The News of
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SUN CITY CENTER COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Sun City Center
June 2021
CA SCHEDULE
JUNE 7 Board Workshop Caper Room - 9 a.m. Also, via Zoom ID: 869 9765 4527 Passcode: 850947 8 Hurricane Preparedness Meeting (CA Members Only – I/D required) Community Hall – 1 p.m. 9 Board Meeting Rollins Theater – 9 a.m. Also, via Zoom ID: 815 6358 0832 Passcode: 050051 15 Club Leaders Meeting Florida Room - 10 a.m. Also, via Zoom ID: 898 1760 7868 Passcode: 118064 16 Bandstand Concert 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dixie Swing Garage Band & Philly Buster Cheesesteaks 22 Town Hall Meeting Re: Long Range Plan & Financial Discussion Community Hall – 7 p.m. Also, via Zoom ID: 852 6646 0274 Passcode: 969382 Agendas for the monthly Board Meetings will be posted on Official Bulletin Board in the Atrium the Friday before and on the CA website (www.suncitycenter.org – under “Residents” – Upcoming Meeting Agendas). They will also be sent via “What’s New in the CA” email blast.
CA Contact Information Administration Office 1009 N. Pebble Beach Blvd, SCC Phone: 813.633.3500 Hours – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., M-F sccboard@suncitycenter.org Website: suncitycenter.org Information Center: 813.633.4670
Sun City Center Celebrates Earth Day
By Diane M. Loeffler The Sun City Center Audubon Society celebrated the 51st anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 at the SCC Community Association’s West Campus Nature Trails. The weather cooperated beautifully with clear skies, a light breeze, low humidity and temperatures in the upper seventies. Sixty-seven individuals signed up at the trailhead. Most of the participants had not been on the trail before despite living here for some time. One couple, Brent and Brenda Green, just moved into the Community Association a week before. Barb Durant joined the Audubon Society just before the pandemic hit. She is excited about the society’s programs and trips resuming. At 10 a.m. master birder, Ray Webb Ray Webb leads the Bird Lovers Walk while the group brings along a News of Sun City led the Bird Lovers’ Walk. Webb says, Center. "I have been a birder all my life. I Since the park and its trails are near around 7:45 in the morning. They are at joined the Tampa Audubon Society in homes, there have been no prescribed their most active then. The best place to 1975 and then here in Sun City Center burns. Some plants, animals and see them is along the water.” in 2004.” Webb says he has seen 105 birds require an environment that has Melanie Higgins led the 10:30 Tree species of birds in the West Campus recently been burned. One of these is Huggers Walk. She says, “I am passionate Nature Trails area. He pointed out the scrub jay. Webb says, “If you want about restoration.” She explained the the osprey on its nest on an elevated to see scrub jays, go to Duette Preserve various habitats we saw along the walk platform near West Del Webb saying, in Manatee County, a wide-open area and which plants and creatures need “Ospreys have been coming to this spot these birds love.” specific environments. Higgins also for the last three years. Great horned Webb likes to walk on the West Campus pointed out examples of the phases owls nest every year near La Jolla and Nature Trails early in the morning. He trees progress through. Did you know North Pebble Beach.” says, “The best time to see the birds is Earth continued on page 3.
For the Birds How a historic challenge led to a modern debate that was decided “for the birds” Spread across Sun City Center are several nesting birds in some surprising spots. Here are a few captures.
Wood duck with 19 babies. Wood ducks are very skittish and attempting to get a good photo is a real challenge.
Story by Ilona Merritt, Photography by Kai Rambow When the greens of the North Course were re-sodded in 1987-8, the chemicals used to fumigate the soil had been covered with plastic, but high winds and heavy rain washed the chemicals onto fairways and into lakes. Fairways were covered with dead mole crickets. Gulls flew in for the feasting, joined by Muscovy ducks and Mallards. Then there were dead gulls, ducks, fish, and turtles on the course and in the lakes in a few days. Who would clean this up? About
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100 turkey vultures arrived to do the job while making the islands in the Middle Lake their new rookery. They cruised the SCC community by day, perching on house roofs, church steeples, and porches. They would grab the asphalt tiles with their claws and create costly leakage problems. They attacked automobiles causing damage. Bacteria left by the birds could cause health problems… Something had to be done. At the time, Richard Thompson, director of the Animal Damage Control Division of the US Department of Agriculture, suggested a solution. Shoot blanks into the air to make noise and scare the birds away. Residents acquired state and federal licenses. Everything they did had to be recorded. The noise they made rivaled any Fourth of July celebration, sending the vultures soaring away in every direction. Fast-forward 30 years, and the situation has taken a new turn. While there are
This lone eagle likes to visit Middle Lake perching on the highest tree.
still a few vultures around, many other species of birds have come to make their nests on Egret Island in Middle Lake. Biologists who have visited the Island are amazed at the variety of bird species nesting near each other, because many would never get this close in the wild. Ibis, egrets, blue herons, tri-colored herons, anhinga, cormorants, and many more now make Egret Island their home. On a recent visit to a friend who lives on the lake, we sat in the back yard and watched wood ducks and cormorants guiding their young through the water, while a bald eagle perched high in a tree above. Yes, there are still vultures, and, yes, they can occasionally cause problems. When some residents once again suggested we bring back Mr.
Thompson’s solution, others suggested that scaring the vultures away would scare the other birds away as well, potentially causing some adult birds to abandon their nests and their young. Everyone agreed that would be a bad outcome, both for the nesting birds and for all the residents who appreciated their beauty. So, at this point, all the birds are free to fly and raise their young without interference. Some residents would like to see Egret Island designated as an official bird sanctuary. It hasn’t been – yet – but, official or not, the birds of Egret Island are just one more beautiful reason to love Sun City Center. ED’s NOTE: Some information for this story came courtesy of the SCC History Society