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Over Easter weekend, thousands of people tuned in to celebrate something spectacular unfolding 145 feet up a pine tree in southern California’s San Bernardino national forest – the hatchings of two bald eagle chicks.
Two eaglets were born to Jackie and Shadow, the southern California pair that have become avian celebrities thanks to the webcam that has livestreamed their activities since 2018.
“It’s a lot of relief, a lot of joy. A lot of laughing and happy tears,” said Jenny Voisard, the media manager for Friends of Big Bear Valley, the environmental education non-profit that manages the live stream.
“It’s been an up-and-down season for Jackie and Shadow and the people that love them.”
Earlier this year, the couple lost two eggs after ravens swooped into the nest and ate them, devastating the birds’ devoted viewers. Jackie typically lays eggs in January, Voisard said, but was able to lay a replacement clutch after the incident with the ravens.
The first chick hatched around 9.30pm on Saturday, and the second on Easter about 8.30am, Voisard said.
It was met with celebration and an online crowd of adoring fans – the Los Angeles Times reports that the live stream is believed to be the most viewed of its kind on YouTube. Voisard attributes this to the fact that Jackie and Shadow, like all bald eagles, have distinctive personalities, and the live stream offers people the opportunity to see their daily lives.
“People are able to really see the dynamics of being a bonded couple and raising chicks and that things don’t always go your way. And they are able to move forward in tough times and that seems to really help people,” she said.
”They provide a lot of joy and humor and hope, but also lessons on resilience and being able to move forward.”
The beautiful view of Big Bear Valley, one of the country’s most biologically diverse places, helps too, particularly for people who may not be close to nature or able to leave their homes, Voisard said. The community of people who love the birds have rallied to support them as Friends of Big Bear Valley fights a proposed development near their nest.
They have raised $1.6m in less than a month, largely via small donations, that will go toward a $10m goal to purchase the land by the end of July for permanent conservation.
Meanwhile, Jackie and Shadow continue to care for their chicks. On Monday morning the live stream showed the pair feeding the fuzzy grey eaglets, and tiny heads bobbing as they chowed down.
The early weeks are all about keeping them fed, meaning the nest serves as a kind of pantry with food stocked up and ready to go, as well as protecting the chicks from weather and intruders, Voisard said. The birds mature quickly, and fledge anywhere from 10-14 weeks.
“They look different in the evening than they do in the morning and one day is a lot for them,” Voisard said. “It is the time to get to enjoy all of that.”
