What to Know
- Jackie and Shadow, two bald eagles living near Big Bear Lake, have been busily incubating a pair of eggs for the last several weeks
- Egg #1 arrived on Jan. 22, and egg #2 followed, almost exactly 72 hours later, on Jan. 25
- Incubation is around 35 days, meaning a "pip" or small hole in the eggshell may be first seen around Feb. 26, or in the days to follow
Removing the shrinkwrap from a new calendar at the start of January?
It's a thrill, especially when the calendar boasts all sorts of colorful stickers, the small circles that remind you of dentist appointments, birthdays, and other important events.
Where, though, are the stickers that say "pip time" on them, with adorable illustrations of tiny eagles?
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We want those, as other eagle aficionados might, because "pip watch" is quite the huge deal when a pair of celebrated birds just might soon welcome a pair of eaglets.
And as we enter the final weekend of February 2022, the devoted pip watchers are keeping an eagle eye — we said it — on Jackie and Shadow, the admired-from-all-over Big Bear bald eagles.
Jackie laid an egg on Jan. 22, and then another one, almost exactly 72 hours later, on Jan. 25.
Viewers from Southern California, and far beyond, saw the egg-citing moments courtesy of a tree camera placed and operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley volunteers.
Bald eagle eggs take about 35 days to incubate, though these eggs might go a bit longer, say the birds' ever-vigilant Friends.
Still, the pip watch window officially opens on Saturday, Feb. 26, meaning fans from across the world will be looking for pips, or places on the eggs where tiny beaks have begun to break, break, break on through.
The joy of seeing an eaglet hatch?
That has happened in years gone by at this particular nest, with these two amazing birds, while other years have been about non-viable eggs, or eggs destroyed by ravens.
Suffice it to say that the eagle fans are on the edges of their various perches, waiting to see what 2022 will bring, baby-wise.
Want to join the pip watch?
All you need to do is check out the fascinating feed, which is live and direct, around the clock, from near the northwest short of Big Bear Lake.
The Friends of Big Bear Valley also oversees the tree cam's compelling feeds (there are two cameras, with one providing a wider view of the eagles' tree), while moderators take time to answer viewers' questions, define eagle terminology, and share nature-themed quizzes and puzzles.
