Are there migrating birds at Fort Taylor?
Australian Pines produce seeds for food as well as providing hiding places for insects, which attract resident birds year around. They also provide shade and ample food for many migrant birds that are passing through the area. These pines, as a food source, are even more reliable than indigenous seasonal sources, since seeds can be found on the ground even when seasonal plants are not producing food. Migrant seed-eating birds seen at the pine forest in Fort Taylor include: Savannah, Grasshopper, White-crowned and Bachman’s Sparrows, Rose-breasted, Blue and occasionally Black-headed Grosbeaks, Painted and Indigo Buntings, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and a variety of colorful Wood warblers (Joseph Ondrejko). One only has to spend a few moments under the pines at the park to hear the clear, uplifting songs of the resident birds.
