Famous bald eagle mates Jackie and Shadow watched closely as their first chicks began to hatch Monday in Big Bear Valley, California, after nearly three years without successful hatching.

Thousands of eager viewers who have been watching the eagles' nest on camera since the first pip showed over the weekend got to watch one of their hatchlings emerge with glimpses of tiny feathers and a beak appearing just before 11:30 p.

Bald eagle mom Jackie protected her eggs for nearly 46 hours as a winter storm brought freezing temperatures and snow to Southern California. The storm moved into the Big Bear Valley area Feb. 12 and lasted through Valentine’s Day.