Mysterious drones hover over Staten Island, similar to the New Jersey phenomenon

STATEN ISLAND, NY – You may have heard about the mysterious, unidentified drones hovering over various areas of New Jersey in recent weeks – but did you know that a similar phenomenon is occurring on Staten Island?

Advance/SILive.com received reports of similar drones spotted near 1441 South Ave., Howland Hook Marine Terminal and other parts of the island.

Former Air Force Sergeant Walter Ziegler of New Springville spotted some of the drones from his home using binoculars.

He described them as “a white light in the middle and a red light on each side.” He estimates the drone’s wingspan to be about 15 feet. They came “within a mile or less” of his apartment, he said, and “they were all lined up.”

In a single case he observed at most “five or six.”

This aligns with reporting from Advance/SILive.com’s sister site NJ.com, which describes some drones as “reportedly unusually large.”

Ziegler added that the drones spotted at Howland Hook were “in the glide path” of Newark International Airport.

“When the plane actually got close to them, the lights went out, and as the plane passed them, the lights came back on and started following the plane toward the airport,” he explained.

Using apps, Ziegler was able to determine that the drones were not helicopters because they lacked the transponders that are normally present on board a helicopter. Although he’s not sure if they have a military connection, he said so was Military, “they wouldn’t have their transponders on anyway.”

The drones hover over a location for a certain amount of time before taking off.

The last time Ziegler saw the drones was Tuesday evening.

When did this start?

FBI agents in New Jersey are investigating incidents in the neighboring state, which New Jersey police began investigating on November 18, NJ.com said.

“Reports of drones have been filed with police in Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Morristown, Morris Township, Chester, Randolph, Rockaway, Morris Plains, Dover and Parsippany in Morris County. Authorities in Hillsborough and Branchburg in Somerset County, as well as communities in Warren County, have also received reports,” NJ.com reported.

These locations are near the Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster. Both sites now have an ordinance prohibiting drones from entering the airspace above them.

Although their origin is unknown, law enforcement officials in New Jersey said the drones posed no threat to residents.