Species Lists

I will be adding a list of terrestrial and aquatic species based on my observations in 2017 and on-going; these are currently being added via an iNaturalist Project on Sandy Lake & Environs.

Amongst the reasons to protect Sandy Lake & Environs

The species lists below are those compiled in: Sandy Lake Conservation Association and Sackville Rivers Association submission to the Halifax Green Network Plan implementation public process
Sandy Lake Conservation Association, June 12, 2017; and additional plant observations as indicated

These lists will be updated as new info, updates revisions etc. become available and collated. As they stand, the lists below for insects and plants are very incomplete. New observations are coming in via the iNaturalist project, e.g., Mink Frog should be added to the list of Amphibians and Reptiles below.

***UPDATE Dec 21, 2020: Development in an area with Species-at-Risk requires a NS Species at Risk permitView NS Lands & Forestry Re: Case 19117 (Document dated Dec 14, 2020)
***UPDATE May 1, 2020: VIEW Natural Wonders Consulting Firm, 2020: Avian and Species at Risk Surveys of the proposed Sandy Lake-Sackville River Regional Park. Report submitted to Sandy Lake-Sackville River Regional Park Coalition, April 2020

To add to the sources for fish species from DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED LAKE CHARACTERISTICS AND OCCURRENCE OF FISH SPECIES IN 781 NOVA SCOTIA LAKES, by D. R. ALEXANDER et al.1986 PROC. N.S. INST. SCI (1986) Volume 36: Part 2, pp. 63-106 (Available at https://dalspace.library.dal.ca/handle/10222/15204): In a survey conducted in July, 1970 they caught American Eel, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, White Sucker & Banded Killifish.

To add to the list for fish: White Perch. View White Perch caught in Sandy Lake Post on sandylakebedford.ca on July 4, 2020

Source: Nova Scotia L&F Document May 31, 2019
Sandy Lake & Environs consists predominantly of forest and surface waters/wetlands.

2017-2018 Breeding Season Survey: species as species of interest to Federal and Provincial conservation bodies
Surveys conducted on the lake areas of the proposed Sandy Lake-Sackville River Regional Park lands during the 2017 & 2018 breeding seasons by Clarence Stevens detected the following 20 species as species of interest to Federal and Provincial conservation bodies. The river area would be expected to contain further species, including Atlantic Salmon. (Info forwarded by Karen Robinson, 10 May 2019)

  • American Woodcock – Federal Bird Conservation Strategy- NS Priority Species
  • Barn Swallow – COSEWIC Threatened, SARA Threatened, Sara Schedule 1, – NS=Endangered (2013). Federal BCS- NS Priority Species
  • Bay-breasted Warbler – Federal Bird Conservation Strategy- NS Priority Species
  • Belted Kingfisher – Federal Bird Conservation Strategy- NS Priority Species
  • Boreal Chickadee – Federal Bird Conservation Strategy- NS Priority Species
  • Canada Warbler – COSEWIC Threatened, SARA Threatened, Sara Schedule 1 – NS=Endangered (2013). Federal BCS- NS Priority Species
  • Cape May Warbler – Federal Bird Conservation Strategy- NS Priority Species
  • Common Nighthawk- COSEWIC Special Concern, SARA Threatened, Sara Schedule 1, NS=Threatened(2007), Federal BCS- NS Priority Species
  • Common Snapping Turtle – COSEWIC Special Concern, SARA = Special Concern. Sara = Schedule 1, NS=Vulnerable(2013)
  • Eastern Painted Turtle – COSEWIC Special Concern, SARA = No Status.
  • Eastern Wood-Pewee – COSEWIC Special Concern, SARA Special Concern, Sara Schedule 1, NS=Vulnerable(2013), Federal BCS- NS Priority Species
  • Evening Grosbeak – COSEWIC Special Concern, SARA = No Status, NS=Vulnerable(2017),
  • Little Brown Myotis- COSEWIC Endangered, SARA Endangered, Sara Schedule 1,- NS=Endangered (2013).
  • Monarch – COSEWIC Endangered, SARA Special Concern, Sara Schedule 1, NS=Endangered (2017).
  • Moose(Mainland Population) –NS=Endangered(2003)
  • Olive-sided Flycatcher – COSEWIC Special Concern, SARA Threatened, Sara Schedule 1, NS=Threatened(2013)
  • Pine Grosbeak – Federal Bird Conservation Strategy- NS Priority Species
  • Ruffed Grouse – Federal Bird Conservation Strategy- NS Priority Species
  • Rusty Blackbird – COSEWIC Special Concern, SARA Special Concern, Sara Schedule 1 – NS=Endangered (2013) Federal Bird Conservation Strategy- NS Priority Species
  • Spruce Grouse – Federal Bird Conservation Strategy- NS Priority Species

For definition of NS Priority Species (Non Listed), see This Doc.

 

Description of Selected Lake Characteristics and Occurrence of Fish Species in 781 Nova Scotia Lakes
Alexander, D. R., Kerekes, J. J., & Sabean, B. C. (1986). Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science, 36(2), 63-106.
“Between 1964 and 1981, the Science Branch of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Canadian Wildlife Service of the Department of the Environment and the Wildlife Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forests completed surveys on 781 Nova Scotia lakes. This report identifies the survey locations and provides information on conductivity, pH, surface area, mean and maximum depth and the occurrence of fish species for surveyed lakes. An analysis is provided fort the relative frequency of occurrence of selected fish species.”Stats for Sandy Lake: EC:37.0, pH 6.0. Surface Area 81.8 ha. Max Depth 19.2 m. Fish Species recorded: white sucker, brook trout, yellow perch, banded killifish, American eelSpecies in 26 or more of 170 lakes sampled in Halifax Co.
*Asterisked were recorded from Sandy Lake in sampling of July 1971
+Recorded otherwise in Sandy Lake (list above)

  • Anquilla rostrata*, American Eel (33/170)
  • Alosa aestivalis/A. pseudoharengus+, Gaspereau (26/170)
  • Salvelinus fontinalis*, Brook Trout (97/170)
  • Notemigonus crysoleucas, Golden Shiner (introduced; used as bait) (58/170)
  • Catostomus commersoni*, White Sucker (97/170)
  • Ictalurus nebulosus+, Brown Bullhead (Catfish) (41/170)
  • Fundulus diaphanus*, Banded Killifish (50/170)
  • Marone americana+, White Perch (49/170)
  • Perca flavescens*, Yellow Perch (35/170)

So of the species common in Halifax Co. lakes in 1971, all except Golden Shiner have been recorded in Sandy Lake.

– “There was no significant correlation between the occurrence of white perch, banded killifish and American eel and the occurrence of any other fish species. This probably reflects a tolerance by these species to a wide range of environmental factors.”
– “There was a negative correlation between the occurrence of brook trout and all other species except stickleback.”

Not amongst the common species for Halifax Co. in 1971, but otherwise recorded (above) in Sandy Lake:

  • Micropterus dolomieui, Small Mouth Bass
  • Salmo salar,  Atlantic Salmon

So, Salmon in Halifax Lakes was special in 1971. On Smallmouth Bass: “The smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) is a species of freshwater fish found within the sunfish family.  Smallmouth bass were first introduced to Nova Scotia in 1942 by the government for a source of sport fishing. It is known as an invasive species in most of Nova Scotia’s watersheds due to its habit of outcompeting native species. To this day, illegal introduction still occurs to induce sport fishing.”

Comments about Atlantic Salmon, Gaspereau and Small Mouth Bass in Alexander et., 1971
Salmo salar. Atlantic salmon were recorded from only 1 2 [of 781 for NS as a whole] surveyed lakes, but survey crews would make a conscious effort to avoid t heir capture because of the high public profile of the species. Most specimens captured were juveniles, probably from anadromous populations, although landlocked Atlantic salmon occur in Lake Charles and Grand Lake (44° 55’N; 63°36’W), in the Shubenacadie watershed and probably in other watersheds.

Alosa aesliva/Alosa pseudoharengus. Blueback herring and/ or alewife [or Gaspereau] were recorded from 84 locations (11%) [of 781 for NS as a whole], but because of the large numbers sometimes encountered and the difficulty in removing them from gill nets, survey crews often avoided setting nets at times or in places where they were most likely to be captured. No distinction was made between the two species. Both species may have been present in the lakes although our observations suggest that blueback spawn in flowing streams near seawater while alewives migrate to spawn in freshwater lakes. Alewives can become landlocked, but no landlocked populations have been identified in Nova Scotia. The presence of either of these species in any location is, therefore, considered to be evidence of clear access to that location from the sea. These species make little contribution to the sport fishery although post-spawners take readily on flies. Juveniles are important as a forage species and adults o n the spawning migration support important commercial fisheries which have come under study in recent years (Alexander 1984, Alexander and Vromans 1984, 1985, 1986, Crawford 1983).

Micropterus dolomieui. Smallmouth bass were captured in 11 lakes [of 781 for NS as a whole]. Historical records of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans show that this species was introduced to the province in Bunker Lake, Yarmouth County, in 1942. Introductions were subsequently made to lakes in at least half the counties of the mainland. Naturally reproducing populations of small mouth bass are now well established in many locations although they are absent from Cape Breton Island. Small mouth bass from Nova Scotia tend to be small with an average size of 27.7 em recorded for reeled fish in Kings County in 1982 (Sabean 1984). This has detracted from their popularity in the sport fishery although personal observations suggest that popularity has increased since about the mid-1970’s. As expected, public requests for introduction of small mouth bass have increased accordingly. There is concern that the species ca n displace populations of native sport fish.