[va-richmond-general] Hart Miller Island Maryland - New breeding site for many rare birds

For the past 9 years, I have been working on a habitat restoration project in 
Maryland called Hart Miller Island, South Cell Restoration.  Hart Miller is a 
1200 acre dredge disposal island located in the Bay near Back River.  You have 
to get there by boat.  It is hard to image it unless you have seen it.  There 
are two "cells".  The North cell has 40 foot earthen walls that rise out of the 
bay to contain dredge material pumped up into it.  It attracts 100 and 1000s of 
shorebirds because the dredge material creates large mudflats.  

The south cell is 300 acres, and only 20 feet above the bay.  They stopped 
pumping dredge material into it over 20 years ago.  In the wisdom of the time, 
the state planted Phragmites on it to help dry out the dredge material.  If you 
do not know Phragmites, it is a very tall grass that grows very invasively on 
disturbed areas as well as in many of our natural wetlands.  When I first 
started working on the South Cell, it was 300 acres of 12-15 foot Phrag.  
Typically Phrag has very little wildlife value - it crowds out all other 
vegetation, very few birds use it.  

The Corps of Engineers and State of Maryland have worked for many years to 
convert the 300 acres into more productive wildlife habitat.  Once complete, it 
will become a permanent part of the park system.  The restoration plan targets 
several groups of birds and habitats.

The surface of the cell was flooded to create open water perched on this mesa 
in the bay.  A pump system allows it to be flooded for winter ducks, and summer 
wading birds, but drawn down in the spring and late summer for the migratory 
shorebirds to feed on the exposed mud.  There is about 180 acres of flooded 
mudflats.

About 120 acres of uplands were planted in native grasses which are struggling 
to out compete the Phrag.  This effort is really a first in converting a Phrag 
dominated upland into a productive grass land. 

A nesting island for Least Terns was built out of shells in the middle of the 
mudflats.


But the best restoration plans do not always work out the way you think the 
will.  

The Phrag in the flooded area was left to stand, hoping it would die off.  
Instead, it has persisted for the last several years.  But now it is provided a 
very unique breeding area for the following species:

At least 50 breeding Pied Grebes pairs, and last count 175 total birds
Probably 30 breeding pairs of least Bitterns
Several suspected Sora rail pairs breeding, not yet confirmed.
Several Common Moorhens breeding
Coots also breeding
Coastal Plain Marsh Sparrow (I think I got that right) is breeding by the 
dozens.  

The flooded standing stalks of the Phrag is providing a predator free zone for 
these species that need this unique habitat, which we totally did not 
anticipate  

At some time in the future, Richmond should try to get up a trip to visit the 
island.  Unfortunately right now there is no boat access to the island unless 
you privately lease one.  

In the Winter there are 50,000 ducks, primarily Scaups.
In the summer there are the unique species discussed breeding in the restored 
south cell which would require kayaks or other small boats.
When conditions are right in the North Cell (i.e. wet mud), there are 1000s of 
shorebirds.  

This site is a Important Bird Area, and is now probably the most important 
breeding area for Grebes, least Bittern, Soras, and Marsh Sparrow in Maryland.  

Hopefully as this refuge matures, we will hear more about it, and it will 
become more accessible to the public.

Bob Siegfried

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