A Very Cool Banded Osprey Tale
April 25, 2018
Early on Monday evening, Barbara Dilger and Darlene Lembo photographed an Osprey with a red band on one of its legs at the Celery Farm in Allendale.
Barbara recorded the information on the band -- "0" and then "D4" under that -- and
submitted an online form to record the sighting and learn more about the bird.
Ben Wurst of Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey responded the very next day -- yesterday:
I banded that bird at this [Barnegat Bay] nest: http://www.osprey-watch.org/
I have to dig up a photo of her at home, but here are some photos by my good friend who was out with me that day:
https://exit63.wordpress.com/
So great to see these birds return to New Jersey to nest. Since this is her first time being back in NJ, she probably doesn't have a nest or is mated with a male, but I'm sure she will be looking for a nest site.
Hope she lives long enough to complete her migration south and back to finally nest here.
Banding data shows that females tend to wander more (from their natal areas) when returning to nest as an adult.
As it turned out, Ben's good friend at the banding -- Jim Verhagen --was from Allendale. Small world.
As it also turned out, they had video footage of the banding, here:
https://www.facebook.com/njospreyproject/videos/10154901719102656/
More of Barbara's banded Osprey shots are below. (Thanks, Barbara! And Ben & Jim.)
Postscript: Fyke and CWF and have had a long working relationship. In fact, Ben and CWF installed the Red-shouldered Hawk nest cam for Fyke near the Celery Farm three years ago. When the Red-shoulders chose to nest elsewhere, Fyke donated the camera to CWF.