Speaker 1: Let's say good morning to Sandy Steers with friends of
Speaker 1: Big Bear Valley of very exciting morning, Sandy.
Speaker 2: Hi, yes, it is very exciting.
Speaker 3: I yeah, so tell us.
Speaker 1: So Sonny left the nest at ten forty six fifteen
Speaker 1: yesterday morning. Her first flight caught on video and she
Speaker 1: flew like a champ.
Speaker 2: She did. Yes, she jumped off and took off.
Speaker 3: And how long did she fly?
Speaker 1: Because I also saw another view where they showed a
Speaker 1: kind of a wide angle of her kind of swooping
Speaker 1: around and flying around the tree. Basically, did she fly
Speaker 1: for very long or did she Was it a short one?
Speaker 2: It was? It was a long one for her first one.
Speaker 2: But she flew around the tree and over to the
Speaker 2: roof tree that Jeckie and Shadow's favorite roos tree. So
Speaker 2: that's where she still lives.
Speaker 3: Okay, So and that's really interesting to me.
Speaker 1: Will and I were talking about it earlier because we
Speaker 1: were like, so did she she do? They watch them
Speaker 1: so they kind of like she had probably an idea
Speaker 1: like well that's where mom and dad go or was
Speaker 1: that just kind of where she landed.
Speaker 3: We don't really know because we don't know what's in
Speaker 3: her head.
Speaker 2: Right, We don't know, but I'm sure she's seen them
Speaker 2: go there often, so it might have looked like a destination.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 1: And has she flown again since yesterday morning? Or she
Speaker 1: just hanging out now?
Speaker 2: She's just hanging out still.
Speaker 1: And I saw a picture Sandy of the three of
Speaker 1: them all on that same tree.
Speaker 3: Is that correct?
Speaker 2: Yes? Yeah, Jackie in shadow spent the night there, and
Speaker 2: she's there a little bit above where they are.
Speaker 1: And poor little Gizmo is all alone for the very
Speaker 1: first time I've seeing him in the nest, seeing her
Speaker 1: in the nest. She's been flapping around pretty good. So
Speaker 1: do we have any Do we have any kind of
Speaker 1: idea how long it's going to be before Gizmo takes off?
Speaker 2: No, we really don't. It's totally up to her. This
Speaker 2: could make her leave sooner, it could make her wait longer,
Speaker 2: we don't know.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 1: And then what about Sonny, the older of the two,
Speaker 1: heading back to the nest.
Speaker 3: Are we expecting that to happen?
Speaker 2: Well, we try not to set up expectations in general,
Speaker 2: but all the other eagles have the eaglets when they've left,
Speaker 2: they did come back to the nest in sometimes a day,
Speaker 2: sometimes a few days. So we'll see what she does next.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 1: And now that she Sonny is out of the nest,
Speaker 1: how does she get her food because she doesn't have
Speaker 1: Jackie and Shadow bringing it up to the nest.
Speaker 3: For her anymore.
Speaker 2: Well, Jackie and Shadow will still be bringing her food.
Speaker 2: We'll still be protecting her and guarding her and following
Speaker 2: her around as she follows them around, so she can
Speaker 2: learn how to live, how to fish, how to find
Speaker 2: food in general. Yes, they'll be with her.
Speaker 1: Okay, that's so, it's very reassuring. And then here's another
Speaker 1: question for you, Sandy. Like the eaglets sleep in the
Speaker 1: nest and they lay down, but now Sonny doesn't have
Speaker 1: anywhere to lay down. So does she sleep just holding
Speaker 1: on to the branch like Mom and Dad do.
Speaker 2: Yes, she does, and she has, in fact, for the
Speaker 2: past couple of weeks at least been off and on
Speaker 2: sleeping standing up, and so has Gizmo. They learned that early,
Speaker 2: and their talons, their toenails, their toes lock into place
Speaker 2: when they fall asleep, so they're good standing on the branch.
Speaker 1: Okay, So this morning, Gizmo's already up and Gizmo, of course,
Speaker 1: the eagle that's still in the nest, and I've seen
Speaker 1: her flapping her wings.
Speaker 3: Are there any.
Speaker 1: Kind of telltale signs, because like with Sonny, it looked
Speaker 1: like Sonny was ready to go.
Speaker 3: I haven't seen that with Gizmo as much yet.
Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, Gizmo hasn't looked as ready as Sonny did.
Speaker 2: Gizmo seems to like to lay in the nest and
Speaker 2: have mom feet.
Speaker 3: She's lazy.
Speaker 1: She's lazy, But so far she looks really like there's
Speaker 1: no concern or anything because there's still a good window
Speaker 1: for her to fledg oh totally.
Speaker 2: And she's four days younger than Sonny anyway, so yes,
Speaker 2: there's plenty of time, okay.
Speaker 1: And with other eagles, have oh, she just kind of
Speaker 1: hopped up into the attic with other eagles. Have you
Speaker 1: noticed that when one of them leaves the nests that
Speaker 1: it spurs the other one to go.
Speaker 2: We haven't ever had two, so we don't know.
Speaker 3: So it's a wait and see.
Speaker 1: It's a wait and see, all right, And what should
Speaker 1: be we should be watching for in the next few
Speaker 1: days Sandy?
Speaker 2: Just when you know her doing flapping and practicing and
Speaker 2: being out on the different branches and also looking for
Speaker 2: maybe Sonny will come back and then we'll see what
Speaker 2: they both decide to do. Their individuals, they get to
Speaker 2: make up their own mind.
Speaker 1: Okay, and I know that I've been obsessed with them.
Speaker 1: I'm sure that you have been obsessed with our eagles
Speaker 1: for the last few months. How does this all make
Speaker 1: you feel?
Speaker 2: Like? Excited, a little sad that I won't get to
Speaker 2: see them as much, A little bit of everything.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was interested watching the comments yesterday, going by
Speaker 1: people saying, oh my god, I started crying. I started
Speaker 1: crying because we get so emotionally attached to these beautiful
Speaker 1: creatures and they're gonna go and fly off and be free,
Speaker 1: and it's amazing to watch. So thank you to Friends
Speaker 1: of Big Bear Valley for putting that camera in and
Speaker 1: letting us take a little peek into nature. We appreciate
Speaker 1: your time, Sandy. I know you're busy this morning. You
Speaker 1: gotta make a lot of rounds on media because everybody
Speaker 1: wants to talk to the lady who watches the eagles.
Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you very much for having.
Speaker 1: Me all right, thanks so much, Sandy Steers, Friends of
Speaker 1: Big Bear Valley, and always I like to mention this
Speaker 1: because it is a nonprofit. They have this camera up
Speaker 1: and they can't do it without donations, so whether and
Speaker 1: it doesn't have to be just money. You can go
Speaker 1: to Friends of Big Bear Valley. They have eagle calendars
Speaker 1: and they have little plush toys and that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1: So if you can make a donation and help so
Speaker 1: we can continue to watch this beautiful event in nature
Speaker 1: holding it's so cool.