Earlier this year, the couple’s first set of eggs was attacked by ravens while the nest was briefly unattended, a moment that played out live and stunned thousands of viewers following the popular Big Bear eagle cam. While harsh, this kind of predation is part of the natural cycle.
But a few weeks later, the resilient and devoted feathered couple gave their family another shot. By late February, Jackie laid a second clutch. The first egg arrived around February 24, followed by a second on February 27.
Since then, both parents have been fully locked in, taking turns incubating, guarding the nest, and keeping a much closer watch than before. And now, the eggs are entering a critical stage where hatching is getting closer and closer.
Pip watch is on: when the eggs could start hatching
As reported by FOBBV, starting March 31, all eyes will be on the nest for the first signs of hatching. “Pipping” is when a chick begins to break through the eggshell from the inside, a slow process that can take up to a full day before the chick fully emerges.
Based on the laying dates (as bald eagle eggs typically take about 35 days to hatch), we might finally get to see the chicks in the first days of April, if conditions remain stable.