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Bree Hawkins

@learningbybirding

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The Ospreys still desperately need your help if we don’t want a silent summer, so lock in!

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is accepting comments through October 9th on a proposed reduction of the Bay Cap (number of fish that can be caught in the Chesapeake Bay) and Total Allowable Catch (TAC, the maximum number of fish that can be caught along the Atlantic Coast) for Atlantic Menhaden.

The science has been clear: Menhaden stock was overestimated by 37% and a 50% reduction in TAC and the Bay Cap is warranted given this gross miscalculation and what we are seeing happen in the Bay and across the Atlantic Coast. We need as many people as possible to sign onto the comment letter by the @chesapeakebayfoundation (linked in my bio). Please add any personal stories you have about ospreys or why they’re so important to you (or fish/whales/dolphins/lobster). We also need people to share this information wide and far, we need anyone who’s ever cared about ospreys or thought they were cool to watch to hear about this and join us in this fight. I also have the @menhadendefenders petition linked in my bio under ‘Ospreys’ with the comment letter

Please engage with this post so we can get as many people as possible to see it!

We’ll be continuing to share more about the issues surrounding Ospreys and Menhaden, so let us know what questions you have in the comments!

#osprey #ospreys #conservation #EnvironmentalScience #naturalist by @learningbybirding

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16 days ago

Osprey House Tour 🪹 🦅

Now that Osprey season has come to an end, I’m finally sharing the house tour <3

First floor: the marsh! In our area (coastal NJ), ospreys tend to prefer salt marshes over fresh water lakes. This is why we don’t see them nesting on campus, despite having dedicated nesting platforms. You’ll often see them just chilling in the grass 🌾

Second floor: the perch! We install perches near all of our nesting platforms to give the adults somewhere to perch off the nest. You’ll often see adults feeding on perches or watching over the nest. When selecting nesting sites that aren’t on a platform, ospreys typically choose a location with somewhere nearby to perch

Third floor: the nest platform! These are square shaped, and sometimes are lined on the underside with chicken wire or plastic fencing to prevent nesting material from falling through. Usually parents do a pretty good job at building a secure nest, even without the “safety net”! Parents will construct a nest out of sticks, marsh grasses, and seaweed. They lay their eggs in the center in the indentation 🪺 there are perch extensions on the nest platforms as well!

Headphones were worn & I lip-synched so as not to subject the young chicks to extra noise and stress! Filming was limited to the short amount of time we were collecting data and changing out SD cards in the game cameras. All research is conducted under proper permits with @stocktonuniversity @stocktonsciences. Do not interfere with nesting wildlife!

Will be sharing more on the outcomes of our season now that field season is winding down. Sadly we saw losses around 85% this season :(

All of these clips were filmed early in the season in June

#osprey #birds #birding #birdwatching #birder by @learningbybirding

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2 months ago

Do you want to help the ospreys? Because they really need your help right now, and there’s something you can do! I’ve linked the letter to the ASMFC that’s been drafted by the @chesapeakebayfoundation in my linktree. We’re asking that they listen to the science and reduce the TAC by 50% and the Bay cap to protect marine life. Ospreys aren’t the only species that depend on menhaden; whales, dolphins, other fish, and eagles all depend on this vital fish. We also need state legislators pushing harder for answers, no more delays in starting the research! And we need the wellbeing of our wildlife to be prioritized over industry interests and profits

Menhaden footage by the amazing @what.sue.seas, thank you so so much for always being the most supportive human ever!! Your photography and videography really tells the stories we need people to care about in conservation 🫶🏼🦅

All other Osprey footage is my own (@learningbybirding)

If you didn’t already know, I’m researching ospreys with other students and our professor Melanie Schroer at @stocktonuniversity @stocktonsciences! We will be sharing more of our research and field experiences on the newly created Instagram @njospreyecology

Please share this wide and far, repost, talk about it with your friends and family, the person in front of you in line at the coffee shop, your neighbor. Anyone and everyone. Welcoming any and all collaboration or ideas for advocacy! The ospreys are depending on us 🩵

#birding #birdwatching #osprey #birds #conservation by @learningbybirding

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a month ago

I ran into @learningbybirding and her friends while looking for the Fork-tailed Flycatcher at Forsythe yesterday as well. They were kind enough to give me an interview as well!
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#rarebird #birders #birdersofinstagram #nature #njbirders taken in Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge by @learningbybirding

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6 hours ago

This white-throated sparrow likely had just made their way south for winter, completing a journey between 500-1,500 miles, only to encounter 20+ ft of ground-to-ceiling untreated glass on @stocktonuniversity’s campus. Every year, we see upticks in the number of dead birds found near windows like clockwork as migration picks up.

I can’t help but imagine what this bird’s life could’ve been like if it weren’t cut so short. The joy this bird could have brought people. I wish I had gotten the chance to observe this bird under different circumstances. They’re one of my favorite winter backyard birds. I wish I’d gotten the chance to know this bird 💔 what I can do? Continue to educate people on the harms of glass to birds & inform people about what they can do

So, what *can* you do to help migrating birds make their journey safely?
- apply decals like the ones from @featherfriendly (applied on the USC sky bridge in 2023) both residentially and commercially (~1 billion birds die due to building/window collisions annually in the U.S.)
- turn out the lights at night for migrating wildlife
- dim your lights at night/use curtains
- document windowstrikes on platforms like @inaturalistorg and if you’re on Stockton’s campus, we have an iNaturalist project that we use to collect data on where to target next for FeatherFriendly decals
- advocate for ordinances requiring new buildings be built with bird-friendly glass
- keep your cat inside (they kill 1.3 billion birds in the U.S. annually)
- VOTE
- contact your representatives about issues facing birds

#birding #birdwatching #birds #migration #sparrow by @learningbybirding

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8 hours ago

Did you think the fight was over? NOT YET!

The comment period on the Bay Cap (BC) ended October 9th, but we have until October 19th to email the ASMFC about their coastwide Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits! It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a few sentences telling them why and how they should reduce the TAC
Email: comments@asmfc.org
Subject line: Atlantic Menhaden 2027-2028 TAC
Comment:
- reduce TAC by 50%
- you can also urge for a moratorium/greater reduction in TAC, though this is not being considered. Because of that, you can say you’re in favor of a 50% TAC reduction only because it’s the strictest/most conservative management option being considered at the moment
- set a strict TAC, not one that fluctuates according to a formula
- WHY you want a TAC reduction: ospreys are starving, not enough bait fish for local fisherman, dolphin/whale watching, striped bass, eagles, other sea life. Make this personal, have you been struggling to catch fish or find baitfish for fishing? Have you seen less ospreys or watched them starve to death? Have you seen less dolphins/whales/marine life?

Once you’ve emailed them, let me know in the comments why YOU want to see TAC reduced 🐟🦅🐋🐬

More background: (see pinned reels for more info on Osprey conservation issues)
~ 85% of Osprey young did not survive in NJ
~ 81% of pairs in high-salinity areas of the Chesapeake Bay did not fledge any young (CB is the historic stronghold for the species)
- the menhaden stock was overestimated by 37% and current TAC and BC are based off of this
- the ASMFC delayed reducing the TAC/BC by a year despite knowing this, reducing TAC by only 20%
- Osprey populations along the Atlantic Coast have plummeted in the last 2 years. Last year was bad, this year was devastating (56% reduction in reproductive success in 2025 compared to the previous 5 year average)
- the minimum threshold for reproductive rate is 0.8 to sustain the population, but some this rate lies between 0.8 and 1.3 chicks/nest depending on who you ask
- in the Mullica River/Great Bay Estuary, only 0.44 chicks/active nest and 0.33 chicks/ occupied nest survived

#osprey #ospreys #conservation #wildlife #birds by @learningbybirding

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a day ago

Reminder: wildlife cannot vote, but you can!!! 🦅

NEW JERSEY: Tomorrow, October 13th is the deadline to register to vote in the General Election in November! Make your voice count 🗳️

You can register to vote at the 🔗 in my b!0 (any state) and I also have a 🔗 to the NJ voter information portal

Other voter deadlines I think are important for my audience:
PA: October 19th
NY: October 24th
MI: October 19th (mail/online registration, can register in person up until 8 PM on Election Day)

Most other states’ registration deadlines fall into the 14-30 day period before an election

Vote has information about all other state deadlines! Don’t forget, they want you to think your vote doesn’t matter. It’s times like these that your vote is more important than ever, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to make a positive difference for your community!

#vote #election #birding #nature #wildlife by @learningbybirding

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4 days ago

My unfiltered thoughts and no trending audio after stopping to look at some vultures on my way to University Weekend today 🥰

I <3 vultures

#vulture #vultures #BlackVulture #birding #birds by @learningbybirding

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6 days ago

My final plea to you!!! Please go sign onto the letters, the petition, or write a comment if you feel up to drafting your own!

The Ospreys are starving and need us to speak up and make the AMFSC listen to us - listen to them. They’re telling us something is going really wrong in our marine environments, it’s up to us to listen and advocate for the necessary changes

🦅Comment letter by @chesapeakebayfoundation

🐟Petition by @menhadendefenders and they also have a latter drafted to the secretary of commerce calling for a 12-mile buffer along the coast for reduction fishing boats

See my pinned reels for more background on this conservation issue!

#osprey #ospreys #bunker #conservation #fish by @learningbybirding

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7 days ago

Not enough Ospreys are surviving to sustain their populations in many regions across the Atlantic Coast. We’re seeing the pattern worsen year after year. Last year was bad, but this year was absolutely grim. Tell the ASMFC to reduce the Bay Cap and Total Allowable Catch (TAC) by 50% for our wildlife! Menhaden are a keystone species, with so many other species depending on them. I have linked the comment survey from the AMFSC directly (self-drafting a comment), the @chesapeakebayfoundation comment letter (sign-on), and the petition from @menhadendefenders in my linktree in b!0

Please share this with someone that cares about Ospreys ❤️🦅 (or dolphins/whales/striped bass/eagles/lobster/etc)

We only have till Friday, so please like/comment/share/repost/rewatch and help get this out to someone that maybe hasn’t heard the news about the Ospreys yet. Two of my pinned videos are also on this issue and shed more light on the details & background!

#birding #birdwatching #osprey #ospreys #conservation by @learningbybirding

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9 days ago

If you’re local and want to collab on this one lmk. Protest this Thursday 10/8/26 at #stockton Campus Center @1:15pm. #stocktonuniversity #southjersey #gallowaynj by @learningbybirding

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10 days ago

The only thing better than birding is birding with friends💕 by @learningbybirding

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10 days ago