Tag: bald eagle

Brochures now available

by Larissa Smith: Wildlife Biologist/Volunteer Coordinator

The New Jersey Bald Eagle nesting population is on the rise with 148 nesting pairs monitored in 2013 and 177 young fledged.  As the eagle nesting population increases so do the incidences of eagles nesting in close proximity to humans and human activity. It’s exciting to have a pair of bald eagles nesting and people often want to get a closer look but this can cause disturbance to the nesting eagles and have detrimental impacts. Over half of NJ’s eagle nests are located on private property which makes it important to advise and educate land owners, land managers about living with eagles.

To address this issue CWF received a grant to produce two informational brochures about co-existing with bald eagles in NJ. One is a general brochure for anyone interested in eagles in NJ and the other is specifically for landowners/land managers with eagle nests located on their property.  The brochures contain information on eagle history, living with eagles as you neighbors, how to be a good eagle watcher or steward, as well as phone numbers for information and law enforcement. As the eagle project volunteers monitor their nests they will have these brochures available to educate interested people.

• Landowner brochure
• General brochure
• Learn more about the Eagle Project
• To request a brochure contact Larissa Smith

This Week, Play in New Jersey’s Super Bowl…of Wildlife

This Sunday, for the first time ever, New Jersey will host the Super Bowl. Millions await the drama between two evenly matched high-flying teams.

You mean the Seahawks versus Broncos in the NFL Super Bowl?

Guess again.

Try the Falcons versus Eagles in the CWF Super Bowl!

As in peregrine falcons, the fastest animal on earth, against the bald eagles, the symbol of All-American grandeur. These two “teams” have overcome incredible odds to make it to the biggest stage imaginable: the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF) battle for the first annual state wildlife championship. The winner will be announced on Monday morning, after a week of Facebook “likes” and donations in favor of the Falcons, or of the Eagles.

All donations will help support CWF’s work on that species, with falcon support dedicated to our Jersey City webcam program and eagle support helping our statewide stewardship work. At stake is not the NFL’s Lombardi Trophy, but an extra boost in CWF’s efforts to protect one of these imperiled species and ensure its inspiring recovery continues.

Surviving the Regular Season

How did these CWF champions make it this far? From their home stadium in downtown Jersey City (and 23 other nests across New Jersey), the Falcons have soared through the season in a continued recovery from decades of struggle against opponents like DDT and pollution. The Falcons then entered the CWF playoffs with momentum, defeating the Bobcats, Terrapins, Ravens, and Fishhawks (ospreys) in succession to reach this big stage.

Their opponent, the Eagles, play the majority of their home games on the windswept Delaware Bayshore, but also play at 118 other nests across the state. Like the Falcons, the Eagles had decades with seemingly no hope because of DDT and a rapidly changing landscape. Yet the Eagles bounced back with an inspiring few seasons, capped by victories over the Bog Turtles, Plovers, Tigers (salamanders), and Dolphins.

Among the teams that continued struggling this season were the Rattlers, the Bats, the Tree Frogs, the Skippers (butterflies), and the Goldenwings (warblers). Conversely, the Seals and Snowy Owls had strong winter seasons. Two closely rivaled teams, the Red Knots and the Horseshoe Crabs, overcame the loss of their stadium to Hurricane Sandy with a newly built New Jersey home that greatly improved their odds of success.

Now that the game is on – what are the rules for the CWF Super Bowl?

• Our field goals are Facebook comments and emails to us noting your choice (3 points each).
• Extra points are Facebook likes and Twitter retweets (1 point each).
• Touchdowns are likely to decide the winner, at 7 points per $20 in donations.

Do you win, too, if you support the winning team?

All supporters of the winning team will be eligible for a drawing to join a banding of the winning raptor this summer, with eligibility weighted by donations and points – the greater the donation or support, the greater your chance of winning! But EVERYONE is eligible, even for as simple as a Facebook like!

As for you non-football fans out there…just as the NFL Super Bowl attracts attention far beyond regular football fanatics, our CWF Championship is meaningful to all of us who care about imperiled wildlife in New Jersey. Here is a chance to ensure that a magnificent raptor – a bald eagle or a peregrine falcon – continues to grace New Jersey’s skies. Either way, score a win for New Jersey’s wildlife!

So consider this the opening kickoff! Getting out on the field is as easy as clicking a link in this email – but choose wisely. The champion awaits!

• Make a donation for your team! (make sure to note which team you’re supporting)
• Follow the “game” on Facebook
• Retweet us @wildlifenj on Twitter and use the hashtag #njfalcons or #njeagles to support your team!

by: Larissa Smith; Wildlife Biologist/Volunteer Manager

Eight pairs of NJ eagles are currently incubating (sitting on eggs). The earliest pair to start incubating was confirmed on January 12th, so the birds been keeping the eggs warm throughout the snow and cold weather. Eagle Project volunteers report that pairs all over the state are busy working on their nests in preparation for egg laying.

Want to see eagles and other raptors and learn all about them? The Cumberland County Winter Eagle Festival is February 8th, 2014.

The following photos were taken by Eagle Project Volunteer Tom McKelvey.

 

Jersey banded bird re-sighted in Maryland

by Larissa Smith, Wildlife Biologist/Volunteer Coordinator

The Duke Farms eagle camera was put in place in 2008. Since then it has had quite a following of people interested in seeing the pair raise their young. After the young birds leave the nest it is unknown what happens to them. The mortality rate for first year eagles is fairly high since they are just learning how to fly and hunt on their own.  So it was quite exciting when on December 1, 2013 Kevin Smith photographed a NJ banded bird at Conowingo Dam, Maryland. He was able to zoom in close enough to view the green band which read C96. This bird had been banded on May 18, 2009 at Duke Farms. He was the oldest of three males raised by the pair in 2009 while being watched by eagle cam viewers. Below is a photo of the three chicks in the nest following the banding. The largest bird on the right is C96.  Now at 4 1/2 years old he is almost a mature adult but still has just a slight amount of brown in his tail feathers (photo on left).

Conowingo Dam is a popular spot for eagles this time of year due to the abundance of fish. Kevin noted that the eagles were catching smaller fish than usual and eating them on the fly. The photo below on the right shows C96 moving the fish from his talons to his bill. Kevin reports that he (C96) would then circle back around looking for more fish and got his share of food that day. It is good to know that C96 has survived and is healthy.

• The Duke Farms eagle cam is up and the pair is getting the nest ready for the 2014 nesting season.

 

2013 New Jersey Bald Eagle Project Report

by Larissa Smith, Wildlife biologist/Volunteer Manager

2013 was a good year for the New Jersey bald eagle population.  A total of 148 nests were checked during the season and 119 were found to be active (with eggs).  A record high of 177 young were produced. Eagle nests can now be found in all but two of New Jersey’s 21 counties.

As we wrap up the 2013 season eagle pair’s are already reported to be working on nests for the 2014 nesting season.  I would like to thank all of the dedicated eagle project volunteers as well as all others involved in the eagle project.

The 2013 New Jersey Bald Eagle Project Report has all the details on the 2013 nesting season.

Update on the Merrill Creek birds.

by: Larissa Smith, Wildlife Biologist/Volunteer Manager

Back in February I gave an update on the Merrill Creek birds that had been fitted with transmitters.  https://conservewildlifenj.org/2013/02/01/tracking-eagles-in-nj/

We continue following the movements of the female that had the transmitter placed on May 29th, 2012. She spent the winter down at the Delmarva Penninsula in coastal Virginia and then headed up north and spent a large portion of the summer in Maine. She is starting to head south and on September 2nd was in Connecticut.

On May 31, 2013 the largest of three chicks at the Merrill Creek Reservoir nest, a female, was fitted with a transmitter.

This transmitter is different than the ones previously used in that it uses GSM technology. Instead of using satellites to pick up the bird’s location, the transmitter will transmit data via cell phone towers. The data is then transmitted over the internet and delivered as an email to a mobile device or computer. This new technology transmits more data, costs less and allows users to have instant access to the data through smart phones or computers. Since fledging this bird has been on the move spending time in NY, PA and back to NJ and as of September 3rd was back near the nest site.

To follow both these eagles movements  go to: http://www.merrillcreek.com/eagletracking.html.

 

by Larissa Smith, Wildlife Biologist/Volunteer Manager

Eagle Project Volunteer Tom McKelvey captured this photo of one of the juveniles that fledged from the Shark River eagle nest in mid-June.  So far this nesting season 157 young eagles have fledged from NJ nests. The juveniles will remain in the nest area for the next few months while they develop their flight and hunting skills.

 

 

by: Larissa Smith: Wildlife Biologist/Volunteer Coordinator

So far twenty-one eagle chicks have fledged from nests in NJ.  Eagle Chicks take their first flight around 11-12 weeks of age but weeks before that they’ll start  stretching their wings, flapping and hopping around the nest.  These activities help to strengthen the muscles they’ll soon need for flight.  The next step is to start “branching” which means they they’ll hop from the nest to the branches of the nest tree.  They’ll then take short flights to nearby branches to gain strength and confidence.  After fledging they’ll remain in the area of the nest tree for several weeks to learn to hunt and practice flying.

• Learn more

 

Looking for green bands.

by: Larissa Smith, wildlife biologist/volunteer manager

One way we can track eagles is with transmitters which I’ve discussed in previous blogs. Since 2011 three eagle chicks have been outfitted with satellite transmitters to track their movements. Two of the birds have since died. To follow the movements of the third eagle go to http://www.merrillcreek.com/eagletracking.html

Another way to track eagles is by banding them.  The NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Program has been banding eagles with green (NJ specific) bands since 1987.  Eagles are banded when they are six weeks of age and get a green NJ band on one leg and a silver federal band on the other.  The state band has a letter over a two digit number. The band information is entered into the National Bird Banding Lab database and when someone finds an injured or dead eagle they can report the band. Most of the information that comes in from these bands are from dead or injured birds. The bands tell us when and where the the bird was banded. By using spotting scopes people can sometime see that a bird has green band but many times are unable to read the number.  We know that  23 pairs of eagles nesting in New Jersey have at least one bird in the pair that was banded in NJ.

Sometimes we are lucky to get re-sightings from photographers with high powered lenses who can focus in on the band.  Just in the past week we’ve gotten three sightings of NJ birds.  One eagle has been seen on Long Island with a green band and reported by Peter Stegemann. He has seen this bird all last summer and fall with another eagle and they might be nesting this season. This would be the first pair of eagles to nest on Long Island since DDT wiped out the eagle population. By zooming in on the photo ENSP principal biologist Kathy Clark was able to read the letter and first number as C/8.  The second number couldn’t be read but by going through the banding records it was determined that this eagle was banded in 2009 at the Princeton nest.

 

Another NJ banded bird (D/64) was photographed by Justin Pursell in Schwenksville, PA on April 7th, 2013. The eagle hasa nest in the area.  The bird was banded May 10, 2004 at the Hopewell West nest in Cumberland County.  Kristen Nicholas took a photo of a third  year NJ banded bird at Lake Tappan Northern NJ/Lower NY on March 20, 2013. The green band is D/39  a third year male which was banded in 2011 at the Oradell Reservoir in Bergen County NJ.

While it’s great to get re-sightings of NJ banded birds we don’t want to get them at the expense of the eagles. These photos were taken by photographers with high powered lenses. People should view eagles from a safe distance so as not to disturb them, especially when they are nesting.  Disturbance to a nest can cause the eagles to abandon the eggs/young or cause the young to prematurely jump from the nest.

To report a banded eagle please contact Larissa Smith Larissa.Smith@conservewildlifenj.org

…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/