A pair of nesting bald eagles have once again captured the attention of bird lovers across the globe as they wait for two eggs to hatch.
The eagles, named Jackie and Shadow, have been taking turns protecting the eggs in their nest high above California's Big Bear Valley, where a live webcam is focused on them 24/7.
Friends of Big Bear Valley, which installed the Eagle Nest Cam, is expecting a "Pip Watch" to begin on February 26. A pip is a small crack made by the chick that signals the first sign of hatching.
Jackie laid the first egg on January 22 at 15:43:26 and the second egg on January 25 at 15:43:19 -- just seven seconds short from being exactly three days apart, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Video of Jackie laying her eggs was posted to the organization's Facebook page, which often highlights exciting events happening around the nest.
Bald eagles typically lay between one and three eggs and practice delayed incubation, meaning they wait until all eggs have been laid before the female begins incubation. This allows the eggs to cool down and slows development so the chicks will hatch closer together, giving them a better chance of survival.
"Due to delayed incubation, the first egg usually hatches around 38 to 39 days, the 2nd egg hatches 1 to 2 days after the first," Friends of Big Bear Valley explained.
That means the eggs will likely begin hatching around March 1, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Jackie and Shadow have incubated nine eggs over the last three years, but only one eaglet has survived. Some of the eggs have failed to successfully hatch, while others were eaten by ravens.
The eagles are located within the San Bernardino National Forest in an area that is closed to the public during this period when disturbances can cause nest abandonment. At 7,000-feet in elevation, this is the highest known bald eagle nest, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
"Keep your talons crossed that they successfully handle Big Bear's cold and unpredictable weather to raise some eagle chicks this year," the agency wrote on Facebook.
The live webcam has been watching over the nest since 2015. Jackie has been living in the nest since 2017. Shadow joined her in 2018 and the two have been a mating pair ever since.
In 2019, Jackie laid two eggs, but only one eaglet survived. The next year, Jackie laid two eggs but both failed to hatch, either because they were not fertilized or development was stopped early on. Last year, Jackie laid three eggs in January and two more in February. Three of the eggs were eaten by ravens, one egg broke before the laying process was complete, and one eaglet did not survive the hatching process.
Even though the loss of the eggs seem to impact Jackie and Shadow, the birds eventually recover and continue to visit the nest and bond as a pair, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
You can watch Jackie and Shadow on the popular Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam.
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