Tens of thousands of people around the world have been watching with bated breath as beloved bald eagles Jackie and Shadow tend their nest in the mountains above Big Bear Lake in California, where a live camera stream has turned the pair into genuine internet celebrities over several years. After a heartbreaking start to this nesting season when both of Jackie’s first two eggs were lost after being breached by a raven, fans were left devastated and wondering if the season might be over before it had truly begun. But then something wonderful happened: Jackie’s hormones reset naturally, and she laid a brand new third egg, giving her devoted fans around the world an entirely fresh reason to hope. The moment the egg appeared, the livestream comment section lit up with joy from viewers who had been quietly crossing their fingers for exactly this outcome.
Bald eagles typically lay their eggs in clutches, and Jackie has done this before after losing eggs to ravens in previous seasons, making this hopeful comeback feel like a familiar display of the pair’s remarkable resilience. Jackie is fertile and able to lay eggs from January through April each year, meaning there is also still a real possibility she could produce one more egg to join this new clutch. Fans of the pair know that Jackie and Shadow are not just any eagles: their nesting journey has been followed by millions of viewers through the Friends of Big Bear Valley nonprofit livestream, which captures every tender moment from incubation to the first flight of eaglets. For everyone watching from their screens, this third egg is more than just wildlife news. It is a second chance, and the whole world is cheering it on.
Source: https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/bald-eagles-jackie-shadow-welcome-third-egg
