The world could use a lift right now, and it’s got one – high up in an eagle’s nest above Big Bear Lake in Southern California.
There, at just before midnight on Monday, a tiny chick pecked its way into the world, followed by another hatching at 4:29 a.m. One more egg to go for the bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow, who have become a global phenomenon, showing their parental dedication to tens of thousands of viewers via a solar-powered webcam.
“Honestly this tiny piece of happiness in a world of dark was really needed!” wrote Danielle Lynn Detjen on the Facebook page of Friends of Big Bear Valley, which runs the live camera. “I’m so happy and excited for the little eaglets. You can do it babies!”
Why We Wrote This
Spring promises rebirth. After a long winter of political fighting, social strife, and economic woes, the successful hatching of eaglets serves as a reminder of nature’s capacity for resilience and renewal.
Followers from as far away as Australia and France echoed the joy, with nearly 80,000 watching Tuesday morning, according to the online gathering. They included a group of kindergartners from Tennessee, who were “very excited” to see “two beautiful bobbleheads.”
The hatching is especially meaningful because for two years in a row, the bald eagle pair’s eggs have failed to hatch, leaving thousands of hopeful nature-watchers devastated.
“My heart is full of joy, and there’ve been tears streaming down my face. I’m so excited that they finally have their chicks that the world’s been waiting for,” says Sandy Steers, a biologist and longtime director of Friends of Big Bear Valley.
But challenges still lie ahead, from predators like ravens and hawks to severe weather.
In the decade that the webcam has been focused on the nest, Jackie has had five chicks. Three of them fledged, but the others didn’t survive a major storm. They had not yet developed their waterproof feathers, and at 6 weeks old, they were too large to fit entirely under their mother.
How hatching happens
Just getting this far is a major undertaking.
“Hatching is a very strenuous process that usually takes from 1 to 3 days from start to finish,” writes one of the volunteer operators of the cam.
Courtesy of Friends of Big Bear Valley
Oxygen diminishes inside the egg, forcing the chick to begin pecking its way out. It uses a protrusion on its beak, called an egg tooth, and a special muscle on the back of its neck to break out of the egg. It takes so much effort that the chick needs periods of rest while it works its way out. The yolk, which the chick absorbs right before it hatches, will provide the baby bird with nutrition before its parents can feed it.
With the sun streaming in, Jackie arrived at the nest at 8:30 Tuesday morning, giving clear vocal signals for her male partner, Shadow, to move along and let her get to her chicks.
For just a minute, viewers could watch one of the light gray balls of fluff raise its head and wobble. The second one lay curled next to it and moved slightly before Jackie rolled the remaining egg and gently lowered herself on top. Since their natal down is thin, the chicks will need their parents’ warmth until their thermal down grows in thicker. That will take about two weeks.
Who’s the boss?
The bald eagles have personalities and distinct qualities, says Ms. Steers. Jackie is the boss, while Shadow has an independent streak. Both are dedicated, protective, and loving. Last year, Jackie logged a record 62 hours of nonstop sitting, warming, and otherwise protecting her eggs – through harsh blizzard conditions – without leaving the nest.
“This is my third year watching. My kids laugh at me and tell me I talk about Jackie and Shadow like [they] are my real friends,” writes Hiwoxuu Hisei on Facebook. “They are! Hahhaha. This is so awesome to watch!”
The eagle couple have matured over the past year, observes Ms. Steers. “They are more patient with each other and more soft-talking,” she says. “It’s beautiful to watch how they have both come along.”
It’s a message the world needs, she says, noting that people come to the webcam to “open their heart and to be able to fill it with love and joy again because they aren’t finding it somewhere else.”
You can watch the live cam here.
