“Hatch-Watch 2020” continued Wednesday in Big Bear, as fans of the region’s resident pair of nesting bald eagles Jackie and Shadow eagerly await the imminent arrival of two eaglets.
Thousands have been tuning into a livestream of the nest to monitor the progress since Sunday, when the U.S. Forest Service first announced that the eggs were expected to pip that day or Monday.
As of Wednesday afternoon, however, no cracks were visible yet.
Friends of Big Bear Valley, which runs the 24/7 camera that provides a clear view of the nest, provided an update early Wednesday to address chatter and concerns over the eggs that were spreading on social media.
“Rather than worry, speculate or make pronouncements, we would prefer to be diligent observers of nature in all of its beauty and its amazing processes, curiosities and possibilities,” the environmental organization stated in a Facebook post. “Every eagle pair is different, every nest and nesting season has a multitude of variables and every bald eagle has its own unique way of being in the world.”
The post concluded: “We will continue watching and learning and humbly allow the eagles and nature to show us what will happen next.”
Jackie laid the eggs Jan. 8 and 11. With incubation taking approximately 35 days, forest officials initially said they anticipated the first eaglet would hatch around Valentine’s Day.
But as Friends of Big Bear Valley noted, the couple’s previous eggs have typically hatched beyond that, between 36 to 39 days.
The hatching can take up to several days after the first hole appears.
In anticipation of the eaglets’ impending arrival, Jackie and Shadow have been bringing up sticks and grass to build up the nest, according to the organization.
The couple successfully hatched two eggs last spring, but one of the eaglets died of apparent hypothermia when a snowstorm blew through the area in May.
The second fledged in July, when he was about 14 weeks old.
