By Christine Healy, Wildlife Biologist

Our search to find the worthy winner of the 2022 CWF Darwin award has officially begun! In
round one of Critter Chaos, 16 competitors headed into the arena to battle for advancement
within their division.

First up, representing the Shorebirds & Raptors, were the red knot vs. the American
oystercatcher and the American kestrel vs. fan favorite, the piping plover. Despite a valiant
attempt by the oystercatcher and her mate to defend their Atlantic County foraging grounds, the
territorial pair were out-manned, out-numbered, out-planned by a group of red knot, busy
bulking up for an Arctic migration. Guess somebody ate their Wheaties—or should we say
horseshoe crab eggs. Similarly, the piping plover and his new mate were driven off their
intended nesting grounds in Cape May County by an American kestrel that made a bee line for
the young male. Plover’s speed saved him from a grizzly end, but for the good of the species,
they had to flee. Perhaps they’ll have better luck at Todd Pover’s Plover Park!

In the Reptiles & Amphibians division, the ground skink took on the federally threatened bog
turtle while the eastern spadefoot toad and the pine barrens treefrog went head-to-head.
Ground skink was headed toward a cloud of flies, congregating over a pile of cow dung in a
Salem County pasture, when he noticed bog turtle basking in a nearby hoof print. Startled by
the appearance of such a bizarre creature, ground skink abandoned the flies and sought refuge
under a rotting log. That turtle may be small, but hey- so was Napoleon… Unfortunately for the
pine barren’s treefrog, it’s battle with the spadefoot coincided with a fierce storm, resulting in an
explosive breeding event for the latter. As the spadefoot is part of the family Scaphiopodidae
rather than Bufonidae and thus, is not a true toad, pine barren’s treefrog exited to a neighboring
vernal pool, unwilling to learn if boils or a thunderstorm of hail and fire were to follow this plague
of frogs.

For the Mammals Division, week one was a battle of bats and rats, with the Indiana bat’s
impressive appetite for insects fueling a win against the higher ranked (and larger) northern
long-eared bat, proving once again that size isn’t a guarantee of strength. Looking at you, bog
turtle! The next match up was between the tricolored bat and the Allegheny woodrat, both listed
as endangered species in New Jersey. The tricolored bat may have had literal flight on its side,
but it would appear it doesn’t matter what you float like if you can punch like a woodrat….

And in our final category, the Grassland Birds & Invertebrates division, we had invasive species
enter the scene! You knew they were going to… It was the robust baskettail (a state threatened
dragonfly) and the frosted elfin (a state threatened butterfly) vs. the dreaded emerald ash borer
and spotted lanternfly, respectively. The battle of dragonfly vs. borer occurred in a wooded
wetland in Camden County. One of the top invertebrate predators of the littoral zone, the robust
baskettail never stood a chance against a falling swamp ash, weakend by ash borer activity.
RIP, soldier. Happily, for the frosted elfin, the recent inclusion of Monmouth County on NJDA’s
quarantine list for spotted lanternflies meant that the “see it, stomp it” campaign was fresh on
the minds of residents. A group of hikers in Assunpink Wildlife Management Area saved us from
a long and likely uneventful standoff.

Red knot, American kestrel, bog turtle, eastern spadefoot toad, Indiana bat, Allegheny woodrat,
emerald ash borer, and frosted elfin all move on to round two!

If you’re enjoying Critter Chaos and you’d like to support our work with New Jersey species, consider symbolically adopting your champion!

We have digital certificates for 12 competitors available in our square store

by Sherry Tirgrath, Wildlife Biologist

The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWFNJ) has returned to the National Guard
Training Center (NGTC) in Sea Girt to continue their work surveying beach wildlife, conducting
vegetation control and providing rare species protection. One facet of the work done here is
using game cameras, deployed throughout the site, to remotely observe and monitor mammals
that utilize the area. CWFNJ has partnered with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Consultants (VHB) and
the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA) to gather data on the
species, number, movement and overall activity of mammals that are captured on the cameras.
This information is used for keeping records and to better understand the travel paths various
mammals take throughout the site.

The game cameras are triggered by motion, so they only capture an image when something
passes within range in front of the sensor. Because motion isn’t specific to just wildlife,
occasionally the cameras capture beachgoers, vehicles and moving vegetation. This means that
it’s important to position the cameras appropriately so that the SD card memory doesn’t
become crammed with “blank photos” caused by false triggers. Even weather can have an
impact on images that are captured: a bad windstorm once resulted in over 1000 blank photos
caused by the camera shaking on its mount. CWF is exploring the use of Google Photo’s
Artificial Intelligence tool to sort through and review the pictures in a more efficient manner.
This AI could potentially isolate photos with wildlife, domestic animals and people from the
blank photos. The SD cards are collected regularly to transmit images to a computer which are
later reviewed and analyzed to gather data. So far, a few different species have shown up
rather frequently on the NGTC cameras.

The most common mammal observed is red fox, followed by white-tailed deer and Virginia
opossum. These are all common species in New Jersey and it’s no surprise that they inhabit the
beach-front property around the National Guard Training Center. All the deployed cameras
captured wildlife which indicates that mammals traverse the site very frequently and utilize the
paths as predicted. Through careful analysis, CWF biologists can even roughly identify
individuals and come up with an approximate population number. For example, a fox with a
short tail has been seen on multiple game cameras so far and is easily identifiable. CWFNJ will
continue to monitor the game cameras and collect images throughout the rest of the year.
Some favorites have been shared below for the public to enjoy.

by Meaghan Lyon, Wildlife Biologist

CWF and Fishing for Energy are excited to announce the addition of a new port in Waretown, New Jersey, where a bin will be placed to collect marine debris removed from Barnegat Bay. Lost, abandoned, and discarded fishing gear threatens important marine wildlife in this USEPA Estuary of National Significance. Barnegat Bay contributes over $4 billion each year to the regional economy, and is home to 560,000 people, and over 1 million people during summer.

Fishing for Energy is an innovative public-private partnership that provides commercial fishermen with a cost-free solution to dispose of derelict fishing gear or gear that is lost, abandoned or discarded. Fishing for Energy is a nationwide partnership between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program (NOAA MDP); Covanta, a world-leading sustainable waste and energy solutions company; and Schnitzer Steel Industries, one of the largest metal recycling companies in the United States.

by Meaghan Lyon, Wildlife Biologist

In partnership with the USFWS New Jersey Field Office, CWF surveys a small population of upland sandpipers and other grassland birds at the McGuire Airfield in Burlington County, New Jersey. The upland sandpiper is a state endangered species nesting at only a few locations in New Jersey. Upland sandpiper, like many other grassland birds, require vast expanses of grassland habitat for nesting and caring for their chicks. Airports tend to be favorable locations consisting of maintained grassland habitat and limited human disturbance.

A total of 35 upland sandpiper observations were made at the McGuire Airfield in 2021, with an average of roughly 8 observations per survey. The overall number of upland sandpiper observations was comparable to 2018’s total of 37 sightings, but the average sightings per survey was lower than last year’s average, as well as the averages since 2017. Based on these observations, at least two to three pairs of upland sandpipers were nesting at the airfield this season. This estimation of nesting pairs is also lower than previous survey years.

Locating upland sandpiper nests is difficult due to the expansive habitat and the birds’ behavior. Most upland sandpipers nest in areas larger than 100 acres with relatively short grass heights. When nesting, the birds tend to fly in circles and loudly call from above to draw attention away from nests and unfledged chicks. Upland sandpipers are also easily disturbed during surveys, often taking flight long before surveyors get close to the nest or chicks. Additionally, the upland sandpipers’ song and call, a whistling “quip-ip-ip-ip, pulippulip, or whip-whee-ee-you,” can also be heard over a long distance.

Surveys during the breeding season from May to July have been ongoing over the past five years to determine the presence of breeding upland sandpipers in relation to ongoing habitat restoration efforts. Restoration efforts include the eradication of invasive plants and seeding of native warm season grasses. Restoration efforts will help conserve nesting habitat for grassland birds and help further limit human disturbance by minimizing mowing activities.

by Christine Healy, Wildlife Biologist

I recently found myself walking along a set of railroad tracks in Union County, returning to my car after assessing habitat for an upcoming coverboard study. I stepped off the tracks at the sound of an approaching cargo train and prepared to wait it out in silence, when a gentleman appeared from the underside of a bridge a little way up the tracks. He looked like he had been swimming or fishing, though where- I had no idea. Probably in some secret location known only to lifelong residents, keenly aware of what the landscape has to offer, and the many ways in which its changed. When he learned I was a biologist, he proceeded to tell me about all the wildlife that he sees during his various excursions; coyotes, foxes, eagles—but when he got to turtles, his smile faltered, and he lamented the fact that “the Muhlenberg’s have gotten hard to find”. He certainly wasn’t wrong about that.

Despite early recognition as an endangered species in New Jersey, population estimates for Glyptemys muhlenbergii, more commonly known as the bog turtle, are less than half what they were in 1974 when they were first listed. This is certainly not for lack of trying; conservation-minded groups and individuals have been working hard to reverse this trend for decades. The bog turtle may be North America’s smallest turtle, but ensuring that they stick around to retain the distinction is no small feat. It takes an army, which is why CWF is so excited to be joining forces with New Jersey Audubon, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and US Fish and Wildlife Service in a 5-year Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Through this agreement, funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), part of the USDA, we aim to restore crucial wetlands within the Upper Salem River Watershed, an important stronghold of the species.   

CWF’s primary role in this collaboration will be landowner outreach. This is critical work because much of the remaining habitat for bog turtles occurs within the boundaries of private property, so landowner participation is vital to the conservation and management of the species. NRCS and FWS offer several programs to make initial restoration work and land preservation in perpetuity both feasible and economical for landowners, however, they aren’t always widely known options. Using satellite imagery and historic records, CWF helps locate parcels with potentially promising habitat and educates interested landowners on the possibilities. We’ve had much success with this method, particularly in northern New Jersey, and look forward to expanding our reach. With the public on board, we are optimistic about the future of our state reptile.