Making the rest of us look bad.
I’ve seen a number of animal-in-the-wild videos in my day, but the genre that always impresses me the most are those that showcase the sacrifices mothers have to make in the Animal Kingdom. Nature can be a brutal place, and no matter what, mothers of all shapes and sizes are always doing what’s best for their offspring.
That’s on full display in this video below out of Big Bear Lake, California. A camera was set up to monitor a bald eagle nest in the area, and two birds that have been named Jackie and Shadow are currently utilizing it to start a little bald eagle family. As we speak, they are working to keep three eggs safe and sound – and most importantly, warm.
Bald eagles are quite large, measuring up to 40 inches tall and weighing up to 12 pounds. That means they need a sizable nest to call home, and they typically build their nests in an area with a good view of the surrounding landscape, usually in large trees, cliff sides, or other high-elevated rock formations. The one in this video is high up in a tree, and boasts quite the view… when snowfall isn’t limiting visibility.
This remarkable clip of the bald eagle couple captured by the nest camera was from just a couple of weeks ago:
Talk about a mother’s love and dedication.
And speaking of love, on the day that everyone celebrates it, the male bald eagle (Shadow) gifted his partner (Jackie) with what I would assume to be the Animal Kingdom equivalent of roses on Valentine’s Day: a fresh caught fish. In order to reward the mother for sitting on the eggs to keep them warm for a long period of time, the male baldie caught a fish and delivered the entire thing right to her on the special day:
“These love birds had a lovely Valentine’s Day! Shadow the bald eagle delivered a big ol’ fish to his sweetheart Jackie on the special day for lovers, as Jackie huddled in the nest to protect their three eggs from the snow. Jackie spent 46 hours on nest duty during the recent cold stretch.”
Coincidence that it happened on Valentine’s Day? I think not.
Nothing like a fish dinner on Valentine’s Day, am I right?
Jackie and Shadow have quite the following now, especially because we’re nearing the due date for the three eggs that are sitting in the nest. Fans are patiently waiting for March, when the eggs are expected to hatch and reveal beautiful bald eagle chicks. The bird couple still have a ways to go until the big moment, but they’re certainly in the home stretch… and hoping to avoid any more brutally cold snow storms.
The good news for Jackie and Shadow is that it looks like the Big Bear Valley has warmed up and all of the snow has mostly melted from their nest. You can check in on Jackie and Shadow (and their eggs) in the livestream below:
