Jersey City

[Kris G.]

I saw this on BCAW and Bonnie said I could post it!

Jersey City webcam-

Might have a ray of hope. Heard today that a compromise might've been reached, with DEP supporting the cam, and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ doing alot of fundraising in attempt to reimburse the cost. Afterward, it'll be up to CWF to get the cam running for 2014.


         

[Donna]

I saw this on BCAW and Bonnie said I could post it!

Jersey City webcam-

Might have a ray of hope. Heard today that a compromise might've been reached, with DEP supporting the cam, and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ doing alot of fundraising in attempt to reimburse the cost. Afterward, it'll be up to CWF to get the cam running for 2014.


         

NICE!!! 

[AlisonL]

I hope this will work out; I have followed this cam for a long time, and would like to see it continue.

This was posted on the site yesterday:

March 14, 2013 - Another Season Begins

Welcome to the 2013 edition of Nestbox News! Many visitors to NN have been following the Jersey City peregrines for many years - perhaps a decade or more! - and we are glad to have them back. And to new viewers we extend a warm welcome and hope you become a regular visitor to the peregrine webcam pages.

As far as the activity at 101 Hudson Street, we are assuming the 2013 nesting season is already under way. Unfortunately, due to budgetary constraints we have not yet activated the cameras but hope to be streaming video and still images before egg laying begins later this month.

We are sure this will be another exciting year observing the peregrine falcons using the nestbox maintained by the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program. The first nestbox was installed in 2001 and has fostered the successful fledging of young every year since (see About the Peregrine Project for a history of the project). Last year was a difficult year, with only one of three fledglings known to have survived through the summer after the hatching of three eggs from a clutch of five. (See the 2012 Nestbox News for details.)

We do want to remind the viewing public that funding for projects such as this remains hard to obtain - the Peregrine Project, like other projects conducted by the ENSP, is funded entirely by grants and donations. Please help this project continue by making a direct donation to the ENSP, or by "checking-off" for wildlife on your state income tax return. By becoming a partner in the work of ENSP you can proudly feel you are doing your part in protecting our endangered and threatened species.

We hope you enjoy following the Jersey City peregrines this season; it's sure to be as exciting as it has been in past years.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/peregrinecam/jcp-2013nestnews.htm

[Bonnie]

Conserve NJ Wildlife is funding the cam for a short time.  Of course they need donations to continue.  In the meantime, JC has two eggs as of today.  Enjoy the cam

http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/peregrinecam/jcp-still.htm

[Donna]

They have a hatch!! 


We've got hatching at the peregrine nest in Jersey City! One chick hatched early this morning. Peregrines start incubating after they lay a full clutch of eggs so the other chicks will hatch shortly.

[MAK]

 

[Bonnie]

We are hoping for more.

[Bonnie]

Bad news, good news. Here is the post from NJ Fish and Wildlife. The end result was that they made the switch and Athena and Six accepted the new eyas immediately. We are awaiting info from Raptor Trust and dr. Erica Miller.

May 17, 2013, 8:00 a.m. - A Plan Is Formulated
We have been carefully watching the chick that hatched on Tuesday morning, and we've concluded that the hatchling is not well. It seems to suffer some of the same symptoms we saw in the third of three chicks hatched in 2011. That young one also failed to thrive and, despite heroic treatment that lasted for months, he eventually died. It seems that this nest is having more than its share of problems.

In the nest on Thursday, the chick was not sitting up, which is necessary for it to be fed. It had gotten fed each day, but on Thursday the chick seemed worse, spending most of its time lying down and even apparently stuck on its back. This is not normal for a chick that is two days old. The other three eggs have not hatched and we don't expect them to hatch at this point. The adults are still trying to incubate them, which is also distracting them from the chick.

We may be seeing the lower nest success that is characteristic of older peregrine falcons. While our female remains an excellent caregiver, her eggs have lower viability, and the chick may suffer from a genetic abnormality. The eggs could also be carrying accumulated toxins that are interfering with hatching and normal chick development.

In the interest of keeping this pair active at the nest site, we will be providing them with a foster chick this afternoon that we're transferring from a four-chick nest in Sea Isle City. Biologist Mick Valent will put the chick in and remove the eggs and the sick hatchling. He will deliver the hatchling to The Raptor Trust, where we hope to get a clue as to what is wrong. The eggs will be valuable samples for future analysis.

Fostering chicks into nests is a proven technique and we fully expect the Jersey City adults will quickly adopt the new nestling. By doing this, we will allow the birds to fulfill their nesting cycle, giving full attention to raising one chick. The donor nest also benefits, because the adults will have a little less work raising their three remaining chicks. At both sites, we raise the chances of ultimate survival for all the young.

[Donna]

I haven't even looked at any nests since this DC thing happened. I'm so sorry about this little one. Tragic for sure. Glad they are getting an adoptee! Thanks bonnie. Seems there are a few convulsing eyases out there this year. What's up with that? 

[Donna]

Oh look at this little one! Breaks my heart to see. 

[Bonnie]

That's the new eyas. Athena has been covering it.

[Kris G.]

So sorry about the hatchling-tough to watch.  Hoping that all works out with the fostering!  Keep us posted!

[AlisonL]

I hope The Raptor Trust will be able to help the sick little chick. He/she looked very bad last night:











I am very glad that an attempt is being made to help this little one, and also that Athena and Six have been given a foster chick. Athena was brooding the chick off and on during the day, and the last pic I saw from this evening showed her back in the nest brooding the chick.

[Bonnie]

Athena looks very content this morning with the new chick under her breast.  Waiting to hear about the first chick and eggs.

From Nestbox News
May 17, 2013, 2:40 p.m. - Mission Accomplished!
Biologist Mick Valent, along with Mackenzie Hall of the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, successfully removed the ailing chick and infertile eggs and placed the Sea Isle City chick in the nestbox. Moments ago an adult entered the box (see photo to right) and briefly brooded the chick. This behavior is what we had hoped to see - a quick "adoption" of the new chick, though it is impossible to tell just what the Jersey City peregrines perceive or "think" about the past half hour.

The chick is now en route to The Raptor Trust for examination and care. We'll update this page later tonight or tomorrow morning, but viewers will know about as much as we do for now.

[AlisonL]

No updates have been posted so far on Nestbox News.

Athena has continued to brood the new little chick: