We have settled into a more typical August pattern of easterly winds with a small but steady stream of birds passing through Cape Florida. Daily totals have ranged from nothing to 20 birds, and in the past week we added two new species for the season. Our first Common Yellowthroat, an adult female, found the nets today, and we have banded two Swainson’s Warblers this week. These unique birds have a strong blackbird-like beak that they use to toss leaf litter aside as they walk around on the ground looking for insects. South Florida (during both spring and fall migration) is one of the most reliable places to see this secretive warbler that is sought after by birders.
Swainson’s Warbler. (Photo by Michelle Davis)
Today is a significant date in South Florida, as 30 years ago Hurricane Andrew ravaged the southern part of Dade County and damaged or destroyed thousands of houses. He also stripped the vegetation of the few trees left standing which caused hardship for local birds. However, Andrew provided an opportunity to restore native habitats and plant species to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
Dead Australian pines following Hurricane Andrew’s wind and storm surge damage (photo from BBCFSP archives)
Completely removing the Australian pines to replace with native plants (photo from BBCFSP archives)
The Australian pine monoculture covering the future banding area (and most of the rest of the park) was replaced with a hardwood hammock made up of more than a dozen tree species, and other adjacent areas were restored to freshwater wetland vegetation. These plants were hand-planted by dedicated volunteers in the early to mid 1990’s, and the birds have been benefitting from the diversity of food sources ever since.
Pre-Andrew Australian pine monoculture. The needles suppress growth of understory plants (photo from BBCFSP archives)
Restored forest in 2018 with native trees (photo by Michelle Davis)
