next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
b> of diatoms, bacteria (very importan
--047d7b6044c01aba8504c9bde6bc
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hi folks,
Yesterday around 2:30 pm i observed several stages of mud exposure, but there
was no sign of the Marbled Godwit either. I met Bernard Forsythe there and
he mentioned he had not had luck earlier that afternoon nor that morning.
Cheers,
James
On Saturday, September 15, 2012, Paul Evans wrote:
> Thanks for the great report Jim. I'm planning to be in Wolfville this
> afternoon and would like to try for the Marbled Godwit. If anyone has any
> luck today I would sincerely appreciate an update.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Paul Evans
> East Lawrencetown
>
> On 2012-09-14, at 5:11 PM, "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca<javascript:_e({}, 'cvml', 'jimwolford@eastlink.ca');>>
> wrote:
>
> *SEPT. 14, 2012* - At about 4 p.m., in *Wolfville Harbour *with the tide
> out of the harbour (3 hrs. after high tide), Gisele D'Entremont & Bruce
> Doucette & I* looked in vain for the marbled godwit *-- there were
> scattered yellowlegs and peeps, some foraging, some just standing, plus the
> usual ducks (mostly inactive) and foraging ring-billed gulls.
>
> I noticed lots of human footprints at the top of the intertidal marsh on
> the east side, north of the RR tracks, and my guess is that recently there
> have been* Intro. Biology lab classes* from Acadia Univ. there getting
> introduced to biology by showing the Yummy Muds of Minas (phrase from
> retired Acadia marine guru Sherman Bleakney).
>
> Thus I wondered if these classes and their activities might have scared
> the godwit away from the harbour (hopefully temporarily)?
>
> To bore you further on the "yummy mud", on any Sunny day with the tide out
> a bit, from the wharf the *surface of the mud* shows very noticeable
> large patches coloured by a golden-brown sheen. These patches are from
> dense aggregations of microscopic single-celled "plants" called *diatoms*,
> which have *migrated* up to the surface in order to* photosynthesize*.
>
> *Many sorts of organisms feed on the surface biofilm* of diatoms,
> bacteria (very important in this degratory & exportive ecosystem, based on
> the microbial breakdown of the salt-marsh grasses and other formerly living
> organisms. Some of these biofilm eaters include mud shrimps, mud snails,
> several kinds of worms, Macoma clams, and, surprise? (no), our favourite
> peep, the semipalmated sandpiper! (cf. the research papers of Dr. Diana
> Hamilton and students from Mt. Allison Univ.)(they have even studied this
> at night-time, when of course the tidal cycles continue (12 hrs. 25 minutes
> from high to high or from low to low....).
>
> Lastly, for now, the* "yummy mud" is incredibly biodiverse* with both
> plants and animals,* and hugely productive *in terms of various forms of
> carbon, much of which is exported by our huge tides. So who knows how much
> of the productivity of the Bay of Fundy fisheries and whale-watching etc. (and
> the dreaded salmon farming) derives from that exported energy from the
> upper Fundy salt-marshes and mudflats?
>
> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville
>
>
--
James Churchill
Kentville, Nova Scotia
Email: jameslchurchill@gmail.com
Phone (h): (902) 681-2374
Skype: jameslchurchill
--047d7b6044c01aba8504c9bde6bc
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hi folks,<div>Yesterday around 2:30 pm i observed several stages of mud exp=
osure, but t<span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style>here was no sign of the =
Marbled Godwit either. I met Bernard Forsythe there and he mentioned he had=
not had luck earlier that afternoon nor that morning. Cheers,<span></span>=
</span></div>
<div></div><div>James<br><br>On Saturday, September 15, 2012, Paul Evans w=
rote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;borde=
r-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><div>Thank=
s for the great report Jim. I'm planning to be in Wolfville this aftern=
oon and would like to try for the Marbled Godwit. If anyone has any luck to=
day I would sincerely appreciate an update.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div><br></div><div>Paul Evans</div><div>E=
ast Lawrencetown<br><br>On 2012-09-14, at 5:11 PM, "James W. Wolford&q=
uot; <<a href=3D"javascript:_e({}, 'cvml', 'jimwolford@eastl=
ink.ca');" target=3D"_blank">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>> wrote:<br>
<br></div><div></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><div style=3D"margin-to=
p:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><font face=3D"Hel=
vetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font:12.0px Helvetica"><b>SEPT. 14, 2012</b> - =
At about 4 p.m., in <b>Wolfville Harbour </b>with the tide out of the harbo=
ur (3 hrs. after high tide), Gisele D'Entremont & Bruce Doucette &a=
mp; I<b> looked in vain for the marbled godwit </b>-- there were scattered =
yellowlegs and peeps, some foraging, some just standing, plus the usual duc=
ks (mostly inactive) and foraging ring-billed gulls.=A0</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">I notic=
ed lots of human footprints at the top of the intertidal marsh on the east =
side, north of the RR tracks, and my guess is that recently there have been=
<b> Intro. Biology lab classes</b> from Acadia Univ. there getting introduc=
ed to biology by showing the Yummy Muds of Minas (phrase from retired Acadi=
a marine guru Sherman Bleakney).</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">Thus I =
wondered if these classes and their activities might have scared the godwit=
away from the harbour (hopefully temporarily)?</font></div><div style=3D"m=
argin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:norma=
l