LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A pair of nesting bald eagles is doing its best to protect its future family while a powerful winter storm delivers heavy snowfall. Bald eagles Jackie and Shadow are taking turns protecting their eggs in their nest in Big Bear Valley, California which received several inches of snow Wednesday night. One of the eagles was almost completely covered by snow overnight while laying on the eggs.

The Friends of Big Bear Valley, a non-profit, has been following this pair for several years and even put a camera up to keep tabs on them because the pair always returns to the same nest.

Jackie and Shadow stand guard over their eggs. (Credit: Friends of Big Bear Valley Bald Eagle camera)

That area received several inches of snow Wednesday and remains under a winter storm warning which is expected to bring blizzard conditions and a large amount of snow to Big Bear in the coming days. Eagles are well-suited for extremely cold weather and eggs can survive if kept warm and dry. The pair have been incubating the eggs since mid-January and have proven to be very diligent egg-sitters.

Jackie and Shadow on Jan. 15 after the second egg arrived. (Credit: Friends of Big Bear Valley Bald Eagle camera)

Jackie, the female, and Shadow, the male, have quite an online following thanks to The Friends of Big Bear Valley, a non-profit, that put up a camera focused on the nest some years ago. It has followed the lives of these two eagles since 2018 and previous pairs of eagles who used the nest prior to that.

This is Spirit, Jackie and Shadow’s chick, who successfully fledged in May 2022. (Credit: Friends of Big Bear Valley Bald Eagle camera)

Along with the live video camera, the non-profit keeps a diary on how the eagles spend their days. The pair have spent much of their time organizing the nest, eating, protecting the eggs, and fending off predators.

Jan. 18, 2023: “Jackie put out an all-points alert to Shadow that there were ravens circling the nest.”

Jan. 22, 2023: “He (Shadow) soon came back with a giant catfish to make Jackie feel better. It even had the head still intact and he put it right on her back to make sure she knew the whole thing was hers.”

Feb. 6, 2023: “Shadow had a new plan for getting nest time—pull Jackie right off the eggs when she least expects it.”

The non-profit, which functions through donations, never interferes with the eagles, it only observes. Its objective is to preserve and protect the ecosystem while educating people about the wildlife in Big Bear Valley.

You can view the live camera at this link.