Fifteen bald eagles have been found living in the San Bernardino National Forest, according to a count by volunteers.
The total includes a male and female eagle who are nesting in the Big Bear Lake area along with their two chicks.
The pair have occupied the nest for two years and laid their first eggs back in January, with the chicks hatching last month.
Fifteen bald eagles have been counted living in the San Bernardino National Forest, including this female named Jackie who is raising two chicks in the nest where she was born
Jackie moved into the nest with her mate two years ago, and while they failed to produce chicks last mating season, this year they have met with more success
A webcam placed above the nest by a conservationist group captured that moment, and has since been live streaming the chicks’ first weeks of life.
The camera was put in place by Friends of Big Bear Valley some time ago after they discovered the nesting site, which used to be occupied by two different eagles.
But two years ago the pair moved away, only to be replaced by another pair which includes a female known as ‘Jackie’, who was born in this nest in 2012, the San Bernardino Sun reports.
The pair mated last season but failed to produce any eggs, the paper reports, before finding more success this time around.
Jackie laid the eggs back in January before the chicks cracked their way out in last month.
Now viewers can watch Jackie and her partner raise the eaglets via a live stream.
Sandy Steers, executive director of the Friends of the Big Bear Valley, said: ‘It’s very satisfying to see the success of something we’ve been planning for so many years.
‘The motivation behind this is to educate people on how amazing this nature is. We love it.’
Jackie laid two eggs three days apart back in January, before the chicks tapped their way out last month in a moment captured on film
The nest is being watched over by a webcam which was put in place by local conservationists who were careful not to disturb the nesting pair
The camera was installed after Steers and her team got permits and under supervision from experts to make sure the eagles were not disturbed.
Since the eggs hatched the area has been cordoned off to the public and will remain shut until June to allow the birds to rear their young undisturbed.
Bald eagles almost went extinct in North America due to hunting and the use of DDT pesticides which built up in fish before being consumed by the eagles.
The chemicals caused the eagle’s eggs to become fragile, effectively stopping them from breeding.
But thanks to a restriction in the use of DDT and efforts to preserve eagle populations the species is now classed as being of ‘least concern’.
Bald eagles are believed to mate for life, and have chicks in pairs which are fully grown by nine weeks and may start flying from this time.
However, it takes five years for the eagles to develop the white markings on their head for which the species is known.