Big Bear CA 2018-2019

[Maddy]

7:12 pm still about the same.
And yes, Rita, the nest looks so beautiful right now, too bad we can see no eagles in it.

[RitaR]

7:28 pm Just heard Simba but he is distant.

7:34 pm Woodpecker is tapping at the nest tree.

Yes Maddy. Having eagles in view is always better. This is still a beautiful view though.

[RitaR]

7:42 pm Heard Simba again in the distance.
7:45 pm Simba is VERY close now and calling.
Zoomer is looking for him

[Maddy]

Yes Rita, it is a beautiful view!
7:46 pm

And Simba is calling like crazy

[RitaR]

7:48 pm He was really low and just flew off.

[Maddy]

7:48 pm yes, I've seen him calling (in the middle of the pic)

[RitaR]

8:02 pm Simba is squeeing up a storm.

I'm calling it a night Maddy. SED's

[Maddy]

Good night Rita!
8:10 pm Simba keeps calling
8:20 pm it's quiet around the nest now

[RitaR]

Friday August 2, 2019

Good morning everyone.

Weather for today.

The nest is empty.

[RitaR]

6:56 am No eagles seen or heard yet this morning.
7:30 am Still very quiet at the nest.

[Maddy]

Good morning Rita and everybody!
7:36 am it is quiet around the nest.

[RitaR]

Good morning Maddy. Yes it is quiet.

8:07 am Only smaller birds are heard.

[RitaR]

END OF THE SEASON NOTE

Well it's that time of the year for me to write this note. Let me be the first to say that I was really surprise when Mrs BB laid her first egg in March. When last year she laid them in January. On that day, 3/6/2019, when she laid Simba there was snow on the nest. Had some doubts as to whether that egg would hatch or not. Secondly to all of this Shadow is a 4 year old male. Rather young to be a first time Dad. Really had no idea how this was going to all turn out. It sure was fun to watch to find out!

A view of both eggs on 3/9/2019 The day Mrs BB laid Cookie.

1 Two eggs at Big Bear 3-9-19.JPG (55.34 KiB) Viewed 431 times

How wonderful it was to watch Shadow step right in and do what needs to be done and incubate the eggs. Then they both hatched! Love this photo from Maddy as Shadow watches Mrs BB feed Simba and he also watches Cookie hatch. Shadow watched Mrs BB feed the chicks several times but he caught on quickly to that also. Really think Shadow enjoyed feeding them.

Big Bear's two adorable chicks Simba and Cookie.

3 Two adorable chicks 4-27-19.JPG (67.1 KiB) Viewed 431 times

Continued.....

[RitaR]

This is a photo from Maddy posted on 5/20/2019 of Simba and Cookie. Unfortunately there was another bad storm at Big Bear. We lost our precious Cookie on May 27, 2019 due to hypothermia. I'm not going to post pics of his lifeless body here. That is now how I want to remember him. Cookie will never be forgotten and forever loved. May you fly free and soar high. Watch over your big brother Simba as he learns the way of the eagle.

Simba continued to thrive and turned out to be very spoiled by his parents! He fledged at 100 days old on July 23, 2019. Simba takes his first flight off the upper branch. Oh Simba it's been wonderful to watch you. Fly high little one. Learn to fish. May you have a very long and wonderful life.

5 Simba flies for the first time 7-23-19.JPG (55.09 KiB) Viewed 431 times

This is our precious Simba! Photo from Maddy the day before he fledged. What a beautiful eagle he is!

Well done Mrs BB and Shadow! Last of all I want to say how highly impressed I am with Shadow. For him to be a young 4 year old Dad! He had been amazing to watch this season. From bringing in sticks to get the nest ready. To incubation and feedings. It's been incredible to watch him learn this year.

Now I would like to say a huge Thank You to Maddy for being here with me this season. You've been amazing at documenting this nest when I couldn't be here. There is no way that I could have done this without you! Big hug to Maddy! Philjo I'm very happy that you hopped in and started posting the nightly events on the nest. You caught many things that most of us never see because we are sleeping. Thank you so much!

This will be my last post at HWF. I've asked JudyB and she would like this forum thread to remain open. If any of you would like to add your own note or to continue with the documentation please feel free to do so. Hope all of you will take some time and get out and enjoy nature. There are some amazing birds out there. Hope you get to see an eagle or two.

The End!

[Maddy]

9:27 am Shadow lands with a probably headless fish

9:28 am he is looking around

[Maddy]

9:28 am mom lands on the left branch

9:29 am she jumps in the nest, Shadow is moving to the exit branch

mom starts eating the fish

[Maddy]

9:30 am mom is eating the fish, Shadow is looking around

9:31 am both of them are looking around

[Maddy]

9:32 am Shadow is leaving, mom keeps eating

9:33 am Simba is coming
he lands somewhere on the right branch above the nest

[Maddy]

9:34 am the cam is shaking like crazy, Simba is calling and trying to get out of there, mom keeps eating)))
Sounds like he took off, mom is watching

9:35 am Simba is flying around the nest

[Maddy]

9:36 am Simba is calling, he is not that close, mom is looking around
9:37 am Simba calls very close and far again, mom is watching

9:38 am Simba keeps calling close again and then far away and then close again
9:39 am mom is about to finish the fish, just a tail left

Simba is calling, where are you Simba???

[Maddy]

9:40 am Simba keeps calling, where are you Simba, not that much fish left!

9:41 am mom is looking for Simba

[Maddy]

9:41 am Simba is coming!
finally he lands!

and grabs his food
9:42 am he is very loud, he is watching how mom is picking up what is left around

[Maddy]

9:43 am Simba moves the fish and starts eating, mom is working on the nest

9:44 am Simba is eating

mom is moving to the left branch

[Maddy]

9:46 am Simba is done eating

9:47 am he is looking around and calling

[Maddy]

9:48 am Simba keeps looking around and calling

and then he jumps on the left branch and keeps calling like crazy, telling mom he needs more food
mom jumps in the nest

she moves to the exit branch
and now she is leaving

[Maddy]

9:50 am mom is calling somewhere, Simba keeps calling from the left branch
10:00 am Simba keeps calling from time to time, he is still hungry
Simba, you need to learn to get to the nest faster, than you'll be getting more food!
10:25 am Simba keeps calling from time to time
10:26 sounds like Simba is flying away and calling
11:20 am the nest is still empty, sounds like mom is calling and Simba is also calling not very far, it's very windy
11:26 am Simba keeps calling from time to time, and mom is calling again, she also calls from time to time
11:31 am Simba is calling again
11:33 am he keeps calling
11:43 am Simba is calling again
11:49 am Simba calls again, and mom calls too
11:52 am and they do it again
11:57 am Simba keeps calling, it's getting very windy
12:04 pm Simba keeps calling from time to time

[Maddy]

3:12 pm Simba is calling again, it's very windy

[Kitcat11848]

Thank you Rita for all you’ve done here for all these years and especially this year. You will be missed. This year and last year were hard, losing young eaglets. But Stormy and Simba survived and flourished and I’m sure will continue growing into beautiful adult eagles over the next few years. Yes, Shadow was an amazing 1st time Dad once he got the hang of feeding; he did seem to enjoy feeding his chicks.

Maddy and philjo, a big thanks for all you’ve done here too.I always hate when everyone has left and there isn’t much to see and report on. Time for all to take a little vacation and before we know it, next season will be here. Until then....

[Maddy]

6:55 pm nobody came back to the nest so far
6:56 pm Simba starts calling, he is somewhere around
7:06 pm keeps calling
7:09 pm sun came out and nest became bright and beautiful
Woodie comes to the exit branch!

moving to the upper branch

[Maddy]

7:09 pm close to the upper branch!

and gets on the upper branch

and then leaves