Author: CWF

FOLLOWING OUR FLYWAY “FRIENDS” TO FLORIDA

By Todd Pover, Beach Nesting Bird Project Manager

When cold weather settles in, as it recently did, our thoughts often turn to the south and warmer temperatures. Many of our long-distance migrant bird species are one step ahead of us, having already flown south for the winter.  Stephanie Egger and I, CWFNJ’s Beach Nesting Bird Project team, recently had the chance to join some of them in Florida.

The purpose of our trip was to attend the American Oystercatcher Working Group annual meeting to learn what our colleagues all along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are doing to protect and study oystercatchers, and to share what we are doing in New Jersey as well. This year’s meeting was held in Cedar Key, Florida, a small town about two hours north of Tampa that is a very special place for oystercatchers. It is not unusual to find flocks of 500-1000 oystercatchers roosting on oyster shell rakes just offshore from this quiet gulf town, making it one of the most important wintering sites for this species in the U.S.

“New Jersey” oystercatchers are typically found in the Cedar Key flocks – birds that bred in New Jersey and were marked with orange color bands that have unique two-digit codes.  These bands and similar bands or flags used by other states, help researchers track movements and learn about the long-term survival of this species.  Continue reading “MIGRANTS AND MANATEES”

by MacKenzie Hall, Private Lands Biologist

I read that a barn owl was once seen delivering 16 mice, 3 gophers, a rat, and a squirrel to a nest in just half an hour.  And after scooping out the contents of a barn owl nest box last Friday, I’m a believer.

The nest box went up as a side-project two years ago, when I was contacted by Rick Wiltraut from the Pennsylvania DCNR.  Rick works with private landowners in PA on barn owl projects and wanted to reach across the river into northern NJ.  The owls are considered a Special Concern species in NJ, with populations trending downward across the region.  The Barn Owl Research Foundation (based in TX) has been monitoring many successful barn owl nest boxes down in Salem & Cumberland Cos for 30 years, but we’re not aware of any such efforts in the farmlands of north Jersey.  So we picked a few farms with good barn owl potential.  

Pat Hilton is always up for expanding her Ark, so her rolling farm in Readington was one that we chose.  We were all ecstatic when a nesting pair moved right in and reared 3 chicks in 2011.   In 2012, the owls got an earlier start (Pat discovered the first hatchlings on Earth Day – nice!).  Before we got a chance to clean out the nest box, the owls were back in business, incubating a second clutch by mid-July!

I spent last Friday catching up on some of the season’s odds & ends, and finally got over to Pat’s farm to clean out that nest box.  Holy puke balls, batgirl!  My little gardening spade and grocery bag were measly equipment for this job.  It took about 15 minutes to chisel through and remove the compacted pellets (regurgitated “undigestibles”) and droppings – two bags worth.  Almost every furry pellet I broke open contained two rodent skulls and the associated skeletons.  Those owls are some busy eaters indeed!

Thinking ahead, it would be great to develop a formal barn owl nest box project in northern NJ, similar to what’s been done in south Jersey, and for American kestrels.  Barn owls are limited in part by suitable nest sites, so there’s plenty of room to make improvements for this farm-friendly bird.  Eagle Scouts and interns welcomed!

Oh – and if any biology students out there want to dissect the pellets and analyze the birds’ diet, I will happily bequeath the two bags to you.

Oystercatcher Technician shows diversity of tasks in wildlife conservation

By Alfred Breed, CWF Technician

My official job title with Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is  “American Oystercatcher Technician”.  As such I am tasked during nesting season with monitoring Oystercatcher nesting sites, and during migratory season with locating flocks of Oystercatchers, counting them, resighting marked birds in each flock, recording data of field survey results and reporting our NJ counts and resights to a central database that holds data from the other reporting states in the migratory flyway.

As is usually the case in any job that has a “description”, the phrase “and other such tasks as assigned” is included as a catch-all for things that aren’t specifically listed in the description, but can be an important part of the duties of the position nonetheless. In my case these ancillary tasks are different each day, and often involve three of my favorite things: wildlife (of course!), science, and gear.  Working around my Oystercatcher surveys, which can only be conducted at high tide, I might be tasked to go to a location anywhere in the state and survey for a particular species of plant or animal; or to site select, construct, install, use, maintain, and troubleshoot various types of data collection or other equipment throughout South Jersey.

Trucks, trailers, boats and kayaks are the big-ticket items that I use every day, but I’m lucky enough to use a large variety of other cool tools and equipment as well. Driving is often a big part of my day, with travel times between sites eating up significant portions of the workday.  Sometimes I’m a wildlife EMT or ambulance driver, saving sick or injured animals from their immediate predicament and/or transporting them to various certified rehabilitation facilities located throughout the state.

Best of all is when I’m asked to assist visiting scientists or other conservation partners in their work, which can mean bio-sampling or banding.  Direct human/wildlife interaction is only appropriate when it is  for valid scientific or conservation management purposes, and is sanctioned and a permit issued by the appropriate governing body.  To be a staff member and so to be included in these sanctioned and permitted activities is a rare privilege indeed.

Each day is different, always interesting, occasionally exciting, and always personally rewarding as I play a small part in the management of threatened and endangered wildlife and the habitat that we share.

Assessing the damage to coastal wildlife and their habitat

By Stephanie Egger, Wildlife Biologist

As we all know Hurricane Sandy caused severe damage and devastation to New Jersey residents, homes, and their businesses, but we must not forget that wildlife can also suffer from the impacts of a hurricane.  CWFNJ’s Beach Nesting Bird Project Manager, Todd Pover, Alfred Breed, CWFNJ Field Technician, and myself, conducted wildlife/habitat assessments on beaches from Brigantine to Cape May after the storm.  Our nesting sites further north in Ocean and Monmouth Counties were still not accessible at that time to evaluate.  We assessed nesting habitat for beach nesting bird species, especially Piping Plover as well beach/inlet habitat used by migratory shorebirds, particularly American Oystercatchers.

As expected, many of our nesting sites and sites that are also used by migratory shorebirds for roosting were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, losing a great deal of sand and suitable habitat.  However, in some locations such as Stone Harbor Point and North Brigantine Natural Area, the storm scoured out areas with too much vegetation which is good for beach nesters as they prefer sparsely vegetated areas. Sand was also pushed back into the dunes to create blowouts and overwash areas that may serve as additional habitat.  Many of the areas seem to be very low lying now from the loss of sand and might be more flood prone which could impact the beach nesters in the spring.

We also observed migratory songbirds, golden-crowned kinglets, which were taking shelter and flittering through the back dune/bayberry habitat right after the storm.  This was a good reminder of the value of New Jersey coastal habitat for songbirds as they migrate down the coast.

As part of our assessment, we conducted American Oystercatcher surveys as a significant number use New Jersey beaches for roosting during the fall and winter.  Luckily, approximately 900-1,000 American Oystercatchers were still using our southern coastal inlets after Sandy, about the same number of birds observed the week before the storm.  Thanks to funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation we were already conducting fall surveys for American Oystercatchers and in the position to compare their numbers before and after the storm.

Only time will tell if the habitat will build back up enough in time for the spring as the birds begin to arrive for the nesting season or if it will have lasting impacts on migratory bird species. We hope to conduct further assessments to gain a better understanding of the short- and long-term impacts to wildlife from Hurricane Sandy and how that may affect conservation and recovery effort for these species moving forward.

 

 

 

 

For CWFNJ’s videos of wildlife and habitat assessments click on the links below:

Wildlife Assessment Post Hurricane Sandy at North Brigantine Natural Area, NJ

Wildlife Assessment Post Hurricane Sandy at Stone Harbor Point, NJ

Wildlife Assessment Post Hurricane Sandy at Strathmere Natural Area, NJ

No chocolate, few tropical nuts and fruits, more insect pests…

Just the mere thought of no chocolate makes us frightened!

Bats are one of the most beneficial animals to humans. They play key roles in the environment, eating bothersome insects, pollinating flowers, and dispersing seeds.  Unfortunately, across the world, and here in the Garden State, bats continue to face many threats including habitat loss and disease such as white-nose syndrome.  White-nose syndrome, alone, can kill 90-100% of bats in affected caves.

But you can help!  This year, why not trick or treat for bats? 

Collect your trick or treat money and make a donation to CWF!  Thank bats for all the wonderful benefits they provide to us.  Halloween wouldn’t be the same without bats and delicious m&m’s, snickers, and almond joys.

Make a donation to Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ and help us to protect NJ’s bat population.

Or consider adopting an Indiana bat, NJ’s federally endangered bat, to help protect its future here in NJ.

To learn more about how bats benefit humans, read on!

Bats are primary pollinators of many tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, and dates, guavas, and figs.  The agave cactus relies on bats for pollination.  No agave = no tequila (scary!)

Bats also help in seed dispersal.  In fact, seeds dropped by bats can account for up to 95 percent of forest regrowth on cleared land.  Bats spread the seeds of almonds, cashews, and chocolate.  Did you read that?  CHOCOLATE!  Bats help us to have more cacao trees, which produces the yummy main ingredient of our favorite Halloween treats!

Closer to home in New Jersey, bats eat bugs, and a lot of them.  All nine species of bats found inNew Jersey eat insects, consuming one-third of their weight in bugs each night.  Bats play essential roles in keeping populations of night-flying insects in balance. Just one bat can catch hundreds of insects in an hour, and large colonies catch tons of insects nightly, including beetles and moths that cost American farmers and foresters billions of dollars annually, not to mention mosquitoes in our backyards.

Learn More

Celebrate the coming of the full moon!

Join CWF for an evening night hike at either Allaire State Park or Island Beach State Park. 

At Allaire, we will go for a short hike alongside the canal exploring the senses and how they adapt to the night.  Program begins at 6pm at the Nature Center.  To register for the night hike at Allaire, please call Charlene at 732-567-3675.  Cost is $5/person.

At Island Beach, bundle up and join us for a hike to the beach. Roast marshmallows over a campfire and listen to ghost stories of the Atlantic!  Program begins at 6pm the Nature Center.  To register for the night hike at Island Beach, visit here. Cost is $5/person.

---

 

American Oystercatchers in our Sights

By Todd Pover, Beach Nesting Bird Project Manager

Did you know that American oystercatchers don’t just nest in New Jersey, but that we also have the northernmost wintering population on the Atlantic Coast? Our state’s coastal inlets are also important as stopover sites for migratory oystercatchers. Yesterday, we counted a flock of over 300 oystercatchers on Champagne Island in Hereford Inlet and this morning we surveyed a smaller flock of about 75 birds in Corson’s Inlet. In addition to counting the birds, we also look for (i.e. resight) color bands during the surveys. Most of the bands are from birds that nested here, but a number of bands from other states, such as Massachusetts, are also currently being seen.  New Jersey bands are orange colored – you can see two of “ours” in the photo above.

How to Make a Plover Biologist’s Day!

By Todd Pover, Beach Nesting Bird Project Manager

We spend a lot of time on the beach nesting bird project discussing the love/hate relationship the public has with piping plovers. For every person that supports our conservation efforts for this highly vulnerable shorebird, there seems to be at least two people that complain the plovers take up too much of the beach or prevent dogs from being allowed on the beach.

But every once in awhile, you have one of those perfect encounters that makes all the work worthwhile, so I thought I’d share a recent one with you.

Last week I was conducting a piping plover migration and band resighting survey at Stone Harbor Point. The fact that it was an extremely warm and sunny October day – extending the illusion of summer for just a wee bit longer – alone should have been enough to make me content. Then there was the very cooperative flock of 13 piping plovers, including three with color bands that I recognized as our summer breeders. All and all, it was shaping up as a good day in the field!

As I was almost wrapping up my survey I noticed a birdwatching couple a little further down the beach gazing off into the distance through a scope. On the off-chance they had noticed some plovers I had missed I approached them to see what they were looking at.

“Seeing anything interesting?” I inquired.

“A flock of royal and caspian terns, but no, nothing much really,” the man replied. And then out of the blue he added, “No piping plovers.”

This was a surprising comment since I hadn’t prompted him and October isn’t exactly prime time for piping plover viewing in New Jersey (or anywhere on the breeding grounds for that matter). I proceeded to strike up a conversation with the couple. It turned out they were from Holland, this was their first trip to the U.S., and they were on a birding/nature trip that was starting in the Cape May area.

We talked a little about the work I did and then, naturally, I mentioned to them that there actually was a group of piping plovers just 50 yards away from them on the beach. Given their pale sand color, even more so in non-breeding plumage, I wasn’t surprised the couple had walked right past the plovers.

The man’s eyes widened and he said, “Really?”

Of course, I led them back to the plovers. As we approached the plovers and they came into clear view, the man stopped and turned to me and said, “I have been dreaming of seeing a piping plover for years.”

It isn’t too often you get to make someone’s dream come true. And it is nice to know someone else is dreaming of plovers other than me.

Determining flight movements and patterns of piping plovers

By Sarah Scheffer, CWFNJ Seasonal Field Technician

This year’s chapter of the Beach Nesting Bird Project brought with it many unique opportunities, particularly with the placement of color bands on nearly 30 of our piping plovers at two locations along the New Jersey coastline. Nesting adults and four chicks from Stone Harbor Point and Avalon were given bands, which we have been using to conduct resight surveys to understand how adults and juveniles move about before migrating. In the long term, these bands can be used to determine if birds return to the same breeding grounds or natal sites, and where they overwinter. The banding was carried out by two researchers from the State University of New York, Emily Heiser and Christy Weaver, as part of a project to determine flight movements and patterns of piping plovers in order to be able to minimize risks to these threatened shorebirds when assessing the placement of wind turbines. Luckily, some of the CWFNJ team, including myself, was able to provide assistance and help with the banding!

Being able to band the piping plovers was a truly special experience. Nesting adults were captured by manipulating the predator exclosures (wire cages) placed over their nests to create only one entrance and one exit into a netted tunnel. Once captured the plovers were then carefully measured and weighed to determine crucial information such as body mass, wing length, and beak size. Using a small specialized tool, brightly colored plastic bands were placed on the legs of each bird to give them their own unique combination. Banding schemes can vary depending on who performs the banding and can include small flags and metal or plastic bands placed on the legs. At our two New Jersey sites, birds were given four bands, two on the upper portion of each leg. Piping plovers at Stone Harbor Point sport a green band on the top of each leg, while those at Avalon wear blue bands.

 

These bands have made it much easier to identify individual birds and to observe their habits. Along with the band combinations, we decided to give the plovers nicknames as well! Although the nicknames are definitely something that adds a little bit of fun to identification, they are actually quite practical as well. The nicknames helped to streamline communication about what was happening at each nesting site. For example, it is much easier to say that Bruce (Springsteen) was observed incubating his nest, than to say the bird with green gray, green yellow (band combinations are read from top to bottom, from left to right) was seen incubating.

During the summer piping plover breeding season, our duties included checking the breeding sites and the individual nests or broods every day. As the season progressed, resight surveys were also performed. A section of beach was regularly traversed and the number, location, and activities of the banded piping plovers were noted. These surveys give us crucial information about the site and the movements of the plovers, as well as when they depart to migrate. After her nest was lost in a flood tide, a banded female nicknamed Ivana was observed to have begun her migration and was spotted soon after in Virginia! As most staff check on the same sites every day, we became well acquainted with each bird and their particular idiosyncrasies. The increased ease of identification of these birds has helped turn up some surprising information. The banding project has resulted in a wealth of knowledge and the possibility to further understand the New Jersey population.

TEAM CONSERVE COMPETES IN INAUGURAL EVENT

By Todd Pover, Beach Nesting Bird Project Manager

This past week, three teams of biologists and researchers took to the beach to compete in the first-ever Piping Plover Olympics. Christina Davis, a plover biologist with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJDFW), and I have been talking about the concept for nearly ten years, but this year, inspired by the 2012 London Olympics, the plover games finally became a reality.

With storm clouds threatening in the distance, the official Plover Olympic flag was unfurled and the teams gathered in uniform early last Tuesday evening for what would be a hard fought contest. A total of six events were staged, including sign and fence installation, color band resighting, exclosure building, egg and beach toy searching, and a team relay carrying fence poles. The evening was capped off with a challenging Piping Plover Trivia Contest. Events designed to test both the body and mind.

The Olympics were a chance for the teams to use the skills they learned and honed all season in a competitive arena instead of in the name of conservation. It was an opportunity to test the teamwork that we strive to develop amongst the staff. And it was tremendous fun!

Teams were from the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (of course); our “cross-office” rivals from NJDFW; and a plover research team from the State University of New York, consisting of members from both New Jersey and Massachusetts. Over the course of the evening there was a fair share of trash-talking and some battle scars to show, and in the end medals for everyone.

But there was also a winner…and I am happy to report that Team Conserve Wildlife emerged with this year’s winner’s trophy. Good job team!

The only thing missing from our Piping Plover Olympics was sponsors. The games were all about fun, but it isn’t too late to be an “Olympic” sponsor for the work we do here at CWFNJ. If you would like to help support what we do to protect our state’s endangered beach nesting birds, click here to adopt a piping plover. Or if you want to help CWFNJ’s overall conservation mission, click here to become a member today.