The male eaglet was fitted with the transmitter in July 2011. In September 2011, the male flew as far west as Harrisburg, PA, and in January 2012 spent a few days in the upper Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. After that he spent the majority of his time in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania.
In early January, 2013, biologists became concerned when the signal from the transmitter was not moving. A team of biologists from the ENSP’s Clinton office went out to search the area but were not able to locate the bird. Another attempt was made on January 18th and the bird was found dead in the shoulder of the highway. The carcass was saved for later examination to determine the cause of death, though we suspect it was struck by a vehicle. The transmitter was still attached to the bird, and it will be refurbished and placed on another eaglet this nesting season.
So far, two out of the three eaglets outfitted with transmitters have not survived. Juvenile eagles have a high rate of mortality as they learn to live on their own and aren’t yet the most skilled hunters or fliers. We are learning a lot about these young eagles and their habitat choices and migratory movements. Unfortunately, we are also learning that they face many perils in the wild, as we have seen with the first eagle infected with West Nile virus, and the second struck by a vehicle.
In May, 2012, a transmitter was placed on the largest of three eaglets in the Merrill Creek nest. She fledged in July and remained in the nest area until September 10, when she took a quick flight south. She continues to be tracked around the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula in coastal Virginia, a favorite wintering area for many immature eagles. To follow her movements (and to see the movements of the other eagles) go to: http://www.merrillcreek.com/eagletracking.html.
In 2012 a new record high of 135 eagle pairs were monitored during the nesting season. One hundred and nineteen of those were active which means they laid eggs. A total of 165 young were produced this year and fledged (left the nest). That is 46 more than 2011’s 119 young produced. Twenty-seven new eagle pairs were found this season, 15 in the south, 2 in central and 10 in northern NJ. While all of these numbers are good news for NJ eagles they still need protection. The two major threats that bald eagles in NJ face today are disturbance and habitat loss.
The NJ Bald Eagle Project has a dedicated group of volunteers who monitor nests throughout New Jersey. They help to prevent disturbance at nest sites by educating the public about eagles. The success of the eagle project is directly related to these wonderful volunteers.
by Larissa Smith, Wildlife Biologist/Volunteer Manager
In June of 2011 two chicks (male & female) from the Merrill Creek Reservoir eagle nest in Warren County were fitted with solar-powered transmitters that are monitored via satellites. The males movements have been tracked for over a year starting when he left the nest in June. You can see the eagles movements by going to: http://www.merrillcreek.com/eagletracking.html In September the male flew as far West as Harrisburg, PA and in January spent a few days at the upper Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. He has spent the majority of his time in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. It is very interesting to see where the eagle is spending his time and the type of habitat he is using. When you go to the map you can zoom in to get a close up look at his locations.
Unfortunately the female chick died in October due to starvation. She tested positive for West Nile Virus which could have contributed to her death. The transmitter was recovered from the female and in May of this year the transmitter was placed on the largest of three chicks, a female, in the Merrill Creek nest. She just recently left the nest and is still in the area of the nest taking short flights. To follow her movements go to http://www.merrillcreek.com/eagletracking.html
for his contributions to the NJ Bald Eagle Project
by: Larissa Smith, Biologist/Volunteer Manager
Landowner Robert Johnson with Eagle Project volunteers Earl and Mary Ellen Holton.
Landowners are an important component of the NJ Bald Eagle Project since fifty-six percent of eagle nests are found on private property in NJ. This year we recognized a landowner for his contributions to the project over the years. Mr. Robert Johnson has had a pair of eagles nesting on his property in Cumberland County since 2003. He has always been very protective of the pair and makes sure that they aren’t disturbed during the nesting season as well as keeping the nest observers updated on any activity that he has seen or any problems. He helps the volunteers by cutting the grass in his field so that they can drive in and park when monitoring the nest. This year when the volunteers truck got stuck in the mud at another close by nest Mr. Johnson came with his backhoe and pulled them out.
Mr. Johnson received a certificate of appreciation and an eagle frame handmade by CWF biologist Ben Wurst www.reclaimednj.com. The photo in the frame was of Mr. Johnson holding an eagle chick during a eagle banding on his property.
On behalf of the NJ Bald Eagle Project we thank Mr. Johnson for his dedication to NJ eagles.
…and learn about threatened and endangered species.
by Larissa Smith; Biologist/Volunteer Manager
For the second year in a row 5th graders at the Ocean City Intermediate school adopted a species from the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ. The 40 students are in two of science teacher Mrs. Rosander’s classes. They earned the money through chores and donations to adopt the Bald Eagle. This year they chose to adopt a bald eagle which is one of the species that I work with so I was glad for the opportunity to talk about NJ eagles.
Students learned about threatened and endangered species as well as the NJ bald eagle project. The students asked a lot of great questions and I’m pretty sure they’ll now be on the look out for eagles!
Thank you to the students for their donation to CWF!
The recovery of New Jersey’s bald eagle population is a great success story for the state and for the many biologists, conservationists and volunteers involved in the effort. This recovery has been over 20 years in the making with over 100 pairs now breeding in New Jersey, a huge increase from the late eighties when one pair remained in our state.
While we celebrate the success of our eagle population, we must now begin to deal with the fact that eagle nests are increasingly located in places where more people can view them and get close to these magnificent birds and who wouldn’t want to observe these iconic species?
But close observation can be dangerous to these birds and damaging to the continued recovery of the population. Bald eagles do not react well when people or pets get too close to their nests. They can be easily disturbed by humans in close proximity and this disturbance can cause them to expend valuable energy when flushed or, at the extreme, to abandon their nests leaving eggs to fail or newly hatched chicks to die. Continue reading “Keep Your Distance”
In January 43 states participated in the Midwinter Bald Eagle Count including New Jersey which has participated since 1979. This year in NJ ~70 volunteers surveyed for eagles the weekend of January 14th & 15th. The purpose of the survey is to monitor bald eagle populations. Since the survey takes place at the start of the NJ eagle nesting season possible new pairs and nests are often found. New Jersey volunteers also map eagle activity and these data are used to delineate critical eagle wintering habitat.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS
273 eagles in Southern NJ
44 eagles in Northern NJ
317 eagles total
This is a great time of year to get out and see some eagles. Not only are the resident nesting eagle pairs around but also wintering eagles.
Bald eagles are beautiful birds so it only makes sense that people want to get a closer look at them. But often people don’t realize that by innocently stopping to look at an eagle nest they are putting the eggs or young in jeopardy. As the New Jersey eagle population increases eagles are starting to nest in closer proximity to humans and human activity. Any activity that causes the eagles to change their normal behavior is “disturbance.” People walking too close to the nest to get a closer look or take photos will cause the birds to get off the eggs or leave the young unattended. This leaves the eggs or young exposed to the elements and predators. The safe distance for viewing is at least 1,000’ from the nest site. If the birds are looking at you then you are too close.
The best way to see what goes on at an eagle’s nest without the chance of disturbing the birds is to watch them online. The Duke Farms eagle nest site has had a camera streaming the picture since 2008. This provides an up close and personal view that you cannot see from the ground. The Duke Farms eagle cam should be streaming live in the next few weeks. To view the eagle cam go to www.conservewildlifenj.org
If you have any questions about eagles or their nests or would like to report a nesting pair, please contact Larissa Smith.
“Where do the chicks go when they leave the nest?” is a question that I get asked pretty often. The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ , Merrill Creek Reservoir, and the Endangered and Nongame Species Program collaborated on a new project that will help to answer this question. On June 13, 2011, biologists visited the Merrill Creek Reservoir eagle nest located in Warren County. The chicks, one male and one female, were each fitted with a transmitter attached by a harness made of Teflon ribbon. The solar-powered transmitters, monitored via satellites, allow the birds to be tracked for up to three years as they move away from the nest, migrate south, and move around the region before they begin to establish their own territories. Following the birds movements will help us to identify what type of habitat they are using during their first years.
The eaglets fledged around July 11th and both stayed in the area of the reservoir into mid- September. On September 14th the female eagle headed East to Long Island, NY. She spent time on the eastern most tip of the Island and started heading back to Merrill Creek Reservoir on September 28th. On October 17, the female was found on the ground at the reservoir in a lethargic condition. She was taken to the Raptor Trust in Morris county, but she died the following day. She tested positive for West Nile Virus.
The male eagle headed the opposite direction into PA and on September 19th was just west of the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, PA. He headed back east and spent time in Bucks county PA before heading back to NJ. As of November 15th the male was in Warren County near the Musconetcong River. To see the maps of both of the eagles movements go to: http://www.merrillcreek.com/eagletracking.html
