Here’s how Big Bear’s famous nesting eagles are weathering the storm

Jackie, Shadow and their three eggs seem to be faring well this week as an intense storm system blankets their nest above Big Bear Lake with fresh snow.

The nesting eagles are demonstrating “resilience extraordinaire,” according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, which monitors the nest and live streams the happenings there via two web cams.

In a social media post Tuesday, Feb. 6, the nonprofit says Jackie and her partner, Shadow, have developed a “beautiful rhythm of duty exchanges,” each taking turns rolling the three eggs and then settling in to keep them warm, before the most recent storm. At one point, Jackie took over as main caregiver and settled into the nest for 35 hours straight, the nonprofit said.

“She is built to handle this,” FOBBV wrote on Facebook. Jackie has “over 7,000 waterproof feathers to keep her dry (and no matter how wet she looks, she is dry under those outer feathers), plus downy feathers under that to keep her warm. When she stands up to roll the eggs, it’s obvious that they are dry and warm.”

This is Jackie’s first three-egg clutch, according to FOBBV. She delivered the third egg on Jan. 31, six days after the first egg arrived. Pip watch will begin in early March.

“As the storm is predicted to continue for another day, Jackie and Shadow know what they are doing,” the nonprofit said Tuesday. “The camera system, however, may go up and down a bit as the area and the communications systems get covered in snow.”