VIDEO: Hope Fading For Big Bear's First Bald Eagle Eggs Of 2020

BIG BEAR, CA — Four days after the U.S. Forest Service made what some might consider a sad announcement regarding Big Bear's first two bald eagle eggs of 2020, hope has continued to fade that chicks will hatch.

"It’s hard to say this, but the odds of our Big Bear bald eagle nest’s eggs will hatch this year are diminishing each day," the USFS reported.

Tuesday marks day 48 and day 45 since the eggs were laid.

"They typically hatch between 35-38 days; even giving them a day or two extra for slow development due to cold temperatures, the window of successful hatching is closing," the USFS said.

Friends of Big Bear Valley, which has a camera zoomed in on the nest of Mama bird Jackie and her mate, Shadow (scroll down to view livestream), has not been able to spot definitive pips — cracks in the eggs — from chicks poking through their shells.

There are several reasons why the chicks haven't hatched, according to the USFS. "The eggs may have been infertile from the start (incomplete fertilization during mating, etc.), or the embryos could have died during incubation (from congenital defects, weather, or environmental factors) or the chicks may not have been able to successfully break out of their shells," the USFS said.

Friends of Big Bear Valley has provided up-to-the minute comment, and has detailed how Jackie and Shadow are continuing to incubate the eggs and prepare the nest for hatchlings. The birds are keeping the clutch warm and safe as the public tunes in online via the Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam, as it is officially called.

The USFS said Jackie and Shadow will continue incubation for another several days, but they’ll start leaving the eggs unattended for periods of time that will lengthen each day if the chicks don't hatch.

"We know all of this is hard to hear and see, it is part of watching nature," the USFS reported for eagle nest cam viewers. "We will continue watching the nest and posting about Jackie and Shadow and their actions. Thank you for caring about the eagles and their lives."

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