Yes, it is cold out…
but if you hurry, Doc Ellen, to get breakfast made,
you’ll warm up — and my tummy will be much happier.

Priorities, people. 🐾☕️

While watching the bald eagles bounce along the cold winter air,
I couldn’t help thinking ahead to gentler days — when neighbors like the eastern bluebirds will begin thinking about nests and new families.

Winter still has its hold, but the promise of warmth feels close.

If you’re needing a few reminders of warmth right now, I keep some of those close at hand in my Etsy shop.

I never need much encouragement to talk about Bald Eagles.

I’m grateful to WRAL and Scott Mason, the Tarheel Traveler, for the opportunity to talk about the Jordan Lake Bald Eagles and EagleFest, alongside Elaine Wittry, Natural Resource Specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Any chance to help share accurate information about these birds — including their nesting behavior and the role both parents play — is something I care deeply about.

The clip is here if you’d like to watch: https://www.wral.com/video/tar-heel-traveler-moncure-bald-eagles/22306057/

Worth repeating as winter settles in.
Warm water matters — for horses, livestock, pets, and wildlife.

First Nest 2026 — Incubation has started.  Father Bard is settled deep into the nest bowl at First Nest. If you look closely in the center of the nest you can just see his head in that low steady posture that tells me the season has truly begun. You may also notice a bright white patch way out on the far right edge of the nest. Those are bird feathers, most likely from a gull. Either Bard brought in his own breakfast before settling to incubate or he delivered a meal to Kate earlier in the day. Eagles leave us plenty of clues if we slow down long enough to read the nest. A new season at Jordan Lake has begun. 

More images in my shop —https://docellenimages.etsy.com