Love is in the air . . . and it won't be long before we have a clutch in the nest and hopefully, eaglets in April.

The 2021 nesting season has begun here at the local eagle's nest, and based upon recent activities (you know what I mean), we expect a clutch of eggs in the near future. Before we get immersed in 2021, just wanted to pay a little homage to our lone eaglet from the 2020 nesting season . . .

When you've been working on the nest to get it ready for the nesting season, but it's 10 degrees, and the dang snow keeps piling up, you just have to shake it off and do the chilly willies. Swipe to see the animated sequence . . .

The lone eaglet of this year's nesting season fledged at the end of June, and it frequently returned to the nest. On this day a couple of weeks after it fledged it took advantage of the south wind and made a few jumps back and forth to the short branch . . .

Exploring the area a little further from its nest, this 4-month old juvenile eagle had flown back to a tree to the west. It was evening, the sun was about right, and it gave me a chance to capture it as it took off and flew into the evening sun. Their feathers at this age are just pure and beautiful. Taken during last year's nesting season, and pray that it made a successful journey to adulthood.

Mama keeps a watchful eye on her lone eaglet as it struts with purpose from one end of the nest to the other. The eaglet would fledge about 5 days later.