ACTION ALERT: Support ecological management of the most valuable public resource for our coastal ecosystem and economy
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
Menhaden is a common food source for ospreys during their nesting season in New Jersey. Photo by Northside Jim.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is accepting public comment on the establishment of ecological management of Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus), which is a keystone species. Basically, a keystone species is one that plays a large role in the ecosystem where it lives. If a keystone species is lost then the ecosystem would dramatically change or cease to function, causing widespread effects to other species that benefit. In New Jersey, ospreyshave largely benefited from a healthy menhaden population as we’ve had relatively high reproductive rates (more than double what’s needed to sustain population) over the past decade. From 2006 to 2016, the population has grown by 30% and above the pre-DDT, historic milestone of over 500 nesting pairs. Around 82% of the state population of ospreys nests along the Atlantic Coast and we observe menhaden at a huge number of nests during our mid-summer surveys. If menhaden numbers drop, then we will likely see osprey numbers follow suite, as reproductive rates will decline, as they are in the Chesapeake Bay.
We keep track of all re-sightings we receive of NJ (green) banded eagles. This information is important as it lets us know where eagles raised in NJ go after leaving the nest and eventually where they end up nesting. In 2017 we have had NJ banded birds sighted in NJ as well as PA and VT.
On April 15, 2017 Mary Dunham photographed NJ banded D/18 near Lake Como in Belmar, NJ. The female was banded in March 2011 at the Manasquan Reservoir, Monmouth County. She was with another smaller adult, assumed to be a male. While Mary watched a third adult eagle came into the area and the pair chased it away. This is an indicator that D/18 was paired up and perhaps was nesting in the area.
D/18 @ Mary Dunham
In August we received a report that D/18 was sighted once again. This time she was up near the NY- Canada border. We don’t know much about the movements of nesting eagles so we can only speculate why she made such a big move north. Perhaps she went north with a recent fledgling or maybe she was kicked out of the pair by an intruder eagle and headed north?
D/40@ Reid Hoffer
In March we were contacted by Reid Hoffer who monitors an eagle nest along a reservoir in Rockland County NY. He was able to get a photo of a green band, D/40, she was banded May 2011 at Newton Reservoir in Sussex County. Mr. Hoffer reports that unfortunately the pair did not produce any offspring this year.
D/40 & mate at nest in NY@Reid Hoffer
Telemetry
We are also currently tracking three NJ eagle with transmitters attached. The New Jersey Bald Eagle Tracking project shows the movements of all three of these birds as well as their history.
Two of the transmittered birds fledged from Merrill Creek Reservoir in Warren County, NJ. Harmony 2, has spent the last four years in a 100-mile swath of western Connecticut and Massachusetts. She fledged in 2012 making her a 5th year bird and breeding age. We suspect she’ll nest in the same area next season. Haliae fledged in 2013 and has spent the past three years mostly around the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Perhaps she’ll stay in that area to nest? So two birds from the same nest, but one has settled to the north and one to the south.
Nacote, a male from the Galloway nest in Atlantic County, has stayed more “local” to his home area. He’s spent the last three seasons in Atlantic, Cumberland and Cape May Counties. He favors the CMC landfill and local sand pits where other eagles are known to roost and feed.
All this information helps us to locate roost and foraging areas and protect them. It’s also fascinating to know where NJ eagles go after leaving their nest area, especially when they begin nesting. Why do some head north, others south and yet others stay near their “home” range? We don’t know, and that’s ok, it’s what makes them wild!
I would like to take the time to share a noteworthy event from last week, as well as highlight a CWF volunteer who deserves recognition for his dedication to wildlife. CWF received a call last Friday from a concerned citizen about an osprey chick that had fallen from its nest in Avalon. Osprey chicks are extremely vulnerable to summer storms, and are often blown right from their nests in strong winds. The storm that pushed through the area Thursday night had likely blown this chick out of its nest onto the marsh below. This particular nest had just been surveyed on July 6 and had contained three young chicks.
osprey chick down on marsh after severe storms
Often when staff members are not available to respond to calls like this, we rely on our volunteers to represent us. In this case, when CWF volunteer John King got the call, he hooked up his boat and immediately headed out to assess the situation in hopes of making a rescue. When he arrived on the scene, John realized that there were actually three osprey chicks on the ground below the nest; however, two of them were unfortunately already deceased. The parents were also sitting on the ground with the one surviving chick when he arrived. John picked up the chick and examined it for injuries. When he determined it was in good condition, he carried it up a ladder and placed it back into the nest as the parents circled and screamed above him. As he left the site, the parents immediately returned to the nest to check on their chick.
Osprey chick returned to the safety of it’s nest
Even though John was only able to save one of the three chicks, this was still a success story that would not have been possible without the help of a devoted volunteer. The concerned citizens who had called in the emergency watched the whole rescue from across the lagoon and reported back the following day that the chick was sitting up in the nest looking healthy. CWF also greatly appreciates citizens who care enough to observe wildlife responsibly and report wildlife emergencies when necessary.
Adult returns to nesting platform after chick is safely returned to nest.
John King has been volunteering for CWF for many years and has worked on several projects including the Calling Amphibian Project, NJ Tiger Salamander project and the NJ eagle project. He has been very involved with the NJ osprey project, headed by CWF’s Ben Wurst, assisting with osprey surveys during the breeding season and helping to construct and erect nest platforms over the winter. In addition to CWF, John also volunteers with many other conservation organizations and is always happy to lend a hand. Although he is retired, his volunteer work is practically a full time job. I sincerely admire John’s continued enthusiasm and his dedication to wildlife, and I believe the world would be a better place if there were more people like him.
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ thanks you, John!
Citizen Scientists Needed to help collect data on nesting ospreys
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
Two young ospreys and an adult on a nest in Ocean County.
This year we are hoping to get a better estimate of the size and health of the osprey population in New Jersey. Up from only 50 pairs in the early 1970s to an estimated 600+ pairs today. Ospreys are an indicator species and as top tier predators, they show the effects of contaminants in the environment before many other long lived species. They are our new age “canary in the coal mine” so keeping tabs on the health of their population is key to assessing the health of our estuarine and marine ecosystems. Continue reading “Calling all Osprey Lovers!”
B/64 and mate have a successful 2017 nesting season.
CWF Biologist: Larissa Smith
B/64 & mate@ L. Oughton
In 2014 I first heard from Linda Oughton who watches an eagles in nest near Montgomery, PA. The female in the pair is a NJ banded bird, B/64, nick named “Jersey Girl”. She was banded in 2004 at the Hopewell West nest along the Cohansey River in Cumberland County.
This season Jersey Girl and her mate raised and fledged three chicks. Linda reports that they have fledged a total of 14 chicks since they first started nesting in 2010. It isn’t often that we know what happens to one of NJ eagles and we can only know if they were banded as chicks. Unfortunately many of the NJ banded eagles that are reported to us are either injured or dead. But in recent years re-sightings of green banded NJ birds are more common and we are aware of NJ banded eagles nesting in NJ as well as NY and CT.
Back from Belize and summarizing results from our study of the Ridgway’s osprey
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
Ridgway’s ospreys (Pandion haliaetus ridgwayi) are lighter than their north american counterparts. With a pale eye stripe and lighter plumage on their wings and back, they appear “white-washed” in appearance. Photo by Ben Wurst.
Stay tuned for a series of blog posts (with plenty of photos) from our work with ospreys in Belize.
Results from the 2016 nesting season show very positive results. Statewide census planned for this year.
by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
Ben Wurst prepares to band two young ospreys. Photo by Northside Jim
New Jersey’s ospreys continue to defy my expectations. Since being tasked with coordinating the NJ Fish & Wildlife’s Osprey Project, I have witnessed the population grow from around 400 nesting pairs to an estimated 600. That’s a 30% increase in the overall state population. In addition, the productivity rate (a measure of the health for the population) has remained at level consistent with an increasing population. The results from last year were positive throughout almost all major nesting colonies that were surveyed. I’ve never been more amazed by the shear resiliency and adaptability of a species.
Conserve Wildlife Foundation brought three conservation-themed summer learning experiences to the New Jersey coast.
By: Kendall Miller
I went back to “camp” this summer, seeing schoolkids learn first-hand about wildlife and what biologists do. CWF offered three summer learning experiences for the first time, each with a different theme, content, and location.
Observing the kids’ excitement and enthusiasm for nature was uplifting, and I was also impressed with how knowledgeable they all were. Offering hands-on opportunities – to learn about wildlife while experiencing these habitats – is so important in fostering an appreciation in the younger generations.
“Education is a major goal of CWF’s mission. Through project-based, experiential learning, we hope that camps like these leave impressions with children,” said CWF Director of Education Stephanie DAlessio, who developed the new program. “While we are out having fun, we are also learning about the importance of protecting and preserving wildlife and their habitats in New Jersey.”
This summer was a great start, and CWF is excited for the years to come!
Bayshore Adventure at Leonardo Marina Seining, special wildlife guests and sandcastles along the Raritan Bayshore!
Located in the harbor, across from Sandy Hook, noisy terns and gulls fight over their catches as kids arrive in the morning to spend the part of their day learning about the bayshore environment. Sunny, sand-filled learning about marine and coastal wildlife and habitats, seining for coastal creatures, mini-science activities and special guests were balanced with a healthy dose of wiffleball games and sandcastle-building contests.
Kids met biologist and beach nesting bird manager Todd Pover. He talked about – of course – the piping plover, and issues with conserving threatened and endangered beach nesting birds.NJ State Park police officer Karl Mott and K9 Kelly, a police dog who finds lost cellphones, wallets, and even people. Campers were able to see her in action and participate in hiding drills.
Wildlife Explorer Program at Duke Farms Raptors, art and orchids on a North Jersey nature oasis!
Set in the lovely Duke Farms in Hillsborough, every day of this week-long camp was a new and exciting experience featuring different types of wildlife! Kids spent time exploring the grounds at Duke, played games and explored their creativity through art projects alongside famed artist James Fiorentino, met real life biologists and best of all – got up close and personal with all kinds of raptors (like the red-tailed hawk below), amphibians and reptiles. These memorable experiences will hopefully cement in their minds the importance of being stewards to their environment.
Campers explored the Orchid Range and saw a collection of plants from all over the world.Bill Streeter of Delaware Valley Raptor Center visited to talk about amazing birds of prey, bringing with him their resident educational birds. Campers sat in awe of these raptors like this red-tailed hawk.
Beach.Birds.Biology A day afield with a beach nesting birds biologist!
Shorebird biologists know the importance of educating people about the plight of beach nesting birds in New Jersey, who rely on the beaches that people flock to in the summertime. So on three different occasions, parents signed their kids up to spend a day on the beach learning about these birds with CWF biologist, Emily Heiser – like the piping plover, American oystercatcher, black skimmer and least tern. Kids got to practice being wildlife biologists. They used spotting scopes to read tags on decoy birds and searched for camouflaged eggs in the sand. The day was also filled with games, beach scavenger hunts, and a fun poster drawing project to be put on display.
Campers spot some plovers and oystercatchers feeding in vernal pools along the inlet at Barnegat Light.After learning about the plight of beach nesting birds, the kids got creative by drawing signs to be posted near nesting and feeding sites.
For more information about these educational programs, please visit our website at www.ConserveWildlifeNJ.org , or contact our Director of Education Stephanie DAlessio at (609) 292-9451.
Kendall Miller is a Program Coordinator at Conserve Wildlife Foundation.
