Author: Ben Wurst

Photos from the Field: Peregrine Falcon Nestbox Installation in Trenton

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Meeting our goals…we can only hope!

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

In 1993-94 six young peregrine falcons were released at 20 West State Street (Mary G. Roebling Building) in Trenton to help bolster the population of urban nesting falcons in the area. Currently the closest nest is 20 miles away at the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge (where they also have a camera at the nest). Twenty years later and we may finally get some nesting falcons in Trenton! It all started when Jean Bickal, a worker in the building, noticed a falcon that often perched on the building ledges. From there Kathy Clark, a Zoologist with New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife made a site visit and took measurements to see if we could fit a nestbox (dog igloo) out a window on the 10th floor, which also had a roof on it. It appeared one would fit so we setup a date to install the new nestbox.

 

Cities and urban areas actually provide suitable habitat for falcons. Urban areas usually have lots of ledges under bridges or on buildings for them to nest, and abundant prey, in the form of pigeons and other songbirds. In New Jersey we have three other pairs that nest on buildings in Jersey City, Elizabeth, and Atlantic City, plus pairs that nest on the Tacony-Palmyra, Walt Whitman, Betsy Ross, and Burlington-Bristol Bridges.

 

On February 5th we helped install a new nestbox on top of a roof at 20 W. State St. We’re hoping that the falcon seen that day will find a mate and use the nestbox to raise young. Fingers crossed that we get some good news soon!

 

Learn more:

First, we had to fit this "Dog Igloo" out the window. © Jean Bickal
After getting all our gear up to the 10th floor, we first had to fit this “Dog Igloo” out the window…  © Jean Bickal
When we got here a female peregrine falcon was perched on the ledge of the 10th floor roof! © Jean Bickal
We spotted this beautiful young female peregrine falcon on the ledge! © Jean Bickal
© Jean Bickal
After fitting the nestbox through the window we carried it over to where it would be installed, all as the falcon watched us! © Jean Bickal
Kathy Clark, ENSP Zoologist determines the best location for the nestbox while the adult female peregrine falcon watches us. © Jean Bickal
Kathy Clark, ENSP Zoologist determines the best location for the nestbox. We moved slowly to not spook the falcon. © Jean Bickal
What a beauty! © Jean Bickal
What a beauty! © Jean Bickal
Ben and Kathy discuss mounting and placement options. © Jean Bickal
Ben and Kathy discuss mounting and placement options. © Jean Bickal
Ben attaches the base of the igloo to some wood to weigh it down. © Jean Bickal
Ben attaches the base of the igloo to some wood to weigh it down. © Jean Bickal
Then gravel is added. © Jean Bickal
Then gravel is added. © Jean Bickal
The top is installed and Ben mounts it to the base. © Jean Bickal
The top is installed and Ben mounts it to the base. © Jean Bickal
Can never have too much gravel! © Jean Bickal
Can never have too much gravel! © Jean Bickal
While installing the box she perched on a nearby roof top. © Jean Bickal
While installing the box she perched on a nearby roof top. © Jean Bickal
The finished product! © Jean Bickal
The finished product! © Jean Bickal

Ben Wurst is the Habitat Program Manager for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.

Project RedBand: 04/C from LBI to Trinidad and Tobago!

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Auxiliary bands help link Barnegat Bay ospreys to their wintering grounds

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

04/C was banded at a nest on LBI and re-sighted on the island of Trinidad and Tobago by Nicholas Hassanali.
04/C was banded at a nest on LBI and re-sighted on the island of Trinidad and Tobago by Nicholas Hassanali.

When I started work on Monday morning I got some amazing news (at least for an osprey lover). One of the young ospreys that I banded on Barnegat Bay was re-sighted on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago!! To top that cake, the osprey was photographed to confirm its sighting. YES!! Nicholas Hassanali took the above photo and enlarged the red band to read the alpha-numeric code which reads “04/C.” I looked up in my banding records and saw that 04/C was produced at a nest behind the Long Beach Island Foundation for Arts & Sciences in Loveladies, Long Beach Island.

04/C after being banded. He was around 4 weeks old on July 7, 2014.
04/C after being banded. He was around 4 weeks old on July 7, 2014.

I banded him (I can tell its a male by the size of the band on its leg and the lack of a brown necklace of feathers on its breast) on July 7th with a CWF donor Bill C. We ventured to four nests by kayak. This was the first survey where I started to deploy the red auxiliary bands on young ospreys. I remember that it was a pleasant day. Not too hot or windy. As we made our way from one sheltered nest on a lagoon to another out on the bay we felt the winds kick up from the south making paddling difficult (especially when you’re towing another kayak with a ladder on top!).

125-A-032: 04/C's nest.
125-A-032: 04/C’s nest.

We decided to return to Bill’s house and take my truck to survey the next two nests, since we could walk to them from a side street. We walked out to one nest and found that it failed, i.e. no young were produced. Then we proceeded onto the next, 04/C’s nest. I remember climbing up the ladder to band the young and did not get a chance to take any better photos because I had to be on my way soon. While up there I remember the male dropped a fish (bunker) and Bill got it and we put it back into the nest. One thing that I will not forget about this day is the smell of smoke and burning plastic. I found out later that day that a lawyer’s office in Ship Bottom was on fire when we were out surveying these nests. Luckily no one was hurt in the fire!

I personally cannot wait to get more reports of our red banded ospreys. The young that were banded this year will not return until 2016 and even then they might not return until the late spring/early summer and will not breed. At least I know that there are people out there watching and admiring our ospreys! As Nick said in a comment on his photo on Flickr, “ I have a great love for Ospreys.” 🙂

Conservation of the Osprey: Slideshow

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Edwin B. Forsythe NWR osprey family. © Tom Sangemino
Edwin B. Forsythe NWR osprey family. © Tom Sangemino

Ospreys are clearly one of the highlights while visiting the Wildlife Drive at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Oceanville. Visitors are given a glimpse into the lives of these fascinating birds through the placement of their man-made nesting platforms along the Drive. One photographer, Tom Sangemino documented their nesting season from beginning to end and created a wonderful slideshow. Within the slideshow Tom also chose to educate people about the restoration of ospreys in New Jersey and ways that you can get involved to help their continued success!

 

Osprey Cam = Fixed!

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Osprey Cam at Edwin B. Forsythe NWR is back online!
Thumbs up! Osprey Cam is back online.
Thumbs up! Osprey Cam is back online.

The Osprey Cam inside Edwin B. Forsythe NWR is back online! Yay!! The source of the problem with the camera dying right when the young were ready to fledge, is with the network switch. Apparently it can’t handle the high heat inside the equipment box. Either way it turned off at the worst possible time! This fall/winter we’ll be working on a fix for the problem. We’ll also be looking to enhance the camera experience. Now that the birds are somewhat used to the camera setup, we’re thinking of installing the PTZ camera right off the nest. It’ll give us great close ups of the adults and nestlings! More news to come. For now you can keep an eye our for wintering peregrine falcons, bald eagles and any other birds that might perch on the platform!

Partnership is key!

Posted on by Ben Wurst
CWF provides assistance for recovery of osprey in Illinois

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

Osprey 11D takes flight for the first time at Lake Shelbyville. Illinois Department of Natural Resources photo.
Osprey 11D takes flight for the first time at Lake Shelbyville. Illinois Department of Natural Resources photo.

Besides working to protect and manage New Jersey’s osprey, we also consult with organizations throughout the country to assist with other ongoing recovery projects. One particular project is in Ilinois. Here the osprey is listed as endangered and recovery has been slow. Last year a long-term recovery project was started and we provided assistance by mapping suitable nest platform locations along the Kankakee River at the Exelon Generation/Dresdan Station (SW of Chicago). The recovery project has a huge amount of support and partners. This was how our osprey recovery project was so successful in the 1980s, by partnering with many different organizations. We provided technical guidance on platform construction and installation to Michael Campbell (System Engineer at Exelon). Michael led the hack box construction effort and assisted with building/installing nesting platforms at the Dresdan Station. A total of ten young ospreys were successfully hacked this year. The young were collected at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia and driven to IL. Michael was awarded for his efforts to help the osprey recover in Illinois and we are honored that he chose Conserve Widlife Foundation as a receipent for a $3,750 grant! Thank you!

Looking to help make a difference? We provide recources for you to help our ospreys in New Jersey. We offer technical assistance to private consulting firms, individuals, school groups, environmental commissions, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and anyone else who is interested in constructing and installing osprey nesting structures.

In New Jersey, we work with the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife to help manage and monitor a very large database of existing nesting structures. We can help you choose the most suitable location to place a platform so it will not negatively impact any other species that live in the coastal area of the state. We can provide maps, platform plans (see link below), and in some cases an actual platform. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information or if you have a question.

Project RedBand is a go!

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Time to get outside and watch some ospreys!

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

A pair of ospreys produced at a nest on Barnegat Bay were banded with a red auxiliary band. © Northside Jim
A pair of ospreys produced at a nest on Barnegat Bay were banded with a red auxiliary band. © Northside Jim

A lot has changed throughout the 40 project history of the New Jersey Osprey Project. From a low of only 53 osprey pairs (statewide) in 1973, today there are more than 540 pairs that return here each year to feed, nest, and raise young. In the beginning work to re-establish their population was a trementous undertaking. Ospreys, a  were loaded with environmental contaminents (DDT, which caused the thinning of egg shells), their habitat was bulldozed, and early on birds were shot for their feathers and eggs. Once the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1973 ospreys were afforded protection they deserved, and work by biologists like Pete McLain were underway to restore the population in New Jersey.  Continue reading “Project RedBand is a go!”

Wanted: Environmental Educator!

Posted on by Ben Wurst

The nonprofit Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey seeks an Environmental Education Coordinator to lead our fast-growing education program and support our program work. The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic, knowledgeable professional with experience in environmental education, strong communication skills, multi-tasking ability, and the motivation to be a successful self-starter.

Photo from the Field

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Running the numbers

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

Ben Wurst prepares to band two osprey nestlings for future tracking. Photo courtesy Eric Sambol
Ben Wurst prepares to band two osprey nestlings for future tracking. Photo courtesy Eric Sambol

By now many young ospreys have taken to the wing. While they still rely on their nests to perch at night and their parents for food, these juveniles take to the skies to learn the skills needed to survive to adulthood. Our nesting surveys have been completed, birds banded, and our sunburn and green bites are healing! Over the next week I will start to enter and summarize data that I’ve collected and data from our volunteer “banders” who help cover the most densely populated colonies. From my surveys, which range from Mantoloking to Atlantic City, I’d say that productivity is down in some areas and up in others, as compared to last year. But, ospreys still had a decent year. I would NOT call it a BAD year!

By far my own survey effort was not as great as last year, when we conducted a census of all nesting ospreys in NJ, by publishing our nest locations on our partners website, called Osprey Watch. This year I battled broken boats, a severe cold (still didn’t slow me down), harsh south winds, and thunderstorms to get to as many nests as I could, especially on Barnegat Bay. Why Barnegat Bay? We all have heard that Barnegat Bay is dying. Overloaded with excess nutrients from stormwater runoff, which is killing off the eelgrass beds that provide shelter for many juvenile fish, aka future osprey prey. This project will help us learn about osprey foraging habitat on N. Barnegat Bay. Are more birds foraging in the ocean in those areas, as opposed to birds that nest closer to LBI and LEHT? Hopefully our ospreys will help shed some light on the health of the bay. Lastly, the project would not be possible without the generous support of Northside Jim, chief blogger/extraordinary photographer at “Readings from the Northside” and his many followers. With their support we were able to purchase (100) and deploy (60) a red auxiliary band on young birds. These bands are engraved with an alpha-numeric code which will make identifying birds much easier than only the aluminum USGS band. In the coming weeks Jim will be giving us some assistance with setting up a nice little website where people can learn all about the bands, the birds, and most importantly: report re-sightings of these awesome new bands!

Osprey Craziness!

Posted on by Ben Wurst
Ospreys are a common sight along the New Jersey shore during summer months.
Each year myself and other dedicated volunteers conduct surveys of osprey nests by boat.
Each year myself and other dedicated volunteers conduct surveys of osprey nests by boat. Photo by Northside Jim.
We use ladders to access nests. Photo by Northside Jim.
We use ladders to access nests. Photo by Northside Jim.
We count the number of young produced.
We count the number of young produced.
While checking nests the adults circle nests and often dive bomb banders, like myself.
While checking nests the adults circle nests and often dive bomb banders, like myself.
Dive bombed like this. Photo by Northside Jim.
Dive bombed like this. Photo by Northside Jim.
And this... Photo by Northside Jim.
And this… Photo by Jim Northside Jim.
Young are banded for future tracking.
Young are banded for future tracking.
This year a color auxiliary band is being deployed on young that are produced on Barnegat Bay.
This year a color auxiliary band is being deployed on young that are produced on Barnegat Bay.
The bands will allow us and "Osprey Watchers" to ID individuals birds and we will learn a great deal about their dispersion, site fidelity, life span, etc...
The bands will allow us and “Osprey Watchers” to ID individuals birds and we will learn a great deal about their dispersion, site fidelity, life span, etc…
While checking nests, with or without young, we clean out any trash that we find. Photo by Northside Jim.
While checking nests, with or without young, we clean out any trash that we find. Photo by Northside Jim.
After surveying a nest the adults return to care for their young.
After surveying a nest the adults return to care for their young.