New Eagle Visits Shadow in Jackie’s Former Nest
A juvenile bald eagle, identified as KD1 and nicknamed Katie, spent time with the resident male eagle Shadow at the Big Bear Lake nest, marking the first interaction since the death of his longtime mate Jackie.
The livestream camera at Big Bear Lake captured the resident male bald eagle, Shadow, sharing the nest with a younger eagle identified as KD1, which fans have called Katie. The pair were together for more than ten minutes on Aug. 13, the first time Shadow had entered the nest since July 23 and the first documented encounter with the newcomer. The eagles were seen again on Aug. 14, perched near each other for about two hours.
KD1 was banded as a juvenile in March 2022 in the Prado Basin of Orange County, about 70 miles from Big Bear Lake. Wildlife biologist Jenna Carpenter said the bird is likely female, based on size and other characteristics, and is approaching the age when bald eagles typically begin breeding.
Friends of Big Bear Valley, which operates the cameras, said the sightings illustrate that “nature is nature and life will go on,” and that viewers are finding comfort in the fact that Shadow is not alone after Jackie’s death.
Experts note that bald eagle mating cycles in California usually begin in December or January, so it is too early to determine whether Shadow and KD1 will form a breeding pair. They added that Shadow is expected to mate again and could father more eaglets in the future.