June 3, 2025 • 6 mins
Amy talks with Sandy Steers, Friends of Big Bear Valley executive director about eaglet Sunny leaving the nest for the first time.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Let's say good morning to Sandy Steers with friends of
Big Bear Valley of very exciting morning, Sandy.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hi, yes, it is very exciting.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
I yeah, so tell us.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
So Sonny left the nest at ten forty six fifteen
yesterday morning. Her first flight caught on video and she
flew like a champ.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
She did. Yes, she jumped off and took off.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
And how long did she fly?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Because I also saw another view where they showed a
kind of a wide angle of her kind of swooping
around and flying around the tree. Basically, did she fly
for very long or did she Was it a short one?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
It was? It was a long one for her first one.
But she flew around the tree and over to the
roof tree that Jeckie and Shadow's favorite roos tree. So
that's where she still lives.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Okay, So and that's really interesting to me.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Will and I were talking about it earlier because we
were like, so did she she do? They watch them
so they kind of like she had probably an idea
like well that's where mom and dad go or was
that just kind of where she landed.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
We don't really know because we don't know what's in
her head.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Right, We don't know, but I'm sure she's seen them
go there often, so it might have looked like a destination.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
And has she flown again since yesterday morning? Or she
just hanging out now?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
She's just hanging out still.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
And I saw a picture Sandy of the three of
them all on that same tree.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yes? Yeah, Jackie in shadow spent the night there, and
she's there a little bit above where they are.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
And poor little Gizmo is all alone for the very
first time I've seeing him in the nest, seeing her
in the nest. She's been flapping around pretty good. So
do we have any Do we have any kind of
idea how long it's going to be before Gizmo takes off?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
No, we really don't. It's totally up to her. This
could make her leave sooner, it could make her wait longer,
we don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
And then what about Sonny, the older of the two,
heading back to the nest.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Are we expecting that to happen?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Well, we try not to set up expectations in general,
but all the other eagles have the eaglets when they've left,
they did come back to the nest in sometimes a day,
sometimes a few days. So we'll see what she does next.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
And now that she Sonny is out of the nest,
how does she get her food because she doesn't have
Jackie and Shadow bringing it up to the nest.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
For her anymore.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, Jackie and Shadow will still be bringing her food.
We'll still be protecting her and guarding her and following
her around as she follows them around, so she can
learn how to live, how to fish, how to find
food in general. Yes, they'll be with her.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Okay, that's so, it's very reassuring. And then here's another
question for you, Sandy. Like the eaglets sleep in the
nest and they lay down, but now Sonny doesn't have
anywhere to lay down. So does she sleep just holding
on to the branch like Mom and Dad do.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yes, she does, and she has, in fact, for the
past couple of weeks at least been off and on
sleeping standing up, and so has Gizmo. They learned that early,
and their talons, their toenails, their toes lock into place
when they fall asleep, so they're good standing on the branch.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Okay, So this morning, Gizmo's already up and Gizmo, of course,
the eagle that's still in the nest, and I've seen
her flapping her wings.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Are there any.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Kind of telltale signs, because like with Sonny, it looked
like Sonny was ready to go.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I haven't seen that with Gizmo as much yet.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Right, Yeah, Gizmo hasn't looked as ready as Sonny did.
Gizmo seems to like to lay in the nest and
have mom feet.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
She's lazy.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
She's lazy, But so far she looks really like there's
no concern or anything because there's still a good window
for her to fledg oh totally.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And she's four days younger than Sonny anyway, so yes,
there's plenty of time, okay.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
And with other eagles, have oh, she just kind of
hopped up into the attic with other eagles. Have you
noticed that when one of them leaves the nests that
it spurs the other one to go.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
We haven't ever had two, so we don't know.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
So it's a wait and see.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
It's a wait and see, all right, And what should
be we should be watching for in the next few
days Sandy?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Just when you know her doing flapping and practicing and
being out on the different branches and also looking for
maybe Sonny will come back and then we'll see what
they both decide to do. Their individuals, they get to
make up their own mind.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Okay, and I know that I've been obsessed with them.
I'm sure that you have been obsessed with our eagles
for the last few months. How does this all make
you feel?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Like? Excited, a little sad that I won't get to
see them as much, A little bit of everything.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah, I was interested watching the comments yesterday, going by
people saying, oh my god, I started crying. I started
crying because we get so emotionally attached to these beautiful
creatures and they're gonna go and fly off and be free,
and it's amazing to watch. So thank you to Friends
of Big Bear Valley for putting that camera in and
letting us take a little peek into nature. We appreciate
(05:22):
your time, Sandy. I know you're busy this morning. You
gotta make a lot of rounds on media because everybody
wants to talk to the lady who watches the eagles.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Yeah, thank you very much for having.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Me all right, thanks so much, Sandy Steers, Friends of
Big Bear Valley, and always I like to mention this
because it is a nonprofit. They have this camera up
and they can't do it without donations, so whether and
it doesn't have to be just money. You can go
to Friends of Big Bear Valley. They have eagle calendars
and they have little plush toys and that kind of stuff.
(05:53):
So if you can make a donation and help so
we can continue to watch this beautiful event in nature
holding it's so cool.
Let's say good morning to Sandy Steers with friends of
Big Bear Valley of very exciting morning, Sandy.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hi, yes, it is very exciting.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
I yeah, so tell us.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
So Sonny left the nest at ten forty six fifteen
yesterday morning. Her first flight caught on video and she
flew like a champ.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
She did. Yes, she jumped off and took off.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
And how long did she fly?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Because I also saw another view where they showed a
kind of a wide angle of her kind of swooping
around and flying around the tree. Basically, did she fly
for very long or did she Was it a short one?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
It was? It was a long one for her first one.
But she flew around the tree and over to the
roof tree that Jeckie and Shadow's favorite roos tree. So
that's where she still lives.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Okay, So and that's really interesting to me.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Will and I were talking about it earlier because we
were like, so did she she do? They watch them
so they kind of like she had probably an idea
like well that's where mom and dad go or was
that just kind of where she landed.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
We don't really know because we don't know what's in
her head.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Right, We don't know, but I'm sure she's seen them
go there often, so it might have looked like a destination.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
And has she flown again since yesterday morning? Or she
just hanging out now?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
She's just hanging out still.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
And I saw a picture Sandy of the three of
them all on that same tree.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yes? Yeah, Jackie in shadow spent the night there, and
she's there a little bit above where they are.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
And poor little Gizmo is all alone for the very
first time I've seeing him in the nest, seeing her
in the nest. She's been flapping around pretty good. So
do we have any Do we have any kind of
idea how long it's going to be before Gizmo takes off?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
No, we really don't. It's totally up to her. This
could make her leave sooner, it could make her wait longer,
we don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
And then what about Sonny, the older of the two,
heading back to the nest.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Are we expecting that to happen?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Well, we try not to set up expectations in general,
but all the other eagles have the eaglets when they've left,
they did come back to the nest in sometimes a day,
sometimes a few days. So we'll see what she does next.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
And now that she Sonny is out of the nest,
how does she get her food because she doesn't have
Jackie and Shadow bringing it up to the nest.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
For her anymore.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, Jackie and Shadow will still be bringing her food.
We'll still be protecting her and guarding her and following
her around as she follows them around, so she can
learn how to live, how to fish, how to find
food in general. Yes, they'll be with her.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Okay, that's so, it's very reassuring. And then here's another
question for you, Sandy. Like the eaglets sleep in the
nest and they lay down, but now Sonny doesn't have
anywhere to lay down. So does she sleep just holding
on to the branch like Mom and Dad do.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yes, she does, and she has, in fact, for the
past couple of weeks at least been off and on
sleeping standing up, and so has Gizmo. They learned that early,
and their talons, their toenails, their toes lock into place
when they fall asleep, so they're good standing on the branch.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Okay, So this morning, Gizmo's already up and Gizmo, of course,
the eagle that's still in the nest, and I've seen
her flapping her wings.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Are there any.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Kind of telltale signs, because like with Sonny, it looked
like Sonny was ready to go.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I haven't seen that with Gizmo as much yet.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Right, Yeah, Gizmo hasn't looked as ready as Sonny did.
Gizmo seems to like to lay in the nest and
have mom feet.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
She's lazy.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
She's lazy, But so far she looks really like there's
no concern or anything because there's still a good window
for her to fledg oh totally.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And she's four days younger than Sonny anyway, so yes,
there's plenty of time, okay.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
And with other eagles, have oh, she just kind of
hopped up into the attic with other eagles. Have you
noticed that when one of them leaves the nests that
it spurs the other one to go.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
We haven't ever had two, so we don't know.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
So it's a wait and see.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
It's a wait and see, all right, And what should
be we should be watching for in the next few
days Sandy?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Just when you know her doing flapping and practicing and
being out on the different branches and also looking for
maybe Sonny will come back and then we'll see what
they both decide to do. Their individuals, they get to
make up their own mind.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Okay, and I know that I've been obsessed with them.
I'm sure that you have been obsessed with our eagles
for the last few months. How does this all make
you feel?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Like? Excited, a little sad that I won't get to
see them as much, A little bit of everything.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah, I was interested watching the comments yesterday, going by
people saying, oh my god, I started crying. I started
crying because we get so emotionally attached to these beautiful
creatures and they're gonna go and fly off and be free,
and it's amazing to watch. So thank you to Friends
of Big Bear Valley for putting that camera in and
letting us take a little peek into nature. We appreciate
(05:22):
your time, Sandy. I know you're busy this morning. You
gotta make a lot of rounds on media because everybody
wants to talk to the lady who watches the eagles.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Yeah, thank you very much for having.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Me all right, thanks so much, Sandy Steers, Friends of
Big Bear Valley, and always I like to mention this
because it is a nonprofit. They have this camera up
and they can't do it without donations, so whether and
it doesn't have to be just money. You can go
to Friends of Big Bear Valley. They have eagle calendars
and they have little plush toys and that kind of stuff.
(05:53):
So if you can make a donation and help so
we can continue to watch this beautiful event in nature
holding it's so cool.
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