After several years of disappointment, Sunday there was a sign that the big bear bald couple Jackie and Shadow would soon hatch.
Friends of Okura Valley announced the discovery on Sunday afternoon: “The original pip was confirmed at 15:09 today.” (Except for this line, it's all in capital letters.)
It was an exciting time for the conservation team, which operated a 24-hour webcam that showed the Eagles’ 145-foot-tall nest overlooking Big Bear Lake in Jeffrey Pine.
Fans who have watched on PIP are on the Moon. PIPPIGT is the online vigil and hoopla around the event when the young bird opens the shell with its beak.
“Tears of joy!!” responded to one on Facebook. “It has been a roller coaster of emotions over the past few years.”
“Oh, please come out!!!” wrote another one.
In 2023, Jackie and Shadow's eggs were eaten by a crow. Last winter was heartbreaking too. The pair added a rare third egg to the clutch in late January, but the cold weather was severe. Once, a storm left Jackie on her nest for 62 hours in a row, sometimes completely covered in snow.
In winter 2024, Jackie vulture pops out of the snow and falls in a storm.
(Friends of Okuraya)
Low oxygen levels at high altitudes are one of the reasons that Okuratan friends suspect Jackie’s three eggs failed to hatch last year. The cold, snowy winter and rainy springs also dim the chances of survival of the young Eagles.
Sandy Steers, a biologist and executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, said vulture eggs usually have a 50-50 incubation opportunity. According to the American Eagle Foundation, less than 50% of the Eagle team survived once hatched.
But Hope Spring is eternal, and the couple has another surprising three egg fruit this year.
“Even with a pip, it takes at least a day (and sometimes longer) to hatch.” “With nature, we need to be patient. It teaches us to breathe and enjoy the process, rather than focus on the results.”
More than 8,000 spectators watched a sleeping vulture sitting on the nest in the snow at around 10 p.m. on Sunday.
The eagle woke up and shook the feathers, fluffing the straw around the egg trio as the camera zoomed in. The eagle then placed itself, swaying gently back and forth on the eggs.
Times worker Clara Harter contributed to the report.
