An environmental jewel, the Piney Point Bird Colony is home to a diverse collection of birds that nests on several small islands located within Cockroach Bay.
For more than a decade, Audubon of Florida staff have recorded the nesting bird population on the property.
Richard Paul, sanctuary manager, and Ann Paul, assistant manager, both of Audubon’s Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries, conduct the annual spring bird count survey, making note of any trends or changes to the populations.
“Piney Point Bird Colony is very important wildlife habitat,” said Ann.
Tri-colored Herons, Reddish Egrets, White Ibis and Little Blue Herons nest at Piney Point. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has identified these as “species of special concern.”
These two nestling Tricolored Herons were spotted at Piney Point.Piney Point is the second largest wading bird colony inside Tampa Bay and among Florida’s most diverse colonies.
The Reddish Egret has only 400 nests in Florida – three pairs of these have nested at Piney Point. Wildlife biologists are concerned that the state’s population of White Ibis and the listed herons and egret species are declining due to development of the freshwater wetlands where the birds forage.
A visit to Piney Point indicates that the number of nests normally ranges from 2,500 to 4,000. Piney Point offers a good site for nesting birds because it is protected from public access. Disturbance of nesting birds can cause trauma to eggs in the nest, nestlings too small to fly, and newly fledged birds.
Surrounded by water in which at least one rather large alligator patrols, the islands provide a safe refuge from raccoons and other natural predators.
Audubon of Florida staff members conduct a bird count survey.
Audubon of Florida has designated the colony as a “Florida Important Bird Area” because of the size and diversity of the bird colony.
In addition to surveying the Piney Point Bird Colony, the Pauls conduct counts throughout April, May and June along the coastal areas of four Tampa Bay area counties, including, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota.
“We share the earth with birds and other wildlife, and depend on a healthy environment for clean air, food, and shelter,” said Rich. “Monitoring wildlife is an important part of paying attention to our own impact. By protecting wildlife, we protect ourselves as well.”
