Nickname
045-A-002 (Silo with Tower)
Coordinates
(40.7126, -75.0626)
Substrate
Farm silo with conveyer motor housing on top.
Description
Farm silo behind an abandoned or seldom used cement plant off Edison Rd. The silos are property of the ISE Farms to the east of the abandoned cement plant which are located on Good Springs Rd.
Followers
None
Monitoring groups
What to look for
Review All Observations
2023 - CyclistBarb2022 - CyclistBarb2021 - CyclistBarb2020 - CyclistBarb2019 - ENSP Osprey
aAdult Arrival4/23/22
aOccupiedYesYesNoYesNo
aActive
bEgg Laying
bIncubation Initiation5/10/22
cClutch Hatching
dNestlings223
eFledglings23
eFirst Chick Fledging7/26/237/30/19
fChicks Last Observed
xNest Failure6/17/22
xReason For Nest Failureunknown reason

Select Seasons

Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019

Activity reports

2019 Nest Activity Report by ENSP Osprey
Adult arrivalNestlings3
Nest OccupiedNoFledglings3
Nest Active First chick fledging07/30/2019
Egg layingChicks last observed
Incubation initiationNest failure
Clutch hatchingReason for nest failure
2020 Nest Activity Report by CyclistBarb
Adult arrivalNestlings2
Nest OccupiedYesFledglings
Nest Active First chick fledging
Egg layingChicks last observed
Incubation initiationNest failure
Clutch hatchingReason for nest failure
2021 Nest Activity Report by CyclistBarb
Adult arrivalNestlings
Nest OccupiedNoFledglings
Nest Active First chick fledging
Egg layingChicks last observed
Incubation initiationNest failure
Clutch hatchingReason for nest failure
2022 Nest Activity Report by CyclistBarb
Adult arrival04/23/2022Nestlings
Nest OccupiedYesFledglings
Nest Active First chick fledging
Egg layingChicks last observed
Incubation initiation05/10/2022Nest failure06/17/2022
Clutch hatchingReason for nest failureunknown reason
2023 Nest Activity Report by CyclistBarb
Adult arrivalNestlings2
Nest OccupiedYesFledglings2
Nest Active First chick fledging07/26/2023
Egg layingChicks last observed
Incubation initiationNest failure
Clutch hatchingReason for nest failure

Photos of this nest

Nesting Diaries

07/30/2023 by CyclistBarb
10:45 a.m. Only the female adult was perched on top of the structure. She was standing on prey, waiting for the arrival of the two fledglings. When her offspring did not return by almost 11:00 a.m., Mom began to eat the prey herself.

07/27/2023 by CyclistBarb
11:30 a.m. The female was perched above the nest on part of the structure. One of the chicks was perched next to her, to her right. Both had the brown feathers on their breasts so the chick appeared to be a female also. I watched for quite a while from Goodsprings Rd and never saw the second chick. I am sure this chick has fledged. It is probable that the one chick present has also fledged. I moved to Edison Rd and watched from there, but still saw no movement in the nest--not a wing flap, nor a raised head. At 12:15 p.m. I stopped at both places again and nothing had changed. The two were still perched side by side. I did see a large bird through the structure but to the east of the tower, which appeared to be an osprey. It momentarily flew east of the tower and downward. It was quite close to the nest area. It appeared to perch lower -- behind the structure. This may have been the fledgling.

07/23/2023 by CyclistBarb
7:25 a.m. This nest is best viewed with good morning light from Good Springs Rd since it is quite far away from the roads. I saw that the female was perched on a post in front of the nest and that the two mature chicks were sitting on the nest. One seemed more active than the other. It was on the side of the nest closest to my observation post on Good Springs Rd. The second chick seemed to be lower, perhaps lying down, or way back toward the north side. I could only see its head if it looked up. I did look again at the nest as I passed on Edison Rd. but the lighting was terrible as it was back-lighting the nest and ospreys so I could see nothing clearly.

07/08/2023 by CyclistBarb
9:30 a.m. I wanted to arrive in the morning and from Good Spring Rd I got a good view with morning light. It was already quite hot, and the female had her wings out shading her two big chicks. I could easily spot one which was standing to her left and appeared to have fairly advanced plumage. The sibling was lying down behind Mom, but I could see its head sticking out and moving around especially in the video I took. The morning view from Edison Rd is not good as it is backlit and just as far away as the view from Good Spring Rd. Even from the unused dirt lane marked "No Trespassing" off of Edison, one is lower, and not much closer so the views are not very good.

07/06/2023 by CyclistBarb
3:30 p.m. The adult and chicks were not active. The adult was shading the chicks from the very hot sun. I left soon after arriving since nothing moved and it was blazing hot.

06/28/2023 by CyclistBarb
12:40 p.m. Mom is feeding two chicks! Through my scope from Edison Rd, I can clearly see that there are two and that the adult is tearing off prey and feeding her two chicks. The chicks look pretty old with plenty of feathers. At 12:51 the adult is still feeding the chicks and eating bites herself.

06/03/2023 by CyclistBarb
1:40 p.m. This nest has either failed or been inactive recently after producing chicks in 2020 and 2019. I was pleased to see that the pair was present, and even after last year when the nesting material seemed to have been cleared off the structure, this year the nest looked large and well built up. One of the osprey was actively working on the nest. It remains to be seen if they will succeed in laying eggs and fledging young.

07/12/2022 by CyclistBarb
12:10 p.m. I still saw no evidence that the osprey pair is still around. Obviously this nest failed after early activity.

06/28/2022 by CyclistBarb
2:03 p.m. I watched from Edison Rd. The sun was positioned well. I have not seen an osprey at this nest for almost 2 weeks. I saw no sign of life here today either. After watching from Edison Rd awhile, I moved to Good Springs Rd by the ISE Farm, but saw nothing in or near the nest from there either. The nest looks like it has partially collapsed. I am afraid this nest failed again this year, but will keep watching.

06/21/2022 by CyclistBarb
1:55 p.m. I saw neither adult on or near the nest; I did not see nestlings in the nest either. I wonder if the nest has again failed and the adults have abandoned it!

06/17/2022 by CyclistBarb
2:15 p.m. The female was on a post above the nest. I saw no chicks in the nest so they are either very small, or the nesting failed.

06/06/2022 by CyclistBarb
3:38 p.m. One adult was sitting on the nest. I continued south on Edison road to Good Springs Rd and then east to the ISE Farm. I pulled into their driveway and to a parking lot where they were keeping trucks. This viewing spot was high above the buildings, near the road. From there I was viewing from closer to the level of the nest and could see it pretty well, although part of it was hidden behind the structure.

05/10/2022 by CyclistBarb
3:15 p.m. An adult was on the nest, sitting low. As I watched it seemed to stand and roll eggs then sit back down low again. This would be a real come-back after last year and having their 2020 nest completely removed! I will see if I can see this nest better from Good Springs Rd and/or get closer by going on the ISE Farms property which is apparently a huge producer of chickens and eggs. The silo is apparently on their property.

04/23/2022 by CyclistBarb
11:40 a.m. In less than 20 days, this pair has built up a nest on the motor housing. When I arrived, I saw an adult flying toward the nest area carrying a stick. There was already a bird on the nest, then there were two. It will be interesting to see if they have eggs this season.

04/04/2022 by CyclistBarb
12:40 p.m. This silo is closer to Edison Rd than I recall. When there is no corn or high crop in the field, I can see the nest area without having to trespass in the old cement works driveway! I didn't see any birds other than very small ones (starlings?). It appears the nesting material has been completely cleared off. This nest produced 2 fledglings in 2020, but was inactive in 2021.

07/23/2021 by CyclistBarb
9:30 a.m. Once again I see no ospreys present at this location and the nest remains collapsed and abandoned. Last year this nest had 2 chicks! At this time last year the chicks were self-feeding but had not yet fledged.

07/05/2021 by CyclistBarb
Unfortunately, I did not get to this nest at all in July so it has been a month since I observed (May 1). It appears that this nest is not being used this season. It has all collapsed to the lower level. I didn't see much evidence of adults at this site earlier, and what is left of nest material appears to be old--from last season.

05/01/2021 by CyclistBarb
4:30-4:45 The nest is not nearly as substantial as last year, but today there appears to be an adult on top of the housing where the nest was last year. This adult could be in the incubation position. I zoomed way in and cropped to show just the back of the adult. A lot of nesting material has fallen onto the level below the top which supports the nest. There is also a large mylar or plastic "streamer" trailing off the corner of the tower. It is possible this adult is just nest building, or just present at the nest. I did not see any signs of the mate. It is possible they haven't yet laid eggs, but that should happen soon if the nest is to succeed. Last year two fledglings were raised in the nest on top, but then the nest looked to be much more substantial.

07/19/2020 by CyclistBarb
4:50p.m. The parent (Mom) was standing on the nest, in front of the two big chicks who appeared to be self-feeding. At 5:00 p.m. the adult flew off, but by this time, the chicks were finished eating and both were sitting down low in the nest, facing me. There was no further activity so they must have had a lot to eat. I didn't see any wing flapping, they were just sitting/lying in the nest. I view this nest from far away, but it would appear that these chicks are about the same age as others in this immediate area, and I expect they will take their first flights soon.

06/28/2020 by CyclistBarb
2:40 p.m. I drive down the road marked "Posted". Again, the area seems completely abandoned! A female is sitting high on the nest while the male is circling high overhead. I am surprised and excited to see, clearly, two large chicks! They look to me to be at least 4 weeks old! That would mean hatching took place around the end of May and incubation sometime near the last week of April. This would correspond to the nests I am watching between Riegelsville and Milford, NJ.

06/13/2020 by CyclistBarb
11:10 a.m. Driving south on Edison Rd, I spot the conical metal silo and the two communication towers. They are very far away and difficult to see even with a spotting scope! I wonder how to get into the farm associated with the silo. After an underpass, I discover a large area of land that was once some sort of industrial site...a concrete factory? There are some large concrete structures now covered with weeds. There is also a building with a business, but as it is Sunday, I don't try to see if it is occupied. There is a posted road just south of the underpass which I drive into and follow back to an area that appears to be half abandoned semi tractors, and a huge amount of bailed hay in storage! I will have to investigate this area and seek permission to spot from here as this seems to be the closest I can get to the tower. I do see an adult on the south tower sitting on a nest. It is windy so the photos are not in clear focus. I do not see the mate.