When Big Bear's celebrity bald eagle couple's eggs were eaten by ravens in late January, they didn't grieve alone. Thousands had watched Jackie and Shadow on livestream, as they meticulously arranged sticks in their nest high in a Jeffrey pine and nibbled each other's feathers in preparation for laying. All seemed just dandy until both eagles left their nest unattended, and ravens swooped in.
"Mating will continue until all eggs in the clutch are laid. Only Jackie knows how many and when she is done," the non-profit said in an Instagram post. "Eggs are laid 3-5 days apart. Jackie tends to lay every 3 days. In the meantime, if other eggs are on the way, incubation for Egg#1 is delayed in order for all eggs to hatch closer together. This helps with the survival rate of the chicks after hatching."
As scores of students swarmed out of their Milpitas elementary school on a recent afternoon, a lone bald eagle perched high above them in a redwood tree - only occasionally looking down on the after-school ruckus, training his eyes on the grassy hills along the western horizon. The week before, his mate was electrocuted on nearby power lines operated by PG&E.
