Figure 3.11. Insects of the cordgrass community. Two tiny dipterans, Incertella sp. (Chloropidae) 

 and Cricotopus (Hydrobaeninae), have larvae that live in and feed on cordgrass stems; the beetle 

 (Coleomegilla fuscilabris; Coleoptera; Coccinelidae) is abundant only on cordgrass; and the plant- 

 hopper (Prokelisia; Homoptera: Delphacidae) is found on cordgrass in all the marshes of this 

 region. Mclntire collection, © 1986 by Zedler. 



Rails are censused in winter when tides 

 exceeded 2.2 m (7.3 ft) MLLW and in summer 

 using taped vocalizations. Thirty-four 

 breeding pairs were identified in 1974, of 

 which 18 were in tall cordgrass, 11 in middle 

 marsh, 4 in short cordgrass, and 1 in high 

 marsh. Nesting density (number per area of 

 habitat type) was greatest (about 3/ha or 

 1.3/acre) in tall cordgrass. The average 

 elevation at which nests occurred was 1.6 m 



(5.1 ft) MLLW, which corresponded to the 

 mean daily higher high tide (MHHW). The 

 highest density of nests was observed in the 

 northern arm of the estuary, where the single 

 highest winter census count was 55 

 individuals. In comparison, a maximum of 

 nine birds was counted in the area near the 

 mouth of the estuary, and at most four in the 

 southern arm of the estuary, where cordgrass 



37 



