Argomenti trattati
The iconic Big Bear bald eagle pair Jackie and Shadow have drawn a wave of attention as their second clutch of the season moves into an exciting stage. On March 31 the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley announced that pip watch had begun after Jackie laid her first egg on Feb. 24 and a second three days later. At the time of that announcement the eggs were reported to be 35 and 32 days old, and volunteers reminded viewers that hatching can be slow and laborious, sometimes taking a couple of days from first chip to complete emergence.
Fans can follow the family around the clock: a 24-hour live feed operated by the nonprofit streams the nest high above Big Bear Lake. The nest sits approximately 140 feet up in a Jeffrey pine in the San Bernardino Mountains, and it has hosted multiple breeding seasons for this pair since they bonded in 2018. As watchers gather online, caretakers emphasize patience and respect for the process, along with the practical work Shadow may undertake: increasing nest provisioning as the chicks near hatching.
What happens during pip watch and how chicks emerge
Understanding the sequence helps viewers know what to look for. Pipping begins when a chick uses a temporary egg tooth to penetrate the internal membrane and take its first breath. That initial breach can be followed by brief vocalizations and several hours of intermittent effort before an obvious external hole appears. The external chip is commonly called an external pip, and the final stage is a concerted push to break the shell apart so the chick can fully exit. The egg tooth is a small, transient projection on the beak that disappears as the bird matures, and the entire sequence can span 24 to 48 hours or longer.
Recent observations from nest monitors
Friends of Big Bear Valley have provided day-by-day notes. On 2026-04-03 their log announced, “We have a PIP!” describing night-long chirps and the sighting of a shell breach. The team documented that the chick had broken the internal membrane and was progressing toward a full hatch. Entries from 2026-04-02 and 2026-04-01 recorded increased nest activity, precise exchanges between mates on the nest, and careful egg-rolling behavior—typical signs that incubation is near its climax and caregivers are prepared to support newly hatched eaglets.
Jackie and Shadow’s breeding history and family
The pair’s story is one of persistence. Jackie was first recorded as a hatchling in Big Bear in 2012 and initially went by the name Jack until her sex was confirmed. Shadow joined her as a mate in 2018. The couple’s first successful chick, Spirit, hatched in March 2026. After faltering seasons in 2026 and 2026, they produced three chicks in March 2026, two of which—Sunny and Gizmo—survived. The third chick, named Misty in honor of a former volunteer, tragically died following a severe snowstorm.
Loss and recovery earlier in 2026
This season’s first clutch earlier in the year did not survive: eggs laid on Jan. 23 and three days later were abandoned on Jan. 30 and subsequently destroyed by a raven. After that setback Jackie’s hormones reset, and the pair resumed mating in mid-February—an effort captured on the nest cam that produced the current clutch laid in late February.
How to watch the nest and ways to help
Anyone can watch the pair via the Friends of Big Bear Valley’s YouTube channel, where the nest cam streams 24 hours. As of one midweek morning, the nonprofit reported that more than 20,000 people were tuned in to the live feed. The community that follows Jackie and Shadow has also rallied around a conservation campaign: SaveMoonCamp.org went live on February 19th and, at the time of recent updates, had raised $1,587,695 toward a goal of permanent protection for the nearby shoreline habitat used by the eagles.
Supporting Moon Camp conservation
The Save Moon Camp effort aims to prevent a high-end housing development and marina that could destroy critical perching and foraging habitat less than a mile from the nest. Organizers set an ambitious target—$10 million by July 31—and pledged to pursue financing if the full goal is not met. The nonprofit also urges followers to verify fundraiser details through official channels to avoid misinformation and cautions against social media rumors or AI-generated misreports.
Watching Jackie and Shadow during pip watch offers a rare window into wild parenting: coordinated incubating shifts, nest maintenance, and food provisioning. Whether you tune in for the drama of hatching or to support habitat protection, the pair’s story underscores how public engagement and conservation funding can combine to give two small chicks a fighting chance in the mountains above Big Bear Lake.