Full of questions about Big Bear Valley’s bald eagles, 5-year-old Ava Diaz watched the livestream of the nest on the large monitor and captured images with her own pink camera.
As Ava pointed out interesting behaviors the eagles displayed in their nest overlooking Big Bear Lake, her mother took in the monitor and materials presented by the A.K. Smiley Public Library in Redlands to connect patrons to nature they wouldn’t normally get to see up close.
“This is my first time seeing the display,” Cindy Diaz said. “My daughter loves it!”
Hundreds of thousands of people are equally enamored with the eagles, flocking to social media to watch the lives of Jackie, Shadow and their chicks unfold in real time.
The Redlands library set up its monitor March 10, just a few days after all three of Jackie’s eggs had hatched.
According to library director Don McCue, the display — which includes the livestream on a monitor, a collection of books and photographs, as well as information on eagles, owls and other birds — is attracting youngsters and others to learn more about animals.
“All ages check the display out,” said Jason Topor, the IT administrator who set the livestream up in the library. “It’s great because not everyone has the ability to stream the eagle cam.”
Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that maintains the livestream, has kept it going for years in an effort to connect people with nature, “so that they will love it and want to take care of it,” according to Jenny Voisard, media manager for the organization. The nonprofit is aware of several libraries that share the livestream with their patrons.
“We don’t monetize our sites and the feed is free from advertisements,” Voisard said. “We try to provide a calm, low-drama environment, real-time eagle observations and a place for people to ask questions and share their own experiences and wonder about nature.”
Something about Jackie and Shadow is special, Voisard added. They make people laugh and cry — the latter especially in recent years, as Jackie’s eggs have not survived the winter. Before this year, her last successful nesting season was 2022 when Spirit hatched and soared away.
“We understand (when viewers) freak out a little, because we love them too,” Voisard said.
Topor said one library patron informed staff the eagles deserved their privacy and shouldn’t be on camera, but most visitors who stop by the display enjoy the show.
“I’ve watched the feed before, but didn’t know it was here at the library,” said Valerie Boone, another Smiley patron. “It’s fantastic.”
The library sees about five people an hour stop to check out the eagle display. Four of the books from the display have been checked out and three have been returned so far, circulation clerk Julia Hanna said.
Many viewers of Jackie and Shadow’s world were disheartened to learn one of the three newly hatched eaglets died. As livestream fans mourned the chick’s passing, Friends of Big Bear Valley counseled viewers.
“Please allow yourself to grieve and feel whatever you feel,” the nonprofit wrote on social media. “Please honor the chick for its courage in getting as far as it did and doing whatever it came to do.”
To keep up with the eagles, view the 24/7 livestream on YouTube or visit the Smiley library at 125 W. Vine St. Library hours are available online at akspl.org.
The library display will be up as long as patrons want to watch it, McCue said.