Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

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Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Fri Oct 08, 2021 4:57 pm

Welcome to 2021-2022 Nesting Season
in the Big Bear Bald Eagle Nest at Big Bear Lake
that sits in 15-mile long Big Bear Valley, inside the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California near Fawnskin, inland from Los Angeles.
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2 cams are up and running, one of them is with chat, thanks to the Friends of Big Bear Valley.

Link to the cam with chat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE

NEW Wide View Cam provides an opportunity to see the eagles fly into the nest from the lake
https://youtu.be/Xx0nese3zL8

Hosted by FriendsofBigBearValley.org - https://friendsofbigbearvalley.org/

Friends of Big Bear Valley Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Big ... 8029491602

LINK TO LAST SEASON'S THREAD
viewtopic.php?f=112&t=523

Big Bear Valley's current weather conditions: http://www.bensweather.com/
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:01 pm

The nest is the current home for Jackie and Shadow, a local bald eagle pair.
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Jackie and Shadow at the end of May of 2021 on the snag tree (from my scap)

Eagle History

Since before the Forest Service eagle counts started about 30 years ago, bald eagles only came to Big Bear in the winter, to find food when their home lakes further north were frozen over. But around 2009 a tagged juvenile from Catalina decided to spend the summer in Big Bear. And then a pair started staying year-round in Big Bear Valley and built a nest on the north side of the lake.

2012. The first eagle chick in recorded history was hatched in Big Bear Valley. That original nest was in the top of a dead tree. The nest is considerably smaller. The parents were called Ricky and Lucy.
Photo courtesy of Jim McClune
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That chick was named Jack, after a long-time volunteer eagle counter.
Eaglet Jack and parent. Photo courtesy of Roger Vieau
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Eaglet Jack a few days before fledge.
Photo courtesy of Sue Klump
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Before the chick fledged, it grew to be bigger than both its parents, meaning it had to be female. So, Jack’s name changed to Jackie.
With the combination of Jackie’s flapping practice and a big wind storm, the nest blew down after Jackie fledged. Ricky and Lucy built another nest about 50 feet from where Jack/Jackie was raised.
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:02 pm

2013. Lucy laid eggs in this new nest, but the eggs did not survive an extreme cold spell and did not hatch.
2014. Ricky and Lucy had two chicks, but neither survived a major 4-day rain and snow storm.
2015. Ricky and Lucy raised one chick in the nest. That chick successfully fledged and was named Shadow by the valley’s 3rd graders.
Ricky and Shadow(from friendsofbigbearvalley.org)
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And one sub-adult bald eagle the right age to be him was seen around the valley for the next year and a half.
The fall of 2015 Friends of Big Bear Valley installed the eagle nest cam. Ricky and Lucy had found a more sheltered tree and built a new nest about 1/4 mile from this one. They successfully raised 2 chicks–named Midnight and Sky (by the 3rd graders) while the nest with the camera on it sat empty.
2016. Ricky and Lucy apparently left the area.
From the time Jackie fledged, there was one sub-adult who was in Big Bear all summer each year that was the right age to be Jackie. Since the only other bald eagles in the valley during the summers were Ricky and Lucy, it was determined that this sub-adult might be Jackie.
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2017. A sub-adult female the right age started hanging out at the nest deserted by Ricky and Lucy, she was called Jackie, with the idea that it was possibly that first chick, though that cannot be known for sure and may even be unlikely since chicks usually leave the area of their hatching.
Nevertheless, the name stuck and this sub-adult female, called Jackie took over the old nest with the cam on it, with a new mate, that the Forest Service named Mr. B. It was not known where Mr. B might be from since he also was not tagged.
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Jackie and Mr. B mated (on camera!), but Jackie did not lay eggs. Since she was only just five years old (determined by her feather coloration patterns), it is possible she was still too young.
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:03 pm

2018. Jackie laid eggs.
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They hatched and were named (again by the 3rd graders), Stormy and BBB (for Big Bear Baby).
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Mr BB and the kids a scap by RitaR
BBB did not survive a severe 24-hour rain storm and the following freezing temperatures. The chicks at that point were 6-1/2 weeks old, too big to fit completely under their parents to stay dry and did not yet have all of their waterproof plumage, so we believe he died from exposure.
Stormy survived. And went on to worldwide fame thanks to U.S. Forest Service press releases that were picked up by the media. When Stormy was almost eight weeks old, he was banded, with a band on each ankle. Stormy’s identifying band is purple with the number JR1 on it. He fledged successfully on April 26th.
Stormy.jpg
Stormy on May 11, 2018, from my scap
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:09 pm

Stormy, photo courtesy of photographer in Big Bear Mike N Trish Marzell ‎
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Stormy left the Big Bear Valley a couple of months later.

During the summer when the eagle family was still using the nest with Stormy, an adult male intruder showed up to the nest and with great tenacity, refused to leave no matter how much Jackie, Mr. B and Stormy tried to chase him away. The new male was called Shadow because initially it was believed him to be one of Ricky and Lucy’s fledglings named Shadow.
This is a video by knarley123 of Shadow being seen for the firs time on 29 of May
https://youtu.be/5NHP02lLiCI
and my scap from it
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He started moving sticks around right away! :D
And back again in June, a scap of RitaR
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And here he is with Jackie in July, a scap of jwin36
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Mr. B eventually left the area. It was later determined that this intruder eagle’s plumage showed it to be a year older than the Shadow who was hatched in Big Bear. But by then the name stuck and Shadow is the resident male eagle and Jackie’s current mate (and not her sibling).
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Fri Oct 08, 2021 9:51 pm

2019. Jackie laid her eggs on March 6 and 9th, and the eggs hatched on April 14 and 15th. The chicks were named Simba and Cookie.
Shadow watches Cookie hatch as Mom feeds Simba 4-15-19 - Maddy's photo (1).jpg
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Simba and Cookie :rh:
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Both Cookie and Simba were banded, Simba with ID # ZR1, Cookie #ZJ1. Both eaglets were determined to be males during the banding process.
My scap on May 20.
3 The kids by Maddy 5-20-19.jpg
At six weeks old, Cookie did not survive a rain and snowstorm followed by freezing temperatures. We lost our precious Cookie on May 27, 2019. :brknhrt:
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Sat Oct 09, 2021 11:50 am

Simba continued to thrive and fledged successfully at 100 days old on July 23, 2019.
Simba on my scap the day before he fledged.
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Simba on July 30, my scap
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Jackie and Simba in August.
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Simba was last seen on the nest when he was 122 days old.
Simba eventually left the Big Bear Valley.
He was last seen on August 18th, he was 126 days old. Photo courtesy of Richard Diamond
1 Simba.jpg
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Sat Oct 09, 2021 12:54 pm

2020. Jackie laid her eggs on January 8 and 11th.
The eggs failed to hatch and were determined non-viable. After incubating the eggs for more than 60 days, in mid-March Jackie and Shadow started leaving the eggs unattended for periods of time. This was normal behavior given the situation. A raven came to the nest, cracked the eggs and ate some of the contents. The eggs did not have any noticeable development; they were either not fertilized or development was stopped early on. Jackie and Shadow continue to work on the nest and visit often.

2021. Jackie laid the first egg of the 2021 season on January 6.
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But for unknown reasons Jackie and Shadow were not fully incubating or protecting the nest after this egg was laid. The next morning a raven destroyed that first egg. Jackie laid a second egg on January 9. She and Shadow incubated it a bit more than the first, but it was still often left unattended. On January 13 Jackie laid a 3rd egg that seemed to have been broken before the laying process was complete. After that, Jackie did not seem focused on incubating the egg #2 and it was eaten by a raven the next day.

In February, Jackie laid a 2nd clutch of eggs, the first one on the 8th and second one on the 11th.
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They diligently incubated and protected this clutch.
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On March 18 the first egg started the hatching process. Even though we heard the eaglet’s chirps that evening, by the next morning there was no progress in the hatching and no longer heard or saw any signs of life. The eaglet did not survive the hatching process.
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Sat Oct 09, 2021 3:50 pm

1 J & S (2).jpg
Jackie and Shadow continued to incubate the second egg. After 51 days of incubating (normal hatching time is usually 38 to 43 days), Jackie and Shadow started leaving this egg unattended for short periods of time. On April 17 a raven cracked that now-unviable egg open. It appeared that the chick had never fully developed.

Though the loss of the eggs seemed to impact Jackie and Shadow, they recovered over the next few days and continued to visit the nest. Since then they have visited the nest most days, often in the early morning or late afternoon, bringing sticks and nesting material and bonding as a pair.
(The information from https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/ ... e-history/)
1 J & S working together.jpg
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Sat Oct 09, 2021 3:53 pm

Jackie and Shadow, Jackie is on the right
1 J & S close (2).jpg
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Jackie is larger than Shadow. She has a more "fierce" or "stern" look.
Jackie’s beak is both longer and thicker from top to bottom than Shadow’s.
Jackie is 9 years old and Shadow is 7 years old.

How to tell Jackie and Shadow apart?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR6MtKyybNs
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Sat Oct 09, 2021 7:58 pm

The nest is about 145 feet up in a Jeffrey Pine tree ~7000ft above sea level. This is one of the highest elevations Bald Eagles nest in the US.
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Shadow is in the nest and Jackie is on the UB of a FP
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This nest has been in active use since the fall of 2013. The fall of 2015 Friends of Big Bear Valley installed the eagle nest cam.
In September 2021 a 2nd cam was added with a view of the nest and opportunity to see the eagles fly into the nest from the lake!
The surrounding area is closed to the public during nesting season to protect the eagles — bald eagles have been known to abandon nests when disturbed by humans.
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Sun Oct 10, 2021 12:14 pm

Bald Eagles bring a lot of sticks and nesting material each nesting season, so you can see on the pictures how the nest have been changing:
OBNes.jpg
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Sun Oct 10, 2021 1:20 pm

Big Bear Lake Volume: 73,320 acre feet
Surface Area: 2,971 acres
Lake Shoreline: 22 miles
Average Annual Evaporation: 4 feet or 10,600 acre feet
Average Daily Evaporation: 15 million gallons

hpenfold
Google Earth time lapse of Big Bear lake level over time (1986 to 2020)
:vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpCmujnRsbA

Fish of Big Bear Lake:
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:20 pm

The nest is measured ~5’ wide and 6’ deep
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Re: Big Bear CA Eagle Cam - 2021 - 2022

Post by Maddy » Thu Oct 14, 2021 9:59 am

SEASON SUMMARY

Eggs laid:

Egg #1 is laid on 1/22 15:43
Egg #2 is laid on 1/25 15:43

Hatched:

Hatched 3/3 16:14
I think the second egg hatched based on incubation.
Another egg was non-viable and did not hatch. It was in the nest bowl, covered with fluff till July 6.
The remaining egg was scavenged by a raven on 7/6. It appears that the egg was undeveloped.

Fledged:

Spirit has fledged 5/31 5:49:52, at age 88 d, 12 hr 35 min

Spirit was last seen on the nest 6/23, in the habitat - 6/24.

Possible Spirit sighting 9/9 (true Juvenile, 2022 hatch).
Since our Spirit is not banded, there will be no way to positively ID her going forward.
Alla Shumko's pics
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