Photo from the Field: Rolling out the Red Carpet
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
Tag: osprey
Dark Star, the Oiled Osprey
A couple weeks ago colleagues with NJ Fish & Wildlife shared a video clip of a dark osprey who landed on a nest platform along the Maurice River near Leesburg, NJ. “Looks like an oiled bird” the text read. Indeed it looked like the bird was exposed to some form of petroleum product, which stained its feathers a dark color. At the time, there was no oil spill reported to NJDEP (this was on May 10) and the video shows that the bird was observed on the nest on May 1, 2021.
Photo From the Field: #213
A Tribute to Bobby “Twist” Jetton: 2020 Barnegat Light Osprey Cam
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
During the peak of my field season last year I exchanged emails with a kind man who reported terrapins nesting in his yard. He wanted to do everything he could to ensure their success. A couple weeks later Bobby reached out to say how much him and mom loved the Barnegat Light Osprey Cam and how “the birds generally wake her up before her alarm.” He also mentioned how she delayed gardening because “dad is due with a fish any minute now. I’m just waiting to note the time then I’ll go play.” She was contributing observations of prey deliveries for research we conducted at the BL Osprey Cam last summer.
Continue reading “A Tribute to Bobby “Twist” Jetton: 2020 Barnegat Light Osprey Cam”Photos from the Field: Raising up hope in 2021
Eagle Scout candidate Kyle Agudo and Boy Scout Troop 61 give ospreys a boost in the new year
Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
Humans have played a key role in the recovery and stability of nesting ospreys throughout New Jersey and beyond. Today around 75% of the population, close to 500 pairs, rely on nest platforms designed specifically for them. They provide a stable nest platform, adequate perches, and protection from potential ground predators, aka raccoons. Many platforms are located in very close proximity to people, which make for excellent viewing and educational opportunities. Ospreys are a symbol of a healthy coast and resiliency in a dynamic region.
Continue reading “Photos from the Field: Raising up hope in 2021”#Thankful
‘Tis the season for osprey nest platform repairs — and being thankful for the volunteers who make it happen!
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
After migratory birds depart, leaves fall and northwest winds prevail, a small group of dedicated volunteers descend on our coastal saltmarshes. They’re there to maintain osprey nest platforms. Around 75% of our nesting ospreys rely on these wooden structures to reproduce. They were used to help jumpstart the early recovery efforts of ospreys in coastal New Jersey, where much of their native habitat was lost to development in the 1950-60s. Today many of these platforms are reaching their life span or are very close.
Continue reading “#Thankful”Cape Tech students erect osprey nest for NJ Osprey Project
by Deborah Valletto
New Jersey’s osprey population has a wonderful group of young biologist looking out for them in Cape May.
Cape Tech’s Natural Science Technology class recently took the initiative to install an osprey platform in the saltmarshes of the Delaware Bay to help out these imperiled raptors. With some help from CWF, the project helped to engage students to actively participate in an interdisciplinary bit of wildlife conservation.
Preview the article by Deborah Valletto below and continue reading on PressOfAtlanticCity.com
CREST HAVEN — Anticipation and excitement were rising in early October for Cape Tech students in the Natural Science Technology class. Hanna Toft, Natural Science Technology teacher and FFA advisor, shared, “The perfect tide to complete our project is approaching.” On Oct. 9, Toft gathered the students, equipment, materials and boat to go into the local saltmarsh and install a new osprey plaftform for the local wildlife.
The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ contacted Toft and a few other volunteers regarding their NJ Osprey Project. According to Toft, the class patrols the local area for osprey data. It was a match, and they agreed to do it.
Continue reading here.
Learn more about New Jersey’s Ospreys here.
Learn more about the CWF Osprey Project here.
Photos from the Field
Grounded: Resurgence of natural osprey nests
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
It’s not very common to see ospreys, a large predatory bird, nest on the ground. Despite the rarity of these sightings, it has become more common and acts as a glimpse into the past (and future), before humans dominated the landscape. Today, more and more ospreys are building nests on the ground and snags over water.
Continue reading “Photos from the Field”Second Chances: Osprey Nestlings Fostered
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
Summer is here. As we reach the peak of the osprey nesting season in New Jersey, we conduct surveys to monitor their overall nest success and health of the state wide population. These surveys are conducted by specially trained volunteers who devote much time to ensure ospreys have a future in New Jersey. These surveys have been conducted every year since the early 1970s and are crucial to track any possible downturn in a colony, watershed or region of the state. Ospreys are a very important indicator of the health of the environment in which they live. This is especially important in coastal areas where they support a booming shore economy that is built around clean water and abundant marine/estuarine ecosystems.
WHYY: Raptor expert rescues baby osprey in Island Beach State Park
by Justin Auciello, WHYY
A raptor expert successfully rescued an osprey hatchling on Tuesday morning in Island Beach State Park.
Continue reading “WHYY: Raptor expert rescues baby osprey in Island Beach State Park”