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Big Bear eagle watchers announce 'hard to hear' news about one of Jackie and Shadow's three eaglets
The chicks get a meal at dawn on Friday after a pair of winter storms.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley
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YouTube
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Update, 5 p.m.: One of Jackie and Shadow’s chicks has died. Volunteers tell fans: 'Grieve and feel whatever you feel'
One of Jackie and Shadow's three chicks has not been seen alive since early Friday, and volunteers are now saying the worst may be possible.
"Sadly, it is possible the remains of the missing chick may have been observed in the nest bowl, on the right side, " said Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that manages the popular YouTube livestream, in an update on Saturday morning.
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The group said they are waiting for more clear visuals to confirm the news.
Only two were chicks were visible during the first and second feedings Friday morning as snow continued to coat Big Bear’s famous bald eagle nest.
A new entry in a log run by Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that manages the popular YouTube livestream, says observers are "taking it moment by moment like Jackie and Shadow do."
Weather has been the biggest risk for the young eaglets as their own waterproof feathers grow in. The nest has been hit with a series of late winter storms this month, but the chicks had been able to stay safe snuggled under their parents.
It’s unclear what happened to the third chick. Mama Jackie guarded the nest for most of the storm Thursday, and all three chicks were spotted taking bites of food during a break before bed time.
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About the bald eagle livestream
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Live images get from the nest high above Big Bear Lake to your eyeballs via a pair of cameras — one that provides close-ups of the nest, and another trained on the tree Jackie and Shadow roost in.
- The rig runs off a 24-volt solar system with ethernet cables for the cameras.
- The cameras move incredibly slowly — about one or two degrees per second — so as to not disturb the animals living around it.
- The one closest to the nest has been covered in a smoked dome to conceal the lens.
- A low-intensity infrared light allows viewers to see the nest at night. The light itself isn't visible to the eagles, us humans, or the nest’s recurring guest star, Fiona the flying squirrel.
- The cameras are operated by three anonymous Friends of Big Bear Valley volunteers, including one in Europe who handles the late shift.
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