It's been a while!

It seems like every time I write a post here I say "damn it's been a while!" As you may know I post news, photos and other osprey facts on my NJOP Facebook page. This past weekend was an osprey filled one, not so much with birds (their migration is winding down now) but a lot about them. On Saturday I gave a talk to the Friends of Island Beach State Park who host an osprey cam at the road nest in Island Beach State Park. Then on Sunday I helped to install three platforms with an Eagle Scout candidate in Ocean City, New Jersey. Two platforms were put in new locations to help build the local population and one platform was used to replace an old 4-post platform.

An old  "4-post" platform, constructed with 2x4s...hasn't produced young in a long time...predators. © Ben Wurst

Glad we took it down and it didn't blow down in severe weather this summer! © Ben Wurst

Eagle Scout candidate Andy G. helps raise up one of three platforms he built for his Eagle Scout Project. 

© Ben Wurst

I love letting future generations learn about life and how things work. It's always fun to watch the ropes come off! © Ben Wurst

Final product. This was a new location for a platform on Cape May WMA. © Ben Wurst

Post Season Wrap Up

This osprey nestling has no fear! Photo by Eric Sambol. 

Osprey surveys have been completed for this year. Most nestlings have already fledged. All major nesting colonies were surveyed by volunteers and biologists. I surveyed nests from as far north as Monmouth Beach south to Absecon. The extreme temperatures and strong storms this year sure didn’t make surveys any easier on us and ospreys. I noted several nests where I found dead young (anywhere from 1 wk – 4 wks in age) in nests. At a nest in Oceanville at Forsythe NWR three young were blown from the nest and did not survive following a severe thunderstorm. Preliminary results show mixed results. Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor had increased productivity, while Sedge Islands (core population of B. Bay) was less productive. And productivity in Sea Isle City was more than double what it was in 2009. Full results will be published soon in our annual newsletter. Here is last year's newsletter.

Alf Breed, Joe Orlando (donor), Chris Haxter, and Ryan Risher (L to R) put the finishing touches on a new platform in Ocean City that Joe Orlando donated to have placed near his home.

Last minute installs and repairs!

Last week, after many delays and cancellations, I managed to get 4 platforms installed in several different areas. Volunteers have been crucial to me finishing this last minute work before the ospreys arrive and begin courtship (and before my first born arrives!!). Here are some photos from these most recent installations and repairs.

I still have several more platforms to repair. If you'd like to help, let me know!

I saw my first osprey (a male) in Ventnor on Friday, March 19th around 12pm. You should start seeing more and more ospreys over the next week.

A severely damaged platform is repaired by volunteer Bill Stuempfig in Ocean City, NJ. Photo courtesy of Bill Stuempfig.

Bill even brought a portable generator out onto the salt marsh to repair this nest. Photo courtesy of Bill Stuempfig.

Ben Wurst and volunteers install a nest platform in Fortescue behind a homeowners house who donated to help fund the project.

Volunteers and I stop for a Kodak moment.

Volunteers Bill and Don transport a platform built by Jon Rosky in Ventnor.

We replaced a damaged platform in Margate with the platform built by Jon.

Volunteers raise up a platform in Margate.

Another photo of raising up the platform in Margate.

Platform Construction, Take II

This Saturday, volunteers will gather to help construct several osprey platforms to be installed at Fort Monmouth within the next month. Heavy snow delayed the construction and installation for this project in early February. Warmer temperatures and rain helped melt most of the snow, making construction possible again.

Other work continues as far as installations are concerned. Three platforms are going to be installed along the Atlantic Coast and Delaware Bay. Repairs are also being planned for a few nest platforms along the Atlantic Coast. Stay tuned for photos from these installations. We hope to film more parts for the second installment in our Osprey Platform construction and installation video series!

Work is also being done to update the state's database of all osprey nest structures in NJ. There are over 700 nest platforms that are mapped and tracked from year to year.

Ospreys start arriving back to their breeding grounds soon! Keep an eye on those skies!  

Mid-Winter Thaw!!

Well, I thought that after a very cold December that we were doomed for our winter platform installations. It seems that's not the case anymore. After some seasonably average high temperatures the ice has subsided. This opens up the chance to possibly install some platforms in the next month.

Map of the proposed platform location inside Fort Monmouth.

Last week, I met with Joe Fallon, Chief of Environment Division with the Army Corp. of Engineers at Fort Monmouth. I toured the site with Joe to survey for suitable locations for additional nest structures. Currently, there are three nest sites on the base. Two nests on platforms and one on a baseball field light (orange points on the map). Last year before the second platform was built that third pair of ospreys nested on a power pole and laid two eggs. In short, this nesting attempt cost the government facility a $50,000 transformer! Luckily, the nest survived and was moved, thanks to the hard work of Joe and other Fort Monmouth staff. The nest was slid onto a sheet of plywood and then transferred to a new nest structure that was placed 30 ft. away on a 40ft. telephone pole. The eggs survived and the adult ospreys were determined. They successfully raised two young.

An osprey nest on a boat lift near Blackberry Bay. Photo by Peggy Davis.

The Shrewsbury River area and almost all of Monmouth County has been a recent area of interest for me. Why are there so few ospreys that nest up there? The fact is, there is not enough suitable nest sites for ospreys. Habitat loss from the boom in construction in the early 1950's led to massive projects that filled wetlands and what surrounded them, osprey nesting habitat. Today, only a handful of suitable nest structures exist in Monmouth County. Most are located inside Gateway National Recreation Area on Sandy Hook. Now ospreys utilize everything that they can. Many nest on cell towers, duck blinds, channel markers and in 2009 two pairs nested on boat lifts on people's docks! Since 2009, I pledged that I would work to raise funding to place more platforms in N. Monmouth County and with the funding from Fort Monmouth we will be able to place more platforms to help the osprey colony in this area. To read more about the project, click here.

In the next few weeks I'll be constructing 6 platform tops that will be placed on 40 ft. poles throughout the base. We will be installing six additional nest platforms with a grant from the U.S. Government. Installation is expected before the end of February. Stay tuned for photos and updates on this project!

Cold Weather Ices Over Installations

This winter has been cold. Bone-chilling cold. Arctic winds have blanketed our area for some time now. They have drastically reduced surface water temperatures to the point where small bays, creeks, and ditches are frozen over. These cold temperatures have also delayed any osprey platform work (repairs and installations) until March unless temperatures rise for an extended period of time.

I have three platforms that are built and need to be installed. One in Lavallette, Little Egg Harbor, and Fortescue.

Several more platforms need repairs. Two need repairs on the Mullica River. One in Somers Point, and a few more.

Currently plans are being made to construct several more (six) osprey platforms in early February (weather permitting) at my house in New Gretna. If you are interested in helping out with repairs or installations, please let me know.

-Ben

609.628.2103

ben.wurst@conservewildlifenj.org

New Year's Resolution

 

Although my New Year's resolution may not have been related to my work with ospreys, my concentration on working to restore the state's population to historic numbers still remains the same. In 2010, I am sure we will see an increase in the state's population. Since 2003, the productivity rate (or reproductive rate) has been high (twice the average known to only sustain the population) and there are plenty of new suitable nesting structures around the Atlantic coastal areas of the state. Over the next three months, despite the freezing weather I will be constructing nest platforms, repairing old ones, and installing several new structures.

My friends Greg and Joe help load and transport platforms 

onto the marsh in March '09.

Happy New Year and stay tuned for updates on our winter work to provide more suitable nesting structures for ospreys in 2010!!!

Gearing Up for Fall Installations

Ben Wurst and Jeff Wettstein take a break from building platforms in 2007.

I've managed to raise some funding to place additional platforms this fall. Personally I think that this is the best time to install them. The water is warm, ospreys are still around, and the weather is quite calm. In the next month I'm going to be installing a few platforms near Little Egg Harbor with help from the Beach Nesting Bird staff to give them a break from their regular duties. Soon after I'll need some help constructing a few more platforms in New Gretna for installation in other areas (one in Lavallette and a few more on Little Egg Bay). Stay tuned for more information....

June Platform Install

On June 20, I helped Connor Biggs, a Boy Scout, by sponsoring his Eagle Scout Project where he placed four artificial nest platforms for ospreys near Mantaloking, New Jersey. As a part of the sponsorship I mainly provided guidance on how to build and install the platforms. I also mapped several locations where there was "suitable habitat" for ospreys to nest in the area. Suitable habitat for ospreys is basically any open area that is near water and food; so many coastal areas can have great habitat for ospreys to nest on artificial structures. Northern Barnegat Bay is an important area because it is the largest and most undeveloped northern estuarine area until you reach Sandy Hook along the Atlantic Coast of New Jersey. This has been an area of interest for me. In this area some ospreys are forced to nest on structures that are not exactly suitable. A couple years ago a pair tried nesting on a house in Lavalette. Luckily we were notified early enough in the nesting season and were able to place a platform near "suitable habitat" west of Chadwick Island. The pair was successful that year and is nesting there again this year.

We finished the installation in approximately four hours, which included me shuttling helpers to and from the marsh. If you know anyone who is looking for an Eagle Scout project you can have them contact me. I'd be happy to sponsor other scouts looking for conservation projects in New Jersey.

Jon Rosky looks on as the platform is leveled

Josh Mayo, John Roberts Jr, John Clayton, Jon Rosky, Jimmy Plaganis,
Connor Biggs, Ben Wurst, Kurdy Biggs, Bob Ward, Kiernin Biggs, John Biggs, Loyd Rogers, Austin Rogers
and John Roberts

Good publicity is Key.

Without good publicity and faithful volunteers for this project, then there would be no project!
Thank you all for your support!

Article from Tuckerton Beacon/Asbury Park Press on 3/19/09.

A great article from a long time friend and volunteer, Jack Gamble who helped install these platforms: http://www.babeled.com/2009/03/16/installing-osprey-nest-platforms/

Keeping an eye out

As mid-March approaches, so does the Osprey. Usually along the Maurice River the first ospreys are seen pretty early in the month, but I have not heard of on being seen yet. Usually along the Atlantic Coast, most arrive mid to late March. I usually always see the first one driving to or from work along the G.S.P. from exit 50 to exit 25.

Otherwise, I've been busy working on various projects, especially the Peregrine Project, where I've been installing new "prototype" predator guards to replace the very old ones. The old ones always required annual maintenance; now there will be very little maint. to do. Click here for a link to Conserve Wildlife Foundation's blog where I posted a story and links to pictures.

Platform installed on Manhassett Creek, Monmouth Beach on Sunday.

I've also been busy installing, repairing, and in some cases moving platforms before ospreys arrive. Over the last two days I've installed one Monmouth Beach for a pair of ospreys that tried to nest on a power pole last year and we finally got permission to place a platform on private property, so I jumped on the opportunity. It'll be interesting to see if the pair returns and if they will use the platform.


View Larger Map

This week I'll be transporting and installing 10 osprey platforms inside Great Bay Blvd. WMA. Stay tuned for photos from this project!

Keep you eyes open and you might see one of the first ospreys to return to New Jersey for the breeding season!

Running the numbers

In the past five years I've built, installed, and repaired a bunch of osprey platforms, from Lavalette to Alloways Creek in Salem County. Since 2006 all the platforms have been paid for by private funding through either mitigation or by donations (Thank you to all the people who have donated money to the project and who volunteered to help me install them -Thanks!-).

Over the years I've added my own "personal" tweaks in the design to create a strong and safe structure for ospreys to nest on for decades. The platform also needs to be accessible for future monitoring, which means it must be within reach of an extension ladder and that it can support the weight of the bander. I've also been collecting a lot of salvaged lumber that I've found while out on the saltmarsh (for now it's a stockpile at home and at the office). Soon I'm planning on building one completely out of salvaged lumber! So as time goes on the osprey platform will evolve along with humans and ospreys to better fit a changing world.

50 platforms total!

How many will be installed in 2009? (Hint: 14 platforms have already been built)
Take a guess in my poll!

Facebook pledge update

I am proud to announce that I successfully raised over the initial $100.00 pledge on Facebook thanks to my generous family, friends, and coworkers (everyone from my e-mail address book and Facebook acct.). Even though my pledge is over, I still had some who wanted to donate to repair other structures in other areas! I'm eager to purchase the materials needed to construct the platform and will post videos and pictures on here and Facebook of the supplies, construction, and installation. I want to keep my donors happy by engaging them in the process, even though they may not be able to help with the actual work.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to my pledge!!!!!

-Ben

Only 12 days left of my funding raising pledge on Facebook

Only 12 more days for me to raise $15.00. If anyone can even contribute $5, it's a worthy cause!!!!!

Click here for a link to donate.

Platform installation video

Here's a video from 2006 when myself and two seasonal technicians (Jeff Sloane and Sean Roch) installed a platform in North Wildwood, NJ. Check it out.

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