The subadult near the nest, and why Sandy & Luna haven't been on camera since Jul 23

Friends of Big Bear Valley shared new context over the weekend on two questions many have been asking. First, on the subadult eagle seen near the nest in recent days, the one FOBBV believes likely fought with Jackie while she was already weakened by illness: bald eagle expert Dr. Peter Sharpe estimates the bird is about 3.5 years old, young enough that he feels it's too early for it to be looking for a mate or nesting territory of its own. Shadow showed defensive behavior toward it for several days while Sandy and Luna were still around the nest. Second, Sandy and Luna haven't been confirmed on the nest cameras since July 23, though vocals that could be theirs have been heard in the habitat. FOBBV says the timing is normal, since past fledglings from this nest have typically dispersed around four weeks after fledging, and that if the two have moved on, Shadow no longer needs to guard the nest itself the way he did during nesting season.