In this video, Bald Eagles Jackie and Shadow welcome their second chick this year in Big Bear Valley, California. (Courtesy: Friends of Big Bear Valley)
BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. – The Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam in Big Bear Valley, California, recorded the moments two bald eagle chicks emerged from their shells, as a third chick waited in the wings.
Footage from the Eagle Nest Cam first shows two eggs where the chicks had made the first cracks, or pips, into their shells as they began to hatch over the weekend.
By late Monday night, the first chick could be seen fully hatched from its egg. The image below shows the chick with an eye and its beak clearly seen near the bottom right corner.
The first chick hatches.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley / FOX Weather)
Then in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the second chick arrived, fully emerging from its shell. It can be seen in the image below, head-down with its wings partially outstretched.
The second chick hatches.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley / FOX Weather)
A third egg remains unhatched in the nest. The Friends of Big Bear Valley, who steward the Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam, said the egg is now 35 days old, meaning that the chick inside may begin to start placing the initial pips into its shell as it tries to emerge.
The chicks are the latest batch of babies from eagle mom Jackie and eagle dad Shadow, who have been together in the Big Bear Valley nest since 2018, according to FOBBV.
Jackie laid these three eggs in January, as eagles typically lay their eggs in early winter, FOBBV noted. The eggs then take about 35-38 days to hatch.
Parents Jackie and Shadow look at their three eggs before the two chicks hatched.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley / FOX Weather)
Throughout that time, Jackie and Shadow can be seen in the Eagle Nest Cam taking turns sitting on their eggs to protect them and keep them warm.
The Eagle Nest Cam has captured images of Jackie and Shadow protecting broods from years past, including a time when they shielded their eggs from heavy snow produced by an atmospheric river.
To see Jackie and Shadow care for their chicks and to watch the third egg of this brood hatch, be sure to watch the Friends of Big Bear Valley Eagle Nest Cam on the FOBBV YouTube channel and stay updated on the eagle family on the FOBBV Facebook page.