Latest news with #FriendsofBigBearValley
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Big Bear eaglet Sunny flies the nest. See the bittersweet moment
First she hovered, and now she's flown! Eaglet Sunny stretched her wings on Monday and flew out of the family nest for the first time, thrilling fans of the live webcam that monitors the Big Bear family of eagles that includes mom Jackie, dad Shadow and sibling Gizmo. Video showed that, as the eaglet took off at 10:46 a.m., Gizmo's head swiveled, monitoring as Sunny fledged, or made an inaugural flight from the nest. "It's exciting to have this beautiful, successful moment — and, at the same time, sad that we won't be seeing her as much anymore," said Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that operates the 24-hour nest cam. "Its great that she's successfully flown the nest." Sometimes when eaglets fly the nest, they don't return, Steers told The Times in an earlier interview. But Sunny didn't go far. Later Monday morning, one of the camera operators found the eaglet perching at the top of a tree nearby the 145-foot-tall Jeffrey pine that holds the family's huge nest. What happens next for newly independent Sunny? Parents Jackie and Shadow, will be following the eaglet around, protecting her and helping her find food for anywhere between a few weeks and a few months, Steers said. Eagles don't reach sexual maturity until they're around 4 or 5 years old. The first year of life can be perilous for an eagle. Thanks to its inexperience, a juvenile bald eagle has less than a 50% chance of surviving, according to the American Eagle Foundation. If they survive, they can live 15 to 30 years in the wild. Meanwhile, Gizmo will be turning 13 weeks old on Saturday and hasn't taken off yet. Eaglets usually fledge at 10 to 14 weeks of age. Up until Monday, both eaglets had been practicing venturing out onto tree limbs, where they would flap their wings and bounce. They'd also tried hovering — which happens when an eaglet catches the wind at just the right moment and it takes their body off the ground, but they don't fully leave the nest. Sunny is the fourth eaglet from Jackie and Shadow that has fledged. Three have fledged since the camera was installed, according to Steers, which she said is par for the course. The webcam was installed in 2015 and recorded its first nesting season in 2017. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Big Bear eaglet Sunny flies the nest. See the bittersweet moment
First she hovered, and now she's flown! Eaglet Sunny stretched her wings on Monday and flew out of the family nest for the first time, thrilling fans of the live webcam that monitors the Big Bear family of eagles that includes mom Jackie, dad Shadow and sibling Gizmo. Video showed that, as the eaglet took off at 10:46 a.m., Gizmo's head swiveled, monitoring as Sunny fledged, or made an inaugural flight from the nest. 'It's exciting to have this beautiful, successful moment — and, at the same time, sad that we won't be seeing her as much anymore,' said Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that operates the 24-hour nest cam. 'Its great that she's successfully flown the nest.' Sometimes when eaglets fly the nest, they don't return, Steers told The Times in an earlier interview. But Sunny didn't go far. Later Monday morning, one of the camera operators found the eaglet perching at the top of a tree nearby the 145-foot-tall Jeffrey pine that holds the family's huge nest. What happens next for newly independent Sunny? Parents Jackie and Shadow, will be following the eaglet around, protecting her and helping her find food for anywhere between a few weeks and a few months, Steers said. Eagles don't reach sexual maturity until they're around 4 or 5 years old. The first year of life can be perilous for an eagle. Thanks to its inexperience, a juvenile bald eagle has less than a 50% chance of surviving, according to the American Eagle Foundation. If they survive, they can live 15 to 30 years in the wild. Meanwhile, Gizmo will be turning 13 weeks old on Saturday and hasn't taken off yet. Eaglets usually fledge at 10 to 14 weeks of age. Up until Monday, both eaglets had been practicing venturing out onto tree limbs, where they would flap their wings and bounce. They'd also tried hovering — which happens when an eaglet catches the wind at just the right moment and it takes their body off the ground, but they don't fully leave the nest. Sunny is the fourth eaglet from Jackie and Shadow that has fledged. Three have fledged since the camera was installed, according to Steers, which she said is par for the course. The webcam was installed in 2015 and recorded its first nesting season in 2017.
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
First flight! Watch as baby eaglet takes off from Jackie and Shadow's nest
First flight! Watch as baby eaglet takes off from Jackie and Shadow's nest Show Caption Hide Caption Watch Sunny, one of Jackie and Shadow's eaglets, soars from the nest A livestream caught Sunny flying from the nest. Her and her sibling Gizmo hatched back in March. Celebrity bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow experienced a parental milestone after one of their new baby eaglets left the nest and took their first flight Monday, June 2. Sister eaglets Sunny and Gizmo were recently trained for their big send off after hatching in their parents' nest in March in Southern California's Big Bear Valley, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the non-profit organization that runs a 24-hour live feed monitoring the famous family. Soon after 10:45 am local time, Sunny set off to the sky for the first time, kicking off a new era of her life, the organization confirmed on Facebook. Watch the moment Sunny takes flight "She put up her wings to catch the wind and then jumped up and let those beautiful wings carry her. She circled back around toward Shadow and Jackie's favorite roost tree," the Facebook post reads. "And a bit later, our awesome camera operators were able to find Sunny, perching near the top of the roost tree." It's unclear whether Sunny will return to the nest, though Jackie and Shadow's prior eaglets have done so, the group said. The group said it is thrilled for Sunny but sad livestream viewers may not see her as often anymore. What about Gizmo? Sunny's sister Gizmo has not yet left the nest, though her time may be coming. Friends of Big Bear Valley reported that Gizmo was right beside her sister during the flight, adding "she looked completely fascinated and kept her eyes on Sunny flying away from the nest." "Gizmo probably now has a lot to think about," the non-profit wrote. Last month, the organization said the siblings were preparing to soar at 10 weeks old. Jackie and Shadow laid out larger sticks around the nest as as outer guardrails and training aids during their kid's wing developmental process, known as fledge. Who are Sunny and Gizmo? Sunny and Gizmo were two of three hatchlings born to Jackie and Shadow in March 2025. A third eaglet, named Misty in honor of a former volunteer, died after a snowstorm hit the area. But Jackie and Shadow have been able to make sure Sunny and Gizmo are healthy and happy. Last month, Friends of Big Bear Valley launched a contest titled FledgeFest 2025 where fans could predict exactly when Sunny and Gizmo would each fly. USA TODAY has reached out to see if a contest winner has been declared and will receive an honorary certificate.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Gender reveal: One of the Big Bear bald eaglets is a girl, experts say
The world has watched bald eaglets Sunny and Gizmo grow up at their nest at Big Bear Lake for the past 12 weeks, but their genders have remained a mystery, until now. It is notoriously difficult to identity the sexes of bald eaglet chicks when young, but the avian experts who operate the world-famous, 24-hour live video feed of the nest have announced they are confident that one of the chicks is female. "At this point, from the size compared to Shadow, the ankle size and general behavior, we are pretty sure that Gizmo is a girl," Friends of Big Bear Valley Executive Director Sandy Steers wrote in an update posted to social media. "Her obsession with food is also a sign," Steers added. More: Fledge watch: Big Bear bald eaglets Sunny and Gizmo prepare to take first flights Sunny's sex remains unknown for the time being. The sibling is four days older than Gizmo. "For Sunny, the jury is still out," Steers said. "With more observation and hopefully some vocalization that can be heard... we hope to be more positive about Sunny's gender in the next few days." "Fledge watch" at the Big Bear bald eagle nest is officially underway. The young apex predators have been seen exercising their wings and getting a feel for the wind in recent weeks in preparation for their first excursions out of their nest. More: When will the Big Bear bald eaglets get their iconic white heads, leave the nest? Even after they take to the sky, Sunny and Gizmo are expected to remain close to home for a month or two as they continue honing the skills they will need to survive on their own, according to experts. After that, they will head off to establish new homes of their own, potentially hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Admirers of Jackie, Shadow and the chicks are invited to join FOBBV for a "fan party" next month in Big Bear Lake. The gathering of eagle-eyed fans will take place from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, at Pine Knot Road and Village Drive, organizers said. It will be part of a two-day event dubbed "Adventure Days" on June 21 and 22, which invites guests to join in a host of free outdoor activities ranging from bird watching and flower hikes to boating and Jeep tours, according to FOBBV. All planned activities are free, however, registration for them each day is required and spots may fill up, the group said in a statement. "Our aim is to promote synchronicity between our unique Big Bear Valley natural mountain forest environment and our local business community in ways that allow both to thrive," FOBBV added. More information is available on the FOBBV website at This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Gender reveal: One of the Big Bear bald eaglets is a girl, experts say
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fledge watch: Big Bear bald eaglets Sunny and Gizmo prepare to take first flights
"Fledge watch" has officially begun at the Big Bear bald eagle nest, where chicks Sunny and Gizmo have been seen regularly exercising the growing wings ahead of their first flights, which could be coming any day. Sunny hatched in the nest perched high atop a Jeffrey Pine on March 4. Gizmo emerged from the shell three days later. "Today Sunny is officially 10 weeks old, which starts Fledge Watch," said Sandy Steers, who serves as executive director at the nonprofit organization Friends of Big Bear Valley, which installed and runs a 24-hour live stream of the nest that has thrust the family of raptors into an international spotlight. "Based on their current development, it may be a bit longer before either is actually ready to fly, but each day brings new progress and curiosity," she added in a social media update to eagle-eyed fans of the webcast. The eaglets have been eagerly flapping their wings and making small hops as they get the hang of the physics of flight, showing they're "almost ready for liftoff," according to FOBBV. Sunny has been spotted hoisting himself into the air for periods of about half a second. "It takes a whole second of lift to be considered hovering, but Sunny is definitely getting close," according to Steers. Gizmo has followed suit, demonstrating the younger sibling is only slightly less advanced than Sunny, she added. The rapid progress has been bittersweet to watch for many of the countless regular viewers of the nest webcam around the globe, who expressed both joy in the chicks' development, yet also dread the day when they will leave the nest for good. "All of a sudden I don't want them to fledge/leave home! I've become so attached to the whole family," wrote one fan via Facebook. "I know…..it is exciting but sad at the same time," a commenter responded. "I'm already a little teary eyed," added another. The eaglets have grown to match, and possible even exceed, the height of their father, 11-year-old Shadow, Steers said. But they've not quite matched the size of their 13-year-old mother, Jackie. More: When will the Big Bear bald eaglets get their iconic white heads, leave the nest? Once they first take flight, the eaglets will remain near their parents for several weeks or months as they master the art of aviation and hone their hunting skills, wildlife experts said. Once ready, Sunny and Gizmo will strike out on their own to establish their own territories just about anywhere they see fit in North America. "It will be a very bittersweet time when Sunny and Gizmo fledge and embark on their grand journeys, which may take them thousands of miles away from their natal home," FOBBV representatives said. As excitement continues growing around the Big Bear bald eagle nest, FOBBV urged those to decide to pay a visit in person to do so respectfully and ethically. The nesting area lies on national forest land and is closed to the public, the organization said in a written statement. "As our main guiding principle, we always ask to steer clear of sharing locations of perching sites inside or outside of the nesting habitat to avoid attracting crowds," the statement said. "Crowding and increased human attention may result in perching site abandonment." "Our wish for the eagles is to be out there living their lives without our intrusions. Online nest cameras allow us to unobtrusively witness eagle lives up close and personal day by day. Our Nest Cam and Wide View Cam provide the best view of the nest and its surrounding habitat," the statement continued. "Ever since the first nest camera was installed in the Big Bear Valley, we have worked to ensure that Jackie and Shadow's home remains undisturbed and safe for nesting," the group added. "Animals cannot ask for personal boundaries or respect. Therefore, it is up to us to give them the space they need to live their lives, eat their dinner, meet their boyfriends and girlfriends, and make more animals. It is up to us to remain environmentally conscious and humble as we continue sharing our planet with many extraordinary creatures." Those who wish to get a gander of the birds in person are encouraged to take a slow drive, walk or boat tour around Big Bear Lake, keeping eyes fixes on the tallest trees, especially dead ones, which eagles like to perch on. Representatives also suggest watching from Dana Point Park, where the nesting tree can be safely and legally viewed with binoculars or a spotting scope. More information on Friends of Big Bear Valley is available on the organization's website at This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Big Bear bald eaglets Sunny and Gizmo prepare to take first flights
