I love seeing bald eagles and peregrine falcons. Eagles are much easier to spot in this area but both majestic raptors are out there. An annual report from the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife shows both eagles and falcons are doing well in this state. The 211 nesting sites watched by volunteers last year produced 249 young eagles. Across New Jersey 27 new eagle pairs were discovered. In northern New Jersey 5 new pairs were confirmed but none of them were in Sussex County. The number of peregrine falcons declined slightly. Confirmed nests dropped from 40 in 2018 to 38 in 2019. Those nests produced 78 baby falcons last year. There were 9 nests along the cliffs of the Palisades in Bergen and Hudson County. Falcons have also been discovered nesting in several bridges and tall buildings. There are also nesting pairs along the cliffs on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Both raptors were almost wiped out by pesticides and hunting in the 1970's. The average wingspan of a bald eagle is 7 feet. Peregrine Falcons can reach speeds of over 200 miles per hour diving off cliffs to catch prey.
Source: New Jersey Herald
Read 219 NJ Bald Eagle Report Here