Gov. Phil Murphy, the New Jersey governor, said that the state had received 49 reports of drone sightings on Sunday night. One of them turned out to have been a small aircraft, while others were repeated reports of the same object in the sky.

After several weeks of reports, the sightings were reported after “mystery” drones had been flying at night over New Jersey. There have been reports of drones flying in the same area each night, as well as reports of drones that are unusually large and not used by hobbyists.

FBI continues its investigation into the sightings.

Murphy stated that the nearly 50 reports received on Sunday included some reports of objects that were not drones, and others that multiple people reported the same object. Uncertain was how many reports were genuine drone sightings.

The governor told reporters after a bill-signing in Princeton that “we think these numbers are overstated but it’s still a number.”

Murphy reported that about 20 sightings occurred in Hunterdon County on Sunday. Over the past few weeks, there have been many reports of drones hovering in the county.

Murphy said, “The most important thing is that we don’t care about public safety.”

He said: “It’s frustrating to not have answers about where they are coming from or why they do what they do.”

Drone experts say that many residents who post pictures and videos on social media of “mystery” drones are tracking planes as they approach local airports. Residents were urged to check flight tracking apps and websites, such as FlightAware, to ensure they weren’t looking at an aircraft.

Local officials in New Jersey said that the sightings at night of drones go back as far as November 18 and appear to be genuine sightings. Residents and local officials have reported seeing drones fly over Picatinny Arsenal, located in Morris County. They also saw them flying above Round Valley Reservoir in Hunterdon County, which is the largest reservoir in New Jersey.

Murphy said that the investigation involves Homeland Security, FBI, Secret Service, State Police and authorities from all levels of government.

He said: “I’d just ask people to continue to tell the FBI or local law enforcement when they see anything. We’ll do everything we can to work with our federal partners and get clear answers.”

The FBI has asked that the public report any sightings through its tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI also requested photos and videos that could be uploaded to tips.fbi.gov.

Murphy responded that the drones were “very sophisticated” when asked why it was so difficult to get answers.

He said, “the minute you see them they turn dark.”

Murphy stated that there were “a few rumors” about drones being shot down, but they had not been confirmed. He said that one drone was a toy, and another was never found.

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Murphy stated that officials are concerned most about the safety and security of sensitive targets, critical infrastructure, and sites such as military bases and utilities. They also have concerns for President-elect Donald Trump’s residence, at Trump National Golf Club, in Bedminster.

Murphy stated, “We take this very seriously.” “We have good cooperation from the feds but we need more.”

A state legislator has called for a legislative hearing and a special session to discuss the drone mystery.

State Sen. Doug Steinhardt (R-Warren) said that he had asked Murphy, the state Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Union), and state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) to convene hearings in order to discuss this situation.

Steinhardt and his constituents, he said, are frustrated.

He said, “There is a complete lack of information.” It’s fertile ground for conspiracy theories.

Steinhardt reported that he observed eight to ten tri-colored objects near his Warren County residence on Sunday night. He said some were stationary and others moving.

Steinhardt stated that some of the drones may have been planes and others could be drones.

“I only have the right to speak for myself and what I witnessed.” He said, “I saw both.” More drones than airplanes. “At least one hovered and another changed directions from my view.”

Even drone experts had trouble verifying recent sightings that were posted online. Jason Miklowcic is a New Jersey teacher who has been teaching for over 20 years. He teaches drone flying with UAV Coach, in Sayreville.

He said, “My drone group saw a lot the pictures and many of them went out to try and find the drones.” Most of the time, it’s a plane or helicopter. Many of the sightings were not drones.

Miklowcic stated that even legitimate drone sightings may appear to be planes.

They have red, green and strobe lights and wings. He said that they don’t look like a standard recreational drone. It’s hard to tell them apart.