Winter Project - HELP WANTED!!

Hey, Above you'll find a map of the Great Bay Blvd. Wildlife Management Area (WMA). This winter, with funding from AmerGen, we (CWF and volunteers, if you want to help out, let me know; we'll be building them at my house in New Gretna) plan to build and erect a total of 10 platforms here to support the growing population (blue points are proposed locations, white are existing nest locations). This year while doing the ground survey to determine the productivity (# young produced/nest) I noticed that all available platforms were occupied. Earlier this year, in April I noticed a pair trying to build on the telephone pole after the last bridge on the right (you can't miss it, see pic below); however, they weren't successful this year b/c of disturbance. I could tell that people were accessing the mrsh by walking right underneath the nest..... So I tried to alveiate the problem by posting the area with endangered species signs, but the pair failed to build a nest and raise young. Next year the pair will have more choices for where they plan to nest and raise young. Another pair nested on a houseboat which is turned on it's side; they raised 3 young.

Posting to deter disturbance.

Adult on nest in early April.

If you'd like to help me with construction and installation of the platforms this winter, let me know. 609.628.2103 or ben.wurst@conservewildlifenj.org

-Ben

Fall is for planting!

September, 9th - "Fall is for planting" osprey platforms, that is!! Besides siting some more perennials or trees in your yard, I like to install some osprey platforms each fall. Sometimes new platforms are erected to replace old predator prone 4-post platforms with newer style 1-post platforms, or we install platforms in new locations in suitable habitat (almost anywhere near water). Today I installed two in Loveladies on the western lagoons that were luckily never developed. Today the property is owned by the federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and is part of E.B. Forsythe NWR.The area is certainly unique since most other coastal marshes along barrier islands were filled (54% of all wetlands in US have been filled already!!) to create human housing developments prior to protection in the 1970's.

I had a great crew today, a former co-worker, Jeff Sloane and his intern/bio. tech. crew from USFWS and Jeff W. with NJDFW. I had the pleasure of inviting Bill Clarke, a M.D. from Maryland who has an undeveloped lot in Loveladies Harbor who had read the previous article in the Sandpaper and decided to support our work by making a generous donation in support of enhancing osprey nesting habitat and protecting shorebird habitat. Bill had e-mailed me to inquire about the feasability of installing a platform near another nest on a channel marker that he always sails past. I also had Angela Anderson and Ryan Morrill there from the Sandpaper to do a follow up story on how else we (The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ and private donors) are helping to "enhance osprey nesting habitat" along Atlantic Coastal areas of New Jersey. Particulary on the Barnegat Bay where a lack of suitable nesting platforms had decreased productivity in the bay. As of today 27 suitable nesting structures exist that are outside of our "core" colony (Sedge Island WMA) where between 20-30 ospreys nest each year.

I'll post a link for the article, after it gets published next week (it is only available for one week after being posted on the web).

-Ben