‘Pip Watch’ begins for Big Bear’s famous bald eagles’ two eggs. What you need to know about hatching

Fans of Big Bear’s famous bald eagles are watching for signs of new life in Jackie and Shadow’s nest as “Pip Watch” kicks off Tuesday for the feathered couple’s pair of eggs.

A pip refers to the first signs of hatching, usually seen as a small hole or crack on the egg as the chick breaks through the shell and works its way out into the world.

Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs a popular YouTube livestream focused on the eagles' nest, started this season’s “Pip Watch” around 35 days after the first egg was laid.

“That means … it's past the time of development, and it could start hatching any day,” said Jenny Voisard, the organization’s media manager.

As of Tuesday, the second egg is about 32 days old, so it may take a few days for it to start hatching, Voisard said.

Jackie and Shadow's usual incubation timeline is around 38 to 40 days, according to the nonprofit.

Last season, the first egg hatched at around 40 days old, the second egg hatched around 38 days old and the third egg around 39 days old.

“Nature is fascinating to watch, and as the story of each day unfolds, we must remember that foremost, we are fortunate observers into their nest world,” Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote on Facebook to more than a million followers. “They have something important to teach us as humans about the natural world every day.”

How does the 'Pip Watch' process work?

According to the nonprofit, Jackie and Shadow are “incredibly attuned” to their eggs. In the past, they’ve appeared to be able to sense life inside before a crack appears.

During “Pip Watch,” about a day or two before the first mark appears on the outside of the egg, the chick will make an internal pip by piercing the egg’s air cell with its egg tooth, a sharp point on the eaglet’s beak that helps it break through the shell.

“So Jackie and Shadow could potentially feel or hear them,” Voisard said. “We'll look to see if they're kind of looking at the eggs or looking like they're listening as well.”

For example, the eagles may stand up in the nest, cock their heads to the side or lean in toward the nest bowl to hear the faint peeps or scratches coming from inside the uncracked egg shell, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.

If they feel movement, Jackie and Shadow may stand up more frequently, circle the nest bowl and check the eggs intently for progress.

‘Pip Watch Itch’

Humans have been urged to avoid what the nonprofit calls “Pip Watch Itch” — the urgent need to study the eggs frame by frame and declare every speck of dirt or fluff a pip.

Friends of Big Bear Valley jokes that it “occurs seasonally” and there’s “no known cure.”

“Everything looks like a pip to everybody because the eggs are sticky and they're pretty dirty at this point,” Voisard said. “People [get] worried that it's cracking or it's started hatching because it has feathers stuck to it or dirt or fluff or what have you.”

A confirmed pip site from a previous egg in 2022.

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Friends of Big Bear Valley

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YouTube

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If you suspect a pip, keep watching that spot on the egg. Hatching is an arduous process for the chick that requires a lot of energy, so a real pip will grow and become more obvious over time, according to the nonprofit.

As always, Friends of Big Bear Valley reminds fans that humans can’t predict or control the outcome of the nest. Nature, and the eagles, are in charge.

“It could take a while, so just relax like you're observing every other day on the nest,” Voisard said. “But of course we're excited. I mean, you can still be excited. I think positive thinking is definitely in order.”

Friends of Big Bear Valley will let fans know if a pip is confirmed in either of the eggs, including on the organization’s live recap report and social media accounts.