Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Nesting in the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Region 2019

Hugh Carola, Program Director Hackensack Riverkeeper

2019 HEP Harbor Herons / Colonial Waterbirds Conference Fort Wadsworth, Gateway National Recreation Area Staten Island, New York December 10, 2019 First, MANY thanks to:

 Terry Doss, Drew McQuade – NJ Sports & Exposition Authority  Dr. Cait Field, Katie Leung – NYC Department of Parks & Recreation  Lisa Masi – New York State Department of Environmental Conservation  Don Riepe – American Littoral Society  Mike Ruscigno & Pat Hilliard, Bayonne Nature Club  Bill Schultz – Raritan Riverkeeper  Ben Wurst – Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ On the Hackensack River, it started with THIS pair in 2006 & 2007

PSE&G Hudson Generating Station, Jersey City, NJ MIDDLE AND NORTHWESTERN REACHESb OF THE NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY HARBOR ESTUARY NJ Meadowlands District 2018 Results: Blue 12 Current/past 15 Unused in 2019 5 Future nest platform sites*

*Tripod-style platforms being considered for installation on closed landfills, marshy areas. Watershed region consists of lower (tidal) Hackensack River, NJ Meadowlands District, and Newark Bay. 2019 Results: *Seventeen nest sites *Five failures *Two “housekeeping” *Ten successful Meadowlands District: 10 nests • Former PSE&G site, Jersey City – 3 fledglings • Decommissioned transmission tower, Secaucus – Fail • East Kearny Marsh dike – “housekeeping” • Former NJ Transit Bridge, Kearny – 3 fledglings • PSEG transmission tower I, Kearny – 1 fledgling • Berry’s Creek, Lyndhurst – Fail • PSEG transmission tower II, Lyndhurst – 1 fledgling • Kean Tract, Carlstadt – “housekeeping” • Bloomberg Radio tower, Carlstadt – Fail • NJT Vince Lombardi Service Area, Ridgefield - Fail 7 additional Lower Hackensack / Newark Bay sites:  Relay tower @ Overpeck Park, Teaneck – Fail  Rte. 7 / Wittpenn Bridge, Jersey City – 2 fledglings  Point-No Point railroad bridge, Newark – 2 fledglings  Lehigh Valley railroad bridge, Bayonne – 1 fledgling  Anchored barge One, Bayonne – 2 fledglings  Anchored barge Two, Bayonne – 1 fledgling  Shooters Island, Elizabeth – 1 fledgling

MEADOWLANDS REGION SUCCESS RATE: 1.21/nest Harbor Estuary birds nest anywhere!

Especially in Bayonne! Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ Osprey nesting results in HEP region: *Shrewsbury River *Navesink River *Sandy Hook (GNRA) *Raritan Bay (south) *Matawan Creek *CheesequakeFlllkkhjhj Creek *Raritan River *Arthur Kill *Newark Bay *Lower New York Bay *Hackensack River 55 active nests in 2019* 39 produced 54 young 1.38/nest success rate

*102 surveyed in 2017 One anecdotal reason for the species’ 2019 breeding success: MENHADEN! NYC Parks & Recreation: 16 sites

 Conference House Park, Staten Island – Fail  Nest platform @ Marine Park, Brooklyn – 3 fledglings  Cell tower @ Pelham Bay Park, Bronx – 1 fledgling  Dolphin @ Heritage Park, Staten Island – 1 fledgling  Nest platform @ Alley Creek, Queens – 3 fledglings  Channel marker @ MacNeil Park, Queens – Fail  Vernam Basin, Far Rockaway, Queens – 1 fledgling  Platform @ Sunset Cove Park, Queens – 1 fledgling  Platform @ Udall’s Cove Park, Queens – 3 fledglings Fresh Kills Park alone: 7 sites

 Utility pole near north mound One – 2 fledglings  Utility pole near north mound Two – 3 fledglings  Utility pole near north mound Three - Fail  Utility pole near east mound – 1 fledgling  Utility pole near south mound – Fail  Pole near Rte. 440 & north mound – 2 fledglings  Utility pole ON west mound (DSNY) – 1 fledgling

Results: 22 fledglings @ 12 out of 16 sites

NYC PARKS & RECREATION SUCCESS RATE: 1.31/nest Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and Adjacent

 30 nesting pairs in 2019, 24 successful  60 fledglings produced  2.5 fledglings/nest success rate The 2019 Bottom Line(s): Grand Totals: 105 active nests / (79 successful) 142 fledglings 1.35 (1.8) fledglings per nest

“The last year that a census was conducted (in Northeast NJ in 2017) a total of 102 nests were active in this same area. The total number of structures in this area is around 225-250 and this area is largely an underrepresented area in our annual surveys (most data is gathered from volunteer osprey watchers and the public).” – Ben Wurst, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ Did I mention Menhaden?

MANY thanks to the colleagues to helped me and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all!