Inside the bird-nesting haven few humans see: Tampa's 3D Island
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Tampa's skyline can be seen from 3D Island in Hillsborough Bay. Photo: Port of Tampa
Rising 40 feet above the waters of Hillsborough Bay is a human-made island that's become a vital habitat for beach-nesting birds.
Why it matters: 3D Island and nearby 2D Island — both formed from leftover sand from Port Tampa Bay dredging projects — support the reproduction of coastal birds that are key to a thriving, healthy ecosystem.
- Among the island populations are species that have struggled with population declines, including the black skimmer and American oystercatcher.
👋 Kathryn here. Humans typically aren't allowed on the islands during nesting season, spanning April 1 to Aug. 31.
Yes, but: I was invited on a media tour of 3D Island by Port Tampa Bay spokesperson Lisa Wolf-Chason.
- Guides from Audubon Florida, which manages the island with the port and the Army Corps of Engineers, helped ensure we didn't interfere with nature taking its course.
- After I wrote about Florida's vanishing birds a couple of months ago, the visit last week was a salve.
By the numbers: In June, Audubon representatives counted 220 black skimmer adults, 12 nests and 26 chicks on the island.
- There were 14 American oystercatchers, one nest and four chicks.
- Species of tern — including sandwich, Caspian and royal — numbered in the thousands, as did laughing gulls, those black-and-white birds that are plentiful on Tampa Bay shorelines.
What we saw: There were so many birds that our Audubon and Port guides warned us that we may get pooped on. (Which I somehow avoided. Wolf-Chason wasn't so lucky — sorry, Lisa!)
- Black skimmers, with their long, orange and black beaks, were scattered throughout the island, and we even spotted the rare American oystercatcher on the sandy shore.
- On the way up the ridge were laughing gulls at various stages of growth: nests in the shrubbery with brown-speckled eggs, awkward tan-feathered teenagers stumbling over the sand, and black and white adults squawking above us.
- We paused at the top to observe a group of orange-billed royal terns, their black head feathers sticking up like mohawks. And then we saw the chick, a tiny little fluffball of joy tucked in the white wing of an adult.
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Stunning moment: A pesky vulture trying to poke around the island didn't stand a chance as every bird in the area, no matter the species, chased it off in a flurry of feathers.
What they're saying: "That's the benefit of nesting in a colony," Audubon sanctuary manager Jeff Liechty said.
- "There's power in numbers."
Between the lines: Another benefit of nesting on the island is the lack of people. Several species lay their eggs directly on the sand, making their nests particularly vulnerable — especially on crowded beaches.
- If you see a nesting area blocked off, stay clear of it.
The bottom line: As for 3D Island, it belongs to the birds.
