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By Aerial Slide to Home Base

Captain Doug and I were out, enjoying a cruise on Jordan Lake. Abruptly out of the trees burst an adult eagle – eyes pinned on a landing within a tangle of limbs. At the last moment she had to shift weight and balance to pin an aerial slide to home base. She made it, but, the last photo shows her trying hard to say I meant to land just that way.

Adult bald eagle bursts above the treetops with wings spread wide and feet beginning to extend, lining up for a landing among dense green pines and hardwoods.
Adult bald eagle descends toward the intended perch with wings raised and talons lowered, making a last-second adjustment in midair as it approaches the branches.
Adult bald eagle reaches the branch with wings still extended, balancing awkwardly among crisscrossing limbs as it completes the landing.
Adult bald eagle stands securely on a large tree branch after landing, wings folded and posture composed within a tangle of pine limbs.

By Natural Minute

Natural Minutes — July 2. I almost missed this one. Watch the very beginning.

An osprey drops in, snatches a fish almost before you can see it happen, and is gone.

The rest of this Natural Minute belongs to the birds above Jordan Lake Dam as they circle, hover, search, and remind us that nature doesn’t wait for anyone to be ready.

Years ago I challenged myself to capture little pieces of the natural world in videos as close to one minute long as I could make them. I wanted to share the places I was fortunate enough to experience with friends who couldn’t always be there themselves.

So today I’m simply sharing one of those minutes with you.

Nature’s door is open…come right on in.

Recorded at Jordan Lake Dam on July 2, 2020.

By Not Where It Should Be

The first blooming mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) I have encountered in decades of photographing Jordan Lake. Although undeniably beautiful, this non-native invasive tree is displacing native vegetation in many parts of the Southeast. It serves as a reminder that not every beautiful thing belongs where we find it.

mimosa tree, non native to USA

By Deserts Have Droughts Too

Many of you know me through my photography. Some know me from my years as a veterinarian. Some simply know me as the woman who wanders around Jordan Lake talking about birds, clouds, droughts, wildflowers, and whatever else catches her curiosity.

Over the past few weeks I’ve quietly begun a new project called Open the Door.

Every Sunday I share a short audio story — sometimes about nature, sometimes about growing up, sometimes about the people and experiences that have shaped my life. The stories are free to listen to and are accompanied by a written transcript.

This week’s story is “Deserts Have Droughts Too.”

If you’d like to join me, you can visit:

docellen.substack.com

I’d be delighted to have you come along. After all, Nature’s door is open — come right on in.

By Toes, Anyone?

You have probably heard the saying, “Be careful whose toes you step on.”

This Great Blue Heron seems completely unconcerned about such advice as it stands on the “toes” formed by the roots of what remains of an old tree.

The ongoing drought at Jordan Lake has exposed many stumps that once lay hidden beneath the water. They can be hazards for boaters and swimmers, but the birds seem perfectly content to take advantage of the situation. For a heron, an exposed stump is simply a new perch with a waterfront view.

great blue heron