Friday, July 17, 2009

Titillative Tides

In the Bay of Fundy, tides have a range of over 40 feet.

The gravitational impact of the sun and moon on the earth's waters includes lakes if they are large enough although imperceptibly. Coastal impacts are significantly different.

My experience observing tides in coastal regions has shown the very important role they play in the daily lives of birds in those areas. The birds will be most prolific and successful where they're observed at or near low tide. It seems appropriate where marine life will be more easily seen and confined significantly benefiting the hunters that feed upon it.

There was an extraordinary recent tidal change of 5.5 feet over an eight hour span at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve on the east coast of the Gulf of Mexico where upon my visit to the venue the water was lower than I had seen it all my visits with the water flow extremely strong leaving the western channel into San Carlos Bay.

The juvenile Laughing Gull above was observed at Lovers Key State Park.

Low tide at Lovers Key State Park allows for observation of wading bird species as well that otherwise might not be present in a random trip to the park.

My recommendation is to be very aware of this subject when you are making observations of birds that may be influenced by tidal waters.

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