At the start of each new year, many of New Jersey’s bald eagle pairs return to their nests for the breeding season. According to the Endangered and Nongame Species Program of the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, “They begin courtship and nest-building in early January, adding to their existing nests,” which are typically made from large sticks, close to water, in trees taller than the forest canopy.

LOFTY: Wildlife biologist Larissa Smith says, ‘It’s a good time of year to see bald eagles,’ like this famous pair, observed on a Spray Beach water tower. (File Photo by Jay Mann)

“It’s a good time of year to see bald eagles in New Jersey,” said Larissa Smith, senior wildlife biologist for the…