Due aquile calve proteggono il loro nido nel corso della più forte tempesta di neve degli ultimi anni in California

Snow…and more snow…and then more snow…With the snow coming in yesterday, Jackie allowed Shadow four hours of egg-sitting but then spent the remainder of the day and night on the nest herself. During Shadow’s shift, one of the very rare times that we have seen it, he pooped off the side of the nest—Jackie does this often, especially during the night, and usually announces it loudly to the neighborhood when she does. Shadow is apparently more shy and quiet.As always, Jackie trusts herself the most to have egg-duty whenever there is bad weather. Throughout most of the day and all night, she stayed on the eggs as the snow came down. She often laid completely still for long periods, sleeping until she was covered in snow. Then she stood up and shook it all off, checked and turned the eggs and hunkered down on top of them to start the process again.Jackie and Shadow are built to handle this kind of weather. Even when Jackie is lying still and unmoving for a long period and getting covered in snow, she is fine. They each have over 7000 water-proof feathers covering their body, so the snow they shake off does not even make them wet. And under those feathers is a thick layer of down feathers that keep their body warm. It is like they are wearing a thick down jacket or wrapped in a waterproof comforter all the time. And those down feathers are what they tuck the eggs into. There are a few more days of snow predicted, but those nice feather coats will continue to protect them.Regarding the eggs, they have not yet shown any sign of hatching. While it is less likely with each passing day that they will hatch, it is not our job, or anyone’s job, to make pronouncements about what is or is not happening. It is our job to observe and learn.Without the actual facts in any particular situation, no one can tell you what is happening inside those eggs. Facts we do have—–Jackie’s eggs in the past have hatched at around 38-39 days from being laid. A few of Jackie’s eggs in the past did not hatch.–bald eagle eggs have been recorded as hatching as much as 44 days from laying—we are on day 43 since the first egg was laid and day 40 since the 2nd egg was laid.–something unusual happened with Jackie and Shadow for a few days last week that called their attention away from the nest and the eggs were uncovered for sometimes an hour or two at a time. –bald eagles, including Jackie and Shadow, sometimes sit on eggs long past those human-recorded due dates. When bald eagles decide to stop incubating the eggs, it does not happen suddenly, but usually slowly as they reduce sitting time little-by-little over several days.–the external conditions of each egg-laying season—exact temperatures, weather patterns, cosmic fluctuations, Jackie and Shadows shift-changes, etc.—vary from year to year–nature does not always work the way human minds have determined that it ‘should’—for example, according to aerodynamics, it's impossible for bees to fly. Apparently, they forgot to read the manual to know that they can’t fly. Bald eagles and eggs often do not read the manual.–sometimes whatever is being born or hatched has a mind of its own about the timing—such as, sometimes human babies or puppies are born prematurely or sometimes labor has to be induced to make it happen.–Jackie and Shadow returned to their more normal patterns of sitting on the eggs continuously throughout the day and at this point are continuing to incubate the eggs.Facts we do not have—–what the impact the eggs being uncovered for long periods for a few days had on the development of the eggs. It could have slowed the incubation, it could have stopped it, or any number of other options.–what called Jackie and Shadow away from full attention the eggs last week—solar flares, earthquake, confused hormones, intruder eagles, etc.—or whether whatever effected Jackie and Shadow also effected the eggs.–what the timing is for these particular eggs in these particular, unmeasured conditions.–the exact condition of development inside the eggs at any point, which could only somewhat be determined by ‘candling’ (holding the eggs in front of a light to see the shapes or shadows inside the shell). Jackie and Shadow have not figured out how to turn on a flashlight, so candling has not been done.–whether the eggs were fertilized—sometimes eggs that do not hatch are eventually shown to have not gone through any development inside the shell.–whether or not the eggs are still viable based on all of the above variables.So, we do not speculate or predict or make pronouncements about what is or is not happening. We are not here to be all knowing or to make it easier to watch the unknown unfold before us. We are observers of nature. It teaches all of us eyes-wide-open observation skills and patience, appreciation and curiosity, all good traits to carry to every aspect of our lives.Thank you for your joy in being able to watch Jackie and Shadow in their daily lives as the beauty of nature presents itself.Sandy

Posted by Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam on Thursday, February 23, 2023