Fledgling Big Bear Bald Eagles Leave The Nest: What's Next For Sandy And Luna?

BIG BEAR, CA — Brother and sister bald eagles, Luna and Sandy, born to Jackie and Shadow in Big Bear Valley, have officially fledged.

It wasn't pretty or perfect, according to Jenny Voisard, media manager and the Friends of Big Bear Valley naturalists who monitor the famed California bald eagle nest.

"Luna fledged Monday at 9:24 PST," Voisard told Patch. "He flew beautifully to the Simba tree where Shadow was waiting."

Sandy accidentally fledged Sunday and tumbled down a few branches, she said. "Sandy was able to fly away successfully to another tree after that at 11:30 a.m. We spotted her on our security cam."

All eyes were watching for Sandy after the dramatic way she toppled from the nest. Online, fans were speculating about her safety and health after she was knocked out of the nest by her hopping brother.

Voisard assures us that Sandy is doing what she is supposed to do: learning to fly. Albeit a little faster than she might have planned.

"We later saw her hidden in a tree close to the nest doing wingers on our security camera. On Monday, we have heard vocals which we believe are Jackie and Sandy's," she said. "We hope they will all reunite soon."

Other fledglings have returned to the nest in the past, so Sandy and Luna may as well. In the meantime, keep your eyes tuned to Cam 2.

Both nest cams are on the lookout for the fledglings that have captured the hearts and attention of hundreds of thousands of viewers this year. When Sandy abruptly plummeted from the nest, appearing to catch herself briefly before continuing to fall, fans remained glued to their monitors.

"Eagles can accidentally fledge quite often," Voisard said. "It has happened here before. Jackie knows what to do. We have no reason to believe that Sandy is hurt. We remind everyone to stay out of the habitat. It does more harm than help."

There is no evidence that any interference is warranted.

Following Sandy's sudden drop, rumors abounded in chat threads. The naturalists assert that no intervention has been made, and that everything with Sandy is happening exactly as it should.

"Also, there is a ton of drama and rumors on social media, and I urge people to stick to official FOBBV sites."

Upcoming for Friends of Big Bear Valley are both the impending purchase of sensitive land around the bald eagle's tree and the upcoming 4th of July Fireworks celebration from the center of Big Bear Lake.

As far as the fireworks go, this is a dangerous time for Sandy and Luna.

"It is a sensitive time for the fledglings. They are totally dependent on their parents right now," she said. "We hope that they are OK with the noise. The biggest concern is that eagles do not see well at night, so fleeing in terror can be risky for them."

As for the long-term health and welfare of this portion of Big Bear Valley, Voisard shared the current fundraising for Moon Camp. They have yet to reach the $10 million goal to purchase the property, but have reached a milestone by raising nearly 40% of the purchase price.

"I toured Moon Camp and felt Sandy Steers’ presence," Voisard shared in a recent statement. "We have raised $3.6 million to preserve it, but there is work to do. We are investing in a shrinking ecological corridor. Moon Camp is undeveloped forest, open space and shoreline that is set to become mansions and marina slips. It supports a special subset of flying squirrel found only in the county and a rare endemic plant found nowhere else in the world. It is where Jackie and Shadow perch and hunt, less than a mile from their nest."

FOBBV has raised $3.8 million for Save Moon Camp. Fare $3.8 million for Save Moon Camp. "Failure is not an option and there is a back-up financing option if we need it. It is an important piece of land to save, not only for Jackie and Shadow, but for other wildlife now and in the future."

Donations are pivotal. Please donate directly to the Save Moon Camp.org website if you can.