Page 8 - Jupiter Spotlight - March '20

Page 8, Jupiter Spotlight
Northern Notes

Living With The Endangered kite pries it open and, using its curved bill, cuts the snail from
the shell. Sometimes this feat is performed while in flight!
Snail Kite Snail kites have been protected by state and federal law
under the Endangered Species Act since 1967, making it
By Katie Roundtree, illegal to harass, kill, capture or collect them. This includes
Finance Director, protection from activities that disrupt normal breeding, feeding
Northern Palm Beach or sheltering. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
County Improvement Commission (FWC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
District (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) a crow-sized hawk, which protect nest sites by posting signs around sensitive areas during
Our logo at Northern Palm is easily identified by the white patch at the base of its tail. It the breeding season. Always avoid posted areas, particularly
Beach County Improvement has a unique curved bill designed to quickly pluck snails from from February through August, and stay back at least 500 feet
District consists of a picture their shells. Adult males are slate-gray, while females are brown from warning signs.
of a bird within a circle with varying amounts of white streaks on the face, chest and Snail kites will leave their nest when bothered, but may not
surrounded by our name. neck. A unique trait of both sexes is that they have red eyes. aggressively defend it from people or predators. They may fly
Not many people know Snail kites can be found in Central and South America, away or just sit nearby until the intruder is gone. This behavior
what that bird is though. It but the Everglade snail kite (R. s. plumbeus) is the only can lead people to think that their presence is not bothering
is an Everglades snail kite subspecies found in the United States. Their entire U.S. range the birds; however, any time a nest is untended the chicks or
is restricted to South Florida, where they can be found in eggs are vulnerable to predators and harsh temperatures. The
shallow freshwater marshes, like those of the Everglades, or longer the nest is exposed, the greater the chance of failure.
along the shallow, grassy shorelines of lakes. Both habitats The best way you can help snail kites is to avoid posted nesting
have a mixture of short plants and open water, making them areas and to report any harassment or disturbance to FWC’s
great places for kites to see and catch apple snails as they climb Wildlife Alert Rewards Program at (888) 404-FWCC (3922).
to the surface to breathe. Source: www.myfwc.com.
Snail kites only eat apple snails, which they hunt by flying
NPDES tip: Please pick up after your pet. When pet waste is
Vino With Sting! low over the water while searching for their prey near the washed into lakes or canals the waste decays, using up oxygen
and sometimes releasing ammonia. Low oxygen levels and
surface. Snail kites do not plunge into the water to capture
snails and never use the bill to capture prey. Rather, they use ammonia combined with warm temperatures can kill fish. Pet
Who Wants To Go To Italy their feet to capture snails at or below the surface of the water. waste also contains nutrients that encourage weed and algae
growth. Perhaps most importantly, pet waste carries diseases
Only snails that are breathing air, laying eggs or crawling in a
And Stay At Sting’s Tuscany few inches of water are vulnerable. After capturing a snail, the which make water unsafe.
Estate And Vineyard?

By Laura Berrio, $59
Freelance Writer/ Introductory Massage
Blogger
You can rent out the
entire estate, main house,
guesthouses and grounds
for up to 500 people!
When I checked on the
price, it appears to be a
case of, if you have to ask,
you can’t afford it!
It all began when Sting
and his wife Trudie were 561-745-1002
looking for a summer
home in Italy. They found 654 West Indiantown
a rundown estate that
formerly produced honey, Road, Jupiter, FL 33458
olive oil and wine. They www.drlaruffa.com
bought the property, Il
Palagio, because of the
view! Then they began
a decade long project
of bringing the estate,
vineyard and olive groves
back to life. Message in a Bottle image
Sting invited all of the courtesy of IlPalago.com
neighbors and town locals
to the farm shop on the estate for a party to share their
plans for returning Il Palagio to its previous glory. Now,
every August, Sting holds a party for everyone to celebrate
and thank them for their support. They eat, drink wine
and of course he sings a few songs!
(I want to be on this invitation list!)
Sting has named the wine produced from the vineyard
after some of his hit songs … (Message in a Bottle,
Roxanne, Sister Moon) just to name a few.
Sting said, “A wine is like a song – it has a story to
tell.”
Sister Moon has been listed as one of the top picks by
Wine Spectator Magazine.
You can travel to Italy to check it out, or run to your
favorite wine store!
Try a few and message me on your favorites!
~ Cheers
~ Keep the conversation going and the wine flowing.

Your ad

could be here!

Call
561-746-3244

to find out how!