Belle Glade Agricultural Fields

Description: The Belle Glade agricultural fields are located southeast of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County and are part of the Everglades Agricultural Area, an area that was part of the Everglades until the marchland was drained and converted to sugar and vegetable crops. The farmers flood the fields in late summer through early fall to prevent subsidence of the muck soil and to kill nematodes, which feed on the roots of plants. As the water begins to drain off, attractive mud flats emerge for shorebirds. The Belle Glade farmlands are privately owned and managed solely for agriculture. Bird use of the fields is a coincidental artifact of the schedule of flooding the fields, rather than any attempt to create shorebird habitats. The most consistently productive area is Duda Farms, a worldwide agricultural business, which invites the Audubon Society of the Everglades to make one or two field trips per year, usually in August, to the property. In addition, the leaders of the trips have earlier access for scouting purposes. Another site belongs to the South Florida Water Management District off Old State Road 80, near the 20 Mile Bend. It has been under construction for several years and is a Storm Water Treatment area, which consists of ponds of various depths. Shorebirds are not in abundance here, but can be relied upon at water's edge. The most numerous species in the Belle Glade area based on maximum counts from the International Shorebird Surveys are: BBPL (2250), SEPL (40), KILL (1280), GRYE (1940), LEYE (23600), RUTU (67), SESA (7900), LESA (12450), SBDO (5600), DUNL (512), COSN (13).

Survey Method: Most viewing is accomplished on roadsides that border the fields. Occasional access to the farm roads between fields is possible. Visibility is good with a spotting scope due to the flat terrain and absence of interfering foreground shrubs.

Selection Bias: Access may be difficult due to the private ownerships of the fields, and all of the fields may not be viewed successfully from the road.

Measurement error: *

Measurement bias: *

Pilot Studies: Site location varies from year to year depending on which fields are being prepared for planting during the summer, so the sites will need to be located by driving around the area.

Local Contacts: Barbara Liberman, volunteer monitor