Category: Wildlife Protection

Early results are good; public needed to help determine size of population

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

I just wrapped up the most intense field season in my entire career. In cooperation with NJ Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program I help to monitor and manage the state population of ospreys. For the first time in four years we are conducting a statewide census for nesting ospreys. Almost all areas that I’ve surveyed, from Monmouth Beach to Atlantic City (and Wildwood) have done quite well, and the effects of Sandy on nesting ospreys appears to be minor.

Barnegat Bay is an area where I’ve concentrated much of my work. Over the past 5 years the number of available nesting platforms has tripled, from only a handful to over 50. Almost every platform was active this year. Amazing enough, this year on Barnegat Bay, a total of four nests produced four young each (one can be viewed on a live streaming camera at Island Beach State Park)!! This is quite a rare occurrence and is something I’ve never seen, especially for all of them to be on the same watershed is simply amazing!! Full results from all the surveys will be released in early fall. All of the data collected from surveys will be used in the census and we are looking for the public to help fill in valuable gaps in data.

Ospreys are indicators of a healthy marine environment. Ospreys are top tier predators who feed exclusively on fish. Many contaminants runoff into our coastal waters and over time become biomagnified through the food chain. Ospreys are extremely sensitive to many contaminants, including organochlorine pesticides (DDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals. Since ospreys eat the same fish that we do, then their health also has implications for people. So, the bottom line is that it is important to monitor the nesting activity of ospreys in New Jersey!

We need your help:

For the first time in the project’s history we’re attempting a statewide census of nesting ospreys without the use of aerial surveys! This was a common (and very effective) way of surveying large areas in a short amount of time with only very minimal staff effort. Some things have changed since the 1970s and 80s….the survival of ospreys are not in jeopardy and helicopter surveys are much more expensive now! Over the past 6+ years, with help from many dedicated volunteers, we have surveyed around 70% of the known population in New Jersey. This year, CWF and NJ Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program decided to release the locations of almost 1,000 known nest sites for ospreys to the Center for Conservation Biology’s Osprey Watch, a global osprey watching community website.

On Osprey Watch anyone can see nest sites and then report nesting activity at those nests. Users can join our monitoring group “New Jersey Osprey Project” and report on any nests they watch or where we are lacking data. You can also map new nests, add photos, and even indicate the type of nesting structure. It’s a pretty awesome website for anyone who is into ospreys!! 🙂

• View maps of areas where observations are needed

Hi. I’m Gabby Flora – graduate of Rutgers University and the newest intern at the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. My journey to get here begins in Brick, New Jersey. I didn’t leave the nest until my first semester of college, when I doubled majored in Fine Arts and Communications at Marymount Manhattan College in Manhattan. I spent every day exploring the world’s greatest, most stimulating, and truly sleepless city.

However, I left quite abruptly that summer for Little Cayman Island, participating in coral reef research and restoration at the Caribbean Coral Marine Institute. I swam with tiger sharks and schools of barracuda. I climbed through mangrove forests. I got stung by fire coral, bitten by grouper, and nearly poisoned by lionfish. I became conscious of the environment and nature. I’d have stayed there forever if my mother hadn’t threatened to drag me home herself.

I then briefly attended Ocean County College in Toms River, New Jersey. I studied environmental science and ecology before flying away to Europe. I lived in Italy for one year, where I painted, sculpted, and wrote travel articles. I explored Germany, France, Prague, Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, and nearly all of Italy. I now know my wines, my cheeses, and the difference between gelato and ice cream. By the time I came home, I had gained independence (and roughly twenty-five pounds). I had a new appreciation for ice cubes, my parents, and American television and I discovered that I’m undeniably proud to be an American.

I next attended college at Rutgers University studying environmental journalism. I commuted, waited tables, and took a number of internships. First, I interned with the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group as a member of the Energy Service Corps for one year, then with the AmeriCorps as the Energy Education k-12 Program Coordinator in New Jersey for two years and finally with the New Jersey Environmental Federation as a canvasser and field manager for six months. I graduated from Rutgers this January with a degree in Journalism and Media Studies from the School of Environmental and Biological Science and a minor in Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behaviors.

Directly after graduation I left for Costa Rica. I was part of a program there called GREEN – the Global Renewable Energy Education Network. For three weeks, I traveled around the only country in the world that is 98% powered by renewable energy, seeing the many benefits of the world’s most valuable and underused resources. I hiked and zip-lined through rainforests, built rain-water collection units for poor communities, and developed a capstone project focused on energy efficiency in suburban communities.

Since returning from Costa Rica, I’ve focused largely on working at my current full-time job as a waitress at 10^th Avenue Burrito Company in Belmar, NJ. My most recent achievement was becoming an intern here at CWF. This exciting opportunity combines all that I have done in my life so far. My writing and artistic skills are being put to good use, my opinions are valued, and my passion for the environment is fueled and inspired by the exceptional people I have the pleasure of working with. I sincerely look forward to continued work with CWF, and cannot wait to see what undertakings the summer holds.

Spy cam helps ID nesting pairs

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

Last year 26 nesting pairs of peregrine falcons were monitored in New Jersey. The core of the state population nests on towers (old hacking towers) and on buildings in urban areas. Each spring we assist NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program to help monitor the core of the population by performing nest checks and by installing a remote, motion-activated “spy” cam in nests to record the adults as they enter and exit nests. The footage captures the legs of peregrines. Why? Many peregrines are banded before they can fly with a federal USGS bird band and a state bi-color, alpha-numeric band. The state bi-color band can be read from the video captured by the camera.  The information that these identifications provide is immensely valuable for relating peregrine origin and age to nest success, site fidelity and turnover rate in the population.

Here is a short clip from a nest site in Ocean Gate and the bird in the video was identified as a male (*8/*5, black/green) that was banded in 2005 at Sedge Island.

Just a couple of days ago, American kestrels at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ received some jewelry that will help biologists learn more about their migration and annual whereabouts in an attempt to fill in important data gaps about their habits.

Female kestrels received a leg band and more importantly, a geolocator, that will record the sunrise and sunset each day, which will in turn, allow us to determine where in the world these kestrels are on any given day.

Read more about this experience at the Duke Farms blog, Behind the Stone Walls.

NEW JERSEY’S STATUS REVIEW OF TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS HAS BEEN COMPLETED

By Michael Davenport, Marine Species & GIS Programs Manager

The state’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) has recently completed a status review of the state’s terrestrial mammal species.  As a result of this review, an additional four species (all bats) have been recommended for listing as Endangered in New Jersey (eastern small-footed myotis, little brown bat, northern myotis, and tricolored bat).  An additional four bat species (big brown bat, hoary bat, red bat, and silver-haired bat) and a rodent (the meadow jumping mouse) have been recommended for listing as Special Concern.  These additional listings are largely due to the impact of White-nose Syndrome, especially on cave-dwelling bats.  However, additional increasing threats, such as wind turbines, were also factors.

Although these status changes have been recommended, it may take several more months or even years before the changes to the lists are made official through a formal rule-making process.  The most recent status review for birds, for instance, was completed in 2005 but it wasn’t until 2012 that the status changes decided upon within that status review went into effect.

The process for determining a species’ state status is known as the “Delphi” method of species status review and it is a process which Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ (CWF) staff assists the state with.

The ENSP endeavors to complete a review of all species currently included on the Endangered and Nongame lists every 5-10 years.  In addition, other species groups not currently included on those lists may be reviewed for status as well.  At any given time, there may be several status reviews being conducted.

The first step taken in conducting a status review is to identify experts and invite them to participate as a member of a review panel.  Members of the panel may be comprised of experts within academia, government agencies, non-profits, or private consultants as well as others.

Once a sufficient number of experts have agreed to participate, staff within the ENSP and CWF will compile background material for the species being reviewed.  This may include reports, survey data, and data contained within the state’s Biotics database which is the electronic warehouse for all imperiled species data in New Jersey.  This background data, as well as a list of the species being reviewed, and definitions of the status options, are then sent to the panelists for Round 1 of the review.

Delphi reviews are comprised of multiple “Rounds”.  For each round, each panelist will choose a status for each species based upon that panelist’s expertise as well as the background material.  The panelist then sends their selections and justification regarding each species to ENSP or CWF staff who compile the results submitted by all panelists.  The review is completed anonymously, so the panelists do not know the identities of the other participants.

For each species, the panel must reach consensus of at 85% of the respondents for a species’ status to be determined.  If consensus is not reached during the first round, that species will move on to be reviewed in Round 2.  For each new round, the panelists’ status choices during the prior round, as well as all the comments made, are available to the panel, so that reviewers can consider the weight of evidence and other reviewers’ opinions on status as they prepare to vote again.  This continues until consensus is reached for all species under review.

Once consensus is reached for all species or, if after four rounds have passed and consensus could not be reached for some species, ENSP or CWF staff take the compiled Delphi results to the Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee (ENSAC).  ENSAC reviews the results and makes the final recommendations on status for those species for which consensus was not reached by the expert panel.  Based upon ENSAC’s recommendations, any changes to the Endangered and Nongame lists must go through a formal rule-making process before those changes can be made official.

The Delphi review process is a science-based, anonymous review by those with the most expertise on the species within New Jersey.  A great deal of thought and time go into preparing for and carrying out a review and CWF has played a major role in assisting with the process.  From the blue whale to fairy shrimp, each species will ultimately receive a state status, leading the way for conservation action.

Ospreys are back and in need of nesting platforms

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

As you may know, ospreys are returning to New Jersey from their wintering grounds in the tropics. Most North American ospreys winter in N. South America, with large concentrations in Columbia. Our “jersey birds” are unaware that our coast was devastated by a huge post-tropical storm in late October last year. Some might be coming home to nests that were damaged or lost to Superstorm Sandy. We’re working diligently to replace or repair any and all platforms that were damaged by the storm. Last week we replaced the first nesting platform in Ocean City. We were lucky to have met a local filmmaker who put together this short film.

Giving Peregrine falcons a safe place to nest

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

We just wrapped up a new project to install a new nesting tower for peregrine falcons along the Atlantic Coast of New Jersey. The tower was installed as mitigation for the construction of a new bridge that spans the Great Egg Bay from Somers Point to Marmora. Previously, in 2012 a pair of peregrine were found to be nesting under the Garden State Parkway bridge and had young. The nest was monitored for the remainder of the nesting season and it was determined that all of the young that had hatched most likely did not survive. The nest was located high up on a pier under the bridge and in that situation it would make it really hard for the young to strengthen their flight muscles and fledge the nest. When the ground under the nest is covered by water this also reduces their likelyhood of fledging.

We hope this new platform becomes occupied and that it helps contribute to the small population of peregrines in New Jersey. Thank you to all the staff from the Endangered & Nongame Species Program and the several volunteers who helped to install the platform!

…during the 2013 Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey

By Larissa Smith, Biologist/Volunteer Manager

Every January NJ participates in the National Midwinter Eagle Count.   Volunteers surveyed for eagles statewide during the weekend of January 12th & 13th.    Due to dense fog the visibility was poor in many of the survey areas but despite this the total count was  297 bald eagles.  This is 38 less than 2012’s high count of 335 bald eagles.  Four golden eagles were also counted during the survey.

2013 Midwinter Eagle Survey Results

• Southern NJ: 264 bald eagles
• Northern NJ: 33 bald eagles
• Total bald eagles: 297

Thank you to all volunteers who participated!

February is a great time to get out and view eagles in New Jersey.  So far twenty-one pairs of eagles are incubating (on eggs) while others pairs are busy getting ready for the season.  Not only can you spot resident birds this time of year but wintering eagles as well.  The Cumberland County Winter Eagle Festival takes place this Saturday the 9th. This is a good opportunity to see eagles and other raptors and learn more about them.  I’ll be there at the CWF table so stop by and say “Hi”.

For more information on the festival: http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/events/v/011/2/2013/09/

Helping wildlife affected by Sandy

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

Since Sandy slammed into the coast of New Jersey we have been actively surveying damage to habitat that wildlife need to survive. Ospreys are currently on their wintering grounds in N. South America but their many nesting platforms were right in the middle of the high winds and strong storm surge from Sandy. For the most part, the majority of the platforms weathered the storm. Some of the old, small, and weak platforms were carried away with the surge (like this old duck blind on Herring Island on N. Barnegat Bay).

Ospreys mate for life and have a high level of site fidelity, so the nesting pair (if they survive the wintering season) will return to the same nest, and do so year after year. For the platforms that were occupied and washed away, we aren’t sitting around waiting for issues to arise when ospreys return to their nest sites next March. Since Sandy hit on October 29th we have already installed 5 new nesting platforms. Two platforms were installed on December 1st on Herring Island, which is right in the middle of the area where Sandy had devastating effects on the shoreline. The platforms were built before the storm by Point Pleasant resident Tom Vannostrand. The new platforms were installed to replace an old duck blind that was damaged late last year (possibly from Irene) and washed away by Sandy. When the pair of ospreys returned to nest on the blind this year they found that their nesting structure was damaged and attempted to build a nest on a nearby home. Long story short, the homeowners weren’t so happy and had the nest removed by USDA.

You can help us build and replace other platforms damaged by Sandy. On January 19th, from 10-3pm we are hosting a volunteer build day to construct 20 nesting platforms.

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”