It’s been a busy few days for the beloved Big Bear bald eagle family after both eaglets took to the skies for the first time — one more gracefully than the other.
The Fledge
As KTLA 5 in Los Angeles reports, one of Jackie and Shadow’s beloved eaglets, Luna, had a “leap of faith” on Monday morning, according to nest cam operators Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), flying with “beautiful form” over to the canopy of the nearby “Simba” tree, where Dad was proudly waiting.
Experts say that it’s completely normal for fledging birds to aim for the larger safety net of a canopy, rather than attempting to aim for a single branch. “No hesitation, he just knew he could do it,” FOBBV officials said.
Recently, nest cam viewers had been treated to views of the eaglets practicing their wing flapping and “branching” in preparation to make their first official flights. During this stage, the young eagles take short hops, walks, or flutters to branches within the nest tree. This behavior typically lasts 7 to 10 days before they take their first sustained flights. It allows them to exercise and strengthen their flight muscles, practice balance and gripping, and build confidence outside of the nest bowl.
The “Fludge”
Luna’s sibling, Sandy, had a bit of a bumpier ride after an “accidental” fledge over the weekend, that ended in a brief first flight and sent fans of the Big Bear Valley eagle nest cam into a moment of panic.
On Sunday, at approximately 11:24 a.m., both Sandy and Luna were on their nest’s front porch when Luna attempted to jump over Sandy to get back to the nest, according to FOBBV. The jostling maneuver caused Sandy to lose her footing and fall to some of the branches below. A few minutes later, she managed to free herself from the branches, but then apparently landed somewhere below the nest, as officials could hear her “squees” of panic out of sight of the FOBBV nest cam.
“I about had a heart attack,” nest cam fan Christie Schultz posted on FOBBV’s Facebook page. “Sandy hung there for about 7 min upside down, then dropped all the way with wings spread.”
Jackie, alerted by Sandy’s calls, showed up within minutes, landing below the nest to keep an eye on her offspring. At 11:30 a.m., cameras captured Sandy flying from the nest tree area to another area out of view, which made it difficult to see where she landed.
The eagle experts are calling it a “fludge” — accidently taking flight following an unfortunate tumble, according to Jenny Voisard, FOBBV’s media manager. Officials said she looked good in her flight, and she’s likely relaxing after her unexpected adventure, as an eagle’s first flight can sap its energy.
Jackie and Shadow are Keeping a Close Eye
FOBBV officials said on Monday they heard some distant vocals between Jackie and what they believe is Sandy, and that nest cam fans will likely see more family gatherings once both eaglets feel comfortable making their way around the habitat.
Parents Jackie and Shadow will follow Sandy and Luna wherever they go, even bringing fish directly to them wherever they each have temporarily taken up residence, to keep them safe until the eaglets are able to fully fly on their own, FOBBV said.
It typically takes baby eagles 10 to 14 weeks to fledge. Sandy and Luna were born on Easter Sunday and are nearly 12 weeks old. They’re expected to remain dependent on Jackie and Shadow for several more weeks until they learn to live outside the nest and gather their own food.
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Photo Credit: Petar Marshall / Shutterstock.com
