In Big Bear Valley, California, bald eaglets Sandy and Luna, the 2026 offspring of the famous Jackie and Shadow, have officially fledged.
Luna, the male eaglet, was the second to leave, taking a smooth flight at 9:24 a.m. today and landing atop a nearby tree where his father, Shadow, was waiting. He may have gotten the big cinema moment—but the excitement actually began yesterday, June 28, at 11:24 a.m., when his sister, Sandy, fledged quite by accident.
At the time, both eaglets had ventured onto a branch that extends from the nest, aka “the front porch,” as it’s called by Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that maintains the nest cam. That’s when Luna tried to hop over Sandy to return to the nest. Instead, he knocked her off.
Sandy did not fall far. She was caught by branches just below the nest. Then she flew to a lower area of the tree, where she began to squee. Jackie arrived to look after her. Then, minutes later, Sandy flew to another tree off camera.
Hatching on April 4 and 5, respectively, Sandy and Luna are just over 12 weeks old. Both fledged on their 85th day—that’s five to six days earlier than Sunny and Gizmo, Jackie and Shadow’s 2025 offspring, fledged last year. Not that Sandy had much say in the matter!
During their next stage of development, as Sandy and Luna learn to hunt and survive on their own under their parents’ watchful eye, it’s possible they will return to the nest. “In the past, the eaglets have come back to the nest to eat, sleep or just hang out together,” FOBBV wrote.
In the meantime, we can keep an “eagle eye” out for sightings on FOBBV’s wide-angle camera. Through this second live cam, Sandy was spotted on a tree just this afternoon.
What’s Next for Big Bear Valley Eagles
Sandy and Luna’s big milestone coincides with an eventful time for Big Bear Valley.
Earlier this year, a decades-long community fight to preserve 63 acres of lakefront land near Jackie and Shadow’s nest led to a deal: San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust has a window to purchase the property, known as Moon Camp, from developers by July 31 for $10 million.
In just a few short months, FOBBV has raised $3.6 million toward the effort, and if the total amount is not raised, it will go toward a financing option.
“We are investing in a shrinking ecological corridor,” FOBBV wrote. “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.”
Learn more the effort to preserve Moon Camp as a wildlife habitat at savemooncamp.org. Follow along with the story of Sandy, Luna, Jackie, and Shadow at Facebook (@FOBBV), Instagram (@fobbv.official), and Big Bear Bald Eagle Livestreams.
