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--Boundary_(ID_hQ+qWyoLsqQRNHuPdsh+NA) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT AUGUST 17, 2011 - This morning at low tide (10 a.m.) I led Janet & John Foster on a "wild goose chase", trying to show them some sandpiper food, i.e. mud shrimps, on the mudflats of east Evangeline Beach. But after we separated I did much better at Cape Blomidon and less so at Kingsport. The mud of Evangeline Beach wasn't deep but it was very sticky and slimy (from unseen microscopic diatoms), and Janet had too-big boots and a very hard time re movement. There were zillions of signs of life in two ways: thousands and thousands and more mud snails (Ilyanassa or Nassarius), and tiny blobs of castings from very skinny and fragile reddish segmented polychaete worms (Heteromastus) on the mud surface. The snails are scavengers but also "graze" on the microscopic but hugely abundant diatoms (single-celled algae in glass shells like Petri dishes), while the polychaete worms are scavengers/ omnivores/recyclers like earthworms on land, eating anything organic. Since we were on the mud at low tide, we saw no shorebirds at all. They would have been very dispersed and spread out all over the many mudflats they had to choose from. The Fosters and I then parted company, and I scouted out two other locations during the low-tide period (high tide this afternoon was at about 4 p.m.). First I drove north up to Blomidon Provincial Park, where a few decades ago with my camera and shovel I blundered into some good spots in the upper intertidal muddy sand for mud shrimps and their U- shaped burrows plus soft-shelled clams plus small Macoma clams, plus other good stuff too. The lower southeast corner of this large and varied park, mostly forested, is a very popular coastal-access spot known locally as White Waters. The name probably refers to the gushing waterfall that empties into the Minas Basin right at the bottom of the stairs to the upper beach. (And this waterfall is very handy for washing off mud after a beachcombing walk!) Well, I walked along the south edge of the waterfall outfall and quickly found just what I wanted, those three critters listed above, along with their surface signs; thus I hope the Fosters will be able to see and film this spot. I was only there about a half-hour as the incoming tide was just reaching the upper part of the beach. Tide- times are about a half-hour earlier here than in Wolfville/Grand Pre/ Avonport areas. Then I drove south to Kingsport via the Medford area. The incoming tide there meant I had only a short time to explore, and I didn't find anything that would be better for the Fosters than was Blomidon. However, there were a few foraging shorebirds to be seen: a small mixed group of about 10 semipalmated sandpipers with 3 semipalmated plovers (anyone confused?), and separately a pair of early sanderlings in winter whitish plumage working the edge of the disappearing shore. Then I ended my shore sojourn today with an ice-cream cone from the wharf canteen. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville. --Boundary_(ID_hQ+qWyoLsqQRNHuPdsh+NA) Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>AUGUST = 17, 2011</b> - This morning at low tide (10 a.m.)<b> I led Janet & = John Foster on a "wild goose chase", trying to show them some sandpiper = food, i.e. mud shrimps</b>, on the mudflats of east Evangeline = Beach. But after we separated I did much better at Cape Blomidon = and less so at Kingsport. </font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">The mud of Evangeline Beach = wasn't deep but it was very sticky and slimy (from unseen microscopic = diatoms), and Janet had too-big boots and a very hard time re = movement. There were zillions of signs of life in two ways: = thousands and thousands and more <b>mud snails </b>(<i>Ilyanassa</i> or = <i>Nassarius</i>), and tiny blobs of castings from very skinny and = fragile reddish segmented <b>polychaete worms </b>(<i>Heteromastus</i>) = on the mud surface. The snails are scavengers but also "graze" on = the microscopic but hugely abundant diatoms (single-celled algae in = glass shells like Petri dishes), while the polychaete worms are = scavengers/omnivores/recyclers like earthworms on land, eating anything = organic.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">Since we were on the mud at low tide, we saw no = <b>shorebirds </b>at all. They would have been very dispersed and = spread out all over the many mudflats they had to choose = from.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">The Fosters and I then parted company, and I scouted = out two other locations during the low-tide period (high tide this = afternoon was at about 4 p.m.).</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">First I drove north up<b> to = Blomidon Provincial Park</b>, where a few decades ago with my camera and = shovel I blundered into some good spots in the upper intertidal muddy = sand for <b>mud shrimps</b> and their U-shaped burrows plus = <b>soft-shelled clams </b>plus small<i> Macoma</i> <b>clams</b>, plus = other good stuff too. The lower southeast corner of this large and = varied park, mostly forested, is a very <b>popular coastal-access spot = known locally as White Waters</b>. The name probably refers to the = gushing waterfall that empties into the Minas Basin right at the bottom = of the stairs to the upper beach. (And this waterfall is very = handy for washing off mud after a beachcombing walk!)</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Well, I = walked along the south edge of the waterfall outfall and <b>quickly = found just what I wanted, those three critters listed above</b>, along = with their surface signs; thus I hope the Fosters will be able to see = and film this spot. I was only there about a half-hour as the = incoming tide was just reaching the upper part of the beach. = Tide-times are about a half-hour earlier here than in Wolfville/Grand = Pre/Avonport areas.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">Then I drove south<b> to Kingsport</b> via the Medford = area. The incoming tide there meant I had only a short time to = explore, and I didn't find anything that would be better for the Fosters = than was Blomidon. However, there were a few <b>foraging = shorebirds</b> to be seen: a small mixed group of about 10 = <b>semipalmated sandpipers</b> with 3 <b>semipalmated plovers</b> = (anyone confused?), and separately a pair of early<b> sanderlings </b>in = winter whitish plumage working the edge of the disappearing = shore.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">Then I ended my shore sojourn today with an ice-cream = cone from the wharf canteen.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica"><br></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Cheers from Jim in = Wolfville.</font></div> </body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_hQ+qWyoLsqQRNHuPdsh+NA)--
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