Meteor spotted flying over bald eagle nest

During the still night above California’s Big Bear Valley, a meteor recently soared across the sky. Cameras stationed to document the lives of the area’s bald eagles captured an image of the fireball on its journey.

Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), the non-profit that oversees the 24/7 livestream of the internet’s most famous bald eagles, shared the moment on Facebook with an emotional caption.

“This morning in the wee hours, a quiet meteor flashed across the night sky. It moved at incredible speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye while the inhabitants of the valley slept,” FOBBV wrote. “This is another reminder of the beautiful land that our eagles and friends inhabit. Nature surrounds us everywhere; in the skies, in the trees, and beyond.”

This year has been an eventful year for Big Bear Valley’s bald eagles. In January, bald eagle mom Jackie laid two eggs that ravens attacked and consumed. She later laid a second clutch of two eggs that both hatched in April. Tens of thousands of fans followed the chicks’ journey as Jackie and her longtime partner Shadow raised the pair. All seemed well on the nest in July when it Jackie disappeared from the cameras’ views.

On July 17, Jackie was found injured on the ground near Dana Point Park, California. Cell phone video from a witness confirmed that she endured a scuffle with two subadult eagles. After being transferred to the Ojai Raptor Center for care, she was diagnosed with severe anemia. Her anemia worsened during the first week of August, and the Ojai Raptor Center reported that she was in unstable condition on August 9. Jackie died early in the morning on August 10. A memorial for Jackie was held this past weekend at Bear Mountain Ski Resort in Big Bear Lake, California.

During Jackie’s absence, another female eagle entered the picture: a 4 year old named Kaydee (originally named KD1). Since her arrival and Jackie’s death, Kaydee and Shadow have been spotted on FOBBV’s cameras sharing peaceful mornings, arranging nest sticks, and singing morning songs.

Shadow and Kaydee were not in the nest when the meteor passed overhead. Without eggs or chicks to care for, most bald eagles sleep in other trees like the nearby Roost Tree. According to FOBBV, the pair spent the morning moving from the Roost Tree to the Lookout Tree before settling to perch on the Twin Pines that afternoon.

It’s not clear what will happen between Shadow and Kaydee, but after an eventful year in Big Bear Valley, a moment of peace under a celestial light show is a welcome pause.