Kelli Thompson Photography
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Kelli L Thompson is a lawyer and photographer whose primary focus is nature photography.
Living life, trying to change the world, and photographing it along the way.
A Winter Wren may only weigh about a third of an ounce, but it produces one of the loudest and interesting songs of any North American bird relative to its size. Their song is a stream of warbles and musical notes that can seem unlikely to come from such a small bird.
Roan Mountain has spruce-fir forests that closely resemble the boreal forests of Canada and the northeastern United States. Winter Wrens are northern birds, but these cool, moist "sky island" forests provide the same habitat hundreds of miles farther south. Carver's Gap and the summit area of Roan Mountain are among the few places in Tennessee where Winter Wrens regularly breed.
In fact, Winter Wrens have been documented nesting on Roan Mountain for well over a century. Ornithologists recorded them carrying nest material and food for young in the spruce-fir forests near the summit in the 1880s, and fledged young have been observed repeatedly around Carver's Gap.
I was impressed with his voice.
06/12/2026
I like to think that we would all be happier if we changed our perspective. If you focus on appreciation instead of expectations, you can find good things in less than ideal circumstances.
On our trip to Roan Mountain, we were pounded with rain on top of Round Bald Tuesday afternoon, but the result was on the trip back down, the Catawba blooms that were blown away littered the pathway. It was beautiful.
06/11/2026
It's been a minute since I've been to the Roan Mountain area - 1988 to be exact. I've been wanting to make this trip for quite some time, but there isn't ever enough time to adventure every where I want to go. In addition, these highlands suffered devastating losses with wind and rain damage in Hurricane Helene, but they are recovering nicely. These Catawba Rhodedendron blooms are from the Rhodedendron Gardens on Carver's Gap.
The Roan Highlands are home to one of the largest natural Catawba Rhododendron gardens in the world. They thrive in the cool, moist climate of the high-elevation balds and mountain slopes. Unlike the Rosebay Rhododendron that dominate lower Appalachian forests in the Southern Appalachians, Catawba Rhododendron have adapted to harsher conditions, including colder temperatures, frequent fog, and strong winds found above 5,000 feet. In June each year, the blooms can cover entire mountainsides in purple and magenta. Add in the shades of orange from the Flaming Azaleas, and it is quite something to see. Now I have to take Joe Thompson back and leave him at the Gray Fossil site while I go back to the mountain top.
06/06/2026
Today is National Black Bear Day -
This is the itty bitty cub who was in a tree and then took off in search of mom - and away from the humans. I watched a lot of humans yesterday not following the NPS rules. Keep your distance from wildlife. They are fast and unpredictable, and the rules are there for a reason to protect you - and the wildlife too.
Black bears don’t need a nutcracker. Walnut shells can require roughly 75–120+ pounds of force to crack, and hard black walnuts may take even more. With powerful jaws and broad grinding molars, bears can crush the shells and extract the rich nutmeat inside. That makes my teeth hurt just listening to them crunch.
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains, N.P.
Cracking Walnuts
06/04/2026
In the last six years, I have watched nine American Bald Eaglets fledge, and that included two years where no Eaglets survived. The first year, three Eaglets thrived and fledged, and now this year, three Eaglets have all successfully fledged and are learning to soar. This one is Smokey, the last of the three to fledge. I love the adults, but the juveniles are quite striking in their own right. Dark, dark, dark is the best way to describe them.
“In the face of the wind, the bald eagle spreads its wings, turning resistance into a force that lifts it higher.”
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Oak Ridge, TN
37830
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