Ever since I saw my first webcam, I became fascinated by them. I think it’s amazing that you can see live video from places all over the world. But they’re not just for checking out far-flung destinations. I always check a local beach webcam before we pack up the car, just to make sure it’s sunny, and not too windy or crowded.
I used to feature a live webcam from around the world every day in my newsletter (you can subscribe for free) but I stopped once I’d gone through all the good ones and it was a struggle to find something new. However, I might have to bring them back since it’s been a couple of years and there are more popping up, including very unique ones.
One of the most amazing webcams I’ve found has been getting a lot of attention on the local L.A. news and by the looks of it, from around the world, since every time I log on there are thousands of people viewing it. The Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest (embedded above) is located in Big Bear, California, about a 90-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles.
The webcam features two wild bald eagles named Jackie and Shadow, who are Big Bear Lake residents. According to Big Bear’s tourism website, “Each year, the duo returns to their nest in the valley to prep for a new round of eggs and hatchlings. The Friends of the Big Bear Valley non-profit organization maintains the famous Big Bear Eagle Cam that draws thousands of viewers year-round to watch the life and times of Jackie & Shadow.”
The eagles’ nest has been around since the fall of 2013 but don’t think about trying to visit. The surrounding area is closed off to the public annually to protect the eagles.
I’ve taken a couple of screenshots over the last few days because with the snow, it’s been absolutely beautiful.
This shot is really incredible:
In this shot, the eagle’s eggs are completely covered in snow:
Besides it being so beautiful, the big reason it’s been such a huge draw is that there are three eggs in the nest. One local news headline read “Bald eagle mom protects eggs for 62 hours during CA snowstorm.”
The Friends of Big Bear Valley who run the camera post often on their Facebook page. Yesterday, Sandy Steers (Feb 6), the executive director, wrote: “Between storms, Jackie and Shadow got into a beautiful rhythm of duty exchanges…one calls out or just leaves…the other shows up in under a minute…they roll eggs and settle in…each time they stand to change position, they roll the eggs…the other one arrives on the front porch or from the back door…and the same process repeats.”
Sandy points out that the way to tell Jackie and Shadow apart is by “how filled the nest bowl’s circle of snow is when they are sitting in it—Jackie takes up the whole area…Shadow’s 25% smaller body has space all around the edges.”
Another interesting fact Sandy taught followers is that Jackie “is built to handle this…over 7000 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. Jackie also has a crop to store food, so she can go for well over a day without eating as her food storage system simply drops the next portion into her stomach.”
I’m sure you will be as in awe as I am if you log on during daylight hours. At night, it’s nothing special. Let me know what you think of it and if you love any other cool webcams (doesn’t have to be animal-related).
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