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class=3DMsoNormal>=EF=BB=BF<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=3DMsoNor --000000000000d6492205a30dd075 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Well, sewage outfalls attract birds everywhere. ACAP CB sponsors an annual "sewer stroll," a winter birding tour of outfalls in various communities. I think there is one in Halifax, too. Aside from a horrible smell, the main impact of the sewage in the Tar Ponds was to produce lush vegetation and wildflowers on the sides of the pond. The sewage was diverted to a treatment plant in the early 2000s. It's hard to argue that drawing wildlife to an estuary contaminated by coal tar is healthy, but there is little evidence it caused much harm. Dave McCorquodale or Katherine Jones (who studied fish in the Tar Ponds) might want to weigh in. Incidentally, if you have ever walked past the Cunard statue and around the NS Power building on a hot day on the Halifax Waterfront, you may have noticed a sweet smell. That's naphthalene, a component of coal tar. The NS Power building began life as a manufactured gas plant (essentially a small coking plant) that produced goal gas for street lighting. It's the same stuff that contaminated the Tar Ponds, only it was much smaller, less controversial, and didn't get cleaned up as thoroughly. On Sat, Apr 11, 2020 at 7:57 PM <dschlosb-g@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote: > Hopefully, the sewage and tar ponds effluent weren=E2=80=99t harmful. > > > > *From:* naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca *On Behalf Of *Parker Donham > *Sent:* April 11, 2020 6:33 PM > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > *Subject:* Re: [NatureNS] corvidae: grackles in downtown Dartmouth > > > > For the many, many years that Sydney fought over how to clean up the Tar > Ponds, the public was excluded by a tall, chain link fence. Wildlife soon > realized there was no danger of encountering people in this exclosure, a > tidal estuary enriched by a constant infusion of raw sewage from about ha= lf > the city. It soon became a hotspot for shorebirds and other wildlife. > > > > On Sat., Apr. 11, 2020, 5:13 p.m. nancy dowd, <nancypdowd@gmail.com> > wrote: > > It is interesting to consider if and how breeding distribution of some > birds might differ due to the enforced lack of disturbance in our large > parks and beaches this spring and summer. For example, will Piping Plover= s > have a more successful nesting season? > > > > Nancy D > > Sent from my iPad > > > > On Apr 11, 2020, at 3:23 PM, dschlosb-g@ns.sympatico.ca wrote: > > =EF=BB=BF > > In addition to our usual backyard flocks of blue jays, starlings, and > crows, we now have a sizeable flock of grackles. We=E2=80=99ve counted 6= , and > they=E2=80=99re flying in and out of a spruce which is always a favorite = nesting > site for various birds. We=E2=80=99re pretty sure there are more than 6. > > I imagine the birds and other urban wildlife must be having a great > spring, with the reduction in noise and air pollution. We have some new > neighbors who have put out feeders as well. > > This =E2=80=9Cwildlife=E2=80=9D is also enjoying the relative quiet. > > Jane Schlosberg > > --=20 *Parker Donh**am* +1-902-565-5555 parker@donham.ca Contrarian.ca --000000000000d6492205a30dd075 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small">Wel= l, sewage outfalls attract birds everywhere. ACAP CB sponsors an annual &qu= ot;sewer stroll," a winter birding tour of outfalls in various communi= ties. I think there is one in Halifax, too. Aside from a horrible smell, th= e main impact of the sewage in the Tar Ponds was to produce lush vegetation= and wildflowers on the sides of the pond. The sewage was diverted to a tre= atment plant in the early 2000s.<br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" styl= e=3D"font-size:small"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-= size:small">It's hard to argue that drawing wildlife to an estuary cont= aminated by coal tar is healthy, but there is little evidence it caused muc= h harm. Dave McCorquodale or Katherine Jones (who studied fish in the Tar P= onds) might want to weigh in.</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"fo= nt-size:small"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:sm= all">Incidentally, if you have ever walked past the Cunard statue and aroun= d the NS Power building on a hot day on the Halifax Waterfront, you may hav= e noticed a sweet smell. That's naphthalene, a component of coal tar. T= he NS Power building began life as a manufactured gas plant (essentially a = small coking plant) that produced goal gas for street lighting. It's th= e same stuff that contaminated the Tar Ponds, only it was much smaller, les= s controversial, and didn't get cleaned up as thoroughly.<br></div></di= v><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On S= at, Apr 11, 2020 at 7:57 PM <<a href=3D"mailto:dschlosb-g@ns.sympatico.c= a">dschlosb-g@ns.sympatico.ca</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"= gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(20= 4,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div lang=3D"EN-CA"><div class=3D"gmail-m_-837= 7674378545340914WordSection1"><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-US">H= opefully, the sewage and tar ponds effluent weren=E2=80=99t harmful.<u></u>= <u></u></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-US"><u></u>=C2=A0= <u></u></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b><span lang=3D"EN-US">From:</spa= n></b><span lang=3D"EN-US"> <a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca= " target=3D"_blank">naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca</a> <b>On Behalf Of </b>P= arker Donham<br><b>Sent:</b> April 11, 2020 6:33 PM<br><b>To:</b> <a href= =3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank">naturens@chebucto.ns.= ca</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [NatureNS] corvidae: grackles in downtown Dar= tmouth<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><u></u>=C2=A0<u></u><= /p><div><p class=3D"MsoNormal">For the many, many years that Sydney fought = over how to clean up the Tar Ponds, the public was excluded by a tall, chai= n link fence. Wildlife soon realized there was no danger of encountering pe= ople in this exclosure, a tidal estuary enriched by a constant infusion of = raw sewage from about half the c