Tropical Audubon Society

South Florida’s Voice of Conservation

My son Philip and I have been doing a little scouting for the June Challenge. We decided to check out the Cave Swallows that have been nesting for some time on the turnpike bridges and exit bridge for Campbell Drive in Homestead. These bridges are the farthest south along the Florida Turnpike for nesting Cave Swallows that I have found so far. We checked this very large colony yesterday to see the swallows. The first birds that we found were Cliff Swallows which surprised me as we were not expecting that. I think that there are perhaps two or three pairs that are nesting under the southbound turnpike bridge. The bridge goes over a canal so seeing under the bridge to get a photo was not possible from where we were. We were on the north side of the canal, it may be possible to see the nest from the south side but that is a challenge to get there.

I think that this may be the first nesting of Cliff Swallows in Miami/Dade County. I have seen them taking mud from Cutler Wetlands a few years ago, but could not tell where they were taking the mud.

We will go back and try to get photos soon.

Larry and Philip Manfredi