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Hi Bob - where is Belchers Marsh Park ? Is it in HRM ? Thanks ,DB > > From: Bob McDonald <bobathome@hfx.eastlink.ca> > Date: 2006/09/19 Tue AM 09:14:31 EST > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Some Odes from HRM and Some Other thoughts > > Hi Folks, > > Just a add a couple of recent sightings, at Belchers Marsh Park on Sunday, > meadowhawks continue to be abundant and a few darners were patroling. A > Mottled Darner and a Spotted Spreadwing were two new odes for my "life list" > (as if I had one!).To identify both, I had to net them and compare thoracic > stripes (in the case of the darner) or male terminal appendages with a hand > lens (in the case of the spreadwing) to the illustrations in my > Massachusetts field guide. > > Many environmentalists express great concern about the destruction of > natural habitat and the contamination of ponds and wetland areas caused by > the construction and maintenance of golf courses. Well, I have played golf > (poorly) for nearly 50 years now and I did play at Granite Springs > yesterday. It is a tough course (!) at least in part due to the number of > ponds, wetlands, bogs and marshy areas which are present (and which act as a > magnet for golf balls!). > > These have been left in a more or less natural state but they are often > surrounded by groomed, mowed fairway. During our 5-hour round, I have never > seen so many odonates in my life - every wet area had a few darners, > meadowhawks were everywhere including mating in the :wheel" position on the > greens and fairways and a few damsels were present as well. Now I was under > the impression that odonates have been used as a sort of natural litmus as > to the health of the aquatic environment, i.e., if there are lots of odes > around then the water quality is good. If that were the case, then the > Granite Springs ponds and wetlands are in fantastic shape, but how can that > be. Many courses use loads of fertilizers, possibly herbicides, to keep up > the appearance and uniformity of the fairways and greens. However, some > courses have adopted a more environmentally-sensitive program introduced by > the Audubon Society in which use of these materials is eliminated or > drastically reduced. Perhaps, GS has adopted this program. I'll try to > find out. Anyone have any comments or further observations on the impact of > golf courses on the environment? > > Next time, I "play" Granite Springs, I may leave my clubs at home and just > carry my binocs, net and field guide!! > > Cheers, > > Bob McDonald > Halifax > (25 handicap) >
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