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Jackie and Shadow have two new chicks this Easter Sunday.
Details: The first eaglet arrived last night around 9:30 p.m., the second around 8:30 a.m. this morning.
Read on and look at footage of the new chicks from the nonprofit, Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Congrats to Big Bear's celebrity bald eagle couple.
Jackie and Shadow have two new chicks this Easter Sunday. Thousands of fans have been watching their eggs hatch on the popular nest livestream that made the eagles famous.
The first eaglet arrived last night around 9:30 p.m., the second followed around 8:30 a.m.
The nonprofit that runs the livestream, Friends of Big Bear Valley, says dad Shadow showed up after the second hatch and saw his two chicks for the first time.
Mom Jackie is is showing a natural behavior that’s actually a good sign. The nonprofit says she's salivating more — which helps provide electrolytes and antibodies her chicks need.
The two eggs each showed signs of a pip — or first crack — on Friday and Saturday.
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The Writers Guild of America has announced a tentative four-year contract agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Hollywood studios, television networks and streaming services.
Why it matters: The new agreement spans four years, longer than the typical three-year deal. In a social media post, the WGA said the deal "protects writers’ health plan and puts it on a sustainable path, builds on gains from 2023, and helps address free work challenges."
In a statement posted on its website, AMPTP said, "We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support long-term industry stability."
Why now: AMPTP and the WGA have been in negotiations since March. The announcement yesterday came a little under a month before the union's current contract was set to expire on May 1.
The backstory: In 2023, contract negotiations broke down between writers and producers, which led to a historic five-month writers strike. That strike ended with the WGA notching huge gains in compensation, streaming residuals and AI protections.
What's next: The tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by the full WGA membership. The union's negotiating committee said union members will receive detailed information in the coming days.
Topline:
The Writers Guild of America has announced a tentative four-year contract agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Hollywood studios, television networks and streaming services.
Why it matters: The new agreement spans four years, as opposed to the typical three-year deal. In a social media post, the WGA said the deal "protects writers’ health plan and puts it on a sustainable path, builds on gains from 2023, and helps address free work challenges."
In a statement posted on its website, AMPTP said, "We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support long-term industry stability."
Why now: AMPTP and the WGA have been in negotiations since March. The announcement yesterday came a little under a month before the union's current contract was set to expire on May 1.
The backstory: In 2023, contract negotiations broke down between writers and producers, which led to a historic five-month writers strike. That strike ended with the WGA notching huge gains in compensation, streaming residuals and AI protections.
What's next: The tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by the full WGA membership. The union's negotiating committee said union members will receive detailed information in the coming days.
Topline:
The Hollywood Burbank Airport is advising flyers to arrive at least two hours earlier than usual because of construction slated to begin Monday and last for 60 days.
What’s closed: One lane of traffic on the southbound side of Hollywood Way near Thornton Avenue will be closed during construction. The sidewalk and bike lane on the west side of Hollywood Way will also be closed.
What’s the alternative: Officials are advising passengers to use the Empire Avenue entrance, or enter the airport westbound on Thornton Avenue.
The Hollywood Burbank Airport is advising flyers to arrive at least two hours earlier than usual for the next 60 days because of construction slated to begin Monday.
Road closures: One lane of traffic on the southbound side of Hollywood Way next to Thornton Avenue will be closed during construction. The sidewalk and bike lane on the west side of Hollywood Way between Winona Avenue and Thornton Avenue will also be closed.
When: Construction will occur Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through June 6.
Why: Airport spokesperson Mike Christensen told LAist crews are building a retaining wall as part of Hollywood Burbank's passenger terminal construction project.
Alternatives: Officials recommend passengers use the Empire Avenue entrance or take Thornton Avenue to get to the airport.
Topline:
LAist senior editor, Suzanne Levy, who grew up in the UK, tells the story of the first time she went to Joshua Tree and experienced the desert's strange, out of the world landscape.
On seeing a Joshua Tree: "What? Wait, stop the car. There’s an actual Joshua Tree? It looks like an alien to me!"
On seeing a desert sunset: "I marveled at the gorgeousness of the sunset, the morphing colors and the vastness of the sky."
While living in L.A., I’d been hearing about this thing — “the desert.” Seemed a bit odd to someone who lived on the Westside next to the ocean, but OK, you can also see mountains from my house, so why not throw in an entire landscape food group?
A few years ago, I figured it was time to try it out, and my family and I headed to Joshua Tree for the weekend.
We began driving east and were soon in that vast no man’s land around the 10 Freeway. On one side, I could see a moving train, with all those boxcars. I was watching, entranced, waiting to see it go past. And it kept going. And going. It was like a vibrant desert serpent, wending its way through the landscape, each boxcar a different hue. It seemed so romantic, and then I thought “in each one, there’s a whole load of hanging car air fresheners, dental floss and Japanese waving cats” and suddenly the spell was broken. Ah well.
As we got nearer, I said “Huh, what's that weird thing that looks like an alien?” and my husband said, “Yes, that’s a Joshua Tree.”
What? Wait, stop the car. There’s an actual Joshua Tree? First, who knew, and second, that is no tree. That, sir, is a weird misshapen cactus, with multiple crooked arms reaching into the air, each with its own spiky fur muff. Kinda like one of those waving inflatable guys if they were static. (Ah, I've been in L.A. too long).
We finally arrived at our destination, a campsite — OK, a glamping campsite, a whole bunch of airstream trailers laid out with firepits. I knew it was bougie when I went to buy a smores kit from the shop and came back with 70% dark chocolate, artisanal graham crackers and single origin marshmallows. (I made that marshmallow one up, but it really is just a matter of time).
We made a fire, marveling at the gorgeousness of the sunset, the morphing colors and the vastness of the sky. I sat afterwards watching the flames, the cold air on my skin, under a blanket of stars. Tears pricked my eyes.
LAist Senior Editor Suzanne Levy writes about her experiences as a Brit in the U.S. in her ongoing series: American As A Second language.
In the morning we headed to Joshua Tree National Park. When we got out of the car, the vista hit me, with that bright, bright sun, strange looking rocky outcrops, and nothing but Joshua trees as far as the eye could see. I thought: I have never seen anything like this. I couldn’t have even imagined something like this. In London, if you go on a day trip, you can go back in time, say to the thatched roofs of the Cotswolds — but not to a different planet.
What an extraordinary continent this is, I think. I am awestruck by its endless, varied landscapes — the plains, the Rockies, the oceans and the forests. And there’s something particular about the desert — its simplicity, its reduction to just three or four elements, which relaxes you, chills you out.
I remember heading back to L.A. after the weekend, happy and mellow, smiling as we drove west into the setting sun. It’s a cliche, but the desert does call you back. And I hope to get back there very soon.
We have another pip — the second egg in Big Bear’s famous bald eagle nest is showing signs of hatching.
The backstory: That’s just a day after the first egg started showing signs of hatching on Friday morning. The egg shell has continued to crack as the chick breaks through, revealing more of the eaglet’s fuzzy gray feathers as time goes on.
We have another pip — the second egg in Big Bear’s famous bald eagle nest is showing signs of hatching.
The first pip, or crack, was confirmed in Jackie and Shadow’s egg no. 2 on Saturday morning, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs a popular YouTube livestream of the nest overlooking Big Bear Lake.
That’s about a day after the first egg started showing signs of hatching on Friday morning. The egg shell has continued to crack as the chick breaks through, revealing more of the eaglet’s fuzzy gray feathers as time goes on.
More than 38,000 people were watching the livestream shortly after the organization confirmed the second crack, compared with the more than 26,000 viewers who tuned in on Friday.
“The first egg is still in the process of hatching, it is not considered hatched until it is completely free of the egg shell. The chick has popped its head out of the shell to say a happy hatch day to mom and dad!” Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote on Facebook to more than a million followers on Saturday. “It also appears that the second egg has a pip. It is not well defined as of this morning, but we will likely see more progress throughout the day.”
Jackie and Shadow's usual incubation timeline is around 38 to 40 days, according to the nonprofit.
With pips in place, it could take the chicks a day or two to complete the hatching process, as seen with last season’s trio.
Friends of Big Bear Valley won’t know for sure if any chicks are male or female, as the organization has said the only way to tell is with a blood test.
But once eaglets are around 9 or 10 weeks old, there should be signs that can help the nonprofit make an educated guess, including the chicks’ size, ankle thickness and vocal pitch.
Generally speaking, female bald eagles are larger than males. Female bald eagles also tend to have larger vocal organs — the syrinx — which leads to deeper, lower-pitched vocalizations, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Historically, Jackie and Shadow’s chicks are given temporary nicknames initially, such as Chick 1 and Chick 2, or Bigger Chick and Smaller Chick (which some fans affectionately nicknamed Biggie and Smalls).
The final decision has then been left up to Big Bear Valley elementary school students. Previous chicks have been named Stormy, BBB (for Big Bear Baby), Simba and Cookie through that process.
Last year, Friends of Big Bear Valley crowdsourced more than 50,000 name choices in a week-long fundraiser, with the students voting from 30 finalists on official ballots delivered by the nonprofit.
The feathered parents’ eaglets were named Sunny and Gizmo last April.
One of last season’s three chicks didn’t survive a winter storm within weeks of hatching. Friends of Big Bear Valley named that chick “Misty” in honor of one of their late volunteers who is “still very missed,” the organization previously shared.
