American oystercatchers mingle alongside construction equipment on the north island of Bonefish Cove. Photos provided by Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management
By Mary Thurwachter
While snowbirds flock to airports and highways as part of an annual southerly migration, birds of the feathered variety have also been arriving locally — and many are landing on a new avian hot spot.
They’re homing in on Bonefish Cove, particularly its northern island, still under construction in the Intracoastal Waterway north of Hypoluxo Island.
So says Mayra Ashton, senior environmental analyst for Palm Beach County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management.
“The birds can be seen on occasion taking advantage of the sand at the project site,” Ashton told The Coastal Star.
“They are generally resting, loafing and feeding in the area,” she says. “On the day we spotted them, we were able to read some of the bands on their legs and report our findings to birding websites dedicated to studying and tracking the different species.
Some of the other birds spotted there are (l-r) American avocet, black skimmer and royal tern.
“That is how we learned where the birds were originally banded, i.e. North Carolina, Virginia and throughout Florida. It is fantastic to see how the project is already providing habitat for these birds.”
The project, a partnership between the county and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was designed to create valuable habitat for flora and fauna that had otherwise been lost or degraded because of past dredge and fill activities, stormwater discharges and shoreline hardening.
Current plans call for two intertidal mangrove islands, each with a bird nesting mound. Both islands will have several intertidal oyster reefs to the north and south.
The islands — named Bonefish Cove after a popular fish that recently returned to the area due to previous county restoration projects — are being formed using 320,000 cubic yards of sand from Peanut Island.
Although the plan has been in the works for years, it took until mid-February for residents of Hypoluxo Island to get wind of it by way of a flyer sent to each of their homes.
Many of the residents are boaters who were concerned when they realized the project, about a half mile in length and directly north of Hypoluxo Island, would take away their traditional navigational access, known as La Renaissance channel, to the Intracoastal Waterway.
But after vociferous protests from residents, the plan was changed to include two islands, not three. The originally planned third (center) island would have blocked the boat passageway via La Renaissance channel.
The $15 million lagoon project is progressing, with the Army Corps finalizing the modification of the original design to leave the traditional boating route to the Intracoastal unaffected.
“The contractor working on building the project continues to transport sand from Peanut Island’s dredge material management areas as the northernmost island continues to take shape,” Ashton says.
The northern island work should be complete in the next couple of months, with the southern island to follow. Completion is likely later this year.
The islands and oyster reefs will provide critical habitat for threatened shorebirds and protected native mangroves, while submerged sea grass and oysters will colonize, improving water quality.
A look at the birds
Here are some of the birds discovered on the north island of Bonefish Cove:
Royal tern: Banded in July 2018 in Hampton City, Virginia.
Black skimmer: One banded in August in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina; another banded in July 2024 in Atlantic, North Carolina, and a third banded in either Martin County or Collier County.
American oystercatchers: 11 birds banded in Palm Beach County between 2021 and 2024, with an additional two banded in Martin and Brevard counties in 2020.
Comments