Big Bear bald eagle eggs may not hatch

Sad news to report. According to the San Bernardino National Forest Service, the chances of the Big Bear bald eagle nest's eggs successfully hatching is diminishing each day. The eggs are several days past the point where they normally hatch.

Jackie, the female of the Big Bear nesting pair of bald eagles, laid her first egg on January 8 and a second one on January 11. The first egg was expected to hatch sometime around Valentine's Day but that has come and gone.

According to forest service officials, the eggs typically hatch in 35 to 38 days. February 21 marks 44 and 44 days since the eggs were laid.

"Even giving them a day or two extra for slow development due to cold temperatures, the window of successful hatching is closing," reads a post by the San Bernardino NF.

Officials added that they haven't seen a "definite pip," a crack in the egg from the chick poking a hole in the shell, in either egg.

"At this point, we'll be very (pleasantly) surprised if either egg hatches," officials wrote.

There are several factors that may have caused a nest failure.

Either the eggs may have been infertile from the start or the embryos died during incubation from either congenital defects, weather, or environmental factors. The chicks might have also just not been able to successfully break out of their shells.

Officials say that Jackie and Shadow, the mating pair, will continue the incubation period for another 10 days or so but will begin to leave the eggs alone for long periods of time. This period will continue to increase as days go by and unfortunately the eggs won't last long after that.

"Sometimes Mother Nature can be harsh and disappoint us with our human hopes. Getting a glimpse into the daily lives of this beautiful bald eagle pair has been a real treat. Bald eagles have very strong fidelity to their nest sites; thus, it is likely that they'll be nesting in the same place next season," writes the forest service.

The area where the nest is remains closed to the public to protect our national bird from disturbance during the nesting season.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.