Author: Larissa Smith

A new pollinator habitat is created in Middle Township

By: Larissa Smith; CWF Wildlife Biologist

The Middle Township Environmental Commission in cooperation with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ worked to create a pollinator habitat at a recreation site in the township which is located in Cape May County. Commission members had been working to obtain permission to plant a pollinator garden on a township site. The Ockie Wisting Recreation Complex was just officially opened in the end of October. This recreation site will have playing fields, a playground and a wooded trail that leads to a lake and fishing pier.

With funding from Atlantic City Electric volunteers with the Middle Township Environmental Commission and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ  planted 138 native perennials . While it doesn’t look like much right now, come next spring and summer there will be plants for bees, butterflies and birds to use for food and habitat.  Not only will this pollinator meadow be great for wildlife, it won’t have to be mowed.  The Environmental Commission will be in charge of  maintenance and plans another work day in the spring to remove any non-native plants and trees in the area. We also plan to use this site as a demonstration garden for others interested in planting for pollinators.

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• Ockie Wisting Pollinator Habitat: List of Plantings – Fall 2017
  • Common Name             Scientific name
    Yellow Giant Hyssop       Agastache nepetoides
    Prairie Onion                   Allium stellatum
    Common Milkweed        Asclepias syriaca
    Butterflyweed                 Asclepias tuberosa
    Whorled Milkweed         Asclepias verticillata
    Boltonia                          Boltonia asteroides
    Maryland Golden Aster  Chrysopsis mariana
    Purple Mistflower           Conoclinium coelestinum
    Pink Coreopsis                Coreopsis rosea
    Purple Coneflower          Echinacea purpurea
    Rattlesnake Master         Eryngium yuccifolium
    Hyssop-leaved Thoroughwort Eupatorium hyssopifolium
    Showy Aster                    Eurybia spectabilis
    Coastal Joe-Pye Weed    Eutrochium dubium
    Ten-petal Sunflower       Helianthus decapetalus
    Meadow Blazingstar       Liatris ligulistylis
    Cardinal Flower               Lobelia cardinalis
    Scarlet Bee balm             Monarda didyma
    Wild Bergamot                Monarda fistulosa
    Spotted Horsemint         Monarda punctata
    Pink Muhly Grass            Muhlenbergia capillaris
    Calico Beardtongue        Penstemon calycosus
    Hairy Beardtongue         Penstemon hirsutus
    Garden Phlox                  Phlox paniculata
    Obedient Plant               Physostegia virginiana
    Lyre-leaf Sage                Salvia lyrata
    Fire Pink                         Silene virginica
    Compass Plant               Silphium laciniatum
    Seaside Goldenrod        Solidago sempervirens
    Aromatic Aster              Symph. oblongifolium
    Heath Aster                   Symphyotrichum ericoides
    New York Aster             Symphyotrichum novi-belgii
    Upland Ironweed          Vernonia glauca
    Culver’s Root                 Veronicastrum virg.
    Golden Alexanders        Zizia aurea

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• CMC Herald: Shovel’s in Hand: Pollinator Garden Planted at Wisting Rec. Complex:
• CWF Pollinator Conservation Project
  

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by: CWF biologist Larissa Smith

We keep track of all re-sightings we receive of NJ (green) banded eagles. This information is important as it lets us know where eagles raised in NJ go after leaving the nest and eventually where they end up nesting. In 2017 we have had NJ banded birds sighted in NJ as well as PA and VT.

On April 15, 2017 Mary Dunham photographed NJ banded D/18 near Lake Como in Belmar, NJ.  The female was banded in March 2011 at the Manasquan Reservoir, Monmouth County. She was with another smaller adult, assumed to be a male. While Mary  watched a third adult eagle came into the area and the pair chased it away. This is an indicator that D/18 was paired up and perhaps was nesting in the area.

In August we received a report that D/18 was sighted once again. This time she was up near the NY- Canada border. We don’t know much about the movements of nesting eagles so we can only speculate why she made such a big move north. Perhaps she went north with a recent fledgling or maybe she was kicked out of the pair by an intruder eagle and headed north?

In March we were contacted by Reid Hoffer who monitors an eagle nest along a reservoir in Rockland County NY.  He was able to get a photo of a green band, D/40, she was banded May 2011 at Newton Reservoir in Sussex County. Mr. Hoffer reports that unfortunately the pair did not produce any offspring this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Telemetry

We are also currently tracking three NJ eagle with transmitters attached.  The New Jersey Bald Eagle Tracking project shows the movements of all three of these birds as well as their history.

Two of the transmittered birds  fledged from Merrill Creek Reservoir in Warren County, NJ. Harmony 2, has spent the last four years in a 100-mile swath of western Connecticut and Massachusetts. She fledged in 2012 making her a 5th year bird and breeding age. We suspect she’ll nest in the same area next season.  Haliae fledged in 2013 and has spent the past three years mostly around the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Perhaps she’ll stay in that area to nest? So two birds from the same nest, but one has settled to the north and one to the south.

Nacote, a male from the Galloway nest in Atlantic County, has stayed more “local” to his home area. He’s spent the last three seasons in Atlantic, Cumberland and Cape May Counties. He favors the CMC landfill and local sand pits where other eagles are known to roost and feed.

All this information helps us to locate roost and foraging areas and protect them.  It’s also fascinating to know where NJ eagles go after leaving their nest area, especially when they begin nesting. Why do some head north, others south and yet others stay near their “home” range? We don’t know, and that’s ok, it’s what makes them wild!

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To learn more:

• NJ Eagle Nesting in PA: Jersey Girl
• NJ Eagle Tracking Project
• NJ Bald Eagle Project
  

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By Meghan Kolk, CWF Wildlife Biologist

I would like to take the time to share a noteworthy event from last week, as well as highlight a CWF volunteer who deserves recognition for his dedication to wildlife.  CWF received a call last Friday from a concerned citizen about an osprey chick that had fallen from its nest in Avalon.  Osprey chicks are extremely vulnerable to summer storms, and are often blown right from their nests in strong winds.  The storm that pushed through the area Thursday night had likely blown this chick out of its nest onto the marsh below.  This particular nest had just been surveyed on July 6 and had contained three young chicks.

Often when staff members are not available to respond to calls like this, we rely on our volunteers to represent us.  In this case, when CWF volunteer John King got the call, he hooked up his boat and immediately headed out to assess the situation in hopes of making a rescue.  When he arrived on the scene, John realized that there were actually three osprey chicks on the ground below the nest; however, two of them were unfortunately already deceased.  The parents were also sitting on the ground with the one surviving chick when he arrived.  John picked up the chick and examined it for injuries.  When he determined it was in good condition, he carried it up a ladder and placed it back into the nest as the parents circled and screamed above him.  As he left the site, the parents immediately returned to the nest to check on their chick.

Even though John was only able to save one of the three chicks, this was still a success story that would not have been possible without the help of a devoted volunteer.  The concerned citizens who had called in the emergency watched the whole rescue from across the lagoon and reported back the following day that the chick was sitting up in the nest looking healthy.  CWF also greatly appreciates citizens who care enough to observe wildlife responsibly and report wildlife emergencies when necessary.

John King has been volunteering for CWF for many years and has worked on several projects including the Calling Amphibian Project, NJ Tiger Salamander project and the NJ eagle project.  He has been very involved with the NJ osprey project, headed by CWF’s Ben Wurst, assisting with osprey surveys during the breeding season and helping to construct and erect nest platforms over the winter.  In addition to CWF, John also volunteers with many other conservation organizations and is always happy to lend a hand.  Although he is retired, his volunteer work is practically a full time job. I sincerely admire John’s continued enthusiasm and his dedication to wildlife, and I believe the world would be a better place if there were more people like him.

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ thanks you, John!

 

B/64 and mate have a successful 2017 nesting season.

CWF Biologist: Larissa Smith

In 2014 I first heard from Linda Oughton who watches an eagles in nest near Montgomery, PA. The female in the pair is a NJ banded bird, B/64, nick named “Jersey Girl”. She was banded in 2004 at the Hopewell West nest along the Cohansey River in Cumberland County.

This season Jersey Girl and her mate raised and fledged three chicks. Linda reports that they have fledged a total of 14 chicks since they first started nesting in 2010. It isn’t often that we know what happens to one of NJ eagles and we can only know if they were banded as chicks.  Unfortunately many of the NJ banded eagles that are reported to us are either injured or dead. But in recent years re-sightings of green banded NJ birds are more common and we are aware of NJ banded eagles nesting in NJ as well as NY and CT.

To Learn More:

• NJ Eagle Nesting In PA
• NJ Banded Eagle “Jersey Girl” Makes The News
• 2016 NJ Bald Eagle Project Report
  

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and one lucky eagle chick.

Larissa Smith, CWF Biologist

Friday afternoon before Memorial Day weekend I received a call from one of the Eagle Project volunteers, Heiki Poolake. A nest which him and his wife Donna monitor, had fallen out of the tree and the chick was on the ground. The chick was approximately 9 weeks old so still several weeks away from fledging (leaving the nest). On the ground the chick was susceptible to predators. While the adults were in the area and keeping an eye on the chick they most likely weren’t feeding the chick on the ground.  One option would be to build some type of “nest” back up in the nest tree. That option would require a climber and their weren’t any available. The next option was to install an osprey platform at the site and place the chick in the platform. We have done this successfully in the past when an eagle nest had fallen.

ENSP Principal biologist Kathy Clark, CWF volunteer Matt Tribulski , the Poolakes and myself all met out at the site.  The platform was installed close to the original nest tree with extended perches to allow the chick to “branch”.  It was determined that the chick was in good health, no broken bones or other issues from the fall. The chick was banded with a silver federal band and a green NJ Band E/50. Measurements were taken which helped to determine that the chick was a female and almost 9 weeks of age. She was fed some fish since we were unsure when she was last fed and placed in the nest platform along with more fish.

The Poolakes went out the next day and found her once again down on the ground and placed her back in the nest.  The fish we had left were gone which was a good sign she was eating. She remained in the nest until  June 8th when she was perched on the branch of a near by tree.  Both adults were also perched close by, keeping an eye on her.  At this point she was approximately 11 weeks old around the time when chicks her age start to branch and practice flying. She’ll stay in the area for the next few weeks with the adults as she learns to hunt on her own and strengthen her wings.  The first year is tough for eagles as they learn to survive on their own. We wish E/50 luck and hope to see her nesting in NJ someday.

What do CWF biologists do in their spare time?

Higher than usual tides last week caused an extraordinary stranding event of Horseshoe crabs all along the Delaware Bay. From Fortesque Cumberland County to beaches in Cape May County horseshoe crabs were washed up into the marshes, tidal flats, roads and other areas where they were unable to get back out to the water.  ReTurn the Favor coordinators jumped into action and after an initial survey of the strandings organized rescues at the various beaches. On Saturday a team met at Pierce’s Point at sunset so as not to disturb feeding shorebirds. The group was made up of ReTurn the Favor coordinators from the Wetlands Institute and volunteers including CWF staff. The group was able to move ~3,000 crabs back to the water in a few hours. Over the next few days, rescue efforts continued at Pierce’s Point and other beaches. Allison Anholt from the Wetlands Institute reports that 7,900 crabs total were rescued at Pierce’s Point.  Thousands of more crabs were rescued at other beaches over the weekend, due to the dedication and help from the various groups and wonderful volunteers involved.

Efforts like this show that caring, dedicated people can make a difference. Thanks to all involved!

 

To Learn More and get involved:

• ReTurn The Favor
• NJ Shorebird Project

Shorebirds, eagles, horseshoe crabs and more….

May is a great time to visit the Delaware Bay beaches. The horseshoe crabs are spawning and shorebirds are feeding on the eggs. Please respect the beach closures, so that the shorebirds can feed undisturbed.

by: CWF Wildlife Biologist Larissa Smith

The monarch butterfly gets a lot of attention these days, it’s large, showy and easy to spot. My love of butterflies started with my Monarch internship years ago. Monarchs are a great way to get people interested in butterflies of all kinds. Unlike the monarch the Frosted elfin, isn’t all that easy to find. There are four species of butterfly listed as endangered in New Jersey and three listed as threatened in New Jersey.

The Frosted elfins are beautiful in an understated way and approximately an inch in size. They are a NJ threatened species.  It is locally rare and found in isolated populations. Their major food and host plant is (Baptisia tinctoria). Baptisia can be found in dry clearings and open areas often along power-line right of ways and roadsides.

Can you find the Frosted elfin in this photo?

I went out last week to search for the Frosted elfins. I was lucky to see six adults as it was a windy day and not the best survey conditions. The Frosted elfin is on the left side of the plant hanging upside down. You can see how well they blend in with the environment.

The below photo was taken by ENSP biologist Robert Somes in 2015 while we were out surveying. This photo gives a close up look at the butterfly which had was oviposting eggs on the leaf of the Baptisia.

Now is a great time of year to see all different species of butterflies. Don’t forget to plant native species  as food, nectar and host plants for butterflies as well as other invertebrate species.

Learn More

• Backyard Wildlife Habitats in New Jersey
• NJ Endangered & Threatened Species Field Guide: Frosted Elfin

216 Young Produced from 150 active nests.

Larissa Smith & Ben Wurst: Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ

The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ in partnership with the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Program has released the 2016 NJ Bald Eagle Project Report and the new and improved Eagle Tracking Maps. In 2016, 172 eagle nests were monitored during the nesting season. Of these nests 150 were active (with eggs) and 22 were territorial or housekeeping pairs. A record high of 216 young were fledged. The success of the NJ Eagle Project is due to the dedicated Eagle Project Volunteers who monitor and help to protect nests throughout NJ. Continue reading “2016: A Good Year For NJ Bald Eagles”

Volunteers Survey For This Rare and Elusive NJ Salamander.

by: Larissa Smith, CWF Wildlife Biologist

On a cold December evening I met up with ENSP biologists and dedicated Tiger Salamander project volunteers to survey for Eastern Tiger Salamanders. The group had been out surveying all day in Atlantic County without spotting any tiger salamanders and were cold but still raring to go. The pool we surveyed has been a successful tiger salamander breeding pool, within a complex of enhanced vernal pools. We weren’t disappointed as we quickly found adult salamanders in the pool and egg masses.

Another great find was a neotenic (gilled adult).  This was a larvae, most likely, from last season that didn’t metamorphose and still had external gills. It had not yet left the pool, whereas most larvae metamorphose and leave the pools in June to July of their hatching year.

We surveyed a second pool in the complex, but found no sign of adults or egg masses. We found fish in the pool, which is an indicator that there won’t be salamanders since the fish eat the eggs and larvae.

New Tiger Salamander breeding pools have been found by the TS volunteers, in Cape May and Cumberland Counties. It is encouraging to know that these salamanders continue to live and breed in New Jersey and that gives me hope for the future of all NJ wildlife.

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Learn More

• Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s Online Field Guide: Eastern Tiger Salamander
• Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s Blog: Salamanders Arrive at Enhanced Vernal Pool Complex at Cape May
• Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s Blog: Headstarted eastern tiger salamanders released in constructed pool in Cape May!
• Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s Blog: Protecting Eastern Tiger Salamanders in New Jersey