SHORT & SWEET VISIT + LATE NIGHT CONVERSATIONS ❤ 10.13.24

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In this clip, Lumber Jackie arrived to the nest first with a stick delivery in her beak! In fact, she has done that many times with large branches. Can you imagine the strength required as a roughly 13lb bird flying against the wind with a tree branch in its beak?? Talons are more understandable but this is just fascinating to me. You gotta love her!

When Shadow arrived he can first be seen flying across the lower treeline in the distance before coming in for a landing. He was so eager to help Jackie with her nestkeeping, that he mowed his way in, and ends up right in her way which happens often with these two. She often just leans against him until he moves.

Female Bald Eagles are 30% larger than males, which is called reverse sexual dimorphism. This benefit comes in handy for so many reasons and many of those benefits occur on the nest... as you can see in this case.

On Jackie's way out, she got her talons stuck on some branches but sorts herself out just fine. Although, she may have lost a few sticks overboard on her way out. Just don't tell her I said that.

Later during the night, Jackie and Shadow can be heard vocalizing from their favorite Roost tree. Could it have been a Critter alarm? An owl warning? Or maybe Jackie telling Shadow she needs a predicure asap for her rough talons? No way to know for sure.

Huge shout out to Friends of Big Bear Valley for such amazing camera and microphone systems giving us such crisp pictures and sound.

Video captured, edited and captioned by D. Persinger