Live Eagle Cam — Big Bear, California

Hedda Gabler

spideyman said:

E23 at 14 weeks

He’s such a pretty guy. (Yes, it could be a girl). A far eagle cry from that goofy little dust bunny . 

spideyman

Heartstopping moment.........  Vid and scrap by Lady Hawk

This is a video that I just received from Lady Hawk. I'm putting it here ahead of some others that I already had because I want everybody to see and understand the danger that our eagles are in every time that they go down to Bayshore to get road kill animals to feed themselves and E23. These cars go 50+ miles per hour and many drivers have no idea that our eagle family is so close to the road or that they go into the street to get food. It could mean a horrible disaster! 


F23 landing by the road kill

SWFL Eagles ~ A DANGEROUS MOMENT  F23 LANDS ON STREET GETTING ROADKILL! E23 FLIES AFTER HER 4.10.24


 .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mBh41wyPXw . 


F23 standing by RK in the middle of the road

From Lady Hawk --- April 10, 2-24

This afternoon, E23 was on the attic and flew off across the street towards Yonder pond looking for Mom. E23 spent about a half hour over there before returning to the nest. F23 is in the treetop and E23 is squeeing at Mom. E23 goes to the veranda and attic and watches as F23 flies off across busy Bayshore Road and lands right in the middle of the street!! E23 immediately flies off the attic towards Mom! Fortunately F23 was able to get out of the road before E23 landed there and she took the roadkill (which is a bird) back to the nest. E23 followed squeeing and mantled the prey. F23 then went to the veranda and attic. E23 begins to de-feather the bird and eats it. F23 had flown off for the night in her roosting spot while E23 was still eating. When finished, E23 goes to the veranda to feak its beak and then to the attic.

For the very first time, E23 flew off the attic heading east past the church and did not return home to the nest tree to roost tonight! E23 may be in the church tree or one of the trees close by but it is too dark to tell.

Bayshore road is a very busy street and the eagles put themselves at risk each time they see roadkill in the road. Right after F23 flew off with the roadkill, a car was coming towards her. She could have been hit and with E23 flying right at her, could have landed in the road and not had enough time to get out safely with the car coming at them.

A few days ago, I shared a link to a petition started by some friends who photograph the eagles at the nest to change the speed limit on Bayshore Rd. and to have signs installed alerting drivers to be aware of low flying Eagles in an attempt to protect our beloved Bald Eagles. If you have not done so, please sign the petition to help protect our Eagle family! Here is the link:
https://www.change.org/p/protection-o...

Thank you all so much!


That is E23 flying after it's Mom.

To see the highlights below, please click on the timestamps to advance to that portion of the video.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Opening E23 flies off attic across street towards yonder pond looking for Mom
01:08 E23 back at nest - F23 in treetop
02:09 E23 to veranda and attic
02:54 Cam 1 F23 flies off to get roadkill located in the middle of Bayshore Rd
03:18 F23 lands on the busy road!
03:32 E23 flies off attic towards Mom - she grabs RK and flies back to the nest. E23 in pursuit
04:50 360 view of F23 flying off, E23 following & both returning to nest
06:26 E23 mantles the bird, de--feathers and eats
08:07 F23 flew off heading east for night
08:36 E23 continues to eat
10:08 E23 finished goes to veranda and attic
10:46 E23 flies off heading east past church trees till out of view


F23 flies off with the road kill

Thank you SWFEC , hosted by Dick Pritchett Real Estate, for allowing us the opportunity to view these amazing eagles.


She just missed this speeding black car--or it just missed her

..

spideyman

Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam

3h  · 

Egg update…

After spending his fourth night on the nest, Shadow left at dawn but returned an hour or so later to do more nest duty. Shortly after he arrived, Jackie bounced in with a big stick to add to the nest. Shadow left soon after Jackie arrived and she stayed for a little while on the back porch watching around the neighborhood.

Sometime during this joint visit, one of the eggs got broken. It was unclear exactly how it got broken but with the eggs now over 70 days old, the dry air here in the mountains would have dried them out significantly and made them much more fragile. It is possible that Jackie accidentally mis-stepped when she joyously brought that new stick to the nest. It is possible that the pressure when Shadow laid down to incubate was too much for the weakened shell to handle. The egg still had yolk and albumin inside, so it had not developed at all.

A bit later in the morning, Shadow was enjoying the view from the Lookout Snag when Jackie joined him. Shadow immediately mounted her for a quick mating and then they both celebrated with their usual announcement to the neighborhood. They have been seen or heard mating nearly every day this week. So, even as they are deciding to let go of incubating the current eggs, they may be preparing for new ones.

When Shadow next came to the nest, he looked at the eggs closely, like something was different. He sat in the nest bowl and stayed for nearly an hour. Then he looked at the eggs again when he got up—one was only half a shell turned upside-down.

Shadow left the eggs alone for over two hours before returning this time. He looked closely at the eggs again before sitting down. When he stood up a while later, the broken eggshell had apparently been squashed and only two eggs showed in the nest.

Neither Jackie nor Shadow returned to the nest all afternoon. It seems that seeing the broken egg had some kind of impact on Shadow to keep him from returning as often as in previous days.

When he came back in the evening, he inspected the eggs very closely, but left without sitting on them. Jackie visited a short time later and spent a few minutes digging around in the fluff surrounding the two remaining eggs. When she was finished, both eggs had been covered enough with fluff that they were no longer visible to the camera.

Tonight, Jackie and Shadow are sleeping together on their favorite roost tree, snuggled side-by-side on the same limb.

Nature seems to be delivering daily surprises. Thank you for joining Jackie and Shadow in their ongoing journey as we watch to see what happens next!

Sandy

19:48:56 Jackie  is seen burying the remaining 2 eggs in the nest 🧐Then they leave and a conversation is heard ........Seems like a funeral, so sad, but I am glad they are moving on !! 🥰🦅🦅

spideyman

Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam

8h  · 

Moving forward…

Jackie stopped incubating the eggs a few days ago and after much encouragement from Jackie, Shadow also stopped on Thursday evening when he saw that one of the eggs had been broken. Their new perspective after letting go seems to have allowed them both to start again with reorganizing the nest.

Friday began with very early mating on the Lookout Snag—and then, as usual, they both chortled out the neighborhood announcement about it!

In the afternoon, Shadow first brought an especially long stick, and Jackie soon joined him with her own stick offering. Both of them spent lots of time cleaning up and aerating the nest bowl—from their actions, it appeared like the nest was probably full of ants, attracted by the broken egg. They each focused on cleaning up the ants by digging down into the nest bowl and also picking them one at a time off the fluff. At one point Shadow even picked an ant off of Jackie’s cheek.

After Shadow left, Jackie stayed a while longer, continuing with her cleaning operations. As soon as she flew out, Shadow came back for one more ant cleanup.

That evening was time for another happy mating rendezvous on the Lookout Snag, along with their joyous mating vocals.

When the camera searched for where they might be roosting that night, it appears that the alternate roost tree they used earlier in the season may have blown down in some of the recent wind storms. It was no longer visible on the camera.

On Saturday Jackie and Shadow took a bit of a break and didn’t come to the nest until early evening. Shadow was first again, with his requisite stick to contribute. It is possible that in placing his stick, he may have accidentally stepped on one of the remaining eggs. He seemed to be checking it out before he left. Since they are not incubating any longer, their mode of operation has changed and they are no longer being careful in the nest bowl or balling their feet to keep their talons tucked.

Jackie arrived shortly after Shadow left, with a heavy-duty all-purpose stick. After getting that hefty guy put into place, she seemed to notice the broken egg. After checking it out, she chose to eat the contents from inside the broken shell. Doing this is likely her way of cleaning up the nest, which helps prepare it for whatever might come next. It can also dissuade predators from coming to the nest. The egg showed no signs of development inside. The third egg appeared to still be there, buried under the fluff. Sometimes it can be hard to watch nature in the raw. It operates from its own unique set of perspectives and priorities.

Jackie headed out of the nest as the storm winds picked up, bringing one more dusting of snow to the area. At least this time, both Jackie and Shadow can be tucked somewhere dry and away from the wind and falling moisture.

Sandy

spideyman

spideyman

E23  15 weeks


Family photo

Hedda Gabler

Florida kid still hanging around last i saw. 

Big Bear eagles finally gave up. If he doesn’t give this chick 🤓 babies, she will move on to another partner. 

Who keeps the nest?

spideyman

Jackie and Shadow have been a bonded pair since 2018.  They have faced success and hardship together. Eagles bond for life.  The female dominates(is the queen of) the nest/ the male is the protector and provider. 

Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam

Both Jackie and Shadow spent their day doing some tree hopping, perching and observing. They have been enjoying their time bonding together away from the nest, especially on one of their favorite snag trees, the Stick Depot Snag.

The wide view cam2 captured a Peregrine Falcon perched on the Cactus Snag at the end of the evening just before sunset. Sunset at the nest was another absolutely beautiful one with a calming pink ribbon sky and gorgeous view of the lake.

The days and nights at the nest and in the eagle territory will likely be a little quieter now that the eagles appear to be on their break from nesting, however, we will still see them from time to time so keep watching and listening for them!

BKind22


E23 turns sweet 16 weeks today.  Only he/ she will know when the time is right for the life journey.  Average is 127 days.  Earliest 115/ longest 216. 

Hedda Gabler

Good to know!

spideyman

Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam

4h  · 

Jackie and Shadow…checking back in…

Jackie and Shadow apparently needed a little break from the nest after they finally realized the eggs were not going to hatch.

On Tuesday they visited nearby perches in the evening and then spent the night in their favorite roost tree. On Wednesday and Thursday, they spent time popping on and off of a few of their favorite trees, but used other roost trees those nights.

On Friday and Saturday, it seems they decided to have a little lake vacation, hanging out elsewhere around the lake and they were not seen at all in the nest area. While they were gone, a white-breasted nuthatch, a Stellar’s Jay and Fiona (the nighttime-visiting San Bernardino flying squirrel) each nourished themselves with part of the leftover eggshells in the nest. Nature’s beautiful cycles show us that even a hard, sad thing from one perspective, serves to benefit others in a different direction.

Then, hooray! On Sunday, Jackie and Shadow both made an appearance back in the area. They made an announcement that they were back and both spent a couple hours on their favorite roost tree in the late morning…they were hidden behind a limb so it was hard to see them except when they moved…or when they flew off. They left one right after the other.

Sunday evening, Shadow flew in to check out the nest. He checked the nest bowl—and may have found some more ants to catch as he moved fluff around. One egg could still be seen underneath the fluff. Apparently, the ravens made a truce and decided not to raid the nest this year, or else Jackie and Shadow were so emphatic about keeping them away that they are still afraid to drop by at all.

Shadow checked out every corner of the nest and of course, had to arrange a few of the mischievous sticks that had obviously moved away from their proper location. Then, he flew off to join Jackie at the Roost Tree for the night.

They were still together on the roost tree this morning and one of them stuck around on the Stick Depot Snag for a while before heading out toward the lake.



E23 plays at the pond

spideyman

Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam

18h  · 

Stickfest and more!

A few nights ago, a spectacular full moon lit up the evening sky and also reflected the beauty of the lake.

The next morning began with another golden sunrise over the mountains, followed by visits from some feathered friends. One was an early fly-by from a Band-tailed Pigeon.

A couple of hours later, a somewhat noisy Steller's Jay stopped by this popular nest built way up high in the Jeffrey pine tree. The jay just poked around in their well-constructed big pile of sticks and fluff that belongs to our beloved eagle pair, Jackie and Shadow.

That familiar melodic song of the Mountain Chickadee could be heard nearby as it sang its same song over and over. A Hummingbird also darted and danced around the nest tree to the quick beat of its own wings.

Thursday started out with a coastal marine layer of low clouds and fog moving through the area. Before dawn, Fiona, our beloved local flying squirrel, made a couple of quick visits to the nest and found some leftover snacks to munch on. Just before sunrise, the cam found both eagles snuggled together in the Roost Tree (RT)... way up high!

Two more Steller's Jays also arrived at the nest tree before sunrise with one landing on the high perch. The other entered the nest and took a few pecks at the remaining egg in the bowl. It managed to take a small piece of the shell in its beak and fly off with it.

It was a quiet morning like yesterday but still windy when Jackie arrived in the afternoon with a pile of dried pine needles. She was busy aerating the bowl when Shadow arrived with another big pile of the same needles.

This started a full out stickfest and Jackie seemed to be on a stick mission all afternoon. The sticks were big and odd shaped and they both worked together to place them. At break time, Jackie took some nibbles of the pine cone and they both took a rest to perch and watch the ravens who could be heard nearby.

When they went back to work, Jackie almost clobbered Shadow as she came in with stick #5, which was more like a small tree! He just moved out of her way and went to work on an easier stick. They were definitely working hard and putting in some serious time nest building.

After Jackie brought in stick #8, Shadow gave her a love nip and they had a sweet little beak bonding moment on the back porch. They went right back to work though after those beaky kisses. Shadow was now the stick supervisor and Jackie was the worker queen bee who went out and gathered the sticks.

Stick delivery ceased after #12 so they took a little breather and perched together on the front porch. Shadow left first and Jackie followed him a few minutes later, surely for a much needed meal break. Hopefully they had a nice 'early bird' fresh fish dinner down by the lake together.

The nest is now full of a new array of crazy sticks and guardrails and a stick was even placed over the pine cone decor.

After their busy day, they spent some time on a favorite tree, the Lookout Snag. Jackie arrived first and Shadow joined her for a quick mating session before nightfall and they also enjoyed some quiet time there together.

They delighted us with a final visit later that evening when they both returned to the nest with full crops, so we know they enjoyed a nice hearty dinner. Jackie hauled in nine sticks total and Shadow contributed two, plus their two big piles of pine needle fluff. This made for a super busy afternoon and quite the stickfest!

They ended their day perched together and spent the night side by side in the Roost Tree, one of their favorite places in the eagle habitat.

Thank you all for joining us on this journey with our beloved Jackie and Shadow! Stay tuned for more eagle adventures!

BKind22

spideyman

spideyman

Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam

17h  · 

Shadow's fish gifts…

As usual, Jackie and Shadow seem to be really enjoying life together during their spring break. Tuesday morning was no different as they were both seen side by side in one of their favorite spots, the Roost Tree.

A little later, Shadow carved out a beautiful fly-by and brought in a whole large fish in his left talon. He had a full crop already so we know this was likely a special delivery for his love Jackie. Shadow has brought a few fish to the nest lately and sharing these gifts with his beautiful mate just seems like a favorite thing for him to do.

Jackie's wingspan flying in was spectacular and she actually came in very quietly this time. She didn't start squeeing or twerpling for the fish gift until she landed next to Shadow and he gave her a little love bite on her head.

He usually manages to get in a few bites of the fish before she comes in, but it doesn't really seem all that important to him as he usually just relinquishes it to her without much fuss. Plus, it seems like he really enjoys doing special things for her and kind of enjoys seeing her reaction to the gifts.

He released the fish and of course Jackie claimed it as hers! How hungry was she? Well, we really don't know, but we do know Jackie loves to eat and she seems to love these precious gifts from her handsome Shadow!

Shadow kept an eye on the nearby ravens while Jackie ate and continued her soft twerpling throughout the meal. Shadow did some aerating of the nest, then went to clean his beak on a back porch branch. Usually when Jackie finishes her meal, Shadow likes to go over and snoop around and check for any leftovers, which he did!

They moved a few sticks together and aerated the nest, then Shadow left off the front porch and Jackie flew out the back.

Soon after Jackie finished her fish breakfish, Shadow went over to the Simba Tree where he spent some time perching. From there, he and Jackie changed things up a bit and decided to meet in the Roost Tree for a sweet little mating session. Lately, we have seen them mating in the Lookout Snag or the Stick Depot Snag trees.

After their little rendezvous in the Roost Tree, this is where they spent most of their peaceful afternoon, just perching, observing and listening to all that surrounded them.

They had a great evening together in the Stick Depot Snag tree, flirting and hopping around like the lovebirds they are! Shadow made a couple of fly-arounds and then joined Jackie as they nuzzled beak to beak in the bottom limbs of one of their favorite perch trees.

They must have decided to change it up and sleep somewhere else that night since they spent most of their time in the Roost Tree earlier in the day.

Yesterday morning, Jackie surprised us all and beat Shadow to the nest, in what seemed like a fun little race. He was carrying another fish and was pretty hot on Jackie's tail, landing right next to her where she gladly claimed her fish! Shadow put up a little fight, but once again his crop looked pretty full and he seems to use these fish gifts rituals as a way to bond even more closely with Jackie.

After she snatched the fish, Shadow headed to the back porch. They were both feeling the effects of the warmer weather and were panting a bit with their beaks open, which is quite normal as eagles don't have sweat glands.

Jackie polished off the fish in no time at all, gobbling down that tail in one last BIG gulp… perhaps that has become her favorite part of the fish! She seemed to thank Shadow with one solo call and that was his sign to come on over, clean up any leftovers and tidy up the nest.

Shadow hopped up onto a high branch on the front porch and Jackie perched on the other side. Shadow was on the limb where he taught young Spirit, their last eaglet that fledged in 2022, how to branch. Branching is how the young ones learn to hop around from branch to branch and grasp the limbs with their talons and also work on balancing.

Shadow then moved up even higher and Jackie let out a couple of loud calls. Just after her calls, he flew off right over her head and Jackie followed soon after.

Stay tuned for even more wonderful adventures of Jackie and Shadow!

BKind22



E23

spideyman

This may be the last footage and flight we have of E23 who was last seen on May 3rd at 2:36pm flying over the pond and heading east. E23 may still be in the area, across the street at Yonder pond or someplace out of view of the cam. The average time for E's to leave the area is 127 days and E23 was 124 days old on May 3rd. It is bittersweet to see E23 fly off and disappear from our sight. We know that that the time for departure is close when E23 misses food deliveries on the nest which E23 has done recently. We will watch and wait to see if E23 will return again to the nest tree. The footage begins with E23 waking up on the upper branch and will fly over to the CSS (church side snag) and perch for awhile before flying off east. E23 is then seen flying N/W over the pond and circling back toward the west side of the pond. A large bird flies E to W, then E23 flies from the Office oak and follows west. E23 makes a joyous squee arrival back to the spike branch at 2:31pm. The shrikes are dive bombing again. E23 drops to the nest and flies off to the office oak. E23 does not stay long in the office oak and flies off east, then back towards the pond and circles around and flies east again till out of cam view. Stay safe E23 where ever you are! Time will tell over the next few days if E23 has left or not. ♥ I am already missing our Squee 23 ♥ Thank you for watching!




*****will  update of E23 re appears.

spideyman

Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam

2d  · 

Coming and going and guarding and snuggling...

On Friday morning, Jackie and Shadow started off with a little meet-up at the Lookout Snag. After their day somewhere around the lake, they each dropped by the nest in the late afternoon--Jackie first and then Shadow.

Jackie’s visit lasted over half an hour. First, she decided that the nest bowl needed more aeration…and it seemed like she may have spotted some leftover ants who were still cleaning up the area. Apparently, they were not cooperating very well with her picking them off to eat—every time she dug into the nest bowl, she made motions and faces like she was trying to shake them off…

…so, she gave up on that and went out to enjoy the neighborhood scenery from the front porch and pose for a few closeups.

When she left, she stopped by a couple of favorite perch trees on her way through the area...maybe making sure everyone knows she's still around and watching.

Only 20 minutes after Jackie left, Shadow showed up to check things out at the nest. He mostly hung out on the front porch, taking a look around both the nest and his territory to make sure all was in proper order. Seemingly satisfied, he flew off. Later that evening, Jackie and Shadow both dropped by the Stick Depot Snag. The sticks they brought weren’t ‘sticking’ when they tried to deposit them…so, it seemed like a good time to let go of that work and spend a nice night together in their favorite roost tree.

The next evening, there was a swift fly-by of the nest by an adult eagle that might not have been Shadow. Jackie was in the distance behind whoever it was when they passed the nest and she started issuing complaints as soon as she landed on the front balcony. After keeping a sharp eye out and shouting out some more warnings, Jackie flew off, looking satisfied that she had successfully guarded her nest.

Shadow came in a bit later, perhaps to test and make sure stick deposits work best in the nest instead of that other tree. And just to make doubly sure, he returned before sunset with some fluff for the nest. Now, he could feel complete that he had done his full job for the day.

For the next three days, Jackie and Shadow have been out and about without visiting the nest. But they did drop in to check out their territory from the Stick Depot Snag each evening. And last night they were back in their favorite roost tree for a snuggly night together.

Thank you for ‘sticking’ with Jackie and Shadow as we all get to watch their ongoing journey and daily decisions for what might be next.

Sandy

spideyman

It is official- E23 took flight and soared on May 3 at 2:36PM .

Thank you to M15, F23 and E23, the stars of our season. They are the reason we have all come together. M15 and F23 have shown us how a bonded couple work together to prepare for and successfully raise an eaglet to fledge. M15 and F23 taught E23 the skills needed to begin a life on their own. E23 was a spunky, observant and intelligent eaglet who didn’t miss a beat. I hope E23 lives a long, healthy life full of Eagle successes.

spideyman

May 15 is the final day of Nesting Season. Adults were seen today in the South pine, at the pond for a bath. Adult perched in the office oak for a while before flying NE. E23 has not been seen on cam since 5-3 at 2:36pm. Safe travels. 

spideyman

Shadow stood soundly to thwart the advance of an errant eagle, then flew back to Jackie! Golden and White-Tailed Eagles feed their youngins!

spideyman

As Season 12 comes to a close, the pasture is hot and very dry with large patches of grass missing. The nest is a mess of bones, broken sticks and chewed on pine cones. However, across the highway a beautiful Royal Poinciana tree is in full bloom to welcome the hot summer months. This has been a most interesting season as the statues of Harriet and M15 continue to guard the pasture gates. Hopefully Season 13 will open with good weather and we will see the return of beautiful F23 and M15 to the nest tree and their gifts of more beautiful eaglets.  

M15 and F23 are still viewed in and around the pasture. Summer break for them.

spideyman

Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam  May 30

Home is wherever the eagles are…

Jackie and Shadow fans were excited and delighted on Saturday evening at dusk when they visited their main nest in the tall Jeffrey pine tree. They are, after all, on their vacation from nesting so whenever they stop by for a visit it just makes our day better!

They added five new sticks plus did some furniture rearranging and nest cleaning. It's quite common to use their beaks to aerate or dig down and turn over the straw, dried grasses and other nest materials that settle and compact there.

Shadow stayed around a little longer than Jackie and when he arrived at their usual night branch in the Roost Tree, Jackie appeared to already be sleeping. So he quietly wiggled around a little and cleaned a few feathers before settling in close to his sleepy lady love for the night.

The next morning they were up early and began their day by bringing three sticks to the nest. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and they rested a little in between their nest work to check out that amazing view of the lake.

After they were satisfied with this work, they headed to the Stick Depot Snag to place three more sticks in their ‘protonest’. They decided to take off the remainder of the day… perhaps to handle some other eagle business, get a meal, relax near the lake or just perch and take in all the beauty of the forest.

Before nightfall, they both returned to the SDS tree and spent another hour and a half toting in six more sticks to place in the protonest. Jackie finished and left first, presumably heading to the Roost Tree. She was heard chortling, perhaps a shout out to Shadow to quit working and come on over and meet up with her.

Not quite ready to go, Shadow hopped out to the very tip of a branch on the left side of the SDS tree, balancing and preparing as if he might snap a branch off with his talons. Instead, he flew off, then circled back to the SDS, choosing a spot to land with a long stick he quickly found somewhere else. Some sticks are still not sticking and continue to fall to the ground in this ‘protonest’, while others seemingly have been woven together and remain.

Shadow's night seemed complete so he finally flew off. A few minutes later, their lovely duet chortles were heard loud and clear as Jackie welcomed Shadow to the Roost Tree for the night.

At daybreak Monday, Shadow was awake before Jackie and he waited patiently for her internal alarm to go off. She woke up and stretched her wings, then both eagles sang another sweet morning song together. After a little self grooming, they both headed to the nest while the sun was still rising.

Shadow arrived first with a stick in his beak and Jackie followed him in with a second stick. Jackie had her eye on something and she seemed distracted and she moved to the back porch. A raven could be heard nearby and then both Jackie and Shadow flew off, returning shortly with more new stick furniture.

When they finished arranging the new items, they moved over to the SDS protonest and added a couple of sticks there as well. They were off for the afternoon again but returned briefly to perch on the SDS before retiring together in the Roost Tree for some more sweet eagle dreams!

Of course we can't say for sure but Jackie and Shadow may have every intention of laying their next clutch of eggs in their usual nest tree (which would likely be sometime next January-March) and this protonest could just be a fun summer project to keep them busy, building and bonding. We will wait together to see what becomes of it!

It is said that home is where the heart is. May our hearts continue to leap for joy at the mere presence of our dear Jackie and Shadow and may their sweet songs always ring true in our hearts. Thank you all for following and for your dedication to this bonded pair. Oh what a truly beautiful gift we have been given!!

BKind22

Hedda Gabler

Big Bear eagles visited the nest yesterday. Maybe gearing up for babes?

spideyman

Big Bear nesting season is Dec 1- thru April 1.  Jackie and Shadow have been seen numerous times over the summer months either in the nest, or snag tree, or roost tree. 

37 days til the SWFL nesting season  Oct 1- thru May 15.  Cams should go live on or just before Oct 1. M and F have been seen by ground observers throughout the summer months.

spideyman

M15 and F23 were both at the nest while I was there this morning. Just after 8 AM, F arrived to the nest from the south and M arrived to the nest from the north. They aerated (pulling up and rearranging nest material) the nest bole together and even had "discussions" about their nest already. F23 was first out in the pasture to gather material, returning with her talons full of moss... losing some on the way back to the nest. M15 then flew to the ground under the pond oak and found a nice stick to take back to the nest. F watched M place it and rearrange other sticks before dropping down to assist in placement. At 9 AM, F23 flew across the road flying beyond yonder pond and out of sight. M15 remained at the nest for a while watching his territory before flying west out of sight behind the west pasture tree line. It was a great morning to watch M15 & F23 doing nest work preparing for a new season of eggs and eaglets. This is the 2nd season for M&F as a bonded couple and the 13th season documenting the couples and eaglets that have been seen at the SWFL nest from the ground and the SWFEC cams. *Thank you SWFEC, hosted by Dick Pritchett Real Estate, for providing & maintaining suitable trees & environment for this Bald Eagle Family. www.SWFLEagleCam.com *Thank you to Dick Pritchett Real Estate (SWFEC), Church of the Nazarene, Eagle Landing & several friends for allowing me to film on their premises. And thank you to my 'spotter'.

spideyman

Jackie and Shadow in a smoky valley…and ‘Line Fire’ update…

Over the last few days, Big Bear Valley has been impacted by heavy drift smoke from the Line Fire that started down the mountain near Highland on September 5. Other than the smoke, our valley has not been impacted.

The fire has burned about 25,000 acres near the base of the mountain and is currently at about 5% containment--with 1,708 personnel assigned and lots of air support involved. Since it is burning across a wide expanse, the fire has caused 2 out of 3 roads leading to Big Bear to be closed. At the moment, that leaves Highway 18 toward Lucerne Valley as the only exit.

As of today, an evacuation warning has been issued for the entire valley, most likely as a matter of caution due to the currently limited exit routes off the mountain. An evacuation warning means that the residents are asked to evacuate voluntarily, or get prepared in case evacuation comes later, but there is no immediate threat to life.

For those unfamiliar with the area: the Line Fire is still several thousand feet down the mountain. There are several high peaks and ridges in between the fire and our valley, as well as about 10 miles (as the eagle flies) of rugged terrain.

Even though Jackie and Shadow have not been visiting the nest itself very often over the past few weeks, they have been spending many nights on the nearby roost tree and stopping by some of their favorite perch trees as a morning ritual.

It is not uncommon for our mountaintop valley to experience drift smoke and evacuation warnings. And Jackie and Shadow often disappear for a day or two when unusual situations happen, such as lots of smoke in the air. They did that during the Radford Fire in 2022.

This week also, they had a couple days of radio silence…we saw and heard them on September 7, including the nice fly-by on the video. But then tonight, one of our beautiful eagles came back to spend the night on the favorite Roost Tree (and get added to the video!)—probably a good sign, since that means they feel comfortable being in the area.

The past few days we’ve also had an unusual number of visitors to the nest tree--as today's video shows: Dark-eyed Juncos, Pygmy Nuthatches, White-breasted Nuthatches, Red-breasted Nuthatches, White headed Woodpeckers, Steller's Jays to name a few! Wildfires often prompt animals to leave their established habitats and seek shelter elsewhere, so that could be why we’ve had such a wide variety of new visitors.

As we wait to see what the fire decides to do next, we would like to give a HUGE and well-deserved Thank You to all the brave firefighters and support personnel working to keep us safe! Their dedication and hard work is appreciated beyond words.

In the meantime, we will keep an eye out for Jackie and Shadow visits, and be holding positive thoughts that the ‘evacuation warning’ remains only a precautionary warning--so far, all is well, even if a bit smoky. We will keep you updated as the situation progresses.

Cali and Sandy

P.S. For more information about nest events, you are welcome to join our community Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fobbv

FlakeNoir

🤞🙏❤️ Always scary.
Thanks Spidey. 😊