Wildlife Corner Photo & Article By Barbara Ann Comer PROTECT LAKE ASHTON’ S PONDS The Red-shouldered Hawk is a fairly common year-round resident of Lake Ashton. This medium-sized Hawk of the swamps and woodlands is quite vocal. However, Blue Jays do a great imitation of its downslurred call, so residents might want to investigate if they think they hear one. This relatively long-tailed and longlegged hawk is larger than a crow. The plumage can vary a lot depending on the age of the bird. Females, as with all raptors (hawks, owls and eagles) are the larger of the two sexes which are identical. The tail is always heavily banded and in the adult the breast shows reddish and the bird does indeed have red "shoulders." They are easily identified in flight by "wing windows" toward the outer edge of the wings. They eat a variety of food including small mammals, frogs and snakes. They often hunt from a perch and are frequently seen on utility lines. REMINDER TO ALL RESIDENTS: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD RESIDENTS CONDUCT WORK OF ANY KIND ON CDD PROPERTY. THIS INCLUDES PONDS, COMMON AREAS, OR CONSERVATION/ WETLAND AREAS. IF THERE ARE ANY CONCERNS REGARDING POND EROSION OR OTHER AREAS IN NEED OF MAINTENANCE, PLEASE CONTACT LA (LW) CDD COMMUNITY DIRECTOR CHRISTINE WELLS (CWELLS@LAKEASHTONCDD.COM) OR LA (WH) CDD COMMUNITY DIRECTOR JAMES MARGESON (JMARGESON@LAKEASHTON2CDD.COM). Summer is on its way, which means scorching days with lots of sunlight. Algae development occurs most frequently during the summer months, when rainfall and pond water temperatures rise. There are numerous ways residents may help keep Lake Ashton's Ponds attractive right now. • Avoid overfertilization and careless application. • Remove pet waste from your yard. • Ensure that landscape providers mow lawns with the chute pointing away from the pond bank. These actions will help to reduce nutrient runoff from summer rainfall. When the nutrients in the water get too high, the chance of an algae bloom increases. If an algae bloom occurs in a Lake Ashton CDD pond, the CDD contracts with an aquatics provider to treat the algae biweekly. Email Matt Fisher with any questions or concerns at mfisher@lakeashtoncdd.com.
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