L.A. LOOKS Wildlife Corner Photo & Article By Barbara Ann Comer The Boat-tailed Grackle is a common year-round resident of Lake Ashton that cannot be missed! This large, gregarious blackbird is loud! The male (above right) is an iridescent blue-black with a long, keel-shaped tail. The female (above left) leads most observers to believe they are seeing a completely different species. She is tawny-brown with slightly darker wings and tail and is smaller than the male. Their vocalizations sound like noisy, nonsensical chatter. Usually found near the water or at bird feeders their flamboyant demeanor calls attention to themselves. An interesting fact is that the ones south of Gainesville have dark eyes while those farther north have yellow eyes. The male Boat-tailed Grackles strut around boldly on long legs with their tails cocked up. Males (often in small groups) point their bills straight up into the air attempting to attract the ladies. PONDS AND THE EFFECTS OF GRASS CL IPPINGS The majority of homeowners use a lawn care provider to keep their lawns in good condition. During the hot summer months, contractors are in a hurry to beat the heat and mow homes that border ponds with less caution. When grass clippings are added to a pond, the nitrogen levels rise, increasing the likelihood of algae blooming. Please remind lawn care contractors to mow with the chute closed or in a direction that does not blow clippings into the pond. If you have any questions about aquatic maintenance in Lake Wales ponds, please email Operations Manager Matt Fisher at mfisher@lakeashtoncdd.com. LA II (WH) HOA BOARD • Kristy McKibben, President, presidentla2hoa@outlook.com • Gary Johnson, Secretary, secretaryla2hoa@outlook.com • Ray Rudy, Treasurer, treasurerla2hoa@outlook.com • Dave Bishop, VP & ARC Liaison, vparcla2hoa@outlook.com • Bill Testa, VP & Asst. Treasurer, vptreasurerla2hoa@outlook.com LA (LW) HOA BOARD • President Tom Hevel, president@lakeashtonhoa.org • Vice President David Muller, vp@lakeashtonhoa.org • Vice President 2 Debbie Holmes, vp2@lakeashtonhoa.org • Treasurer Nancy Baker, treasurer@lakeashtonhoa.org • Secretary Tim Doyle, secretary@lakeashtonhoa.org • Officer Bob Prowant, manager@lakeashtonhoa.org • Officer Greg Bluemke, arc.lakeashtonhoa.org 12
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