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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, <<a href=3D"mailto:parker@donham.ca" target=3D"_bl= ank" rel=3D"noreferrer">parker@donham.ca</a>> 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 "sewer stroll," 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'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'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's the same stuff that contaminated the Tar Ponds, only i= t was much smaller, less controversial, and didn'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 <<a href=3D"mailto:ds= chlosb-g@ns.sympatico.ca"