By Stan Hill

These two photos were taken Monday while monitoring the blue bird nesting boxes that are scattered around our golf course.

The nesting boxes were erected last year as part of the effort by the Marsh Creek Country Club to win Audubon Certification.  Last year, a total of 43 eggs were laid and 35 baby birds left the nests. This year has started a few weeks earlier and we already have 4 hatchlings and 3 eggs.  

Also today, I received a call from a neighbor on Misty Morning Lane (Summer Bay) reporting that an Anhinga had some sort of woven material entangled on her bill.  She was actively trying to shake it off and was still able to fly.  

I made a call to ARK Wildlife Rescue (Rehab facility right outside the Mizell gate) at 904-679-1533 and they plan to see if the Anhinga can shake this trash off her beak. If not, with her being unable to feed herself, she will weaken enough that she can be captured, the obstruction removed, and can be placed into rehab care until her strength returns and she can be released.  To try to capture her today would have been near impossible, very frustrating and very stressful to all parties.  

So the take home message is to continue to do our very best to keep our neighborhood clean and especially keep trash out of our ponds.