Cormorants line the side of a pond near the clubhouse of the Country Club of Florida,
a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary in the Village of Golf.
A great egret and a roseate spoonbill work the shallow waters looking for a meal.
INSET BELOW: The club provides housing for purple martins, which repay the favor
by devouring thousands of mosquitoes and other insects each day.
Photos provided by Karen Antonucci
By Steve Pike
The term snowbirds generally refers to people coming to South Florida from the North to escape the grip of Old Man Winter. In other words, if it’s January, it must be snowbird season.
Human snowbirds, however, aren’t the only ones who come to bathe in the Florida sunshine. A plethora of winged birds also makes its way here to bask in the South Florida sun. Among the most prevalent are purple martins, the largest of the North American swallow family and one of the most popular subjects among birdwatchers.
Residents and members of the Country Club of Florida, in the Village of Golf in particular, get a bird’s-eye view (pardon the pun) of purple martins, which like to dive at great speeds into their man-made houses.
The private Country Club of Florida, whose members include many people from the coastal communities, manages 32 condominiums (it is Florida) that host purple martins. The birds arrive annually in January and February each year, with fledglings born in April and May. The birds stay through early summer — longer than most two-legged snowbirds — then head south to Brazil in August.
An average of 100 fledglings are born here each year. The club’s staff maintains the condominiums, a setting that keeps the birds secure and protected from predators such as crows and snakes. In turn, the purple martins help reduce the mosquito population at the CC of Florida, which is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.
To reach certification, course personnel demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of quality in environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation and water quality management.
The club has more than 10 acres dedicated to two wildlife corridors. The wetland area consists of aquatic plants and fish that attract wading birds. The native area includes plants and vegetation that attract butterflies. The two areas support a wildlife population of more than 100 types of birds and more than 30 other types of animals, amphibians and reptiles.
All of this fits into the history and culture of the Country Club of Florida. The club’s founder, Carleton Blunt, was a member of the National Audubon Society.
The 54,000-square-foot clubhouse, which features a Low Country design, is decorated with Audubon prints, and each golf hole carries a bird’s name.
The course’s five tee boxes, instead of being designated by color, are named after birds: Cooper’s Hawk, Osprey, Blue Heron, Purple Martin and Wood Duck.
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