BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. - Every morning with her first cup of coffee and every night before she goes to bed, Roslyn Ward of Australia checks ona family of bald eaglesmore than 7,500 miles away in California.

Like millions of other people across the U.S. and the world, Ward is glued tothe YouTube channel that streamsthe bald eagles live 24/7 from their nest in Big Bear Lake, a small mountain community 100 miles east of Los Angeles.

"I'm basically on the other side of the world but I tell everybody about them," said Ward, 75, who lives in a suburb of Sydney. "I show them clips and I'll say, 'Have a look at this, see how much the chicks have grown.' People think I'm nuts."

From Kissimmee, Florida, to Wellington, New Zealand, fans are riveted byJackie and Shadow, the bald eagle couple of Big Bear Lake. People don't just simply enjoy watching Jackie and Shadow as they reinforce their nest,sit on their eggs, soar home with a fresh catch of fish, and feed their eaglets.

Joy Woods in Zeeland, Michigan, found Jackie and Shadow after the death of her husband and says they've been "a wonderful bright spot during an otherwise difficult time." Betty Joy in Puyallup, Washington, says that watching Jackie and Shadow’s “trials and triumphs” makes her think of her late, eagle-loving dad. And Yvonne Grosjean in Zurich, Switzerland, feels such a connection with the eagles that she thinks of them as her own pets.

"My emotions are totally invested in that nest," said Ward, who started crying as she remembered how Jackie and Shadowlost one of their three eagletslast year during a winter storm.

Jackie and Shadow's latest brood isSandy and Luna,who hatched about a month ago. The babies are growing and thriving but fans of the eagles know that anything can happen between now and when they are able tofly out of the nest(known as fledging) for the first time in late June or early July. Threats include winter storms and predators such as hawks. Or, they could just simply fall out of their nest.

"Each day when I log in," Ward said, "I go, 'Thank God,' when I see they're OK."

Also concerning fans of the eagles these days is the specter of amultimillion-dollar developmentless than 2 miles from Jacky and Shadow's longtime nest. Conservationists say new shoreline homes could drive Jackie and Shadow out of town and out of the lives of the millions of people who love them.

As fans of the eagles fret about their future and raise money to stop the development, USA TODAY went to Big Bear Lake to find out how the community feels about all the attention and the eagles that have changed their lives.

Source: Drudge Report