Author: Ben Wurst

This year is shaping up to be a terrible one for ospreys in New Jersey. Early season surveys, which we began to conduct more of in recent years, after nor’easters and shortages of prey caused nesting pairs fail to produce young. These early surveys provide valuable data on the outcomes of nests and insight on nest failures.

This spring and early summer, we have observed a high number of nest failures in an area around Long Beach Island on Barnegat Bay. This has also been observed directly through live streaming osprey cams from Cape May to Oceanville and reported by some of our dedicated volunteers in other areas. Right now all signs point to lack of food, which either caused adults to abandon incubation or starvation of their young.

A crucial prey item for ospreys is Atlantic menhaden, a forage fish that is found in the ocean and estuaries. They are found all along the Atlantic coast and are widely considered to be the most important fish in the sea. Not only are they filter feeders but they are food for a very wide variety of wildlife, from humpback whales and dolphins to ospreys, loons, tuna and striped bass, etc. They are also a very valuable fish that is used as whole bait, meal (solids, mainly for use in aquaculture as food for farm raised fish) and oils. In 2016, over 323 million pounds of menhaden was landed in Virginia alone. In coastal Virginia, osprey populations have collapsed and the likely culprit is lack of prey. 

This spring adult menhaden were not very plentiful, especially after a nor’easter impacted the coast in late May. Observations of ospreys showed some were still catching menhaden but much smaller fish. Since then it has been a cascading effect of adult male ospreys not being able to find enough food to feed their mates and their young. When they can’t find food, they spend more time and energy searching and hunting and less time at their nests, leaving their mates to do more incubation and often times starving. This is when incubating females have to leave their nests and then their eggs or young are exposed to predators or harsh environmental conditions like extreme heat, which results in nest failure. There are still plenty of fish available to ospreys but fewer adult menhaden, which ospreys are more dependent upon, especially during this time of year when they are foraging more frequently to provide for their families. As a bioindicator species, ospreys showing us the shortage of menhaden in real time through the lens of their failed reproduction.

We hope learn the full extent of food stress on ospreys this year during upcoming nest surveys. For those who watch a nest or have a pair that nest near your home, you are encouraged to report osprey nesting activity online, via Osprey Watch. Since ospreys were recently upgraded to stable as their conservation status, we are concerned about their long term stability in a rapidly changing world. Your support to help us monitor ospreys during this time is crucial, as we do not receive any state or federal funding to carry out this important fieldwork.

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Only a short boat ride off the coast of Little Egg Harbor Township lies an undisturbed haven for endangered beach-nesting birds. The shorelines of Horseshoe Island and Holgate are fully-stocked with piping plovers, black skimmers, and many signs warning boaters not to land on the protected islands. Members of the public are not allowed into these highly-restricted areas, and the only people allowed to step foot there are a small group of biologists.

Todd Pover, Senior Wildlife Biologist at CWF, and his team travel to these islands throughout the nesting season to keep an eye on nests and collect data on them. They work in partnership with New Jersey Fish and Wildlife and Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge to get access to the refuge and record information. 

A day in the field starts with a visit to Horseshoe Island, a new and unique addition to the New Jersey off-shore landscape. What started as a small sandbar less than a decade ago has become a half-mile island that has been growing every year. While the new space is great for birds looking to start a family, the best part of the deal is that the island is free of mammalian predators like foxes, which are common nest destroyers. 

The walk around the island takes the team a few hours to complete, even after dividing up the work. They venture from point to point, stopping where nests and mating pairs had previously been observed. Most of the focus for this trip is on American oystercatchers, a special concern beach-nesting species, and piping plovers, which are endangered. At each stop, the researchers look for eggs and chicks at the nesting sites so they can be logged and development can be tracked. Sometimes the nests are destroyed or the chicks don’t survive, and that is also recorded. All of this data is stored in a database so that the success of each generation can be measured over time.

Occasionally, the team will find a new nest, but the process is tricky. Sometimes, they’ll get lucky and the parents will be nearby, leading them right to the site, but other times, they have to follow tiny, sandy tracks to find the divots in the sand that beach-nesting birds scrape out for nests. 

“It’s like being a detective,” said Madison Patterson, one of the biologists.

One of the joys of the work for the crew is finding that a previously unsuccessful pair of birds had renested. Many of the individuals on the island are banded, especially the American oystercatchers, so it makes it easier to identify which bird is which. For the plovers, not only do they get bands, but names, too. On Horseshoe, a male named Secretariat seems to enjoy scurrying around the island, using his camouflage to hide from the researchers. But, the professionals that they are, they find him anyway and add him to their logs.

By noon, it’s time to get back on the boat and head to the next stop: Holgate, a Unit of the Edwin B. Forsythe NWR. Unlike Horseshoe Island, this location does have mammalian predators, as well as a large population of endangered least terns. It also has the largest number of piping plover pairs in New Jersey. 

All across the island, tern, skimmer, and plover eggs abound. Each step must be taken with the utmost care, as one wrong move can destroy a nest and take a toll on the next generation’s population size. That’s pretty serious: these species have been classified as endangered in the state for decades and the constant threat of habitat loss due to human activity makes it even harder for these birds to bounce back.

In the mid afternoon, the team finishes up their final bits of data collection and gathers back on the boat. As they return to the mainland, the sounds of squawking soften and the islands vanish into the distance. But they would not be gone long, for tomorrow would bring a new day, new trails, and new lives for the team to document.

For more information on CWF’s beach nesting birds project, visit our project page.

Tiny terrapins, most only measuring a few inches in length, were introduced to their new marshy homes this May thanks to the Little Egg Harbor School District and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. For a few months, teachers and their students cared for the young turtles and, in doing so, gave them the extra boost that they needed to face life in the wild. 

Continue reading “Investing in our Future [Terrapin] Stewards”

Earlier today, we joined our partners from Union County and NJDEP Fish & Wildlife to band the four young peregrine falcons produced at the Union County Courthouse in downtown Elizabeth. The four eyases are right around four weeks old and prime age for banding. After ascending to the roof, viewers of the live stream on YouTube watched as we carefully bagged each nestling and brought them inside the building.

Continue reading “Photo from the Field: Union County Courthouse Falcons Banded”

We’re thrilled to see the fourth and final peregrine falcon egg hatch atop the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth via the Union County Falcon Cam. The nest is now bustling with activity as proud parents Frida and Mango care for their four fluffy eyases.

The first three chicks, now nearly a week old, are growing rapidly—peregrine falcon chicks can double their weight within just six days of hatching. The newest hatchling, only a day old, is already being attentively brooded and fed by the adult. At this early stage, the chicks are covered in soft white down and rely entirely on their parents for warmth and nourishment.

Over the coming weeks, these eyases will continue to grow quickly, developing juvenile feathers and strengthening their muscles in preparation for fledging. Typically, peregrine falcons fledge around 6 to 7 weeks of age, so we can expect these chicks to take their first flights in early to mid-June.

Stay tuned to the Union County Falcon Cam to witness these remarkable developments in real-time. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the life cycle of one of nature’s most formidable aerial predators!

Exciting news for osprey watchers—Duke has returned! This morning, the longtime male of our Barnegat Light Osprey Cam returned to his home on Long Beach Island after an incredible journey south for the winter. After months of migration, crossing thousands of miles between New Jersey and the tropics, Duke is back to reclaim his territory. But this year, there’s a twist—a new female is waiting for him!

His previous mate, Daisy, has not yet been spotted, and while we don’t know much about this new female (since she’s unbanded), we’ll be closely observing her iris and feather patterns to track her identity. Today, Duke wasted no time settling in—he was seen feeding on his perch, interacting with the newcomer, and lounging in the nest bowl (classic Duke). If Daisy doesn’t return, he will likely form a new pair bond with this female, marking a fresh chapter in his long and successful life.

At 19 years old, Duke is the oldest known nesting osprey in New Jersey—a testament to how far conservation efforts have come. Ospreys are living longer, healthier lives, a reflection of improved environmental policies and protections. Stay tuned as we watch this season’s drama unfold—will Daisy return, or will Duke start anew?

Spring is a season of renewal. For peregrine falcons who nest atop the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth, it marks the beginning of another nesting season. As days grow longer and warmer, these incredible birds of prey are incubating four eggs, a promising sign for the continued success of New Jersey’s urban peregrine population.

Peregrine falcons, once on the brink of extinction in the eastern U.S., have made a remarkable comeback thanks to conservation efforts throughout the region. Urban nesting sites like the Union County Courthouse provide a safe haven for these raptors, offering protection from human disturbance and plentiful food sources. Over the next several weeks, the dedicated parents will take turns keeping the eggs warm until they hatch, bringing new life to downtown Elizabeth.

As we welcome spring’s renewal, we also celebrate the resilience of these magnificent birds. Join us in watching their life cycle unfold via the Union County Falcon Cam. We are thankful to continue our partnership with Union County to help stream this live view and share their incredible life history with the world.

Ospreys are migrating north and will soon begin another nesting season in New Jersey. Earlier this year, their conservation status was upgraded from threatened to stable by NJDEP. This marks a tremendous success in the restoration of ospreys, management of their nesting structures, and vast improvements in the health of our aquatic ecosystems, and the efforts of many devoted environmental professionals and osprey lovers throughout the state. Results from 2024, show that ospreys had favorable conditions for their continued growth and success.

To track the health of the osprey population, each year project staff, volunteers, and citizen scientists collect data on nest occupancy and nest success. Most colonies are surveyed by devoted volunteers who use a ladder to access a nest and determine the outcome. Others are surveyed from a distance using optics or other visual aides, including digital cameras and unmanned aerial systems. Citizen scientists, who contribute observations of nest activity online through www.osprey-watch.org play a crucial role in determining the overall size and health of the state population, as many document nest success in areas where previous nest surveys were not conducted. Moving forward, theses passionate volunteers will play a more important role in monitoring ospreys and their continued success.

Overall, results from our surveys recorded a total of 729 nests that were occupied. The majority of nests monitored had increased productivity, which is a stark contrast from what was observed in 2022 and 2023, when most colonies had decreased productivity. This highlights how severe weather, specifically nor’easters, can affect the overall productivity of coastal nesting ospreys, where most osprey nests are located in New Jersey. With no severe weather, the average statewide productivity was normal at 1.63 young/active [known outcome] nest.

As reported last year, observations of adult females not laying eggs at prompted us to conduct some early season surveys in some colonies. A survey that we conducted on Barnegat Bay revealed that 40% of the nests surveys had no eggs or young, which normally had young in previous years. Similar findings were reported in the Great Egg Harbor colony and also in areas of the Chesapeake Bay, which is even more alarming. We still don’t know what caused the reduction in egg-laying females and delayed incubation. More investigation and future monitoring is warranted.

In general, ospreys had a productive season, with the outcome being determined in 73% of the nests surveyed in 2024. Those pairs (533) produced a total of 867 young. A total of 101 (12%) nestlings were banded for future tracking, 35 of which with both federal and red auxiliary, field readable bands at nests on Barnegat Bay. 89 nests were determined to have failed to produce young. This means they either had eggs or nestlings and they were lost.

Osprey Band Recoveries

Each year a small portion of young ospreys are banded with federal bird bands for future tracking. Encounters with banded birds is infrequent, unless they are found injured or dead, mainly because the bands are very difficult to read on live birds. With Project RedBand, an osprey banding and re-sighting project on Barnegat Bay, we have seen more encounters with live ospreys than those that are injured/dead. This is a direct result of banding birds with red “field readable” auxiliary bands, which can be read from a distance using a spotting scope or a telephoto lens on a digital camera. In 2024, 41 ospreys that were banded as nestlings were encountered. Of those, 30 were identified by their red bands, most during nest surveys conducted by CWF staff. Obtaining re-sightings of red banded ospreys helps track individual birds as they return to New Jersey to nest as adults. We can learn a lot about their life history while engaging the public in osprey conservation. Thank you to everyone who has reported red banded ospreys that they have observed!

With ospreys being listed as stable, it means they’re not at risk of becoming threatened or endangered in the near future. It does not mean we should just forget about them or walk away. Our continued efforts to monitor ospreys will help track their health and any impacts from threats like plastic marine debris to the loss of vital prey, like menhaden shifting northward from the effects of climate change. We have to continue to maintain their nest structures, which the majority of ospreys rely on to successfully reproduce. 

Thankfully we have a growing group of volunteer “osprey watchers” who will help keep tabs on them in the future. As one of the largest birds of prey that nests in very close proximity to humans, especially on our heavily developed coast, creating a connection between ospreys and people is resilience. The ability to adapt to a changing landscape is crucial to our shared prosperity in this region. We must protect our open space and habitats that wildlife depend on to survival, while also allowing our human way of life to move forward.

Special thanks to everyone who donates to support our work with ospreys and to all our volunteers who help maintain their nest structures and monitor nest activity throughout the state!

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Harrison is thrilled to join the CWF team as the newest staff biologist and contribute to the plethora of wildlife work being done, including wildlife monitoring at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in partnership with United States Fish and Wildlife Service New Jersey Field Office, bird surveys, rare turtle research, and other wildlife projects.

A lifelong resident of South Jersey, Harrison has always been drawn to the coast and the natural wonders of the area, inspiring him to eventually pursue a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from the University of Rhode Island. There he became a certified rescue and scientific diver, studying coral reefs firsthand in Bermuda. However, his career path unexpectedly shifted to wildlife biology after taking a field ornithology class, where his excitement and passion for birds and wildlife biology bloomed. 

After graduating, Harrison pursued a variety of bird related seasonal work, starting as an intern at the Wetlands Institute, being involved in their coastal bird research program and conducting his own project investigating nest success and parameters of Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows. From there he worked as a Research Technician for Cellular Tracking Technologies, a wildlife telemetry company, and as a spring migration counter for the Cape May Bird Observatory. Harrison hit the road to Idaho afterwards to survey a threatened population of Yellow-billed Cuckoo as well as migratory shorebirds before joining CWF the next field season as a technician on the Delaware Bay American Oystercatcher Project. 

A self proclaimed “bird nerd,” Harrison spends time outside of work birding and learning more about the world of birds. When he’s not in the field, Harrison enjoys getting in the water to surf, SCUBA, swim, or take a leisurely paddle. On more relaxed days he enjoys going to gym, cooking tasty food, and hunting for great restaurants and breweries. 

Continue reading “Red Banded Osprey from Long Beach Island Rescued in Trinidad!”