Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

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MaryF
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Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by MaryF » Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:43 pm

Welcome to the Duke Farms Eagle cam page--We have been documenting this nest here on the HWF forum since 2009!

There was a new female at this nest in 2017 and there were no eggs for the 2017 season!

Last year, the only year the Duke Farms eagles has not laid an egg since the creation of the nest 14 years ago, was disappointing for many. 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)


LINK TO THE CAM WITH CHAT -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9W78s-GYG4

FB PAGE -- https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeFarmsEagles/



"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.)

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 and 2010. This camera permitted the public to get a unique glimpse of the nesting, feeding and fledgling of Bald Eagles in NJ.

DF   Easter chick   3-27-16.jpg
- First hatched chick on Easter Sunday 2016


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In the late fall of 2012 the original nest , tree, and cam were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy

The Bald Eagle nest at Duke Farms 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.


DF   2015 eaglets.jpg
The adorble 2015 eaglets
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MaryF
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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by MaryF » Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:43 pm

Nest stats for 2018 ~~


* Eggs laid -- 1st egg laid 2/14 ~~~ 2nd egg laid 2/17

* Eggs hatched -- I'm not sure what happened to these eggs so close to hatching time!! It seems like a few days apart they both sort of "imploded". I know that in egg 2 there was an eaglet but it was not alive! :cry1:

* Branched --

* Fledged --

* Last seen --

**************************************

There is a lot of good history on this nest and some great pictures can be found at this link --

http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/education/eaglecam/



**************************************

A few quick facts ~~

The 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.

DF   nest tree.jpg
DF nest tree.jpg (60.05 KiB) Viewed 5038 times
A view of the nest and tree --

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Our Dad is a banded eagle -- Here is some info on him so far.

After some close looks at the bands it appears the male eagle was banded in NJ in 1999 and is either from a nest in southern NJ or warren county NJ. Please let us and the state fish and wildlife non-games species department know if you see the 2nd # on the green leg band on the eagles foot (the state leg band format for 1999 is A5X, with the X being the unknown last digit).

DF   Dad's bands.jpg
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A total of 21 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


DF   2016 chicks   2016.jpg
- The beautiful 2016 eaglets
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MaryF
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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by MaryF » Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:43 pm

Wonderful information on the founding of the host "park" and the Duke family

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Farms

DF   nest area.jpg
DF nest area.jpg (65.65 KiB) Viewed 5038 times
The nest area at Duke Farms


DF   Eagle Gate.jpg
The eagle gate at the entrance to Duke Farms


**************************************************

We lost the cam at this nest about halfway through the eaglets' time at the nest in 2016. This is the last scap I got on a very rainy day when the way to big eaglets were trying their best to get under Mom. :rain:

DF   hiding   2016.jpg
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MaryF
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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by MaryF » Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:44 pm

reserved
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eagleslanding
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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by eagleslanding » Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:38 pm

Any day now a pip. 2 little eggs in the nest.Last year a stray female intruder interfered with mating and eggs. This year we have 2 eggs. Another I believe a 4th northeaster on the way. Hope it misses this nest in New Jersey. This is a sweet simply pleasurable nest to watch.

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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by eagleslanding » Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:57 pm

First egg laid 2/14/18.

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MaryF
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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by MaryF » Sun Mar 25, 2018 1:36 pm

I AM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED HERE TO THE TWO EGGS THAT WERE SO CLOSE TO HATCHING TIME. THEY APPEAR TO HAVE IMPLODED OR SOMETHING! IN EGG #2 THERE WAS AN EAGLET BUT IT WAS NOT ALIVE. I WILL SEE IF I CAN FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED!! :(
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MaryF
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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by MaryF » Sun Mar 25, 2018 1:55 pm

I did find these two pictures on the FB page.


This one courtesy of Brett McClellan shows a big dent in egg#2 ---
DF   egg 2  3-24-18.jpg

And a bit later this one courtesy of Priscilla Reed showing the chick inside egg #2
DF   Egg2 and chick  3-24-18.jpg

Whatever happened to this egg and egg #1 certainly put a very sad, early end to the Duke Farms season! :cry1:
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JudyB
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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by JudyB » Sun Mar 25, 2018 2:57 pm

From what I read, one of the eggs either collapsed or possibly exploded from a build-up of gases on March 23rd (if the egg was fertile but stopped developing fairly early in the process, I understand that the contents can spoil, create methane or a similar gas); the contents appeared to be runny, so development stopped fairly early in the process. It appears that this is less likely to happen to infertile eggs, and we have seen some eggs remain on the nest whole and unhatched through the entire nesting season.

The second egg is sadder - there clearly was a chick very close to hatching, and it's not clear if a hatch was underway, or if something happened to the egg before that happened. It looked as if there might have been a pip on the 23rd, but we weren't seeing the normal hatch progression on the 24th, and eventually part of the shell gave way - and we saw that the chick had died. There was a scuffle on the nest with an intruder at some point during all this, and that could have damaged the egg or caused parts of the shell to break before it was ready. The egg is still intact enough that the parents are continuing to incubate it.

Big hugs to all who have been following this nest. :grhug:

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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by Dino » Sun Mar 25, 2018 3:51 pm

What a shame to lose the eaglet so close to hatch. I have read that some birds that have a hard time hatching due to various reasons will die while trying to get out of the egg. It was an interesting article but I can't remember where it was to tell everyone to read it. It was clear that the parents will not help a baby out of the shell because this expert said the parents may already realize the baby would be too weak to survive. It was interesting and heartbreaking at the same time.

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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by MaryF » Sun Mar 25, 2018 10:28 pm

Thanks JudyB--I wondered when and what happened to egg #1---could not find the information!
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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by IrishEyes » Mon Mar 26, 2018 1:21 pm

JudyB wrote:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 2:57 pm
From what I read, one of the eggs either collapsed or possibly exploded from a build-up of gases on March 23rd (if the egg was fertile but stopped developing fairly early in the process, I understand that the contents can spoil, create methane or a similar gas); the contents appeared to be runny, so development stopped fairly early in the process. It appears that this is less likely to happen to infertile eggs, and we have seen some eggs remain on the nest whole and unhatched through the entire nesting season.

The second egg is sadder - there clearly was a chick very close to hatching, and it's not clear if a hatch was underway, or if something happened to the egg before that happened. It looked as if there might have been a pip on the 23rd, but we weren't seeing the normal hatch progression on the 24th, and eventually part of the shell gave way - and we saw that the chick had died. There was a scuffle on the nest with an intruder at some point during all this, and that could have damaged the egg or caused parts of the shell to break before it was ready. The egg is still intact enough that the parents are continuing to incubate it.

Big hugs to all who have been following this nest. :grhug:
Thanks Judy..... this is heartbreaking :brknhrt:
Big Hugs to all who follow this :grhug:
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HELPFUL HINTS.......Bev...member since 08/04/09

Dino
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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by Dino » Mon Mar 26, 2018 10:24 pm

It is sad what transpired here this year. I guess it is good news that they will not continue to incubate this half hatched chick for a long time. Dad removed the egg and deceased chick on Monday effectively ending thier season. Better luck next year Duke Farms eagles. God bless them and I am sorry to everyone who watches and loves this nest.

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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by MaryF » Tue Mar 27, 2018 7:54 am

"Update from FB ----

"UPDATE 3/26: Failed nest this year. The first egg was empty (3/23) and the second egg contained an underdeveloped chick (3/24). Also, what appeared to be a sub-adult male nest intruder on 3/24."


Mom at the nest yesterday, March 26th
DF   Mom at nest   3-26-18.jpg

A good article from a local source about the Duke Farms nest. (with video and photos)

http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/20 ... fails.html
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Ferenz
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Re: Duke Farms, NJ -- 2018

Post by Ferenz » Tue Dec 25, 2018 4:03 am

Good morning all christmas eagle watchers

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Stille Nacht Chapel in Oberndorf, Austria (Salzburg State) http://www.stillenacht.info/en/

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Last edited by Ferenz on Tue Dec 25, 2018 4:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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