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Tidal Lagoon
潮湖(Chinese)
 Wintering waterfowl in Tidal lagoon
by Trudi Beutel
A typical winter on the Fraser River delta will see as many as 250,000 shorebirds and waterfowl gathered together. As many as 100,000
could be waterfowl resting on Boundary Bay. Pintails, Teals, widgeon, Scaup, Loons, Mergansers--they all stop-over to spend time on the bay, sheltered from severe winter weather and storms. In terms of numbers of
birds, the Fraser River delta ranks within the top 20 stop-over sites in the Northern hemisphere. The area also receives consistently top marks for species diversity--138 at the most recent Christmas bird count.
As their name denotes, waterfowl spend most of their time on the water. At night, however, the flocks will often congregate on
nearby farm fields to take refuge from winter storms as well as feast on greenery--grass and plantings of winter cereal crops.
The food found in the bay is also an attraction for waterfowl. Boundary Bay*s dense eelgrass beds support a variety of fish and
small marine life. Its muddy bottom is also thick with marine worms and other invertebrate life. Waterfowl dabble away their days feeding on what the bay*s water has to offer.
三角洲市國境海灣地區公園的潮湖
(Tidal Lagoon, Boundary Bay Regional Park)：
沿17
號往Ferry高速公路西南行，至第二個紅綠燈Tsawwassen 56 Street左轉南行，至第四個紅綠燈12Ave.，左轉東行500公尺直接進到一個小停車場(記得不要沿路右轉)。
三角洲市國境海灣地區公園的百年紀念海灘
(Centennial Beach, Boundary Bay Regional Park)：
沿17號往Ferry高速公路西南行，至第二個紅綠燈Tsawwassen 56 Street左轉南行，至第四個紅綠燈12Ave.，左轉東行自然右轉接Boundary Bay Rd南行，沿指標進入Boundary Bay Park，右轉至南方洗手間與池塘旁停車場。
潮湖(Tidal Lagoon)為一潮間帶的鹼水窪地，位於國境海灣的西北角，為冬候鳥的重要棲息地， 可以高達十八種七萬多隻的水鴨聚集在此，覓食泥地中的海邊生物。各種水鴨包括如綠翅鴨，赤頭鴨，綠頭鴨與加拿大雁。還有各種潛水鴨如潛鳥(Loon)，斑背潛鴨(Scaup)
，海番鴨(Scoter)， 白帽鵲鴨(Bufflehead)，還有難得一見的黑雁(Brant)與白頭鵰(Bald Eagle)。
國境海灣擁有一百四十公頃高潮間帶鹼水溼地，以及超過三千兩百公頃的鰻草海床。退潮時，將有一點五公里寬的泥地暴露出來，這正是許多海洋生物，如蠕蟲(Worm)、帽貝(Limpet)
、螃蟹(Crab)、岩藻(Rock Weed)、螺貝(Periwinkle)、岩藤壺(Acorn Barnacle)、海萵苣(Sea Lettuce)、鰻草(Eelgrass)、蝦
(Shrimp)等賴以生存的家。
泥灘沙洲富含無脊椎生物，是鷸行鳥科鳥類最佳的覓食場所。諸如泥灘中的貧毛類及線虫等皆逃不過喙尖有
觸感神經，且喙長而下彎的黑腹濱鷸深入泥中的啄食；而喙較遲鈍的金斑行鳥則啄食較表層的小生物；體型最小的三趾濱鷸會利用間歇跑步啄食地面的沙蠶等。國境海灣因為是國際野鳥太平洋遷移路徑上，許多鳥類之覓食與越冬區，而名列野鳥重要棲地
(IBA, Important Bird Area)。
賞鴨熱門季節，請攜帶望遠鏡。穿運動鞋，戴禦寒衣物手套。
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