by David Wheeler
Getting out into nature has always engaged our five senses in a way that nothing else does, and at a time like this we value it more than ever.
Continue reading “Exploring Wild New Jersey during these wild times”Story by NJTV.
Mercer County is now home to two pairs of bald eagles and their nests. The discovery comes nearly three decades after the species nearly vanished from New Jersey.
“Bald eagles in particular were wiped out to where we only had one nest in all of New Jersey as recently as the 1980s, and it wasn’t even a successful nest. And now we have over 200 pairs of bald eagles,” said David Wheeler, executive director of the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.
Wheeler said pesticides and people led to the near extinction of bald eagles.
Friday, bird watchers came equipped with binoculars and cameras to catch a glimpse of one the nests located at Mercer County Park.
“To see the nature and the national symbol of the United States all right here in Mercer Park is pretty neat,” said Flemington resident Graham MacRitchie.
Nearly 70 people were part of a new educational walking tour run by the County Parks Commission.
This breeding season, the Mercer County Park Commission is pleased to announce that two pairs of bald eagles have chosen County Parks for nest sites, continuing their expansion in New Jersey and the greater mid-Atlantic region. To celebrate the resident eagles, the Park Commission, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF), PSE&G and the Wildlife Center Friends have launched a partnership to provide bald eagle-themed programs.
The first free public event will be at Mercer County Park at the West Picnic Area on Friday, Feb. 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. Participants will meet with naturalist staff and walk to the viewing site, where interpretation on eagle nesting will be offered. Attendees will also have the opportunity to view eagle activity through a spotting scope and binoculars.
by Larissa Smith, biologist/volunteer manager
Several Delaware Bay beaches will be closed from Monday, May 7 to Thursday, June 7, 2012. Beaches are closed to protect a rapidly-declining population of migrating shorebirds including the red knot which is an endangered species in NJ. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t come out and view the shorebirds and horseshoe crabs. It’s the prefect time to see these birds undisturbed and feeding on horseshoe crab eggs.
Several beaches are set-up for shorebird viewing including Reeds Beach, Norburys Landing, Kimbles Beach and Cooks Beach in Cape May County. Find more viewing locations on our interactive Wildlife Viewing Map.
Shorebird Stewards will be present at closed beaches to educate the public about the interaction between the shorebirds and horseshoe crabs. Take some time this May and come visit the Delaware Bay and enjoy the view!
Detailed maps of the closed areas can be found at:
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/beachclozmap.htm
by Margaret O’Gorman, Executive Director
The recovery of New Jersey’s bald eagle population is a great success story for the state and for the many biologists, conservationists and volunteers involved in the effort. This recovery has been over 20 years in the making with over 100 pairs now breeding in New Jersey, a huge increase from the late eighties when one pair remained in our state.
While we celebrate the success of our eagle population, we must now begin to deal with the fact that eagle nests are increasingly located in places where more people can view them and get close to these magnificent birds and who wouldn’t want to observe these iconic species?
But close observation can be dangerous to these birds and damaging to the continued recovery of the population. Bald eagles do not react well when people or pets get too close to their nests. They can be easily disturbed by humans in close proximity and this disturbance can cause them to expend valuable energy when flushed or, at the extreme, to abandon their nests leaving eggs to fail or newly hatched chicks to die. Continue reading “Keep Your Distance”