2-13-2025 Rain Or Snow - Jackie Reaffirms Her Rules

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Jackie’s rule #173 is that she always incubates in bad weather. Since it rained heavily today, she kindly informed Shadow that it was her turn to incubate the eggs and that “Jackie rules the nest” per rule#1.

We got a lot of rain today and are expecting several inches of snow tomorrow, with warm and sunny weather over the weekend.

Just to reassure everyone, Jackie and Shadow are built for cold climates, snow and rain. They seem to be very in tune with the weather and prepare accordingly. They are not hindered by snow or ice and are experienced with severe weather events.

Bald eagles have over 7000 contour feathers that interlock over a thick layer of fluffy down next to their skin. This intricate structure sheds water and keeps the heat in. Their high core body temperature of 105F, along with their brood patch, help keep the eggs warm (incubation temperature is about 98F).

Both Jackie and Shadow develop a brood patch, an area of bare skin low on the abdomen specifically present for incubating. They wiggle, shimmy, and tuck their eggs up against the brood patch, effectively transferring body heat to the eggs. When Jackie finally rose to roll the eggs tonight, the feathers around her brood patch looked dry - great sign!

When Jackie and Shadow incubate in inclement or severe weather we may often see them remain very still for long periods of time. This helps slow their breathing and conserve energy. They will occasionally shake the snow off and change positions.

They also do not need to eat every day, because they can store up to 2 pounds of food in their crops. Last year, Jackie spent almost 62 hours with no breaks on the nest, showing amazing fortitude and dedication.

Also a bit of reassurance about the windy days Jackie and Shadow may experience at the nest. The nest tree is a very sturdy Jeffrey pine with a strong trunk and deep roots. It has withstood winds of up to 40 mph and 80 mph gusts in the past.

Hope this helps and puts your mind a little more at ease during these stormy times at the nest.
Meanwhile, we are sending the warmest vibes to Jackie and Shadow and their brood.

Cali & Bkind22


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