Kaydee arrived at the Big Bear nest on August 31 looking less like a visitor and more like an eagle with a to-do list. First came the inspection. Then came the sticks. One stubborn branch along the right side of the nest refused to cooperate, but Kaydee was not finished with it. She returned for a second round, grabbed hold again and finally moved it away from the corner. That alone would have given Big Bear eagle watchers something to smile about. Then Kaydee found Shadow later that evening. She landed in the Roost Tree below him, slowly worked her way closer and finally made one big jump that put her right beside Shadow.
And Shadow stayed put.
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Kaydee Gets to Work at the Big Bear Nest
Kaydee began her visit high in the nest tree canopy, looking out across Big Bear Lake before dropping into the nest. Once there, she quickly turned her attention to the sticks. She moved one piece, surveyed the nest and eventually focused on a stubborn stick along the right rail. Kaydee tugged and worked at it, but the branch refused to move.
For the moment, the stick won. Kaydee headed toward the back porch and spent some time preening before returning to the nest. She moved back and forth several times, occasionally pausing and looking around the territory. Then she came back to the unfinished job.
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This time, Kaydee got the stubborn stick loose and moved it away from the corner. After that, several more sticks received her attention.
If Big Bear has an opening for another branch manager, Kaydee appears determined to submit an application.
Of course, Shadow may have something to say about that. He has spent years carefully arranging sticks in this nest, sometimes with very definite ideas about where each one belongs. Kaydee has now shown that she has some strong decorating opinions of her own.
Kaydee Keeps Choosing the Same Place
The stick moving was entertaining, but her repeated return to the nest may be the more interesting part. Kaydee did not simply fly through Big Bear once and disappear. She continues visiting the nest, using familiar trees in Shadow’s territory and roosting close to him at night.
Kaydee, the banded eagle originally known as KD1, is believed to be female and is more than four years old. She was first recorded on the Big Bear cameras on August 6. Wildlife experts have described her as a subadult still at an age when she may be exploring habitat, territory and future possibilities.
That makes it important not to race ahead of what the eagles themselves are showing us. No one can say yet that Kaydee and Shadow will become a bonded pair. However, her consistency is becoming difficult to miss. She keeps returning to the nest. She keeps using the surrounding territory. And she keeps choosing to spend time near Shadow.
Then Kaydee Moves Right Beside Shadow
The evening delivered its biggest moment after Kaydee left the nest. Shadow had settled into the Roost Tree on a higher branch to the left. A short time later, Kaydee arrived and took a lower branch to his right. She did not stay there.
Kaydee began working her way toward him. Little by little, the distance between the two eagles disappeared. Then she made a much bigger move, jumping onto the branch right next to Shadow.
For a brief moment, there they were. Side by side.
Shadow did not chase her away or immediately move from the perch. He remained where he was while Kaydee tested a level of closeness that still feels unusual between them. Eventually, Kaydee hopped back down to the right and settled into a little more breathing room for the night.
Perhaps even Kaydee decided she had pushed the seating arrangement far enough for one evening. Still, the moment mattered. Only days earlier, Shadow had made his boundaries clear when Kaydee got a little too close at the nest. This time, he allowed her to sit beside him without an obvious confrontation. It does not prove a pair bond. But it gives eagle watchers one more moment to tuck away and watch carefully.
Kaydee Can Bring Hope Without Replacing Jackie
That is what makes watching Kaydee so complicated right now. Jackie’s loss is still painfully fresh. The nest, the Roost Tree, the familiar branches and even Shadow himself carry memories of the eagle who occupied this territory for years.
Kaydee cannot replace Jackie. She does not need to. But grief and happiness do not always arrive one at a time. Seeing Kaydee wrestle with sticks, return to the nest, fish for herself and inch closer to Shadow can bring a smile without diminishing what Jackie meant to this place. For many people, that appears to be exactly what is happening. Jackie is still deeply missed. And somehow, Kaydee is making Big Bear feel a little less empty.
California Honors Jackie as Kaydee Keeps Returning
The timing makes this week especially emotional. While Kaydee continues exploring the nest and finding her place around Shadow, California has given Jackie an extraordinary honor.
The California State Senate passed Senate Resolution 140, introduced by Senator Tony Strickland, with bipartisan support on August 28. The resolution proclaims September 4, 2026, as California Wildlife Day in remembrance of Jackie the bald eagle.
The resolution recognizes the millions of people Jackie inspired to follow wildlife and conservation through the Big Bear cameras. It also encourages Californians to use September 4 to remember Jackie while recognizing the importance of protecting the state’s wildlife for future generations.
It is a remarkable tribute to an eagle whose life unfolded almost entirely in the wild, yet somehow reached people around the world. And it arrives during a week when the nest she left behind is beginning to feel active again.
Big Bear Is Holding Grief and Hope at the Same Time
Nothing about Kaydee’s presence changes Jackie’s story. Jackie built this nest with Shadow, raised eaglets here, weathered storms here and became part of the lives of millions of people who watched from far beyond Big Bear Valley.
That history remains. But Kaydee keeps showing up. She pulls at the sticks and surveys the nest. She follows Shadow through the territory and she roosts near him. And now, when the opportunity presented itself, she jumped right onto his branch and sat beside him.
Whether Shadow and Kaydee eventually become anything more remains entirely up to them. For now, there is no need to rush the answer. Jackie is being remembered across California. Shadow is still here. And Kaydee, stubborn sticks and all, keeps giving Big Bear one more reason to smile.
Lady Hawk recorded and shared the recap video on YouTube. The Friends of Big Bear Valley make this live cam experience possible.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Kaydee and Shadow
Are Kaydee and Shadow a bonded pair?
Not yet, at least not based on what has been observed so far. Kaydee continues to spend time near Shadow, visit the Big Bear nest and roost close to him, but those behaviors alone do not confirm that the two eagles have formed a pair bond. Bald eagles can accept a new mate after losing a partner, so their developing relationship is worth watching.
Why does Kaydee keep moving sticks in the Big Bear nest?
Moving and arranging sticks is normal bald eagle nest-building behavior. Bald eagles construct large nests from sticks and often return to the same nest to maintain, rebuild and enlarge it. Kaydee’s repeated interest in the sticks shows that she is actively engaging with the nest, although it does not by itself prove that she intends to breed there.
What did it mean when Kaydee jumped next to Shadow?
Kaydee jumping directly beside Shadow was another notable sign that she is comfortable getting close to him. Shadow did not immediately chase her away, but one peaceful moment on a branch does not confirm courtship or a future pair bond. For now, it is another interesting step in a relationship that continues to develop.
How is California honoring Jackie the bald eagle?
The California State Senate passed Senate Resolution 140, which proclaims September 4, 2026, as California Wildlife Day in remembrance of Jackie. The resolution recognizes Jackie’s impact on millions of people who followed her life through the Big Bear eagle cameras and highlights the importance of wildlife conservation.