Fort DeSoto reopens and the birds return

After being heavily damaged by hurricanes Helene and Milton last fall, Fort DeSoto State Park was closed for an extended period and didn’t fully reopen until late February. This past weekend, I braved a trip on I-4 to visit the park with a friend, and I was happy to see many of the birds have returned – including migrating warblers.

The ranger’s home at the park has been abandoned, and the area around it and its overgrown yard has become a great spot for birds. We saw Cape May, Black-and-White, Prairie and Common Yellowthroat warblers plus some other birds close by.

Near the home was a rock fountain that had attracted birds looking for a drink of fresh water or to cool off. It too had been impacted by the hurricane and wasn’t repaired until recently. It did its job of attracting birds on a hot Sunday afternoon.

More on my Fort DeSoto trip to come, but here are the warblers and friends I photographed.