Category: Birds

Press of Atlantic City Op-Ed: Osprey recovery successful, but we can still help them thrive, says Ben Wurst

Posted on by CWF

By Ben Wurst, CWF Habitat Restoration Manager

Ospreys have made great progress toward recovery in New Jersey, rebounding from a low of 50 nests in 1974 to 589 active nests in 2018. This progress should be celebrated, and victory can and should be declared, as The Press of Atlantic city suggested in their March 1 editorial “Maybe it’s time NJ declares victory in restoration of ospreys.”

But as a biologist who has studied ospreys for many years I also know that declaring victory doesn’t just mean we should walk away and abandon them.

Ben Wurst banding an osprey nestling. Photo by Northside Jim.
Continue reading “Press of Atlantic City Op-Ed: Osprey recovery successful, but we can still help them thrive, says Ben Wurst”

A New Nest for a Baby Bald Eagle

Posted on by CWF

Story by: Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research

Several weeks ago, a five-week-old bald eagle was found on the ground with its sibling after a severe storm, their nest destroyed, and the eaglets were transported to us for professional care. Other than being slightly dehydrated, one nestling was healthy.

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Now Streaming — Barnegat Light Osprey Cam!

Posted on by CWF

By Ben Wurst

Female Osprey (the width of the leg can help determine sex) holding a striped bass.

This is a project that we’ve dreamed about for some time. As you may know, much of our work with ospreys has been centered around Barnegat Bay, where the population has grown from around 60 pairs to over 140 nesting pairs over the past decade. This new camera will help us raise awareness for protecting this important indicator species in the Barnegat Bay watershed, who have direct implications for the health of our coastal environment.

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In Memoriam: Pete Bacinski

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Story by Rick Weiman, CWF Board of Trustees

Pete Bacinski 
Photo from New Jersey Audubon

There is a hole in my heart this week after hearing about the passing of my friend Pete Bacinski. I met Pete many years ago when he used to lead NJ Audubon Sussex County weekends jointly with the Weis Ecology Center.

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NorthJersey.com: NJ’s nest cams deliver action with eagles, falcons, and more

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Jim Wright, whose “Bird Watcher” column appears twice-weekly in The Record and on NorthJersey.com, shares his favorite places to spot rare and beautiful birds in North Jersey. Video created with Wochit.

Nest cams offer you a peek into the natural world from the comfort of your own phone or computer screen. Jim Wright interviews CWF Executive Director David Wheeler about the cams and why they are such an effective way to connect people to wildlife.

“Viewers feel the drama, the danger, the sibling squabbles, the results of chases for prey, the perils of wind and rain and snow and windblown trees, and of course the joys of a new egg hatching or a bird taking flight for the first time,” Wheeler explains.

CWF has long led the efforts to offer free wildlife webcams, made possible by generous sponsors and partners such as Phillips 66 and Union County Parks, whom CWF partners with on the Union County peregrine falcon cam in Elizabeth.

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WHYY: Ospreys begin returning to the Jersey Shore

Posted on by CWF

Story by Justin Auciello, WHYY

An osprey prepares to land on a natural nest in the Barnegat Bay
Photo from Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

Welcome home!

It’s that time of the year again when ospreys — the raptors that have staged a miraculous comeback in New Jersey since the early 1970s — migrate north from their wintering grounds in Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean.

In recent days, ospreys, also known as fish hawks, were spotted in Ocean County and as far north as the Meadowlands.

TapINTO.net: Online Cameras Peer into Nests of ‘Rock Star’ New Jersey Predators

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Story by: TapINTO.net

Top: Duke Farms Eagle protects two eggs that are expected to hatch soon.
Photo credit Conserve Wildlife Foundation.
Bottom: Peregrine Falcons in Union County exhibit mating behavior.
Photo credit Union County.

A pair of American Eagles tend to their nest atop an 80-foot Sycamore tree at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, days away from the hatching of two eggs, while the courtship season has begun for a female peregrine falcon nesting on the roof of the historic 17-story Union County Courthouse in downtown Elizabeth.

The predators have achieved “rock star” status in classrooms and homes across the state and the country thanks to video cameras that have been installed on trees and within the nests of the birds by wildlife biologists, with live feeds available online.

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Union County News: Spot the New Falcon in Town on the Falcon Cam

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Story by: Union County Office of Public Information

Union County’s free Falcon Cam captures the view inside the nest of two peregrine falcons on the roof of the County Courthouse Tower in midtown Elizabeth. This screenshot shows bonding behavior as the newly installed female (left) and the male get acquainted and prepare to start a family. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Union County

As the courtship season begins for peregrine falcons, residents of all ages and visitors from all over the world can observe and study one of the fastest animals on earth by tuning in to the Union County Falcon Cam. “The Falcon Cam is a great opportunity for residents of all ages to experience and learn about peregrine falcons up close,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “This season we have a new female falcon, who has taken over the territory on the roof of the Union County Court House.”

Union County’s falcon preservation efforts have been undertaken with the generous assistance of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Conserve Wildlife Foundation is Union County’s official partner for educational programming related to falcons and the Falcon Cam.

NorthJersey.com: Bald eagles nesting in New Jersey

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Story by North Jersey Record

One of two adult bald eagles near a nest that looks out on Overpeck Creek, where the raptors have been seen for the past few years. (Photo: File photo from northjersey.com)

Bald eagles are New Jersey’s early birds. In the chill of winter, they’re the first to build nests and lay eggs.

Even in the short days of December, these early birds are busy gathering sticks, grass and other materials to build or repair their nests. Only two weeks into the new year, they start laying eggs.

New Jersey 101.5: Record number of ospreys last year

Posted on by CWF

Story by Joe Cutter, New Jersey 101.5

Photo by Ben Wurst, CWF Habitat Program Manager

A new report finds that a record number of ospreys were observed in New Jersey during the year 2018. The report was prepared by the state Division of Fish and Wildlife and The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.

Report co-author Benjamin Wurst, of The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, says 932 ospreys were spotted along New Jersey’s coast last year. Wurst says part of the increase has to do with less pollution.

“We are just not seeing the prevalence of these pollutants, in the form where it would actually hurt them,” Wurst said.