BIG BEAR VALLEY, California (KTVX) It may not have been pretty for Gizmo, but she and her fellow eaglet, Sunny, have officially embarked on their first flights from their nest in California’s Big Bear Valley.
Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) shared the news on Facebook this week.
Sunny officially left the nest on Monday, followed by her sister Gizmo early Saturday morning.
Gizmo did have a little bit of trouble on her first flight, according to FOBBV.
After attempting to take off, Gizmo quickly grabbed a branch for balance before successfully flying off a moment later, traveling to a different tree.
“She may not have totally chosen that moment on purpose to fledge,” a post from FOBBV read. “But she recovered fast and successfully flew all the way to the Simba Tree!”
The organization said the first flight for an eaglet is “an intense experience,” and Gizmo was expected to remain put on the other tree for “a while to reorient and figure out what’s next.”
Friends of Big Bear Valley said in their post that the eaglets’ flight feathers are still coming in and are a bit heavier than an adult eagle’s feathers.
Sunny and Gizmo have a little way to go before they’re a little more graceful like their parents, Jackie and Shadow.
The non-profit agency offers a livestream of Jackie and Shadow’s nest, which can be viewed here. The nest, according to FOBBV, is located in a Jeffrey Pine tree in the San Bernardino Mountains.
