Depending on where you live, bald eagle sightings are typically pretty rare. In southern California, for instance, your chances of spotting one in the wild are slim, to say the least.
But what you can do is watch a livestream of a famous bald eagle couple nesting in Big Bear, California, who have actually gained global attention over the past few years as they raise their young. As we see in this clip from CBS, Jackie and Shadow are currently protecting a clutch of three new eggs and the footage is really fascinating to see.
@cbseveningnewsA bald eagle couple in California is gaining global attention as it cares for a clutch of three eggs in its nest above Big Bear. #news #bigbear #california #eagles
I’m a huge fan of birds, so watching this livestream is a real treat as far as I’m concerned. Plus, I’ve only seen a bald eagle once in my life, and it was in Northern California where it’s a little more common. Big Bear is definitely Southern California, so the fact that these two are up there thriving is amazing to see.
Related: Story of Rescued Bald Eagle Named ‘Tiptoe’ Is Capturing People’s Hearts
It’s so cool seeing them take turns protecting the eggs, too, like they’re literally taking shifts. Nature is wild and can obviously be brutal, which means there’s no shortage of predators to ward off when protecting these eggs. It’s a tough job and as we learn in the video, their success rate over the years unfortunately hasn’t been great. My fingers are crossed that these eaglets grow up to be majestic bald eagles just like their parents.
How to watch the Big Bear bald eagles
Don’t say I didn’t warn you, but watching the live stream is sort of addicting. Even when one of them are simply laying there—whether in the snow, the rain, a beautiful day… whatever—it’s honestly extremely relaxing.
At any given moment you’ll find thousands upon thousands of folks tuned in watching these eagles live their lives, and there really is never a dull moment. It’s like Mother Nature’s version of The Truman Show.
Additionally, the folks at ‘Friends of Big Bear Valley’ provide written updates every few days on their website that take readers on an in-depth journey as to what we’re actually watching, while mentioning any exciting and important updates.
As I write this, the most recent blog update was posted on February 4, 2024 and said:
“Shadow can really make us smile when there are eggs on the nest and he wants to incubate. Friday morning he arrived early on the high perch awaiting his turn on the eggs. Our dear Jackie was ready for a break and he was ready to give her one! They chortled long and loud about something that sounded important then completed their switcheroo. Shadow finally got to lay on the eggs again!”
And that “switcheroo” is exactly what we saw in the video above. So cool!
“Jackie returned after enjoying some time away but she had to give Shadow a few love nibbles which helped get him moving up and out. He came back with a great stick that still had snow piled on it to add to their collection. Jackie seemed impressed and once again they switched places incubating the eggs.”
The nest is located in Big Bear Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, and it’s about 145 feet up in a Jeffrey Pine tree.
I can’t help but leave the livestream on in the background now and simply love observing these birds in their natural habitat. It’s just so cool. And the suspense is killing me!
What will they do next!? Well, I suppose we just have to keep on watching. Either way, this is pure entertainment if you ask me.
*This live feed is owned and operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley, (a 501c3 nonprofit organization) and we’re thrilled that they’ve given the public an opportunity to witness these beautiful birds in such an intimate way.
