Nickname
042-A-007
Coordinates
(40.7536, -74.0941)
Substrate
Utility Pole
Description
Nest is on an abandoned tower on the Secaucus side of Portal Swing Bridge.
Followers
None
Monitoring groups
What to look for
a
Adult Arrival
Look for 2 adults on the nest. The adult pair will show pair bonding behaviors such as vocalizations, aerial sky dances, and the male feeding the female fish. You may see the pair copulating, which typically begins 14 days before laying eggs.b
Incubation Initiation
Females will lay 1 - 4 eggs at a rate of one egg every 1 - 2 days. After laying, incubation starts. Look for adults taking turns sitting low in the nest incubating eggs. The incubation period can last 35 - 43 days.c
Clutch Hatching
Chicks hatch ~39 days after incubation begins. Look for adults bringing food to the nest and making "head bows" into the center. Chicks typically can't be seen until they are 2 - 3 weeks old, so feeding behavior is the only way to know chicks are there.d
Nestling Count
Around 4 weeks after hatching, look for the heads of chicks to show over the rim of the nest, particularly when adults bring food to the nest. Other times they lie flat and are harder to see. Count the number of chicks in the nest before they learn to flye
Fledgling Count
Chicks begin flying around 7 - 8 weeks old, and are still fed by the adults. Count the number of chicks who have successfully fledged the nest and are observed flying.f
Chick Last Observed
4 - 10 weeks after fledging, chicks begin leaving the nest area to migrate south, once they have learned to fly and feed themselves. Record the date that the last chick left the nest.x
Nest Failure
Look for signs of nest failure like adult abandonment, adults no longer incubating eggs or feeding young.Review All Observations
| 2022 - jmac | 2021 - jmac | 2020 - jmac | 2019 - jmac | 2018 - jmac | 2017 - jmac | 2016 - Shayna | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aAdult Arrival | 4/20/22 | 4/18/21 | 4/4/20 | 4/1/18 | 4/1/17 | ||
| aOccupied | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| aActive | |||||||
| bEgg Laying | 5/1/22 | 4/25/21 | 4/26/18 | ||||
| bIncubation Initiation | 5/1/20 | 4/28/18 | 4/20/17 | ||||
| cClutch Hatching | 6/6/20 | 5/26/17 | |||||
| dNestlings | 2 | ||||||
| eFledglings | 2 | ||||||
| eFirst Chick Fledging | 7/17/20 | 6/23/19 | |||||
| fChicks Last Observed | 7/19/20 | ||||||
| xNest Failure | 6/20/21 | 6/18/18 | 7/1/17 | ||||
| xReason For Nest Failure | nest destroyed during storm | nest destroyed during storm | other | unknown reason | unknown reason |
Select Seasons
Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016
Activity reports
2016 Nest Activity Report by Shayna
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | No | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2017 Nest Activity Report by jmac
| Adult arrival | 04/01/2017 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 04/20/2017 | Nest failure | 07/01/2017 |
| Clutch hatching | 05/26/2017 | Reason for nest failure | unknown reason |
2018 Nest Activity Report by jmac
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | 04/26/2018 | Chicks last observed | |
| Incubation initiation | 04/28/2018 | Nest failure | 06/18/2018 |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure | unknown reason |
2019 Nest Activity Report by jmac
| Adult arrival | 04/01/2018 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 06/23/2019 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure | other |
2020 Nest Activity Report by jmac
| Adult arrival | 04/04/2020 | Nestlings | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 2 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/17/2020 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | 07/19/2020 | |
| Incubation initiation | 05/01/2020 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | 06/06/2020 | Reason for nest failure |
2021 Nest Activity Report by jmac
| Adult arrival | 04/18/2021 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | 04/25/2021 | Chicks last observed | |
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | 06/20/2021 | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure | nest destroyed during storm |
2022 Nest Activity Report by jmac
| Adult arrival | 04/20/2022 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | 05/01/2022 | Chicks last observed | |
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure | nest destroyed during storm |
Photos of this nest
Nesting Diaries
07/17/2022 by jmac
There was a pair at the nest today, but that is the first time I saw birds there in quite a while. I don't get a good view of the nest from shore but may see it better by boat on the 20th.
05/29/2022 by jmac
no activity that could be seen, but the bulk of the nest is on the other side of the structure
05/18/2022 by jmac
Observed the nest by boat today. Despite the horrible condition of this nest, there is an incubating female on it.
05/15/2022 by jmac
nest looks scrappy but it's hard to see from the park. I will get a better look when we go out on the boat
07/06/2021 by jmac
visited the nest by boat today and had a good view of the nest. Although a good part of the nest was hanging down, the back appears to be intact. There was a female on the structure and it was hard to see if the nest was occupied.
07/08/2020 by jmac
I was about to give up watching this nest when a pair of adults flew to it. I could see one chick stand up
06/10/2020 by jmac
I recieve a picture from NJSA of the nest from a boat on the Hackensack river. It appears that there are two chicks in the nest. These are the first chicks that I am sure of since I've been watching this nest.
06/30/2019 by jmac
Surprise! the nest is active and the female was shading chick/chicks and the male brought a fish to the nest. I hadn't seen any activity for the last couple of viewings, but I guess she was incubating low where I couldn't see her
05/20/2018 by jmac
Things are fine at this nest. While I observed the male came to the nest and the female got up and they copulated. Then she got back on her eggs
04/07/2018 by jmac
lots of Ospreys around, but after a half hour of observation, none went to this nest
08/24/2017 by jmac
this nest had an incubating female, and appeared to have chick/chicks when they should have hatched, but then they were gone at the end of June
07/01/2017 by jmac
Observed the nest for more than an hour and a half this morning. No sign of life in or around the nest.
05/26/2017 by jmac
when I first observed the nest today, there were no birds visible. After about 15 minutes, the female arrived with a fish and appeared to feed a chick/chicks. Then the male arrived and they copulated. The female got on the nest in a high position as if on young.
04/01/2017 by jmac
Visited the nest today from Laurel Hill Park with a scope. The pair were present and active, even copulating once
08/09/2016 by jmac
visited this nest today by boat with the BC Audubon people. No Ospreys present but a nice big nest. They said it is a new nest this year.
07/30/2016 by Shayna
Nest just spotted, wish I'd seen it earlier in the season. One Osprey present in the nest, appears to be a large nestling (if it hasn't left the nest yet it must be very close). An adult was seen flying around in the vicinity (two adults were simultaneously observed perched near the nest behind the abandoned swing bridge, so it was definitely a separate adult from that group).