[NatureNS] corvidae: grackles in downtown Dartmouth

DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed;
References: <2d1801d6102a$6fa678a0$4ef369e0$@ns.sympatico.ca>
From: Richard Stern <sternrichard@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2020 08:18:51 -0300
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

raw sewage from about half the c
--00000000000042300b05a3162279
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Unfortunately (for birders, but I guess fortunately for most people)
Halifax harbor has largely been cleaned up, so there are no more sewage
strolls. But there is still a sewage outfall that can be seen from the
parking lot at NSCC in Dartmouth, which attracts many Iceland gulls, Black
ducks, and sometimes, e.g Black-headed gulls.

R.

On Sat., Apr. 11, 2020, 10:32 p.m. Parker Donham, <parker@donham.ca> wrote:

> Well, sewage outfalls attract birds everywhere. ACAP CB sponsors an annua=
l
> "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. Da=
ve
> 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 hav=
e
> noticed a sweet smell. That's naphthalene, a component of coal tar. The N=
S
> Power building began life as a manufactured gas plant (essentially a smal=
l
> 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 soo=
n
>> realized there was no danger of encountering people in this exclosure, a
>> tidal estuary enriched by a constant infusion of raw sewage from about h=
alf
>> 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 Plove=
rs
>> 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
>>
>>
>
> --
> *Parker Donh**am*
>   +1-902-565-5555
>   parker@donham.ca
>   Contrarian.ca
>
>
>
Richard Stern
sternrichard@gmail.com
(Sent from my Android device)

--00000000000042300b05a3162279
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"auto"><div dir=3D"auto">Unfortunately (for birders, but I guess=
 fortunately for most people) Halifax harbor has largely been cleaned up, s=
o there are no more sewage strolls. But there is still a sewage outfall tha=
t can be seen from the parking lot at NSCC in Dartmouth, which attracts man=
y Iceland gulls, Black ducks, and sometimes, e.g Black-headed gulls.</div><=
div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">R.</div><br><div class=3D"gmai=
l_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sat., Apr. 11, 2020, 10:3=
2 p.m. Parker Donham, &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:parker@donham.ca" target=3D"_bl=
ank" rel=3D"noreferrer">parker@donham.ca</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquot=
e class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc sol=
id;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D=
"font-size:small">Well, sewage outfalls attract birds everywhere. ACAP CB s=
ponsors an annual &quot;sewer stroll,&quot; a winter birding tour of outfal=
ls 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 pr=
oduce lush vegetation and wildflowers on the sides of the pond. The sewage =
was diverted to a treatment plant in the early 2000s.<br></div><div class=
=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_=
default" style=3D"font-size:small">It&#39;s hard to argue that drawing wild=
life to an estuary contaminated by coal tar is healthy, but there is little=
 evidence it caused much harm. Dave McCorquodale or Katherine Jones (who st=
udied fish in the Tar Ponds) might want to weigh in.</div><div class=3D"gma=
il_default" style=3D"font-size:small"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default=
" style=3D"font-size:small">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&#39;s naphthalene, a c=
omponent of coal tar. The NS Power building began life as a manufactured ga=
s plant (essentially a small coking plant) that produced goal gas for stree=
t lighting. It&#39;s the same stuff that contaminated the Tar Ponds, only i=
t was much smaller, less controversial, and didn&#39;t get cleaned up as th=
oroughly.<br></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" cl=
ass=3D"gmail_attr">On Sat, Apr 11, 2020 at 7:57 PM &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:ds=
chlosb-g@ns.sympatico.ca"