What to Know
- Jackie and Shadow, a devoted pair of bald eagles, have a nest near Big Bear Lake
- Jackie laid three eggs in January; the third egg, laid on Jan. 31, was a bit of a surprise for longtime watchers, who view the birds via a nest cam
- A large snowstorm just blew through the mountainous region; Jackie stayed with her eggs for a record 62 hours, reports Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit behind the nest and tree cameras
While a powerful storm delivered a substantial amount of sleet and snow to Big Bear Lake, one celebrated San Bernardino Mountains resident serenely hunkered down within her high-in-the-sky aerie.
It's Jackie the famous Big Bear bald eagle we're talking about, of course, a bird that is known around the world thanks to a nest-adjacent camera operated by the nonprofit nature group, Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Both Jackie and Shadow, her devoted mate, have soared into the hearts of thousands of onlookers in recent years, but what happened on Feb. 5, 6, and 7 may be discussed for decades among eagle lovers: A nest-hunkered record.
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And we do mean "hunkered": Jackie stayed hunkered down for well over two days, keeping her three eggs snug through some wild and wind-whipping winter weather.
All in all, she was there for "62 hours straight!!," a marvelous show of maternal dedication. It's a record for Jackie, revealed a Friends of Big Bear Valley post, which is something of note, given the bird's impressively lengthy nest stays in past years.
Shadow often comes by the nest to keep the eggs nice and toasty — the timing is up to the birds, of course, even if the parental switch-offs seem mysterious to human viewers — but Jackie put in the long haul during the February 2024 storm, which saw a sizable atmospheric river passing over much of the West Coast.
Thanks to her impressive plumage, she fended off the cold, and the trio of eggs remained close to Jackie's brood patch throughout, a warm and secure spot for three potential eaglets to ride out a squall.
Adding to the drama for onlookers?
The fact that Jackie was fully snowbound at several points of the storm. While the nest at times looked like a smooth and creamy meringue, with no life present, fans knew that Jackie, and her eggs, were temporarily buried at the center of the frosty mound.
Thousands of people have been keeping watch via Youtube, with classrooms, educators, and avian buffs keeping an eye on the snowy perch.
Jackie's sensational 62-hour run came to a close when Shadow showed up on Feb. 7 and, quite vocally, seemed to announce his time with the eggs had arrived.
Learn more about this inspiring sight, and how Jackie's crop keeps her from growing peckish during long days and nights spent on the nest, on this Friends of Big Bear Valley post now.
As for when the babies may appear, if there are babies in those obsessed-over eggs? "Pip Watch," which is when observers begin looking for tiny breaks in the eggs, begins Feb. 29.
