Something a bit special was swirling on the wind at Big Bear Lake during the afternoon hours of Jan. 25, and it wasn't just the frosty forecast of light snow.
Jackie, the celebrated bald eagle, laid her second egg of the season, exactly three days after the first egg arrived Jan. 22.
Well, almost exactly: In years gone by, Jackie has laid her eggs at just about the same time each day. This time around, egg #1 arrived a few minutes after 5 p.m. on Jan. 22 while egg #2 made its Jan. 25 debut at 4:45 p.m., a full 20 minutes earlier.
But of course, the eagle, and her longtime mate Shadow, are on their own schedule, something that their fans across the world know and respect as they watch a nest-close camera run by the nonprofit organization Friends of Big Bear Valley.
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Swirling flakes soon followed the second egg's arrival, and while Jackie wasn't fully covered by a blanket of white during the night as she has been in years gone by, she did nestle down, and protect her eggs, under a substantial amount of snow.
An eagle's feathery "armor" keeps the bird quite safe and snug during the winteriest weather events, while any eggs stay toasty under the bird's warm brood patch.
Both Big Bear eagles help to incubate their eggs, and the hand-offs — or "talon-offs," if you prefer, when Jackie and Shadow conclude and start their shifts — are something that eagle enthusiasts anticipate.
The eagles' maneuvering around the nest during these hand-offs, as well as their apparent unwillingness to end their time tending to the eggs and seemingly spicy conversation, make for moments that are both endearing and comical to our human eyes.
Will a third egg arrive around Jan. 28? It's a question some fans surely have, as Jackie's 2024 clutch consisted of three eggs (they were ultimately nonviable).
If you'd like to see if a third egg might be in the works, you'll want to check out the nest camera Jan. 28 around the mid-afternoon.
Jackie traditionally lays her eggs about three days apart, though Friends of Big Bear Valley shared that a second or third egg can arrive anywhere from three to five days after the first or second egg is laid.
But every Big Bear bald eagle buff is chuffed over the two 2025 eggs, reminders that nature is a gift, as is the chance to view the daily doings of two majestic birds as they care for their latest additions.
As for when the eggs might hatch? The incubation period is around 35 days, so set an eagle-themed alert for late February.
