The stick was tiny. The moment was anything but. On September 12, Kaydee flew into the Big Bear bald eagle nest carrying a small stick in her beak. After weeks of visiting the nest, rearranging branches and spending more time around Shadow, she had now done something new: Kaydee brought her first stick to the Big Bear nest herself.
Watch Live <—— Big Bear nest and community discussion.
She carefully placed her little contribution along the right side of the nest and went to work. Then evening brought an even sweeter moment. When Shadow arrived, Kaydee immediately turned her attention toward him. What followed was a flurry of close beak-to-beak touches that eagle watchers affectionately call “beaky kisses.”
Receive updates like this one in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter. 🦅
Shadow did not match Kaydee’s enthusiasm, but he did something that may have been just as interesting. He stayed. For everyone who has watched Kaydee steadily work her way into Shadow’s world, it was another memorable step. And for Big Bear eagle watchers still carrying the heartbreak of losing Jackie, one tiny stick suddenly seemed to hold a surprising amount of hope.
Kaydee Brings Her First Stick to the Big Bear Nest
Kaydee certainly has not been shy about working on the nest. During her recent visits, she has tugged at branches, rearranged sticks and inspected different parts of the nest as though she already has opinions about the floor plan.
Shadow may have held the unofficial title of Big Bear’s branch manager for years, but Kaydee appears ready to contribute a few decorating ideas of her own. September 12, however, brought an important first.
Instead of simply moving material that was already there, Kaydee arrived carrying a stick in her beak. It was not exactly one of the enormous branches Big Bear viewers have watched Shadow wrestle into the nest over the years. Kaydee started considerably smaller.
But the size of the stick is not what made the behavior interesting.
Bald eagles build their nests with sticks and often continue adding to and enlarging the same nest over time. Nest work and stick deliveries can also be part of the bonding and breeding behavior seen between eagle pairs.
That does not mean one little stick confirms that Kaydee and Shadow have formed a permanent pair. It does, however, make the delivery worth paying attention to. Kaydee has already been repeatedly returning to this nest. Now she is beginning to bring something to it.
One Tiny Stick Became a Very Big Moment
There was something especially endearing about seeing Kaydee arrive with such a modest first contribution. She flew in carrying it herself, landed in the nest and placed it among branches that have been part of the Big Bear story for years.
For a young eagle still finding her place here, it felt different from another quick visit.
Kaydee was participating.
Bald eagles do not need to be taught how to begin manipulating nest material. Nest-building behavior is strongly instinctive, although experience can help birds refine those skills over time.
Kaydee has already shown plenty of determination when it comes to moving sticks around the Big Bear nest. Carrying one in added another piece to that picture. And she apparently wasn’t finished making the evening memorable.
Shadow Arrives and Kaydee Can Barely Contain Herself
Later, Shadow flew into the nest. Kaydee’s reaction was immediate. She moved close and began repeatedly touching her beak against his, giving him the enthusiastic greeting viewers have come to describe as beaky kisses. Of course, bald eagles are not literally kissing in the human sense.
Close physical interactions such as beak touching, preening and other forms of contact can be part of social and courtship behavior between birds. The safest way to interpret this particular scene is simply to describe what happened: Kaydee repeatedly initiated close contact with Shadow, and Shadow allowed her to remain beside him.
That distinction matters. Kaydee’s enthusiasm is easy to see. Shadow remains much harder to read. He did not shower her with the same level of attention. But he also did not immediately move away, drive her from the nest or put an end to the interaction.
For an eagle who has often seemed to prefer things on his own terms, that quiet response was interesting all by itself.
Shadow Appears to Be Warming Up at His Own Pace
Kaydee and Shadow’s relationship has not developed through one dramatic moment. Instead, it has been building through a series of smaller ones. Kaydee keeps returning.
She visits the nest and she works on the sticks. She seeks out familiar perches around the territory and she stays near Shadow. The two have called to each other, spent nights roosting near one another and shared increasingly close interactions at the nest.
Now Kaydee has carried in her first stick and greeted Shadow with another burst of physical attention. No single one of those behaviors proves what their relationship will become.
Taken together, however, they are becoming harder to ignore. Shadow seems to be moving at a much quieter pace than Kaydee. She often brings youthful energy into their encounters, while he tends to respond with considerably more restraint.
Perhaps that is part of what makes watching them so fascinating. Kaydee rushes in with the enthusiasm. Shadow appears to be taking his time.
The Evening Ends With Kaydee and Shadow Together Again
After their nest visit, Shadow headed to the Roost Tree. Kaydee followed. The two eventually settled into their familiar spots there for the night, ending a day that had started with one tiny stick and finished with both eagles once again staying close.
That continuing pattern may be more meaningful than any single interaction. Kaydee has had plenty of opportunities to move on. Instead, she keeps returning to the same nest, the same familiar trees and the same male eagle.
Whether she will ultimately remain in Big Bear and form a lasting pair bond with Shadow cannot be known yet. But she is certainly giving eagle watchers reasons to keep watching.
Why This Moment Feels Different After Jackie
There is another reason Kaydee’s little stick carried so much emotional weight. Jackie is still part of this nest’s story. For years, viewers watched Jackie and Shadow build here, raise young here and fill the Big Bear cameras with moments that became deeply familiar to people around the world.
Losing Jackie changed the way every new interaction at this nest feels. Kaydee cannot replace her. She does not need to. The history Shadow shared with Jackie remains exactly what it was, regardless of what happens next.
At the same time, seeing Shadow with another eagle nearby can bring something that has been difficult to find since Jackie died: hope without forgetting. Those two feelings do not have to compete. The sadness can still be there. And Kaydee’s tiny stick can still make people smile.
What Does Kaydee’s First Stick Mean?
At the very least, Kaydee’s first observed stick delivery shows that she is increasingly engaged with the Big Bear nest and acting on natural nest-building instincts.
Because nest work can also be associated with bonding and breeding behavior in bald eagles, the delivery becomes even more interesting when considered alongside her other interactions with Shadow.
Still, there are important questions that only time can answer. Will Kaydee continue bringing sticks? Will Shadow begin working on the nest alongside her more often? Will their increasingly close interactions develop into a clear pair bond? And most importantly, will Kaydee choose Big Bear as the place she stays?
Those answers will come from watching the pattern develop, not from trying to make one little stick tell the entire story. For now, perhaps the moment can simply be appreciated for what it was.
A young bald eagle flew into the Big Bear nest carrying her first small contribution. Later, Shadow arrived. Kaydee covered him in beaky kisses. And when the evening was over, the two headed to the Roost Tree and settled in for another night close together.
Maybe Kaydee’s next stick will be bigger. Maybe Shadow will remind everyone why he earned that branch-manager reputation and arrive carrying half a tree.
But September 12 will not be remembered because of the size of Kaydee’s stick. It will be remembered because after a season filled with loss, one tiny stick made the Big Bear nest feel full of possibility again.
The Friends Of Big Bear Valley make this live cam experience possible. This video was recorded by Lady Hawk on youtube(see video).
Frequently Asked Questions About Kaydee and Shadow
Why is Kaydee bringing her first stick to the Big Bear nest important?
Kaydee bringing a stick to the Big Bear nest shows that she is actively participating in nest-building behavior rather than simply visiting or rearranging material already there. Bald eagles instinctively build and maintain nests, so her first observed stick delivery is an encouraging sign that she is becoming increasingly interested in the Big Bear nest.
Are Kaydee and Shadow officially a bonded pair?
Not yet, at least not based on one interaction alone. Kaydee and Shadow are spending increasing amounts of time together, sharing familiar perches, interacting at the nest and showing courtship-like behavior. Their relationship appears to be developing, but a lasting pair bond becomes clearer through repeated behavior over time.
What are the “beaky kisses” between Kaydee and Shadow?
“Beaky kisses” is an affectionate nickname viewers use for the gentle beak-to-beak touching seen between eagles. It is not kissing in the human sense. Beak touching, close contact and mutual preening can be forms of social communication and bonding between bald eagles.
Did Shadow accept Kaydee’s beaky kisses?
Shadow did not respond with the same level of enthusiasm, but he also did not immediately pull away or chase Kaydee from the nest. He remained beside her while she repeatedly initiated the close contact, another small but interesting development in their relationship.
Does Kaydee’s first stick mean she is staying in Big Bear?
It is a promising sign, but it does not guarantee that Kaydee will stay permanently. She has repeatedly returned to the nest, familiar roosting areas and Shadow, and now she has begun bringing nest material. Watching whether that pattern continues through the coming weeks and months will tell us much more.