Pip Hatched Chick BIGVALLE VALLEY NOS BIG BEAR
    Hedda GablerGNTLGNTFlakeNoirNeesy
  • So much great info, thanks !
    GNTLGNTFlakeNoirNeesy
  • No Pip is Confirmed Yet...
    Some rain fell overnight at the nest and when morning broke on Tuesday, Jackie looked like she might be ready for a nice break. Shadow arrived a little later than usual for his first morning shift, but Jackie seemed fine and appeared to welcome him with some soft chatter.
    Shadow looked to be relaxing on the nest, taking care of the eggs until Jackie returned with some fluff. Shadow's vocal response may have indicated Jackie might want those eggs back, but she didn't come over to him for her usual cuddle. Instead she softly chattered something before moving to the high perch and flying off. That seemed to be just fine with Shadow!
    He didn't have any trouble finding something to fix or fiddle with around the nest while he incubated for the nearly four hours that Jackie was away. Jackie must have had some serious business to attend to or maybe she was just relaxing perched near the lake. It was a smooth shift change and had been a pretty quiet and peaceful morning overall.
    Jackie tidied up around the nest and found some little things to do, moved some loose sticks and fluff, as well as observed her territory. Later that day, Shadow seemed to be enjoying a nice calm afternoon when Jackie once again showed up with another big branch like the previous day, however this one looked like a Christmas tree… in February!
    Shadow cleared the way for her and likely just decided to leave this new tree project for Jackie since she looked to be on a mission to redecorate all of a sudden! After he left for the night, that branch seemed to be giving Jackie fits, so she placed it in the corner by the front porch and headed for the eggs, perhaps to take a break.
    After a while, she worked at removing the twigs from the new tree and seemed pretty satisfied with the finished project. She probably couldn't wait for Shadow to see it and show him how she redecorated the nursery... again!
    Jackie appeared to get some rest overnight and was awake when she heard Shadow's morning greeting. She responded with full-on chortles right back and they seemed to have quite the conversation! A few minutes later, he showed up ready for Daddy duty. They both seemed to enjoy another quiet and very calm afternoon as they switched places on the eggs.
    The last shift change brought about another vibrant conversation. Jackie began with her sweet talk but when Shadow threw his head back and loudly vocalized, what could have been his protest to leave, Jackie got louder too. Shadow let out a few of his trademark “snortles” and finally during a moment of silence after the discussion, Jackie tried her sweet twerplings on him once again. The two of them seemed to work out whatever they were discussing and seemed lovey dovey once again! Shadow slowly relinquished his place on the eggs to Jackie and they peacefully parted ways for the night.
    In closing tonight, we would like to take a moment to say a big Thank You to all of the families, teachers and students who are following Jackie and Shadow and this Big Bear eagle nest. We appreciate you and your support, for sharing this charming and devoted pair of eagles in your classrooms and in your homes all around the world! Education is so very important and we are happy you are here viewing and learning right along with all of us. Things are getting eggciting eagle family!
    BKind22
    GNTLGNTFlakeNoirHedda GablerNeesy
  • holdon windy At 10:16, M15 delivered a whole fish to the nest. E23 claimed the fish. As M15 scurried out from under E23's wing, E23 was caught by the wind and toppled. E23 managed to save self from going over side of nest. Then they re-claimed the fish and M15 left. E23 fussed a bit but then settled down to opening the fish and self-feeding. E23 opened the fish just like M15 does---fish mouth first and then rest of head.  rh

    Season 12 morning 03-01-2024 L1jpg

    Season 12 morning 03-01-2024 L5jpg


    GNTLGNTFlakeNoirHedda GablerNeesy
  • E23's OFFICIAL BRANCH AT 8:04:19 to the veranda branch. E23 is 62 days old. E23 stepped right up while wingersizing with a squee and is enjoying the view. 2 minutes ago




    GNTLGNTFlakeNoirHedda GablerNeesy
  • Shadow's extended shift...
    Jackie awoke to lingering snow in the nest on Sunday morning and the colder weather stuck around most of Sunday. She arose and stretched her wings and shook her feathers to begin her day. She waited an hour or so for Shadow to arrive and when he landed on the high perch, she was up and ready for a nice morning break.
    Shadow was attentive as always, rolling the eggs and aerating the nest bowl. It was still stormy with rain and wind, along with some occasional snow flurries. Shadow moved some fluff in and around the nest making it as comfy as possible for his beautiful family. Jackie returned before lunchtime and flew in with a very thin stick.
    As usual, Jackie had a bit of a time getting Shadow to leave the eggs but she used her “bite the beak” and “nibble the head feathers” strategy which seemed to work well this time!
    Jackie took a short nap and relaxed until she saw Shadow circle around, fly by the nest, and come in with a nice big wet pile of fluff. When she returned from her second break, Shadow ignored her as best he could by looking busy. She gave him a couple of her “looks” (even though he wasn't looking at her!) and she started moving the fluff he brought in earlier. He spun his head around and looked at her as if to say, “Hey, I was just getting to that!” Eventually, Jackie moved in as if to say “its time” and Shadow finally got up and moved to the back porch.
    By day's end, most of the snow had melted around the nest. The evening sunset was beautiful as Jackie relaxed and prepared for sleep.
    On Monday, Shadow may have had a busy morning as he arrived at the nest much later than usual. His shift was extended, however, when Jackie returned briefly with some fluff. They had what seemed like a serious discussion, then most likely to Shadow's delight, she turned and flew off again out the front porch!
    He rolled the three eggs and then shimmied back down on them. A couple of ravens bothered him as they flew above the nest tree canopy, but that was no problem for Shadow. He handled it with a fierce wingslap and the ravens quickly retreated.The skies were clearing and the sun was out but it remained somewhat windy.
    Thanks to Jackie extending his time with their eggs, Shadow's only shift on Monday ended up being just shy of five and a half hours! Jackie returned for the night shift and Shadow was likely off to roost in one of his favorite perch trees. Jackie chortled loudly at sunset which sounded like it might be a special goodnight to Shadow, their eggs and all their adoring fans.
    Note: As of Tuesday 3/5/24 at 18:00:00 PST, there is No Confirmed Pip.
    Thank you all for following Jackie and Shadow on their amazing journey!
    BKind22
    GNTLGNTHedda Gabler
  • Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam 18h · Jackie and Shadow, Nature and eggs… Over the past few days we have received an amazing number of comments and feedback from our global community about Jackie and Shadow. We appreciate this amazing outpouring of support! Please rest assured that our team is working as fast as we can to get back to everyone and address all inquiries. In the meantime and to assist in answering some of the more pressing questions, we will use this official Facebook page to update you and report our observations: We understand that everyone is worried about the eggs, some afraid to watch the cam, some afraid to turn away. We wish there was an obvious pip that we could report, but so far, there is not. We do not know why or how. But that is nature. Eggs 2 and 3 are still within the possible hatching window. Egg 1 is probably not. Sometimes watching nature is hard and our logical mind cannot understand and thinks it needs facts and absolutes. At the same time, our emotional mind wants to have something to hold onto, something to calm its confusion and its fears. We stopped zooming on the eggs so often because it seemed to be causing more upset and concern than curiosity and calmness. If and when a pip happens, we do not have to know about it instantly. We will see it soon enough. Watching nature builds our patience, our strength, our compassion and our resilience. As a biologist, watching human as well as animal behavior, I know that sometimes when we worry, we tend to get upset with the people and things around us. Or to want to blame something…because that’s easier than feeling what is happening inside, especially sadness. Please allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling. When you feel it, it can dissolve. And in the meantime, we will watch what is happening in nature… Jackie and Shadow have not given up on anything and continue their dedicated egg care. Tuesday morning Shadow showed up from the back porch shortly after dawn for an early morning duty shift. After a full night, Jackie was happy for a little break. She arrived back with fluff about an hour later. Shadow did a short bit of arguing, because obviously, you can’t just give in too easily or your mate might get the idea you are a push-over. But he gave egg-duty to Jackie and even gave her a couple hours on the nest before coming in with more fluff. They both brought fluff rather than sticks all day and they had smooth transitions the rest of the day…and a bit of a loud one when Shadow came in with a fish, as Jackie made sure everyone knew the fish was hers. The rest of the evening was Jackie’s. Shadow arrived early again yesterday morning and this time they have quite a long discussion about it before Jackie agreed to let him take over. They had only another couple exchanges through the day, as weather clouds started rolling in. They both seemed to be a little jumpy and were off the eggs a couple times during shift changes. There were some sub-adult bald eagles in the area and their guarding activities to chase those intruders away may have been the cause. By afternoon, snow had started, so Jackie took over nest duty as per Jackie’s rules. This morning, when the snow had stopped, Shadow showed up to take over. Jackie argued and then mumbled as she got up but looked a bit relieved to let him take over after sitting through the snowy night. Thank you all for your continued support, patience and calmness as we all watch to see what happens next. Sandy
    GNTLGNTHedda Gabler
  • Screenshot 2024-03-07 184127jpg

    Screenshot 2024-03-07 184322jpg

    Screenshot 2024-03-07 185335jpg

    E23  68 days, soon to be 10 weeks.  Successful branching to veranda and spike.
    GNTLGNTHedda GablerNeesy
  • Jackie and Shadow and their journey…
    As of today, there has been no confirmed pips in any of the eggs. This is later than Jackie’s eggs have hatched in the past, so it is probably unlikely for them to hatch at this point…but as someone pointed out to me, miracles do happen.
    It is not a matter of ‘giving up’, it is simply a matter of taking what is in front of us and moving forward…just the way Jackie and Shadow do.
    With the nest camera, we are all simply observers of their everyday journey. We can feel sad that things do not seem to be working out the way we had hoped or for the dissolving of expectations we had for what was to come.
    Jackie and Shadow and their journey are still here. They continue doing what they do best…being eagles and taking care of what they have in front of them in each moment.
    At this point, they are both caring for the eggs, switching places, arguing over who’s turn it is and being gentle and tender both with the eggs and with each other.
    As to why the eggs have not hatched, we have no way of knowing. It could be environmental, such as temperatures, humidity percentages, oxygen levels at high altitude, etc. It could be biological with something just being off at the time the eggs were created. It is very unlikely that either Jackie or Shadow are infertile since they have already had 2 sets of chicks together—in 2019 and 2022.
    So, we will continue watching and learning and enjoying Jackie and Shadow as we see what happens next…
    Saturday morning, when Jackie arrived after her break, Shadow argued for more time on the nest, as he usually does. Then he pretended to ignore her as Jackie started her sweet twerpling to convince him to get up.
    But suddenly, Jackie discovered some bits of left-over fish! She immediately switched her priority to cleaning those up before anyone else noticed they were there. Her change to ignoring that he was ignoring her seemed to throw Shadow into confusion…after a minute of not knowing what to do, he let Jackie have the nest.
    He must have rethought things as soon as he left. He returned twice in the next 8 minutes, each time with a different shaped stick, placing one on her tail and poking the other in her back. He seemed to be trying to show Jackie that he deserved more nest time. But, alas, neither time worked and he left looking disappointed.
    Never giving up, Shadow gave Jackie a couple hours on the nest, but this time came back with a bigger stick and landed it right across her back. Then, as he moved the stick to its proper location, he stepped right on Jackie’s back a few times…gently, but with sincerity about his desire to be back on nest duty. This time it worked. After some requisite crying about it, Jackie got up and flew off the front porch. As Shadow settled onto the eggs, Jackie could be heard in the distance, probably announcing that she’d be back soon.
    Thank you to each and every one of you for continuing to enjoy Jackie and Shadow and for your continued support and understanding even in the midst of all the emotional turmoil that nature can sometimes trigger inside us. We honor all of you in your individual journeys with what is happening.
    Sandy
    GNTLGNTHedda GablerNeesy
  • These California eagles struggle. 

    Spidey, what’s going on with florida cam?  It appears to be offline? 
    GNTLGNTNeesy
  • These California eagles struggle. 

    Spidey, what’s going on with florida cam?  It appears to be offline? 
    Cam 1 and Cam 3 are live. POND cam is down.
    E23 spent the night branched  on the attic branch rather than in nest. A new record for this nest.
    Continues to try different nest tree branches.  Fledging should be soon. 
    Hedda GablerGNTLGNTNeesy
  • edited March 15
    This florida baby is going to go any minute! He is right in the camera and you can see him twisting his head around thinking about “where can i go from here?”
    GNTLGNTNeesy
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