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A hearty thank you to the Bergen County Audubon Society for their generous donation of 50 Tree Swallow boxes to the NJSEA for installation at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst and Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus!

The adorable species iridescent blue feathers perfectly complemented by white underparts, and acrobatic-act flights, make Tree Swallows a favorite spring migrant among visitors. As you can see above, they are also incredibly photogenic!

Tree Swallows will only nest in hallowed-out cavities. Given their dwindling habitat, yearly box donations are critical to breeding success in the Meadowlands.

Pictured are Aleshanee Mooney, Field Ecologist with the NJSEA’s Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute, and BCAS President Don Torino.

Thank you once again BCAS!

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The American Eel has a fascinating life cycle, beginning thousands of miles away in the Sargasso Sea. The translucent larvae, aptly known as glass eels, traverse the Atlantic Ocean using currents. Their migration ends in estuaries and freshwater habitats along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of North America. As they mature, they begin to develop a gray pigment and transition towards freshwater lakes, ponds, and rivers. At this stage, they are referred to as elvers.

American eel and its juvenile forms are an indicator species, meaning its presences suggests clean water and a healthy ecosystem. Monitoring glass eels can help us better understand the water quality and ecological diversity of the Hackensack River. 

On March 11^th, eel mops were deployed at three locations throughout the Meadowlands for weekly assessments. With four glass eels (top right picture) and one elver (top left picture) identified, the results have positive indications regarding the health of the ecosystem. Since migration typically occurs in the late winter through the late summer months, we hope numbers will continue to rise as the season progresses. 

Over the past four decades, the once threatened Osprey population has made an incredible resurgence. With this exciting increase in population came a lack of adequate nesting environments, limiting successful breeding efforts. Ospreys seek to build nests in the highest places in marshes, such as tall dead trees and utility poles, which are vulnerable to human and environmental intervention. To assist in the recovery of the Osprey population in the Meadowlands, the NJSEA has constructed numerous nesting platforms across the region.

Within the past weeks, a breeding pair of Ospreys has returned to one of the nesting platforms in the Meadowlands marshes (top picture). A newly deployed camera has allowed staff to excitedly monitor the activity and breeding success of this pair.

As demonstrated by this pair, Ospreys typically arrive on breeding grounds in late March to begin nest building. If breeding is successful, two to four eggs will be laid by mid-April to early May. The incubation period lasts roughly five weeks, followed by seven to eight weeks of raising the chicks. The summer will then be spent learning to fly and hunt in preparation of fall migration.

With luck, our breeding pair will be successful this spring and we will be able to follow the chicks along their journey. We hope to eventually find a way to live stream footage from the tower to the public. For now, weekly updates, photos, and videos will be available via our Instagram (@mrri_njmeadowlands).