Experts announced last week that the three eggs belonging to famous Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow will not hatch, but that didn’t stop Jackie from defending the nest from a potential intruder on Saturday.
No pips were confirmed in any of the eggs last Monday, Friends of Big Bear Valley posted on their website, meaning that they were not viable and would likely not hatch; both Jackie and Shadow are expected to leave the nest and remain in the Big Bear area during the spring and summer months before returning to the same nest during mating season in October and November.
Jackie has had three successful eaglets, according to the Big Bear bald eagles Instagram account, including two with Shadow in 2019 and 2022. She had unsuccessful clutches in 2020, 2021 and 2023 before this year.
Despite no offspring this time around, the eagles still defend their nest with valor, as evidenced by Jackie giving a nosy raven the death stare on Saturday, preventing it from getting to the unviable eggs.
Ravens will likely eat the eggs once Jackie and Shadow leave the nest.
Despite no offspring this time around, the eagles still defend their nest with valor, as evidenced by Jackie giving a nosy raven the death stare on Saturday, Mar. 16, 2024. (Friends of Big Bear Valley) 
Despite no offspring this time around, the eagles still defend their nest with valor, as evidenced by Jackie giving a nosy raven the death stare on Saturday, Mar. 16, 2024. (Friends of Big Bear Valley) 
Despite no offspring this time around, the eagles still defend their nest with valor, as evidenced by Jackie giving a nosy raven the death stare on Saturday, Mar. 16, 2024. (Friends of Big Bear Valley)
The gutsy raven wasn’t the only visitor on Saturday, Friends of Big Bear Valley said on their website.
A “sub-adult” bald eagle, likely hatched in 2022, came into the nest area late Saturday evening, moving from a perch tree to the nest tree itself, experts said.
“On the nest, Jackie was of course aware of this eagle and went on high alert,” FOBBV said. “However, she did not call out a warning to it or call for Shadow to come and help…almost as if she might be familiar with or assume this visitor would not harm the nest.”
The visitor was around the right age to be Spirit, Jackie and Shadow’s eaglet that hatched in 2022, experts said, but since Spirit was not tagged, they were not able to determine if the visiting bald eagle was a stranger or if it was checking to see if it had any siblings.
“It is interesting that this eagle felt secure enough to come in so close and that Jackie did not make a big fuss about it being there…Shadow did not come swooping in to chase it away,” Friends of Big Bear Valley remarked.
Jackie and Shadow are expected to leave the nest “any day,” the Big Bear bald eagles Instagram account said.
