Jackie and Shadow, a pair of bald eagles who captured the attention of viewers last winter as they waited for their eggs to hatch, have their first egg of the 2024 season in Big Bear.
The couple’s nest is located about 145 feet up in a Jeffrey Pine tree in Big Bear Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains.
“What’s happening at the nest: Egg Watch 2024 is underway!” Friends of Big Bear Valley, who operate a pair of live nest camera feeds, said on its YouTube page.
Jackie laid the egg just before 5 p.m. Thursday with thousands of people watching the live streams.
Watchers can tell the bald eagles apart because Jackie is larger and her beak is both longer and thicker than Shadow’s.
Jackie had been showing signs of nesting before the egg arrived, according to eagle watchers.
Hardcore bird lovers won’t be the only ones tuning in.
“We will be watching, probably bringing it to you each and every morning at some point,” KTLA’s Chris Schauble said on the Morning News.
Bald eagle eggs have an incubation period of about 35 days, so the couple’s new egg should hatch in late February or early March.