Tag: New Jersey

By: Larissa Smith, CWF Senior Biologist

The Duke Farms eagle pair are the stars of their own reality show. The pair has a huge following who tune in each season to watch with anticipation as the pair lays eggs and wait for hatching and fledging.  This cam views a pair of eagles on  Duke Farms property in Hillsborough, New Jersey. Duke Farms has hosted the cam since 2008. Over the years there has been drama and heartbreak at the nest, but despite this viewers tune in to watch the pair every year.  To learn about the history of the cam please see the Conserve Wildlife Foundations Duke Farms webpage and scroll down to Duke Farms Eagle Cam FAQ’s

This year the female laid the first egg on January 12th, the earliest for the Duke Farms pair and one of the earliest eagle pairs in NJ in 2026 to begin incubation.  The second egg was laid on January 15th and a third egg was laid in the snow on January 18th.

Eagle cam viewers watched in amazement as the pair incubated during the recent snow and ice storm.

Nest monitor, Diane Cook, writes informative and interesting updates on the Duke Farms pair. Some of the updates include, “Eggs and Cold Winter Weather” and  “How to tell the male and female apart”. When on the CWF Duke Farms cam scroll down to the  2026 Nest Updates

Eagles incubate the eggs for 35-40 days and the eggs hatch in the order in which they were laid.  Cam viewers can start to watch for hatching around February 16th.

When will the first egg hatch contest

Conserve Wildlife Foundation is holding a contest to guess when the first egg will hatch. The person who guesses the closest date and time to when the chick is fully out of the egg shell will win a CWF hat and eagle sticker.

Please email Larissa.Smith@conservewildlifenj.org with your guess of date and time am or pm.

All entries must be submitted by February 13th at 12pm

Thank you to Duke Farms and all the eagle cam viewers.

by: Larissa Smith, CWF Senior Biologist

This time of year most wildlife is hunkering down for the winter either in New Jersey or migrating to southern destinations until  the next breeding season.  One New Jersey salamander is just getting started, The Eastern Tiger Salamander(ETS) is the largest salamander species found in New Jersey and a state Endangered species.  ETS are found in only a few locations in southern NJ.  Conserve Wildlife Foundation works with the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species program to monitor ETS breeding pools and populations.  ETS spend most of their adult lives in underground borrows they will emerge to breed on warm wet nights beginning in December through February.  The females lay egg masses in vernal pools and then return to their burrows.  CWF’s website has detailed information on the ETS lifecycle

These vernal breeding pools are a necessity for the ETS population to survive in New Jersey.  In 2025 due to low water levels from a drought, only a few of the deeper breeding pools had enough water for ETS breeding activity.  These breeding pools not only face threats from climate change but also from pollution, habitat loss and disturbance from off road vehicles.

It’s important to identify new ETS breeding pools so that they can be monitored and protected. Some exciting new projects are in the future for the ETS project including collecting habitat and water quality data, eDNA study and a VIE (visible implant elastomer) study.

You can help by reporting any Eastern Tiger Salamander Sighting to the NJ Wildlife Tracker

by CWF Senior Biologist, Larissa Smith

On September 28th a bald eagle with a green band was reported in the Princeton area and again on October 5th, by Susan VanderKam.  The code on the band was D99 an eagle who fledged from the 2014 Duke Farms nest.  In 2014 the Duke Farms pair raised and fledged three eaglets while being viewed by thousands of people on the eagle cam. The eaglets were banded by state biologists at six weeks of age.  D99 a male and the youngest, D98 a male and the second youngest and a female, EOO who was the oldest eaglet. They all fledged in June, 2014.

On August 25th, 2014,  D98 was found dead in Little Sebago, Maine. For more details on what occurred prior to his death see the blog post.  E00 the only female has been resighted once and that was on the Duke Farm eagle cam.  On February 20th, 2018 as a four year old eagle she returned to her natal nest, while the Duke Farms pair was incubating. The female eventually chased her away.

D99 has been resighted several times since fledging. He was seen in January 2019 at Mercer Lakes

In January 2021 he was seen feeding on a deer carcass in Monmouth County.

D99 is now 11 years old and is most likely in a breeding pair and nesting. On September 28th he was perched in a tree with another eagle.  Perhaps this is his mate? It would be very exciting to know that he is nesting and we’ll keep you updated.

by: Larissa Smith, CWF Senior Biologist

The New Jersey Bald Eagle nesting season is finished for the year, so both the eagles and volunteer nest monitors now get a few months rest.  Conserve Wildlife Foundation and the NJ ENSP hosted the annual eagle volunteer get-together at the Assunpink WMA this past Saturday.  Forty-five volunteers attended and enjoyed discussing the season with fellow nest monitors and NJ eagle project staff.

On behalf of the NJ Eagle Project we thank all the 160 nest monitors who are dedicated to monitoring and protecting the NJ bald eagle population.

Thank you to Barb & Rick McKee for providing sandwiches and everyone who generously brought delicious side dishes and desserts to share.

Horseshoe crabs are ancient creatures, having first evolved hundreds of millions of years ago. Since then, they haven’t changed much, but the world around them certainly has. Human activity has taken a toll on horseshoe crabs- for years, people have been harvesting them for use as bait and in medical applications. New Jersey now has a moratorium preventing this from continuing, but their population is still lower than it should be. Luckily, something as simple as flipping a horseshoe crab off of its back can help to restore their numbers. I recently had the privilege of joining Larissa Smith, Senior Wildlife Biologist at CWF, on a trip to the Delaware Bay. In partnership with ReTurn the Favor, she regularly visits beaches that are rife with stranded horseshoe crabs and helps them get back to the water. At the nightly high tide, hundreds of crabs come up to shore to spawn, but when the tide goes out, many of them get stuck on their backs or buried in vegetation, unable to return to their habitats. Rescuing them can be as easy as turning them back onto their legs, but others need a bit more help.

On this day, we started with just a few unfortunate crabs that needed assistance getting off of their backs. We picked them up, flipped them, and off they went. But then, as we turned from the beach to a marshy creek, we were met with hundreds of crabs trapped in the grass. At first, it seemed like we were too late to save them, but as we went along, we found that almost every single one was still alive. So, we wrestled them out of the greenery and carried them back down to the water.

It was a lot of work, but we soon managed to rescue over 100 horseshoe crabs from that section alone. Most of them were females, as evidenced by their large size and pincers. Each one that survived represented a potential new generation of crabs. Female horseshoe crabs can lay around 80 thousand to 100 thousand eggs per year, most of which become food sources for other animals like laughing gulls, which were flocked heavily on the beaches that day. While it’s a bit unfortunate for the crabs, the loss of some of their eggs helps to keep the ecosystem running smoothly.

In just a few hours, we helped 198 horseshoe crabs return to the bay, and we had a lot of fun doing it. The effort to restore the populations of New Jersey’s horseshoe crabs is full of obstacles, but there is also so much hope. Just about anyone can flip an overturned horseshoe crab, and the feeling that comes along with doing so is wonderful. While the horseshoe crabs may not be able to thank us, we can always tell that they greatly appreciate our support.

Returnthefavornj.org

I recently headed home from eagle nest checks near the Delaware River.  As usual, I was on the lookout for interesting raptor sightings, especially eagles.

I spotted a beautiful sub adult eagle perched along the South Branch River.  I pulled over, took out my camera, and got some great photos of this gorgeous bird.  I guessed it might be 4 years old because of the amount of white on its head.  Could this be one of the eagles from the local nests?  We have long suspected that fledglings return to their natal area. We had proof of this while tracking “Duke”, the 2019 banded eagle from Duke Farms, who had a solar tracker backpack attached. He returned frequently to his natal area. While I watched this eagle, it took off and even more exciting, I spotted a green NJ band on its right tarsus!!  Unfortunately, when I downloaded the photos, I could not make out the number of this NJ banded eagle.

I sent photos and a description of its location to all the knowledgeable and experienced Eagle Project volunteers in my area of Central NJ.  I also notified a couple of local (and always very helpful and supportive) interested supporters in the area who are “unofficially” part of the Eagle Project.  I am so thankful that everyone in our group works together for the benefit and protection of our eagles!  There is no possessiveness, jealousy, or one-upmanship, just help, support, and encouragement!

I had confidence that with this group, someone was sure to spot something!!  Imagine my absolute surprise and delight when Steve, a talented and devoted local eagle watcher emailed the group that he had found “my” sub adult and gotten a clear image of her green band:  H22!!  She is one of “mine” which I held at banding in 2022. I was overcome with emotion and excitement!  I would never have known that H22 was alive and thriving if not for Steve’s search and photos. Right on cue, Mary Ellen, another Eagle Project volunteer produced emails and photos that I had sent to the group after the 2022 banding showing H/22 as a 6-week-old nestling.  How heartwarming it was seeing her again as a nestling!

What a joy it is knowing that she is still living and healthy.  I still can’t believe that an eaglet that I held is the same one I saw as a thriving three-year-old. Hopefully she will stick around our area, avoid dangers, find a mate, build a nest, and raise her own eaglets in about 2 years’ time!

We’re thrilled to see the fourth and final peregrine falcon egg hatch atop the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth via the Union County Falcon Cam. The nest is now bustling with activity as proud parents Frida and Mango care for their four fluffy eyases.

The first three chicks, now nearly a week old, are growing rapidly—peregrine falcon chicks can double their weight within just six days of hatching. The newest hatchling, only a day old, is already being attentively brooded and fed by the adult. At this early stage, the chicks are covered in soft white down and rely entirely on their parents for warmth and nourishment.

Over the coming weeks, these eyases will continue to grow quickly, developing juvenile feathers and strengthening their muscles in preparation for fledging. Typically, peregrine falcons fledge around 6 to 7 weeks of age, so we can expect these chicks to take their first flights in early to mid-June.

Stay tuned to the Union County Falcon Cam to witness these remarkable developments in real-time. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the life cycle of one of nature’s most formidable aerial predators!

Spring is a season of renewal. For peregrine falcons who nest atop the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth, it marks the beginning of another nesting season. As days grow longer and warmer, these incredible birds of prey are incubating four eggs, a promising sign for the continued success of New Jersey’s urban peregrine population.

Peregrine falcons, once on the brink of extinction in the eastern U.S., have made a remarkable comeback thanks to conservation efforts throughout the region. Urban nesting sites like the Union County Courthouse provide a safe haven for these raptors, offering protection from human disturbance and plentiful food sources. Over the next several weeks, the dedicated parents will take turns keeping the eggs warm until they hatch, bringing new life to downtown Elizabeth.

As we welcome spring’s renewal, we also celebrate the resilience of these magnificent birds. Join us in watching their life cycle unfold via the Union County Falcon Cam. We are thankful to continue our partnership with Union County to help stream this live view and share their incredible life history with the world.

CWF is excited to partner with Tattoo Asylum in Hamilton, NJ on a wildlife themed Earth Day Tattoo Fundraiser event on April 19, 2025. Flash art tattoos will start at $100 with additional donations welcome. Flash art will be shared soon on social media. You can follow Tattoo Asylum-Hamilton on Instagram @tattooasylumhamltn.