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Osprey of the Jersey Shore | 2018
The 2017 Osprey Project in New Jersey:
www.conservewildlifenj.org/downloads/cwnj_802.pdf
Despite New Jersey being the most densely populated state, it holds tremendous diversity in preserved open space, especially our coastal salt marshes. The preservation of these wetland areas has played a huge role in the recovery of the osprey population in New Jersey. Today, they are home to the majority of ospreys (86%) who nest along the Atlantic Coast. Osprey nests define our coast and colonies are located along the entire coast from Sandy Hook to Cape May and west on the Delaware Bayshore up the Maurice River to Salem. This year a total of 668 active nests were recorded in New Jersey, with 75 of those being new nests from various regions of the state. This is well above the historic pre-DDT estimate of 500 nesting pairs and goes to show that ospreys and humans can coexist in New Jersey as long as we continue to protect wetland areas and conserve our natural resources, like forage fish, that ospreys need to thrive. The largest population gains in the state, from 2013 to 2017, were observed in both Monmouth and Ocean Counties, from 130 in 2013 to 207 in 2017.
The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), sometimes known as the Sea Hawk, Fish Eagle or Fish Hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large Raptor, reaching more than 24 inches in length and a 71 inches wingspan. It is brown on the upper parts and predominantly greyish on the head and under parts, with a black eye patch and wings. In 1994, the osprey was declared the provincial bird of Nova Scotia, Canada.
For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey
I don’t often get to see burrowing owls away from their burrow. Such was the case after the grounds crew finished cleaning up in the park. The owl didn’t go far. In fact, it only flew up onto one of the branches of a tree at the base of which the pair have their burrow. So close were the tree and burrow that one of the twisted roots forms the arch over the opening of the lair itself.
On a beautiful sunny morning, dappled light peeked through the dense leaves and tangled branches, falling across the owl. It seemed content to continue its head swiveling surveillance from there, while its mate crouched in the dark of the burrow, only to emerge once I left the area.
could not believe my luck on the way to titchwell with this lovely kite in the very early morning sun in a tree right beside me
This Eagle, and all following bird photo's were taken at the "Birds of Prey" Avian Center in Awendaw, South Carolina. This organization does a fantastic job rehabbing these raptors and eventually releasing them back into the wild.http://www.thecenterforbirdsofprey.org/
Great to catch up with these huge but very graceful Eagles again today, this one fully stretched out with a wing span of about 8ft :-)
This Falcon was perched calmly on a light pole scanning the ocean before taking off for a new vantage point