Boaters urged to not approach active osprey nest inside Barnegat Inlet
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
Osprey Nest #3591
Yesterday, while working on Barnegat Bay, we visited this natural nest that is behind the dyke inside Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. This is the third time we’ve passed by to monitor their success. So far, so good and it looks like they now have young in the nest. As you can see the nest is built in a precarious location on a sandbar. When the sandbar is exposed people can walk right up to the nest. Last year the pair did not raise young but people did still walk up to the nest. With young, the adults will be more defensive of their nest to protect their young.
Spotlight on the Bald Eagle’s All-American Comeback in New Jersey
by Lindsay McNamara, Communications Manager
Photo by Northside Jim.
In 1985 — just 31 years ago — a single bald eagle nest remained in the state of New Jersey. In 2015, CWF and partners monitored 161 nests throughout the Garden State. Just this year (as of June 20, 2016), over 50 young eagles have already fledged from their nests! What sparked this All-American comeback of the United States’ National Bird?
DDT use was banned in the United States in 1972. That ban combined with restoration efforts by biologists within the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) resulted in 25 bald eagle pairs by 2000.
Since then, CWF and ENSP biologists have worked together to not only conserve New Jersey’s existing bald eagle population, but help young eaglets in the state thrive. We manage the New Jersey Bald Eagle Project, a network of passionate, dedicated volunteers that monitor bald eagle nests and help reduce human disturbance in eagle habitats. These incredible volunteers, like the late Elmer Clegg, have been an integral part in the recovery of bald eagles throughout the Garden State.
CWF and ENSP have even begun tracking bald eagles to see where they travel and to learn more about their behavior! During the summer of 2014, two juvenile bald eagles were fitted with a GPS tracking device (a wearable backpack). Our team of biologists chose one eagle from Atlantic County (a male) and one from Cumberland County (a female) to be tagged in this telemetry study. Then in May 2015, a juvenile male from a nest in Cumberland County was fitted with another GPS transmitter. You can follow the journey of “Nacote” and “Oran” on our website.
CWF also partners with Duke Farms on a webcam that provides a live look at a bald eagle nest in Hillsborough, New Jersey. During the eagle nesting season (late January-July), the EagleCam allows viewers an up close and personal view into the lives of a pair of bald eagles as they breed, incubate, and raise young. Between the general public and classrooms up and down the east coast, the EagleCam has many fans – over 11 million viewers and growing! This year, CWF’s eagle expert Larissa Smith launched a new citizen science program to engage these viewers in gathering scientific data on the eagles’ diet.
Today, American Eagle Day, we celebrate the hard work of the biologists, volunteers and concerned citizens throughout New Jersey that have made a difference for the birds and contributed to their comeback.
The bald eagle was selected as the central image of the Great Seal of the United States by the Second Continental Congress on this day, June 20, in the year 1782. For 234 years, the bald eagle has served as the living symbol of freedom, courage, strength, spirit, democracy, independence, and excellence. Today, we celebrate the recovery of the bird and the All-American comeback the population has made in the Garden State.
Throughout the entire country, there are an estimated 14-15,000 bald eagle pairs! Though the bald eagle was removed from Endangered Species Act protection in 2007, it is still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 and Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The 501(c)(3), not-for-profit American Eagle Foundation (AEF) of Tennessee has been a major proponent and organizer in establishing and promoting “American Eagle Day.” The AEF is celebrating its 30th year of protecting and caring for bald eagles and other birds of prey. CWF thanks AEF for their support of our work in New Jersey!
“On American Eagle Day, and every day, let us continue to treasure and protect the Bald Eagle all across this great land for future generations to enjoy,” says AEF Founder and President Al Cecere, who has been spearheading the American Eagle Day effort for two decades.
Congratulations, Edana Lobsco and Matthew Sullivan!
by Lindsay McNamara, Communications Manager
Earlier in 2016, Conserve Wildlife Foundation launched the “For the Love of Wildlife” Photo Contest. Our photography contest was meant to showcase the love for and need to protect the endangered and threatened wildlife that call New Jersey home. We encouraged youth and adult photographers across the Garden State to submit photographs in the following categories:
New Jersey’s Rarest Residents: Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Wildlife Species Only
The Garden State: New Jersey Landscapes
Experiencing Nature: People Enjoying the Outdoors
Wild New Jersey: All Animals in the Garden State
We were blown away by the amount of submissions we received! Over 1,470 entries were counted! New Jersey wildlife photographers, CWF board members and staff poured over the entries to choose our winners. Today, we are thrilled to announce both third place winners.
Edana Lobosco: Youth Photographer
Highland Lakes, New Jersey
“Frog in Hands”
Youth Third Place Winner Edana Lobosco “Frog in Hands”
In an interview with CWF, Edana said, “Thank you so much for picking my photo and giving me a chance to show off my photography!! I took this photo on the Appalachian Trail in Vernon, New Jersey, my friend scooped him up and it was a perfect photo op! I’ve been taking nature photos since the first time I ever picked up a camera. It started with just my mom’s flowers in her garden, and now whenever I’m outside I never forget my camera. There’s so many beautiful creatures in New Jersey, I don’t know if I can choose a favorite! I love watching the painted turtles in my lake sunbathe, and I love the variety of wildflowers that grow around the Garden State!”
Matthew Sullivan: Adult Photographer
Lambertville, New Jersey
Northern Gray Treefrog
Third Place Winner Matthew Sullivan Northern Gray Treefrog
Matthew says, “Treefrog breeding season is one of my favorite times of year in New Jersey. I was out looking to get this shot of a Pine Barrens Treefrog instead, but none of the ones I found would call no matter how long I sat there. This gray treefrog though was more than willing to sing loudly for me, I just had to time it right and after a few tries, I got my shot. I’ve been seriously photographing nature for 6 or 7 years now, but have been outside looking for wildlife since I was old enough to walk. My personal favorite animals in New Jersey are the reptiles and amphibians, even more specifically, Pine Barrens Treefrogs, Timber Rattlesnakes, and Eastern Hognoses.”
Stay Tuned as we announce the second place winners of the “For the Love of Wildlife” Photo Contest over the next few days!
Lindsay McNamara is the Communications Manager for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.
NEW, WEEKLY UPDATES FROM NEW JERSEY’S BEACH NESTING BIRD PROJECT TEAM
by Todd Pover, Beach Nesting Bird Project Manager
Least tern photo by Northside Jim.
The beach nesting bird field staff is firing on all cylinders now, frantically trying to keep up with nesting activity. In some regions of the New Jersey coast, piping plovers and American oystercatchers are still laying eggs, while at other sites there are chicks on the beach, even one site (Barnegat Light) where the chicks are already approaching their “fledgling” stage when they will be able to fly.
CWF Field Technician Jesse Amesbury busy conducting annual piping plover census at Edwin B. Forsythe NWR.
Most of the least tern and black skimmer colonies are now established, with least terns starting to hatch chicks and black skimmers just laying eggs. Counting the colonies is one of the most challenging parts of the job, imagine trying to count 1,000-1,500 birds at a time in some instances!
After helping with the winter segment of the International Piping Plover Census in the Bahamas, CWF switched gears this week to help conduct the breeding portion in New Jersey.
All the normal beachnester tasks are keeping us busy, but the main focus this past week was the annual piping plover “window” census, where field biologists all along the Atlantic coast count the number of birds present between June 1-9, so we can get a range-wide breeding population estimate. As for New Jersey, it looks like our population will go up, at least slightly, for the second year in a row. Although this is still a very preliminary estimate, it looks like we have weathered the statewide low in breeding pairs we recorded in 2014, thanks to good productivity the past two years.
Of special note is a spike in Monmouth County (outside Sandy Hook), where we have gone from 2 pairs the past several years to 12 pairs this year. Although a smaller bump, we also went from 1 pair to 4 pairs within Barnegat Inlet, an area we have long hoped for more pairs. It takes a tremendous effort to realize even small gains in our piping plover recovery effort, so we are especially excited about this news!
Our work is never done…CWF Wildlife Biologist Emily Heiser posting a new nesting area for endangered least terns.
Technology has proven to be vital to Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s work protecting rare wildlife species over the years. Our biologists depend greatly on modern technologies to band, track, and share online the journeys of wildlife. Our webcams broadcast the most intimate behaviors of nesting birds and bats across the web. And we seek out ever-evolving communications technologies to spread the word about the inspiring stories of wildlife, from social media and infographs to e-books and Story Maps. These technologies offer newfound abilities to share complex data on multiple levels, while still incorporating the awe-inspiring photography and videos that bring wildlife’s stories to life.
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is excited to offer our 2015 Annual Report in a unique format that utilizes one of those technologies – Story Maps. In the past year, we have explored the lives of seals, eagles, and freshwater mussels with Story Maps – and the annual report allows all of our projects to be highlighted in this interactive format as well.
Visit the multiple pages within this Story Map to learn about Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s many projects and partnerships in 2015, and the imperiled wildlife species in need of our help. Find examples of the innovative and dedicated leadership of our biologists and volunteers. And take an online journey across the state to learn how our projects made a difference in all corners of New Jersey in 2015 – a great year for wildlife in the Garden State!
Loyal Eagle Project Volunteer Contributes to Conservation for over Two Decades
by Dr. Larry Niles, LJ Niles Associates LLC
Dr. Erica Miller and Elmer Clegg.
In the early days of the Bald Eagle project, when we really didn’t know whether the species could be restored back to New Jersey, there were a few people that offered their help without reservation to help the birds. Elmer Clegg and his wife Bunny were two and among the most dedicated. Elmer died May 20th at 79 years old. He was a loyal eagle volunteer for more than two decades.
To understand Elmer and Bunny’s contribution its important to remember the circumstances in which the eagles found themselves. The historic population of eagles, about 22 in 1950 but probably much higher in history, had been whittled down to just one unproductive pair by 1981. Biologists at the newly formed Endangered Species Program, including me, worked hard to restore the Delaware Bayshore population with new projects, like hacking young birds into the wild. By the early 2000’s, we had new nests but in places that had not known eagles for decades. In many places they were unwelcome because they thwarted sprawl development or short sighted resource use. They had to be defended, but then we couldn’t afford staff.
Dr. Erica Miller and Elmer and Bunny Clegg.
Into that breach stood Elmer and Bunny and others like them, John and Sheryl Healy and Red and Mary Jane Horner. They were stalwart defenders of wildlife that brooked no insult to the birds by watching the nest throughout the nesting period until the young birds fledged. It was rewarding but difficult work trying to persuade farmers, businessmen, irate suburbanites and many others that the eagles deserved to be where they were. A few times our conservation officers had to step in, or DEP had to drop the regulatory hammer, but mostly it was the calm persuasion of people, like Elmer, who’s true love for these birds spoke convincingly to those against the bird.
Elmer helped me understand that the future of wildlife doesn’t lie in the agencies or their staff, but in the hearts of people who care for wildlife. People like Elmer deserve to return to this earth as the species they loved so much.
Dr. Larry Niles has led conservation efforts for over 30 years.
CWF’s Shorebird Stewards Protect Delaware Bay Shorebirds and Educate the Public
by Larissa Smith, wildlife biologist
Shorebirds at Reed’s Beach Photo by Bob Bocci
This shorebird season, twenty-one stewards helped to patrol the closed shorebird beaches in Cape May and Cumberland Counties. Stewards not only make sure that no one is entering the closed areas but also educate beach goers about the shorebirds and horseshoe crabs.
Thank you to all Shorebird Stewards!
Steward Bob Bocci at Fortescue Photo by M. TribulskiStewards Dan & Cheryl Alexander at Cook’s Beach
Horseshoe crabs may be one of the most unusual animals in the world, but they’re also one of the most extraordinary. They’ve been around for hundreds of millions of years, and we’re only now starting to understand just how important they are – not just to the natural world, but also to the world of medicine. Discover the real value of horseshoe crabs, found throughout New Jersey’s Hidden Coast – the Delaware Bayshore.
A new episode of our video series “New Jersey’s Hidden Coast” will air every two weeks throughout the summer! Catch a glimpse of the bay, the horseshoe crab at the center of the bay’s system, and the incredible relationship between horseshoe crabs and migratory birds, like the red knot. We will reveal the real value of horseshoe crabs, the challenges to the ecosystem, and the potential for a thriving regional economy along the Bayshore. We will show Hurricane Sandy as a catalyst for decisive action and the work being done to rebuild the area for both people and wildlife.
Over the next several weeks, we will explore the use of “living shorelines” instead of bulkheads and the central importance of marshes to the marine ecosystem. We will discover the on-the-ground, grassroots efforts of the community to build oyster reefs alongside veterans. And we will examine the future of the Bay and the work that needs to be done to preserve our conservation successes thus far.
One in a Series of Updates on the 20th Year of the Delaware Bay Shorebird Project
by Dr. Larry Niles, LJ Niles Associates LLC
On our final effort to trap shorebirds on Delaware Bay, we had the remarkable opportunity to watch sanderling and ruddy turnstones lift off for the Arctic. We first saw them feeding on the wave-tossed shoreline within the protected area in Villas; 1500 birds weaving as a single thread 5 deep with the contours of the wave, acting like a flying flock on the ground. Then a disturbance, a crow flying low down the shoreline and 2000 birds fill the sky. Most settled again but one group of about 300 flew more with greater determination than the rest. Still low but gaining altitude the flock wavered, and a mutinous band peeled away deciding against the departure returned to the safety and abundant crab eggs on the shore just north of us. The other 150 grew more determined, more structured and rose slowly as they powered their way north. Then they disappeared into the Northern sky.
A flock of shorebirds seen from Reeds Beach venture into the northern horizon for a nonstop flight to the Canadian Arctic.
Shorebirds departing Delaware Bay for their Arctic home, 2500 miles away stand as one of the most awe-inspiring and rewarding parts of our stopover project. They usually start in the early evening under a blue sky drenched with the glow of the setting sun and continue until near dark. They almost always go with a favorable southerly breeze and at least a clear sky in the north. Thousands of all the species after getting fat on the Bay’s bounty of horseshoe crab eggs – red knots, ruddy turnstones, sanderling, semipalmated sandpipers, short-billed dowitchers and dunlin – lift slowly as they fly along the Cape May peninsula coast towards Dennisville and beyond.
Led by Clive Minton, the team counts the number of flocks and flock size from our porch on Reeds Beach. This is only an index, as birds leave after daylight and from other places in the bay.
They are dangerously overloaded with fat. Two birds highlighted the importance of this. On May 30 we caught 97 knots, 168 sanderlings and 75 ruddy turnstones. Among each species were individuals of extraordinary weight. One bird weighed 242 grams, fully 120 grams higher than the fat free weight! They cart this load, like a plane with extra gas tanks, to fly two days to the Arctic islands of Canada. Imagine for a moment – you weigh 150 pounds and gain an extra hundred and fifty, then try to go anywhere, especially for 2000 miles.
In this video one can see all the different body shapes – and weights – of red knots and other species on Cooks Beach shoal. It’s easy to see many birds are ready to leave.
The fact that they can do this is a marvel of flight bio-engineering. While building weight they prepare like weight lifters, increasing muscle mass, heart size, and lung capacity. Close to leaving, they decrease the organs of digestion just to squeeze in the last few grams of fat. Then they wait for good weather, lumber into the sky and go forth into the vast north.
2016 was a good year for the shorebirds stopping over on the New Jersey coast. Most came in better-than-average condition, so they had a head start. The early spawn was strangled by cold water which seemed to hover around the temperature threshold for spawning- 59 degrees F. Tellingly however, the crabs spawned with gusto on the beaches from northern Reeds to Pierce’s Point. There the five inter-tidal creeks and inter-tidal flats warm the water that washes over spawn-inviting shoals and newly restored beaches. Throughout the stopover a majority of the bay’s population foraged on the eggs laid by vigorously spawning horseshoe crabs. On one day we saw a 10,000 red knot flocks on North Reeds Beach happily roosting and feeding on the abundant eggs.
In this iPhone panorama of north reeds beach one could see over 8000 red knots feeding on abundant crab eggs.Spawning crabs on Villas beach
Eventually the spawn accelerated and expanded but the birds still needed to get to the eggs. If constantly disturbed by people, they will move endlessly often to lesser habitat if only to avoid disturbance. In New Jersey we prevent this. Each year for the last 15 years, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife in collaboration with Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, close the beaches important to crabs while leaving small observation areas open to the public. The impact is non-intuitive but positive.
Jim May (first photo) and Niel Olafson (second photo) have been stewarding beaches for over 10 years. Stewards not only defend beaches from the few people determined to breach the rope barriers, but bring their own outreach materials to educate people on the importance of stewardship. They also rescue stranded crabs in tough spots like abandoned bulkheads.
The closed beaches allow shorebirds to gorge on eggs unmolested by people: photographers and birders wanting to get one step closer for the perfect picture, compassionate people wanting to overturn crabs left stranded by the tide, or fishermen wanting to cast for the stripers that run in May. All with good intentions they scatter birds and force them to fly to other less suitable and less accessible beaches losing valuable gained weight in the process. The closures allow the birds to stay in the best places and eat like kings. Paradoxically the bird photographers and watchers end up with even better views because the birds adapt to the settled threat. Even fishermen find enough space to fish from the observation areas.
This person is unaware that her impact has cleared the area of shorebird leaving all the eggs to laughing gulls, who as we all know fear no human.
At the height of the season people could come to one of the five observation areas in the Reeds, Pierce’s Cove and see flocks of nearly 30,000 shorebirds including 14,000 red knots – two thirds of the whole population in the bay this year (as determined by air and ground counts). Photographers, birders and inquisitive people had a wonderful experience and the birds got fat.
Despite the difficulties caused by the unusually cold spring, most birds of the three species we follow reached good departure weights and by May 26th they started to leave. By June 1st most were gone and by June 2nd we advised reopening the beaches, 5 days earlier than the usual June 7th opening.
Our team of scientists, managers, students, volunteers, and stewards deserve praise for all the various projects and research conducted throughout the season, from cannon netting and bird study, resightings of previously banded birds, research on shorebird movement, research on oyster reefs and structural aquaculture, monitoring of horseshoe crabs, monitoring crab egg densities, volunteer efforts to rescue stranded crabs, to steward protected areas and tag crabs. Also, the volunteers of Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River deserve a special thanks for their logistical support for our team, they prepared over 20 dinners for 30 plus people every night of our project. Birds and Scientists all gain weight in May!
They all deserve gratitude, from the birds and horseshoe crabs, the people who love birds and horseshoe crabs and the people who love Delaware Bay.
The 2016 shorebird team
Dr. Larry Niles has led efforts to protect red knots and horseshoe crabs for over 30 years.
Through CWF’s contest, high school students created videos to promote New Jersey’s wildlife
by Lindsay McNamara, Communications Manager
From left to right: CWF board member, PSEG manager Russ Furnari, CWF communications Manager Lindsay McNamara, first place winner Joseph Hernandez, third place winner Maya Ravichandran and PSEG Program Officer Lisa Gleason. Not pictured: second place winner Spencer Monhollen.
On Wednesday, June 1, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and sponsor PSEG celebrated and recognized the winners of the 2016 Species on the Edge 2.0 Video Contest, a statewide educational contest with a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) focus for New Jersey high school students.
The Species on the Edge 2.0 Video Contest invited students to submit an original video showing why wildlife protection is important in New Jersey. The contest showcased high school students’ interest in new media technologies, as well as their talent, creativity, and love of nature.
CWF’s 2016 first place winner and recipient of a $1,000 scholarship is Joseph Hernandez a senior in high school in Great Meadows, New Jersey. For the contest, Joseph created an impressive, captivating and informative video titled ‘The Secrets of Vernal Pools.’
Spencer Monhollen, CWF’s 2016 second place winner and $500 scholarship recipient is a sophomore at Oakcrest High School in Mays Landing, New Jersey. For the contest, Spencer produced an excellent video focusing on New Jersey’s bog turtles.
CWF’s 2016 third place winner and $250 scholarship recipient Maya Ravichandran is a junior at High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey. For the contest, she created a video which showcases a number of bird species throughout the Garden State and threats to their survival.
To learn more about our impressive and talented winners, visit our website.
The Species on the Edge 2.0 Video Contest scholarships were made possible by sponsor PSEG.
Since 2003, over 10,000 children from across New Jersey have entered Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s Species on the Edge educational contests. The contests are a great way to engage and excite students into learning about New Jersey’s over 80 endangered and threatened wildlife species.
