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.
H22 May 1st, 2025 photo by B. McKee
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!
H22 photo by S. Neumann
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!
Rick Mckee 4/16/22 photo by B. McKee
H22 photo by R. McKee
H22 photo by R. McKee
Barb Mckee photo by R. McKee
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!
Exciting news for osprey watchers—Duke has returned! This morning, the longtime male of our Barnegat Light Osprey Cam returned to his home on Long Beach Island after an incredible journey south for the winter. After months of migration, crossing thousands of miles between New Jersey and the tropics, Duke is back to reclaim his territory. But this year, there’s a twist—a new female is waiting for him!
His previous mate, Daisy, has not yet been spotted, and while we don’t know much about this new female (since she’s unbanded), we’ll be closely observing her iris and feather patterns to track her identity. Today, Duke wasted no time settling in—he was seen feeding on his perch, interacting with the newcomer, and lounging in the nest bowl (classic Duke). If Daisy doesn’t return, he will likely form a new pair bond with this female, marking a fresh chapter in his long and successful life.
Ospreys are migrating north and will soon begin another nesting season in New Jersey. Earlier this year, their conservation status was upgraded from threatened to stable by NJDEP. This marks a tremendous success in the restoration of ospreys, management of their nesting structures, and vast improvements in the health of our aquatic ecosystems, and the efforts of many devoted environmental professionals and osprey lovers throughout the state. Results from 2024, show that ospreys had favorable conditions for their continued growth and success.
To track the health of the osprey population, each year project staff, volunteers, and citizen scientists collect data on nest occupancy and nest success. Most colonies are surveyed by devoted volunteers who use a ladder to access a nest and determine the outcome. Others are surveyed from a distance using optics or other visual aides, including digital cameras and unmanned aerial systems. Citizen scientists, who contribute observations of nest activity online through www.osprey-watch.org play a crucial role in determining the overall size and health of the state population, as many document nest success in areas where previous nest surveys were not conducted. Moving forward, theses passionate volunteers will play a more important role in monitoring ospreys and their continued success.
Three natural osprey nests within Sedge Island WMA. July 2024.
Overall, results from our surveys recorded a total of 729 nests that were occupied. The majority of nests monitored had increased productivity, which is a stark contrast from what was observed in 2022 and 2023, when most colonies had decreased productivity. This highlights how severe weather, specifically nor’easters, can affect the overall productivity of coastal nesting ospreys, where most osprey nests are located in New Jersey. With no severe weather, the average statewide productivity was normal at 1.63 young/active [known outcome] nest.
As reported last year, observations of adult females not laying eggs at prompted us to conduct some early season surveys in some colonies. A survey that we conducted on Barnegat Bay revealed that 40% of the nests surveys had no eggs or young, which normally had young in previous years. Similar findings were reported in the Great Egg Harbor colony and also in areas of the Chesapeake Bay, which is even more alarming. We still don’t know what caused the reduction in egg-laying females and delayed incubation. More investigation and future monitoring is warranted.
In general, ospreys had a productive season, with the outcome being determined in 73% of the nests surveyed in 2024. Those pairs (533) produced a total of 867 young. A total of 101 (12%) nestlings were banded for future tracking, 35 of which with both federal and red auxiliary, field readable bands at nests on Barnegat Bay. 89 nests were determined to have failed to produce young. This means they either had eggs or nestlings and they were lost.
Osprey 26/H, a seven year old male nesting at Sedge Island WMA. July 2024.
Osprey Band Recoveries
Each year a small portion of young ospreys are banded with federal bird bands for future tracking. Encounters with banded birds is infrequent, unless they are found injured or dead, mainly because the bands are very difficult to read on live birds. With Project RedBand, an osprey banding and re-sighting project on Barnegat Bay, we have seen more encounters with live ospreys than those that are injured/dead. This is a direct result of banding birds with red “field readable” auxiliary bands, which can be read from a distance using a spotting scope or a telephoto lens on a digital camera. In 2024, 41 ospreys that were banded as nestlings were encountered. Of those, 30 were identified by their red bands, most during nest surveys conducted by CWF staff. Obtaining re-sightings of red banded ospreys helps track individual birds as they return to New Jersey to nest as adults. We can learn a lot about their life history while engaging the public in osprey conservation. Thank you to everyone who has reported red banded ospreys that they have observed!
With ospreys being listed as stable, it means they’re not at risk of becoming threatened or endangered in the near future. It does not mean we should just forget about them or walk away. Our continued efforts to monitor ospreys will help track their health and any impacts from threats like plastic marine debris to the loss of vital prey, like menhaden shifting northward from the effects of climate change. We have to continue to maintain their nest structures, which the majority of ospreys rely on to successfully reproduce.
Thankfully we have a growing group of volunteer “osprey watchers” who will help keep tabs on them in the future. As one of the largest birds of prey that nests in very close proximity to humans, especially on our heavily developed coast, creating a connection between ospreys and people is resilience. The ability to adapt to a changing landscape is crucial to our shared prosperity in this region. We must protect our open space and habitats that wildlife depend on to survival, while also allowing our human way of life to move forward.
Special thanks to everyone who donates to support our work with ospreys and to all our volunteers who help maintain their nest structures and monitor nest activity throughout the state!
by by Christine Alber NJ Eagle Project Volunteer Posted on
Wawayanda Pair, photo by Christine Alber
I monitor a bald eagle nest located in Wawayanda State Park, Sussex County. My heart sank when I was asked to retrieve the carcass of a bald eagle found dead on nearby Highland Lake. The Wawayanda eagles protect a large and rugged territory that includes many smaller ponds, several swamps and other wetlands, and seven lakes, including those in my community. I feared that the dead eagle was one of the Wawayanda pair. Despite their territory’s size, our local eagles are in some ways easy to follow. When the lakes are frozen, as they are this winter, we see few visiting eagles traveling through. Although eagles appear similar, each eagle is really an individual in look and behavior. After watching them closely for years, I’ve learned a lot about the eagles; characteristics, their habits, and their favorite places to perch. Moreover, the male is banded and wears distinctive green and silver ankle bands, which stand out even from a distance, especially with a pair of binoculars.
Wawayanda male Green band D10; photo by Christine Alber
Bald eagles banded in New Jersey receive two separate bands – a silver band from the federal US Fish and Wildlife Service with a unique six-digit ID number and a state green band with a two-digit code etched in silver. Because of its color and the shorter code, the state band can be read from a distance. The male’s bands tell us quite a lot about his history and this nest. He first arrived in 2016. By identifying his green NJ band as D10, I was able to learn that he was banded as a nestling at another Sussex County nest in 2010. Although I didn’t see any battles, it was clear that he and the young (fourth year) female he arrived with were the new pair in town, replacing the eagle pair that we had been seeing for at least five years prior. I didn’t know where their nest was and spent a lot of time looking for it, but I still saw them frequently throughout their territory. I eventually learned their nest is in Wawayanda.
female at Wawayanda; photo by Christine Alber
The female was not banded and therefore harder to track. I don’t know for sure, but I believe the original female from 2016 may have been replaced in 2020. That year, the Wawayanda nest failed– did not fledge any chicks – and a pair of eagles were seen building a new nest near the old one. That failure, the new nest, and their behavior during the 2021 nesting season are why I think a new female took over that year. I was able to see and confirm the male’s bands, so I knew he remained. But the eagles did something I hadn’t really seen in all my years of monitoring – when either eagle was flying into the nest, they would call out, almost as if they were saying, “Hey, it’s me, not a stranger.” They did that throughout the 2021 nesting season, but not in any subsequent season. It was as if they were learning about each other that year and once they really knew each other, never had to do it again.
Wawayanda pair; photo by Christine Alber
This pair has been special to watch. To survive in a territory as large and challenging as landlocked northwestern New Jersey, the eagles must be especially resourceful because their nest-building, egg laying, and even early hatching season takes place when their primary food source (fish) may not be available. And they must be strong enough to repel intruding eagles across many miles to protect their dispersed food sources. When they had chicks in the nest, the male’s primary job was maintaining the security of their territory and providing food, while the female needed to ensure survival of their young. When the male was too involved with security matters, as happened in both 2023 and 2024, the female was hunting, feeding the chicks, and protecting the nest area on her own because the male was in another part of their territory for long stretches. Between 2021 and 2024, this pair fledged eight eaglets. Watching them accomplish this with fine-tuned teamwork and a secure bond has been a real privilege.
male with 2021 fledge ; photo by Christine Alber
When I retrieved the dead eagle and saw it was not banded, I thought first of the fierce Wawayanda female. With the eagle found near her favorite perching spot and few visitors in the area, it seemed likely to be her. In the two weeks after the eagle was found, two weeks that are the heart of the Wawayanda eagles; mating, nesting and egg laying season, the male waited for her by the nest. I watched him for hours, hoping I was wrong, that she would return, and the season would go on as normal. But that didn’t happen and after all of this, I’m as sure as I can be that it was indeed her. Preliminary tests are positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI, or bird flu), which is hitting birds in our state heavily this year.
She was strong and beautiful, and I’ll miss her quite a lot. I’m sure the male spent those few weeks also missing his bonded mate. But the eagles must focus on the future and by his nature he knows he needs a new mate. As he searches for his next partner, there is no guarantee that he will even remain at Wawayanda. He may choose to move on or he may lose control to other eagles who are looking for a nesting area. I do know that there are a lot of prime nesting spaces open in our area and I hope that whoever “loses” at Wawayanda moves down the road and settles in at a nearby spot.
What happened since the female’s body was found demonstrates both the fragility and the resiliency of bald eagles in New Jersey. I have great hope that the Wawayanda nest will continue successfully and look forward to the next chapter.
by Larissa Smith Senior Wildlife Biologist Posted on
Two adorable fluffy chicks have hatched live on the Duke Farms Eagle Cam. There is a pip in the third egg, so the third chick should hatch very soon. Thanks to Duke Farms and staff who host, fund and maintain this cam. The cam is new for the 2025 season and now has audio which allows you to hear the chicks peeping and adults calling. The clarity of the new cam is top notch.
Banding and re-sighting birds is such a rewarding experience. You never know where and when a bird that you banded will show up and what you will learn from that encounter. Banding is a method for biologists to track migratory birds and gain valuable information about them through band re-sightings or encounters. Each year, around 10-20% of young ospreys that are documented during nest surveys in New Jersey are banded with USGS bird bands for future tracking. On Barnegat Bay, through Project RedBand, young ospreys are also banded with red auxiliary, or “field readable” bands. Since 2014, over 600 red bands have been deployed and in recent years we have had more re-sightings of birds that are alive as opposed to those that were found dead. In 2024, we identified 30 ospreys in New Jersey by their red bands.
by Larissa Smith Senior Wildlife Biologist Posted on
photo credit: Diane Cook
The New Jersey Annual Bald Eagle Project report has been published by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program and The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ. The NJ bald eagle nesting population continues to increase. Two hundred ninety-three nest sites were monitored, of which, a record 264 were documented to be active (with eggs) and 29 were territorial or “housekeeping” pairs. In total, there were 288 fledglings resulting in a productivity rate of 1.2 young per active nest.
I never imagined the rewarding experience of observing adult ospreys that I banded as nestlings. Over the past decade, I have banded six hundred and twelve ospreys with field readable red auxiliary bands. These birds originated from nests throughout the Barnegat Bay watershed, from Point Pleasant to Little Egg Harbor. This year, 29 red banded ospreys were re-sighted along the coast of New Jersey.
An active osprey nest with two live and one dead nestling on the Mullica River. June 2024.
As juvenile ospreys fledge and adult females begin their southbound migration, work to summarize data from this year is ongoing. So far, it doesn’t look like a terrible year but not a great one either. Food stress (or brood reduction) was still apparent within some coastal nest colonies, despite the lack of severe weather (nor’easters/microbursts, etc) which could affect the ability of adult males to find and catch prey.
