Nickname
045-A-003 (Bloomsbury)
Coordinates
(40.6508, -75.0826)
Substrate
Cell Tower
Description
Just uphill from Musconetcong River at Bloomsbury Park near Tuxhorn park and metal one lane bridge over the rail road tracks on route 579
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
| 2023 - CyclistBarb | 2022 - CyclistBarb | 2021 - CyclistBarb | 2020 - CyclistBarb | 2019 - DB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aAdult Arrival | 5/5/23 | 4/4/22 | |||
| aOccupied | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| aActive | |||||
| bEgg Laying | |||||
| bIncubation Initiation | 4/18/22 | 4/23/21 | |||
| cClutch Hatching | 5/23/22 | ||||
| dNestlings | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| eFledglings | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| eFirst Chick Fledging | 8/10/20 | ||||
| fChicks Last Observed | |||||
| xNest Failure | 7/4/21 | ||||
| xReason For Nest Failure |
Select Seasons
Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2022 2021 2020 2019
Activity reports
2019 Nest Activity Report by DB
| 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 |
2020 Nest Activity Report by CyclistBarb
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 2 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 08/10/2020 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2021 Nest Activity Report by CyclistBarb
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 04/23/2021 | Nest failure | 07/04/2021 |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2022 Nest Activity Report by CyclistBarb
| Adult arrival | 04/04/2022 | Nestlings | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 2 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 04/18/2022 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | 05/23/2022 | Reason for nest failure |
Nest Activity Report by CyclistBarb
| Adult arrival | 05/05/2023 | Nestlings | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 2 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
Photos of this nest
Nesting Diaries
07/27/2023 by CyclistBarb
12:40 p.m. The adult was perched on a post above the nest. I did not see the two (female) chicks either from Creveling Dr. or from the park below. When I was last here, it seemed like the two were mature and nearly ready to fledge. I am sure they have taken their first flights and were off somewhere exploring. I will not "estimate" a fledge date, but it was sometime between July 8 and July 27 I assume.
07/08/2023 by CyclistBarb
12:40 p.m. The female was perched on a post and her two large, advanced chicks preened, wing flapped, and sat tall in the nest. I did not see a feeding, nor the male, but from the park below, I had a good view of the large chicks who were sitting straight up at the edge of the nest. They both had plenty of brown on their breasts, so they are no doubt both female. I could also confirm that the adult was "Mom" as she also had the brown necklace.
06/28/2023 by CyclistBarb
1:20 p.m. Immediately I saw an adult (the female) on a post of the tower. On the nest were two big chicks picking at prey in the bottom of the nest. They were self-feeding. They sported the scalloped feathers of juveniles! Last time I could only confirm 1 chick, but today, both were sitting high and easily visible. They were also vocalizing--perhaps they wanted fresh fish to eat!
06/17/2023 by CyclistBarb
4:54 p.m. The female was sitting up very high. I briefly saw one chick but it was down most of the time so I did not get a photo.
05/28/2023 by CyclistBarb
12:10 p.m. As I approached Creverling Drive, waiting at the traffic light, I could see an adult perched on one of the posts. From the observation spot on Creverling, I saw the male was on the post, and the female was sitting up quite high on the nest, preening. I could not tell, on this warm day, if there were nestlings that the female was allowing to get some sun and fresh air.
05/05/2023 by CyclistBarb
1:10 p.m. We were stuck behind a large truck at the stop light over the narrow bridge. From there I could see an adult working in the nest...or sitting? By the time we were able to get around the truck, through the light, and onto the observation post on Creveling Road, I could not see an adult in the nest. We then went back across the bridge and pulled into the park for a look from the other side, but still could not see an adult.
07/25/2022 by CyclistBarb
10:40 a.m. Mom was perched high on a post above the nest; one fledgling was standing in the nest but flew off as I was looking in my scope, before I got my camera set up! I did not see the adult male nor the 2nd fledgling.
07/22/2022 by CyclistBarb
12:20 p.m. As I approached the one-way bridge control light I saw the adult female on a post above the nest. Turning and parking on Creveling Dr. I saw one of the chicks was "branching" on a post on the other side of the nest from Mom. The other chick was not at the nest. It is likely that both chicks have fledged. They are certainly old enough to do so. I did not see the other chick or the male during the time I observed this nest.
07/12/2022 by CyclistBarb
7:35 a.m. When I approached I saw the female perched on the post above the nest. I parked on Creveling Rd in the usual spot above the park and even with the nest. One big chick was sitting up tall, the other was moving around back farther toward the north side of the nest, closer to the park. I watched for awhile and saw both chicks preening their feathers. Mom also did a bit of preening, but mostly sat calmly above her nest keeping watch on her two chicks. Before leaving, I stopped at the park and could see the female and the chick sitting tall. The second chick must have been lying low because I could not see it looking up at the nest from the park.
06/28/2022 by CyclistBarb
3:48p.m. Mom was on the post. The chicks were calling persistently. I saw two chicks that were quite old sitting up tall. They looked to be at least 4-5 weeks old.
06/17/2022 by CyclistBarb
4:25 p.m. The female was sitting on the edge of the nest. I saw a nestling wing stretch through the rails.
06/06/2022 by CyclistBarb
4:25 p.m. The female was sitting high on the edge of the nest. I saw at least one chick's head and eye through the nest rails, but it was way below the top of the nest, and it was still small.
05/10/2022 by CyclistBarb
4:10 p.m. An adult sat so low on the nest that I could only see its head move occasionally between the sticks at the top of the nest. It appears to be incubating.
04/23/2022 by CyclistBarb
11:14 a.m. Quite a lot of activity here today. When I arrived, there was one adult on one of the posts and another sitting in the nest. The adult in the nest was flapping its wings and moving about, arranging sticks. The adult on the post to the left, flew and perched on a different post to the right, but soon flew off and down toward the river. The mate remained on the nest "housekeeping."
04/04/2022 by CyclistBarb
1:28 p.m. There was an adult sitting on this nest. I did not stay long and did not see the mate while I watched. The adult on the nest was busy moving sticks around and arranging the nest.
07/30/2021 by CyclistBarb
10:25 a.m. The nest was empty. This time I saw no sign of the parents. I will check try to check one more time, but I fear this nest has failed this year.
07/23/2021 by CyclistBarb
9:00 a.m. When I parked on Creveling Rd I saw the adult pair sitting on the nest. The entire time I watched, they remained on the nest, just sitting. The female was calling the entire time I watched. I haven't seen any sign of chicks (or incubation since April), and it is getting late for egg laying even a second attempt. I am hoping if I return that I might find there were hidden chicks after all, but it isn't looking likely.
07/05/2021 by CyclistBarb
4:15p.m. From the park, I saw two adults soaring together high above the nest. By the time I got to Creveling Rd, above the park, one had landed at the nest. It appeared to be the female with its brown "necklace". I wonder if she has eggs...or hatchlings. After less than a minute, this bird flew off down toward the river. Neither adult returned in the 30 minutes I observed.
07/04/2021 by CyclistBarb
Unfortunately, I was unable to visit this tower during the months of May and June. The nest now appears empty. When I last visited apparently the pair, both present, were incubating. I wonder if there are no chicks here. There were two last year! I wonder how or why this nest failed if it did?
04/23/2021 by CyclistBarb
3:51 p.m. When I arrived, I was pleased to see both adults at the nest. The female was sitting apparently incubating and the male was on a post of the tower, eating prey.
08/23/2020 by CyclistBarb
10:45 a.m. I checked this morning and the nest was empty. Both chicks have fledged. I did not stay long enough to see any of the osprey family.
08/15/2020 by CyclistBarb
8:45 a.m. En route to meet for a bike ride in the area, we stop to observe this nest. There is one chick sitting tall on the nest. The sibling is gone. No surprise! When I last saw the chicks at the nest ten days ago, one was branching and both looked ready to fly. I have estimated that the first fledge was 8/10. It is possible that this chick has also fledged, or maybe not! It soon will join its sibling if it hasn't already.
08/05/2020 by CyclistBarb
2:00-2:10p.m. I am doing very quick checks of as many nests as I can after yesterday's tropical storm Isaias. The severely high winds took down many trees and could have blown nests and chicks down. This nest is intact and two big chicks were on the nest, persistently calling. One was "branching" on a tower pipe. I did not stay long enough to see a parent bring in a fish!
07/24/2020 by CyclistBarb
1:20 p.m. Two big chicks on the nest alone. They are ready to fledge just as are the other osprey chicks in this area. Thus, the parents leave them alone and both go off to hunt.
07/19/2020 by CyclistBarb
4:05 p.m. One chick was self feeding the entire time I watched. The sibling was just watching and waiting. A parent was perched on one of the pillars. These chicks seem healthy and normal and almost ready to fly!
07/14/2020 by CyclistBarb
7:25 p.m. Mom was sitting on the nest when I arrived. She was making a big fuss with lots of vocals. There was a large bird circling high overhead which looked like an osprey, and I assumed was Dad, but couldn't tell for sure. I saw a big wing from one of the chicks stretch up so confirmed they were both probably fed and down flat on the nest. At 7:35p.m., Mom flew off and circled around above the nest for a few minutes, eventually landing on the post above the nest. I heard osprey vocals not from the adult perched at the nest, but from a long ways off. I suppose Mom could have been chasing off an osprey adult other than Dad or, if it was her mate, she could have been communicating about something. The two young however, remained down (either resting, or if it was an interloper, they may have been playing dead).
06/30/2020 by CyclistBarb
10:30 a.m. I pass by this nest on my way to checking/updating some others and I see that the parents are both feeding 2 hungry eyases. The female does most of the feeding, I notice she is dividing the bites equally between her two off-spring which appear to be 4-5 weeks old. I watched the feeding for about 20 minutes, then left.
06/28/2020 by CyclistBarb
2:10p.m. As I arrived at the observation site, the male flies to perch on a post on the lower level of the cell tower as seen in the overview photo. The female is standing in the nest and I am happy to see two chicks! Only one shows in the photo, but I clearly saw two through my scope! Not long after I arrive, they appear to lie down and Mom partially spreads her wings to shade them from today's intense heat and sun.
06/16/2020 by CyclistBarb
3:30 p.m. I checked this nest again and found that the female appeared to be sitting down in the nest as viewed from the parking lot of the park. When I moved to higher viewpoint along Creveling Rd, I saw the male bring in a fish and then hop over to perch on the nearby tower post. The female stood and appeared to be eating the fish.
06/13/2020 by CyclistBarb
8:40 a.m. I observed one adult sitting on the nest. Soon the male flew in and the female stood. They both arranged the nest a bit, then the female flew off. Soon she returned carrying a large stick which she placed and arranged. The male then hopped to the nearby tower post to perch. The female flew off again, and again returned with a stick. It is clear this pair is busy nest building
04/01/2019 by cheryllynne
Cell phone crane left today at 1:00 pm The Female Osprey is safely settled in the nest!