Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2025

This area is for recording observations and photos of eagle cams in North America

Moderator: N Amer Eagle Cam TA's

Post Reply
User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 19045
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2025

Post by JudyB » Tue Sep 19, 2023 11:51 am


Link To This Season Coverage

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 19045
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by JudyB » Tue Sep 19, 2023 11:55 am

Season 2023-2024

HWF have been documenting this nest since 2009!

This nest is located in the Eastern time zone.

Duke Farms hosts the eagle camera and the internet connection. The Endangered and Nongame Species Program and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ support their work and conduct the on-site banding and provide biological consulting. Our thanks to both of them for letting us watch these wonderful eagles!

Cam Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/dukefarmsfdn/live

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeFarmsEagles/

Links To Previous Year Threads

Season 2022-2023

Season 2021-2022

Season 2020-2021


In Memory Of Dad 2000-2023
After 17 years of protecting his territory, Dad was last seen on Cam on May 19, 2023. He was 23 years old.
Though we could not see past the cam view it was evident that Dad was in a territorial dispute over the previous days by the action of him at the nest.
We will all miss you, Dad. There are no words to describe the dedication and courage you had over the years protecting your young and taking so well care of them. Your legacy will live on with over 30 fledglings you have helped bring up over the years.
Ondabebe :rh:


2023-02-10 Dad 003.jpg

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 19045
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by JudyB » Tue Sep 19, 2023 11:57 am

A Bit of History

"Duke Farms is a 2,700-acre estate in Hillsborough, New Jersey, and is owned and supported by the Duke Farms Foundation. The mission of Duke Farms is to be a model of environmental stewardship in the 21st Century and inspire visitors to become informed stewards of the land. Duke Farms in Hillsborough, N.J., is one of the largest privately-owned parcels of undeveloped land in the state. The mission of Duke Farms is to serve as a model of environmental stewardship and inspire visitors to become informed stewards of the land. (© 2009 Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. All rights reserved.)

2005-2012
This eagle nest has been observed on the farm since 2005. This Eagle Cam was installed to provide researchers with an opportunity to monitor a pair of nesting Bald Eagles without any disturbance to the birds. It is being shared with the public to provide viewers with a glimpse of wildlife in its natural environment. In 2008 a camera was set up by Duke Farms in a neighboring sycamore tree 110 feet up, capturing footage of nesting seasons in 2009, 2010 and 2011. This camera permitted the public to get a unique glimpse of the nesting, feeding and fledgling of Bald Eagles in NJ. The camera was offline during the 2012 nesting season, but a biologist observed the nest with a spotting scope and reported that a chick fledged successfully.

Fall 2012 - Hurricane Sandy
In the late fall of 2012, the original nest, tree, and cam suffered considerable damage after battling sustained 90-mile-per-hour winds during Hurricane Sandy. The damage was discovered by Duke Farms staff members during ongoing damage assessment after the storm passed. Staff approached the 80-foot-tall nesting tree and found the large sycamore split in half and the crown (the branches and leaves) resting on the forest floor. Twigs and other remnants of the next were also found in the area. it appears that the Duke Farms eagle nest was the only casualty of Hurricane Sandy’s wrath. Conserve Wildlife of NJ stated that none other of the known 100 nests were adversely affected by the storm.

2013-2016
The original pair built a new nest in a sycamore tree 100ft south of the eagle camera in late December 2012. The view of the nest was limited by branches and leaves during the 2013 nesting season. The nest is about 80 feet high in the tree. In the fall of 2013 the camera was moved to the new nest tree. The camera is in the nest tree positioned above to view the nest from above. The camera can be maneuvered remotely to pan, tilt and zoom. The pair fledged two chicks in 2013, 2015 and 2016. They raised three eaglets in 2014; the cam went offline shortly before the chicks were expected to fledge - we believe all three fledged successfully, but have no additional details.

2017
2017 was the only year the Duke Farms eagles have not laid an egg since the creation of the nest in 2004. It was disappointing for many who follow this nest. Between 2005 and 2016, we had 11 straight years of Bald Eagle nest productivity resulting in 23 Bald Eagles raised at Duke Farms. During the middle of February 2017, our “winning streak” came to an end (or we’d like to hope – a “pause”) when a very dominant intruding female started making a play to replace the current female. The timing of the harassment by the intruding female interrupted the couple’s mating behavior of courting, bonding. (From the Duke Farms Blog)

2018
The pair laid two eggs in 2018; one of the eggs appeared to burst or collapse March 23; it appeared to contain liquid, not a chick, so probably stopped developing early on. Unfortunately the bad luck continued - the second egg may have started to hatch March 24 but the chick was unable to complete the hatching process, though there was also an intruder and the egg may have been damaged; unlike the first egg, the second contained the body of a chick that was at least close to hatching age, visible through a hole in the side of the egg.

2019
The pair laid two eggs in 2019, both hatched, and both were banded. Green E/87(F) appeared to have an accidental fledge and was not seen again, though there was a search a few days later and staff continued to monitor the area. Green E/88(M) fledged successfully and continued to visit the nest and be fed there for another month, so E/87 would likely have returned to the nest if she survived. E/88 was given a transmitter and named "Duke" for tracking purposes; his tracker continued working until mid-April 2022, and a local observer who had been following his travels was able to locate him after it stopped working and confirmed that he was fine. Link to his map is here.

2020-2022
There was a new female Bald Eagle in the Duke Farms nest for 2020. If you’ve been counting, this is the third female to occupy the nest at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, New Jersey. The pair laid two eggs, and both chicks fledged. As of the end of the year, our resident serial monogamist male A59 (hatched in 2000) had sired 25 bald eagle chicks since the nest creation in 2004.

The pair produced three eggs in 2021, two of which hatched. Both chicks had an accidental fledge when they bumped into each other while branching when they were 79 and 75 days old. Both were seen flying afterward, so hopefully all went well.

There were two eggs in 2022 and both hatched, but the younger eaglet died when it was 8 days old; Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ felt that the eaglet had health problems about which we cannot know. The older eaglet fledged successfully and stayed in the area for another two months, leaving when he was over 20 weeks old.

2022-2023
The pair produced two eggs in 2023; both hatched, both eaglets fledged successfully, and both continued to be seen for over a month. On May 19th 2023 it was observed the Dad had gone MIA. Dad never returned

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 19045
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by JudyB » Tue Sep 19, 2023 12:35 pm

Eaglet Info

As of fall 2023, a total of 32 eagle chicks have been raised and fledged from this nest since 2005.

2005- 1 chick
2006- 2 chicks
2007- 1 chick
2008- 2 chicks
2009- 3 chicks
2010- 2 chicks
2011- 2 chicks
2012- 1 chick
2013- 2 chicks
2014- 3 chicks
2015- 2 chicks
2016- 2 chicks
2019- 2 chicks
2020- 2 chicks
2021- 2 chicks
2022- 1 chick
2023- 2 chicks

The eaglets were banded for some years, and their gender was determined:

2007 1 Male
2009 3 All Male
2010 2 Both Female
2011 2 Both Male
2014 3 2 Male, 1 Female
2016 2 Both Female
2019 2 1 Male, 1 Female
2022 1 1 Male

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 19045
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by JudyB » Tue Sep 19, 2023 1:39 pm

Other Items of Interest

New Jersey map showing where the Duke Farms (#32) nest is.

Image

Eagle Gate At Duke Farms

Image

Wonderful information on the founding of the host "park" and the Duke family
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Farms

The nest area at Duke Farms
Image

An article about the new female for 2020
https://patch.com/new-jersey/hillsborou ... farms-nest

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 19045
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by JudyB » Tue Sep 19, 2023 3:17 pm

Duke Farms Eagle Nest Collapses in 2023

April 11 2023 with 2022-2023 Eaglets
2023-04-11 001.jpg

June 23 2023 The Nest Collapse. The eaglets had already fledge by then
2023-06-23 The nest collapse.jpg

November 11 2023 The Rebuild Is Completed
2023-11-11-001.jpg

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 19045
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by JudyB » Tue Sep 19, 2023 3:18 pm

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

September 22, 2023

Diane Cook reports that the pair has been making regular appearances at the nest, usually in the early morning. On the September 17th, she was able to get a screenshot that showed the male with no bands on his legs. It looks like this is a new male and not A59 (Dad).

ID Pictures of Mom and The New Male

Mom has no trailing dark feathers whereas the Male does

Mom
2023-10-16 012.jpg
The Male
2023-10-16 005.jpg

The distinctive color of feathers behind the white neckline

Mom
2024-01-31-006.jpg
The Male
2024-01-30-001.jpg

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 19045
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by JudyB » Tue Sep 19, 2023 3:32 pm

Nest Stats for 2023/2024

Cams Online: Cams do not go down other than for maintenance

Adults Return: Sept 10 2023 Two Adult Eagles at the nest. Confirmed later to be a New Male and Mom

Eggs Laid:
  • Egg #1: January 22, 2024 3.48Pm
  • Egg #2: January 25, 2024 3.36Pm
Egg Pip:
  • Egg #1: February 27 2024 Egg (37 Days Old)
  • Egg #2: February 29, 2024 (35 Days Old)

Eggs Hatched:
  • Egg #1: February 29, 2024 (39 Days Old)
  • Egg #2: March 1, 2024 (36 Days Old)

Banded
  • Egg #1: H45
  • Egg #2: H44
Branched:
  • H45: May 13, 2024 (74 Days Old)
  • H44: May 13, 2024 (76 Days Old)

Fledged:
  • H45: May 21, 2024 (82 Days Old)
  • H44: May 27, 2024 (86 Days Old)

User avatar
ondabebe
Topic Assistant
Posts: 13526
Joined: Aug 13, 2021
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by ondabebe » Thu Sep 21, 2023 3:40 pm

2023-09-23
Good Morning!


Weather: Hillsborough, NJ

Day: Cloudy with rain likely and a high near 62. Northeast wind to 19 mph with gusts as high as 34 mph. The chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible.

Night: Cloudy with rain likely and a low around 57. Northeast wind to 17 mph with gusts as high as 31 mph. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts up to one-quarter of an inch possible.

User avatar
ondabebe
Topic Assistant
Posts: 13526
Joined: Aug 13, 2021
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by ondabebe » Sat Sep 23, 2023 4:25 am

Back Tracking A Bit - Yesterday Evening

6.52.49Pm The Male arrived at the nest and started moving sticks
2023-09-23 002.jpg
6.57.15Pm Mom arrived in her usual manner these day almost on top of the male.
2023-09-23 010.jpg

6.58.49Pm
2023-09-23 016.jpg
© 2023-2024 Duke Farms

User avatar
ondabebe
Topic Assistant
Posts: 13526
Joined: Aug 13, 2021
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by ondabebe » Sat Sep 23, 2023 4:29 am

7.07.40Pm Mom and the Male stay around the nest and then Mom leaves
2023-09-23 038.jpg
10.32Pm The Cam Op zooms in on the Male who has stayed at the nest tree for the night. First close-ups of him
2023-09-23 046.jpg
2023-09-23 049.jpg
© 2023-2024 Duke Farms

User avatar
ondabebe
Topic Assistant
Posts: 13526
Joined: Aug 13, 2021
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by ondabebe » Sat Sep 23, 2023 4:30 am

Cont'd

No Bands
2023-09-23 058.jpg
2023-09-23 068.jpg
2023-09-23 069.jpg
© 2023-2024 Duke Farms

User avatar
ondabebe
Topic Assistant
Posts: 13526
Joined: Aug 13, 2021
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by ondabebe » Sat Sep 23, 2023 5:58 am

6.31Am - 7.55Am

6.31.23Am Mom lands on the nest and the Male joins her. Nest work begins
2023-09-23 002.jpg

* Mom and the Male are alternating landing at the nest bringing in sticks and some soft nesting being there is so little room right now at the nest and every so often they still arrive together with one of them landing on the other.

6.47.12Am The male landed on Mom. She was not impressed
2023-09-23 018.jpg
7.53.54Am
2023-09-23 046.jpg
© 2023-2024 Duke Farms

User avatar
ondabebe
Topic Assistant
Posts: 13526
Joined: Aug 13, 2021
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by ondabebe » Sat Sep 23, 2023 6:00 am

7.55.44Am The Male flies off and Mom sticks around for a bit. Cam Op zooms in on her and we get some nice close-ups of her
2023-09-23 054.jpg
2023-09-23 057.jpg
2023-09-23 059.jpg
© 2023-2024 Duke Farms

User avatar
ondabebe
Topic Assistant
Posts: 13526
Joined: Aug 13, 2021
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Duke Farms NJ Eagle Cam 2023-2024

Post by ondabebe » Sat Sep 23, 2023 6:02 am

8.24.32Am Cam Op zooms in on the nest and yes it starting to look like a nest again. :thumlft:
2023-09-23 064.jpg
2023-09-23 066.jpg
© 2023-2024 Duke Farms

Post Reply

Return to “Other North American Eagle Cams”