Eagle Chick 'Hatch Watch' Has Tens Of Thousands Watching Nest Cam

Two expectant eagle parents in California have tens of thousands of people eagerly awaiting the hatching of their chicks, thanks to a live feed of the birds’ nest.

Jackie, a female, and Shadow, a male, are bald eagle mates who share a nest in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains. The nest is about 145 feet up in a pine tree with a view of Big Bear Lake.

Since 2015, the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley has had a webcam providing a livestream of the goings-on inside the nest ― and lately, things have gotten especially interesting.

Jackie laid three eggs in January, and The Associated Press reported Thursday that the chicks could hatch soon. On early Saturday afternoon, nearly 20,000 viewers were tuned in to a YouTube livestream, participating in what multiple news outlets are calling “hatch watch.”

The Saturday stream showed one of the eagles dutifully incubating the eggs as rain and wind buffeted the nest, but the parents-to-be are no strangers to inclement weather. Last month, the two were seen protecting the eggs in shifts amid a fierce snowstorm. At one point, Jackie stayed atop the eggs without a break for just under 62 hours.

The livestream has also captured many lighter moments, including Shadow bringing Jackie a whole fish Sunday.

“He was in heaven & proud that he pleased his lady,” Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote on a Facebook page that recaps nest highlights.

Support HuffPost

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Whether you come