And Saturday’s baby makes three.
The bald eagle chick seen on the Friends of Big Bear Valley live camera pecking away at its egg shell emerged Saturday morning, March 8, giving celebrity parents Jackie and Shadow a trio of new chicks. The first two of the current clutch arrived Monday and Tuesday.
“All day yesterday the progress continued as Chick #3 worked to get out of its shell,” the Friends of Big Bear Valley Facebook post reads. “As everyone excitedly waited, the pip hole kept growing until by 2:11 a.m. this morning, the chick was visible with much of the shell gone. It was already drying but not quite out of the shell.
“Jackie kept the progress to herself through the night, keeping the chicks tucked tightly underneath her and getting some well-deserved sleep for herself. And at today’s early morning feeding at 6:13 am, Chick #3 was presented to the world!”
More than 61,000 people were watching the live camera Saturday morning. The bird of prey is the national symbol of the United States.
There was plenty of food to go around with two fish visible in the background.
“All three beautiful bundles of fluff were fully visible, sitting up and ready for breakfast,” the Facebook post says. “They all look dry, healthy and full of energy. As they jostle around for positioning, the newest one will have plenty of food still from its yolk for a few days.”
It’s been three years since one of Jackie’s offspring, Spirit, survived and soared away from the nest that overlooks Big Bear Lake. Neither of Jackie’s clutches in 2023 or 2024 hatched.