The absence of one famous bald eagle had everyone on edge.
All eyes have been on this nature cam in Big Bear Lake, California as of late. A camera was set up to monitor a bald eagle nest in the area, and two well-known birds named Jackie and Shadow have been utilizing this particular nest since at least January of last year. It was then when the bald eagle couple first went viral after the mother, Jackie, was caught on camera toughing out an extreme winter storm.
Check it out:
That right there is the power of a mother on display… and also launched Jackie and Shadow into social media stardom.
Ever since then, the bald eagle couple has had a massive following online. The internet has a view of the nest the bald eagle mates call home, and have been able to witness much of their lives for over a year. In case you were wondering, bald eagles 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 predatory birds are quite large, measuring up to 40 inches tall and weighing up to 12 pounds… so it makes sense that a large nest is needed.
And Jackie and Shadow have been utilizing their beautiful nest with a view of Big Bear Lake quite a lot. After successfully hatching a couple of eaglets last year, the baldie breeding couple are back to their egg-warming ways in early 2026. Jackie and Shadow have two eggs that were laid around the end of February that they are trying to keep safe and warm right now.
That’s why close followers of the two eagles were very concerned when Jackie left the nest and wasn’t seen for an extended period of time. The Friends of Big Bear Valley (the non-profit that monitors the nest camera) noted that the female left the nest on the morning of Friday, March 6. She wasn’t seen for the rest of the day, which was alarming for the Jackie and Shadow community.
Eventually, Jackie did return the next morning on Saturday, March 7, which prompted this message from the nonprofit:
“It is unusual behavior for Jackie to be away that length of time, especially during nesting season with two eggs in the nest, and to not be seen or heard on the cameras for 20+ hours. Although we are not certain where she was, we were very relieved to see her return safely as she flew into the nest to reconnect with Shadow and their eggs.
Thank you for all your support and concern for Jackie’s safe return during such an uncertain time. What a beautiful moment to see her fly in, and even more so, to see her reunited with Shadow and their eggs!”
Lots of sighs of relief after Jackie’s return.
The reunion was great, but the weather didn’t exactly cooperate with the return of the female bald eagle. Shortly after she got back, the couple’s nest was put through the ringer. Their home that sits high up in a tree that’s located in Big Bear Valley got smacked by winds whipping at over 60 miles per hour.
In the video below from later on March 7, Shadow (the father) can be seen desperately hanging on to their sturdily built nest as winds gusted at 63 miles per hour. His partner, Jackie, came back once again to the nest to help shield their eggs… and it’s a good thing she did, because Shadow was nearly blown out of the tree top an hour or so before she came back:
Good thing bald eagles have sharp talons… they came in handy in that video as Shadow held on for dear life (both his life and the future lives of his two eggs).
Fortunately, it looks like the winds have died down since that above video was taken. The “Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam” shows the bald eagle parents enjoying some more milder weather conditions as they continues to keep their eggs warm:
