PLUMSTED — The official bird of Plumsted will once again have its day in the spotlight when a local organization hosts the second annual New Jersey Bluebird Festival. From 8 a.m.-2 p.m. May 3, attendees will be invited to walk local trails and learn about the Eastern bluebird from members of Nurture Environmental Stewardship Today (NEST).
“We really want to focus on getting people outside with local and statewide experts to see some bluebirds and learn a little bit more about [them],” NEST President William Lewis said.
During the rain-or-shine festival, walks with bluebird experts and environmentalists will take place in two locations.
From 8-10 a.m., a walk will take place at the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area at the corner of East Colliers Mills and Hawkin roads in Jackson.
During the second walk, participants will join New Jersey Bluebird Society President Allen Jackson in visiting bluebird nest boxes at the Good Tree Farm, 82 Jacobstown Road, New Egypt, 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
There will be a “Birds of Prey” exhibit at Good Tree Farm 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. featuring falcons that are used to clear birds from the runways at nearby Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
“I guess you can say the falcons are federal employees,” Lewis joked.
Lewis, who is a resident of New Egypt, said the exhibit was a hit with families last year. He said organizers are hoping to attract between 300 and 400 attendees.
The event receives support from Plumsted Township, and Lewis said NEST also relies on donations from residents and organizations such as the Plumsted Business Merchants Association, the New Egypt Baseball League, the Plumsted Presbyterian Church and the New Egypt MOMS Club.
Over the years, he said, a focus on Eastern bluebirds and their nesting habits has been a major issue for the region.
Difficult winters in the 1960s and 1970s caused many Eastern bluebirds to die. In addition, a shift from agriculture to industrial and residential development throughout New Jersey reduced the number of viable habitats for the birds as trees were cut down.
In an attempt to reverse the species’ decline, individuals built special homes for the birds, and that effort led to the bluebird’s slow comeback.
Lewis said ongoing efforts to revitalize the region’s bluebird population have moved slowly, as a result of a number of wet and cold winter and spring seasons.
“If you talk to farmers, they will tell you this year’s growing season was pushed back because of the weather. Well, the bluebird population is another indicator of the weather and their general health,” he said.
Normally, bluebirds create their nests and begin reproducing in March. This year, however, local bird enthusiasts have noted that the species had barely made any nests as of the middle of April.
NEST members expect to begin seeing bluebird nests by the end of April and into early May.
“We are expecting this year to be another down season for the bluebird, which makes our campaign to support the bird all the more important,” Lewis said.