I didn’t plan to cover our Big Bear area Bald Eagles again in
2020, but viewing recent unexpected TV news videos reminded me of them, resulting in my once again becoming enthralled with recent events there.
Note: Last year’s saga
is covered in archived posts you can read for anyone interested.
Parental eagles, cougar mother Jackie
and younger father Shadow successfully hatched two eggs with one eaglet, Simba, maturing toward adulthood, but there was much drama during the interim
months culminating in younger eaglet, Cookie’s death, later Simba's reluctance to leave the nest. My first post was March 24, 2019 with periodic reports during
the ensuing months before my last post July 28, 2019 with links on those dates. Summaries, You Tube video links also available on the Friends of Big Bear Valley Bald Eagle site.
Since I didn’t follow the site after Simba fledged I only now
learned there have been subsequent events seriously threatening their nesting location,
even the eagles remaining in the area, according to the Friends of Big Bear Valley Bald Eagles you can read about on their site. Humans keep infringing on wildlife habitat. Will this Bald Eagle sanctuary be protected?
Meanwhile the unsuspecting parental eagles, bonding for their
second season, have returned to their
nest with Jackie laying an egg (1/8/2020) expected to hatch Valentine’s Day -- to be followed
shortly by the second egg laid Saturday night (1/11/2020) as expected. Hopefully, unlike last year, the second eaglet
will survive and both eaglets will mature to safely fly from the nest.
I wonder if climate change has somehow affected the parental eagles determination each season about when they start their family? Perhaps temperatures vary enough from year to year now to result in their needing to adjust.
These eggs are hatching about a month earlier than last years
eggs which gives me some concern that if we have some fierce winter weather conditions
whether the chicks will be strong enough to adapt.
Last year it was soon after the final really cold spell of the season with snow, may have been some rain, that the
second-born chick ultimately couldn’t survive.
Currently Jackie is being subjected to below freezing
temperatures some nights, all-day and night cold feather-ruffling wind bursts, occasional icy rain
or snow as expected later this week. The nest is reportedly at 7000 feet (+/-30 feet); possibly with only one other California nest at that elevation or higher at Yellowstone National Park -- but no live video coverage there.
Reports in "Chat" on "Friends" site are of Bald Eagle nests at higher elevations in Colorado mountains. Nesting bald eagles there and in Canada tolerate temperatures to 30 degrees or so below zero. Snow, expected this Thursday, can serve as insulation but any freezing rain in the weeks ahead presents the more serious risk to the incubating eggs.
Jackie is dedicated to keeping the incubating eggs warm, periodically turning them to aid proper chick development. Shadow is equally dedicated, sometimes assuming the egg-warming task for several hours providing Jackie respite from the nest. Periodically he also flies in to provide Jackie nourishment with freshly caught fish from picturesque Big Bear lake visible in the distance often featuring awesome solar-powered sunset videos.
Here is the new Big Bear Bald Eagles YouTube live camera link:
.....for any readers who want to follow these dedicated avians in their wildlife saga, especially since this could be the last year these eagles will remain in Big Bear.
* * *
I’m dedicated, too, renewing my personal commitment to myself to engage in more life enhancing actions this New Year. I gave myself an exercise device I have yet to take out of the box and setup for use, so I’m not off to a very good start.
It’s as though once I ordered the item, then received the box I had accomplished
what seemed like a really good idea.
Nothing could be further from the truth as I well know, but what
happened to the enthusiasm I had when I came up with the idea? I even got a price “deal” adding to my
motivation this was a wise action I was taking.
Have you thought you were dedicated to doing something, then somehow
didn’t follow through quite like you fully intended to do?
The road to you-know-where is paved with good
intentions as the saying goes. Maybe
it’s not too late to get my act together.
How about you?
