Bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow are 'empty nesters' after Gizmo takes first flight
Eaglet Gizmo took her first flight about a week after her sister, Sunny. The eaglets have stayed close to the nest, and their parents have continued to bring them fish, according to the Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Gizmo fledges the nest in Big Bear Valley
Bald eagle Gizmo followed the path of her sister, Sunny, and flew the coop this weekend. The Friends of Big Bear Valley say she flew to a nearby tree.
BIG BEAR VALLEY, Ca. – The famous bald eagles Jackie and Shadow are officially "empty nesters" after their second eaglet, Gizmo, took her first flight over the weekend, as seen by the nest camera in Big Bear Valley, California.
Jackie and Shadow welcomed their eaglets, Sunny and Gizmo, after three years of trying. A nest camera managed by the Friends of Big Bear Valley has captured all of their family milestones, and millions have grown attached to the eagle family.
About a week after Sunny took her first flight, Gizmo followed suit this past weekend. According to the Friends of Big Bear, this leap may have been more of a stumble. On Sunday morning, as the eaglet was flapping her wings, her foot slipped and she stepped off the "balcony" of the nest.
Bald eagle Gizmo right before her first flight.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley / FOX Weather)
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"She may not have totally chosen that moment on purpose to fledge … but she recovered fast and successfully flew all the way to the Simba Tree!" the Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote on Facebook.
Gizmo and Sunny are both out in the wild world after a few weeks of waiting for the moment. According to the volunteers at Big Bear, "fledge watch" started on May 13 when the eaglets were old enough to leave the nest. This can happen between 10 and 14 weeks of age.
Sunny fledged the nest on June 2.
Big Bear Valley eaglet Sunny leaves the nest for first time
Video from the Friends of Big Bear Valley show eaglet Sunny taking flight for the first time and leaving the nest.
However, as all parents know, their job never ends. According to the Friends of Big Bear Valley, the eaglets have stayed close to the nest, and their parents have continued to bring them fish. Sunny has also returned to the nest several times.