Scrub Restoration in PEAR Park

PEAR Park lies across from Legacy on the other side of 27. To entice the scrub jays living in the adjacent neighborhood of Plantation, where they find an atypical habitat, PEAR Park's volunteers established a scrub habitat. They hope that the youngsters of remaining families will branch off into their own clan. So far, the scrub jays have come to check it out, but they haven't stayed yet. Above, three typical scrub oaks: Chapman, sand live and myrtle oak. The bird's favorite nesting tree is the sand live oak which looks like a small live oak when it is a bit taller.Scrub jays need open sand to stash their acorns. In their natural habitat, the soil is so dry that sandy patches stay open. Scrub plants are adapted to the dryness.Coral bean, a scrub flowerGrassleaf Roseling

A view of PEAR Park's restored scrub.

June 26, 2010 Area 1

Area 1 is adjacent to the row of trees along the former railroad line and the small forested area behind it. Although biologists know that scrub jays do not inhabit areas next to tall trees, the majority of the small scrub oaks were planted here and the area was declared a bird habitat. Many other birds live here, but quite predictably no scrub jays.

The photo below was taken in September 2008 right after the scrub oaks were planted.

View from Nostalgia Drive towards Pine Straw. The photo with the rainbow was taken in July 2009 when the scrub oaks from 10 months before had either died or disappeared in the tall Bahia grass.View from Pine Straw towards Nostalgia. The photo above was taken in June 2010 when barely any scrub oaks had survived.

Area 2 is visible in the background.One part of Area 1 is far enough from the trees to become appropriate habitat for scrub jays. It lies upland from Old Quarry Pond (to the right) and the prairie and ephemeral pond to the left.Many scrub oaks have not survived, maybe 10%. Other oaks still struggle to survive in the tall grass.

Proposal to Comply with the Habitat Management Plan

Important:


1. The restoration of the scrub jay habitat is a mandate by regulatory agencies and needs to be incorporated in the regular maintenance plan for the community.

2. All proposals below need the cooperation of the BOD, the CAM, and ENC. The expertise of our landscaping company will be necessary.

Phase 1: Clean-up
1. Mow Bahia grass in areas 2, 3 , and 4.  Area 3 is easiest because it is the smallest and its borders are clearly visible.
2. Mow Bahia grass in one part of area. Volunteers will delineate area with stakes and string.
3. Most mowing needs to be done with narrow machines and under supervision because the scrub oaks are too small to be seen by someone riding on a wide machine.
4. Remove blackberry and other bushes that encroach on the remaining scrub oaks.

Phase 2: Restore
1. Remove several patches of Bahai grass and add sand in areas 1, 2,3, and 4. Volunteers will assist.
2. Add sand live oaks and other scrub oaks in specific areas to be indicated by Jay Watch volunteers from Legacy. This can be done in phases. Sand live oaks look like small live oaks and are just as beautiful. To see three kinds of scrub oaks, please visit PEAR Park's restoration area.

Phase 3: Maintain
Include the habitats and the additional scrub oaks in the enhancement areas in the regular maintenance plan for our community.

The Threatened Florida Scrub-Jay

Is this area maintained? Scrub jay habitat should have short grass and open sandy patches.What does 'threatened' mean compared to 'endangered'? 'Endangered is very close to extinction. 'Threatened' means that the numbers decrease, but that there are areas wehre they are comparatively stable. In Florida, three areas with stable scrub jay populations: Ocala National Forest, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Archbold Biological Station, which is located on the Lake Wales Ridge.The sentinel bird watches over his family.They have managed to stabilize their population from last year: 14 birds. Last year, only 11 were counted, but counting them is not that accurate since they do not sit in a row and tend to fly off when they discover that these humans have no food in their hands. While we were counting birds in one area, the previous group might have flown to area 3 to be counted again. By the way, the numbers are still to low for a viable population. Inbreeding, disease, and predators could reduce them in a flash.

June 24, 2010 Enhancement Area

This view towards Illumination Lane shows an area that is an 'enhancement area' on the map. It provides no food, no shelter, no appropriate oaks for scrub jays.The small oak at the end of Illumination - at the end of this row of homes- is the scrub jays' refuge. They fly along the wetlands to find food and they use the sandy patch below the oak to stash acorns.

This is the view from the Enhancement Area across the weltands towards Area 4.

June 24, 2010, Enhancement Area

This photo shows the part of the enhancement area behind the cul-de-sac of Illumination Lane. Four scrub jays live in the small oak tree to the left. Hopefully, these are two adults and two babies. We were not 100% sure. The homes in the background are in Highland Lakes.The dip in the ground is a retention pond. Retention ponds are dry.At the foot of the tree, a sandy patch allows the jays to bury their acorns.

The area west of the oak tree down Illumination's backyards is planted in Bahia grass. A swale and berm separate the yards from the protected wetlands. Scrub jays fly to the bird feeders provided by the residents of Illumination Lane.

June 24, 2010, Area 4

Area 4, like areas 2 and 3, is totally overgrown with Bahia grass, weeds, and blackberry brambles. The photo shows just 2 scrub oaks barely sticking their heads out above the grass. The view here is east  towards Highland Lakes. The area is just off the scrub jay trail behind the southern cul-de-sac of Blue Savannah. No scrub jays were sighted.More blackberriesThe house in the background is at the cul-de-sac of Illumination Lane in Legacy.Overgrown area 4 to the left, dead scrub oak below.At the southern entrance of the scrub jay trail. This area is part of the enhancement area, but no scrub oaks were planted here. Scrub jays usually hang out here, especially after the Bahia grass to the right is mowed. We saw 5 scrub jays on June 13 and 3 on June 24th, 3 again on June 25, one of them definitely a baby. Since sprinklers were on on June 24th, other birds like cowbirds and a European starling had moved in to pick on worms and bugs flushed out by the water. Scrub jays prefer drier conditions.

June 24, 2010, Area 3

Area 3 at the eastern edge of Scrub Jay Pond is tiny and next to a tall tree. The view here is from the trail next to homes on Greenfly Orchid towards the east and across Scrub Jay Pond. The homes in the background belong to our neighbor Highland Lakes. Area 3 lies to the left of the tall tree. We did not see any scrub jays in this area. Close-up of area 3. Luckily, the oaks survived here because the soil is moist next to the wetlands. However, the oaks are still too small to be of value to the birds. The Bahia grass is much too high.This sand live oak stands at the northern entrance of the scrub jay trail. Sand live oaks are the scrub jays' favorite nesting treee, however, this tree is much too big for scrub jays. Still, its acorns are a valuable food source. You may notice that sand live oaks look like a smaller version of the live oak and are therefore a suitable tree for smaller lots.

The car happens to be on the trail because a handicapped resident needed to unload fertilizer in his backyard.

On June 23, three scrub jays came out of the bushes where the photographer is standing. On June 24, no scrub jays were sighted. On June 25th, we saw two scrub jays who did not bother to come down to look at us. Obviously, they knew that we had no food for them

June 24, 2010, Area 2

Area 2 lies between the cul-de-sacs of Discover Court and Nostalgia Drive. The survival rate of scrub oaks there is  an estimated 5 %.

No scrub-jays were sighted in the planted area whereas 3 were counted at the southern edge of  the area on June 23, 2010. They flew in from the wetlands to the left of the photo above which was taken at the access corridor between Nostalgia Drive and Nostalgia Pond. 

The stick to the right is a dead scrub oak. Despite the rainy winter season, this once green scrub oak below now is dead.Dead scrub oakBlackberries encroaching onScrub oak close to blackberry

View of the area facing towards Discover Court. Almost no scrub oaks have survived. The Bahia grass and weeds are knee-high and blackberries encroach from the wetlands to the left.

View of the access corridor from Nostalgia Drive. The view faces west. The three scrub jays mentioned above sat on the bushes straight ahead. According to birding neighbors, the scrub jays fly in and out, disappear for weeks but show up again later. They could very well be part of a family that we counted in a different area.