March 2022 Big Bear Today Magazine

Page 6—March 2022
Bald eagle egg watch continues
No pip nor a peep as March arrives,
but both could happen any day now.
Two eggs laid by Big Bear resident
bald eagle Jackie in late January are
due to hatch at any time, perhaps even as
you read these words. Incubation time is
typically 35 days which would put the
hatch date the first week of March, when
Big Bear could potentially welcome two
baby eaglets into the world.
Internet viewers from around the
world can watch it all unfold online at
FriendsofBigBearValley.org/eagles. The
solar-powered nest cam installed by the
group has been online since 2015 and has
shown both Jackie and mate Shadow taking
turns diligently incubating their eggs.
Mostly it’s been Mama sitting on the
eggs, only occasionally allowing Shadow
to participate. In turn he’s mostly been
bringing sticks back to the nest and the
occasional trout from the lake to share with
Jackie. On one occasion he returned with
a half-eaten coot, one of the duck-like birds
frequenting the water, not her favorite food
but it had to do.
During the late February storm that
brought a foot of snow to the Valley the
eagles huddled over the eggs as white stuff
piled up around them. All in anticipation
of the first signs of hatching, which often
start with a pip as the egg cracks and then
a peep with signs of life inside.
Hopefully the end result will be better
than 2021, when two of the eggs were
consumed by ravens and the third cracked
during a difficult delivery for Jackie. Last
year Shadow went AWOL for a couple
days and Jackie didn’t stick around as
much either, straying from the nest for
hours at a time, leaving the eggs vulnerable
to scavengers. It just seemed neither
bird was into the parenting thing, with increased
human activity—despite closure
signs—floated as one reason why.
A second clutch of two eggs arrived a
few weeks later but also failed to hatch.
One egg seemed to come close after a pip
was detected. Several reasons the eggs
never hatched were given; cold temperatures
were one. Or perhaps they were just
infertile eggs or the embryos died during
incubation or were unable to break out of
their shells.
"Sometimes Mother Nature can be
harsh and disappoint us with our human
hopes," the Forest Service said on its
Facebook page, a message that it repeated
in January. "Getting a glimpse into the daily
lives of this beautiful bald eagle pair has
been a real treat. Bald eagles have a very
strong fidelity to their nest sites."
The eagle nest has been active since
2013, a year after the first recorded birth
of a bald eagle chick in Big Bear Valley
that was successfully raised to fledge. Eggs
have been laid, typically in pairs, in subsequent
years with mixed results; only one
eagle survived the previous two years as
well, winter storms taking their toll. The
mortality rate for bald eagle eggs and eaglets
is 50% though in recent years Big
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Bear’s has exceeded that.
That the Valley hosts transitory birds
migrating from colder northern climates including
Montana, Canada and even Alaska
is no surprise; Big Bear is along the Pacific
Migratory Flyway and affords reliable
fishing. The lake rarely freezes entirely
and if it does it traps intellectuallychallenged
coots into frozen water which
then become easy pickings.
Now a population of Big Bear-born
birds is being established, estimated at
around a half-dozen eagles or so. Shadow
and Jackie began prepping their home last
fall and continued to bond in December,
setting the stage for 2022 nesting season.
The area around the bald eagle nest is
closed by Forest order. Still some ignore
the well-posted closure, potentially spooking
the birds. “Bald eagles are known to
abandon nests, eggs and young when feeling
threatened by human activities,” said
Marc Stamer, district ranger for the
Mountaintop Ranger District.
“We are very excited to see bald eagles
continuing to successfully reside and raise
young in this part of the forest,” Stamer
said. “But that success is shared by the public
who continue to adhere to an area closure
around the nest.” The area closure includes
lower Gray’s Peak Trail and Grout
Bay picnic area among others.
Bald eagle tours have been a thing of
the past for some time and celebrations that
took their place aren’t happening thanks
to the virus. So people who want to spot
bald eagles in the wild are on their own,
doable if you’re willing to work at it. Scan
deadtop trees around the lake with a good
view of the water and you’ll often spot
birds, especially on aptly-named Eagle
Point along the south shore. There’s a wellknown
perch tree in the area that often
harbors bald eagles.
“Start at Grout Bay and use binocu-
Big Bear Today
The live nest cam captured newly-arrived eagle eggs in late January
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lars to see a nest from the gangway at Captain
John’s Marina,” said Trisha Dale
Green, eagle photographer and moderator
of a popular Facebook page. “In a boat
go toward the dam and look near Gilner
Point. Or drive to the west ramp and trees
above Stanfield Cutoff.”
The wrong way to see them is by using
a drone. Last year one of the remote
vehicles was spotted buzzing above the
eagle nest. Obviously not a good idea since
bald eagles (and golden eagles also) are
protected by Federal legislation against harassment
that includes not only drone operations
but also trespassing that can include
snow play.
Instead watch the eagles at
FriendsofBigBearValley.org/eagles and
follow Big Bear Lake Bald Eagles group
on Facebook. There’s also a new wide view
cam that allows viewers to see the eagles
fly into and out of the nest.
Call Forest Service (909) 382-2790
Animal Sanctuary tours
Learn the stories of rescued critters
during one-hour tours of Grateful Heart
Animal Sanctuary in Big Bear City.
Horses, burros, chickens, ducks,
roosters, bunnies, goats, pigs, dogs, cats,
even a steer have found forever homes
at the nonprofit, volunteer-run facility.
Enjoy up-close personal interactions with
goats and pigs while touring the property
and learning the stories of how they
ended up at Grateful Heart Animal Sanctuary,
a 100% volunteer run facility.
Many of the farm animals have been
abused, abandoned, neglected, have special
needs or are otherwise at risk. Tours
are a fun and educational experience
where questions are always welcomed.
Tours are set for March 5, 12 and
26. and April 30. Admission is $10, $5
under 18, with proceeds going to feed
and care for the animals including veterinary
care, supplies and equipment.
Tours take place regardless of
weather so dress appropriately. Ticket
sales end two days prior to each tour so
book in advance by calling (909) 979-
9333, or visit BigBear.com