Tiner (1974) found that 

 gastropods were the most common 

 invertebrates on a high marsh in 

 Connecticut where Melampus alone 

 comprised about 44% of the total 

 macrofauna. However, the second most 

 abundant invertebrate associated with 

 Spartina patens was an isopod, 

 Philoscia vittata rather than 

 Orchestia (Table 7), Together, 

 Melampus and Philoscia accounted for 

 over 57% of the invertebrates 

 observed. The abundance of Melampus 

 and other species varied markedly 

 throughout the year. Crustacea 

 reached their maximum in fall while 

 gastropods were most abundant from 

 early spring through midsummer. 



Fish 



Fish are excluded from most of 

 the high marsh surface except during 



\/ery high tides, although Fundulus 

 heteroclitus (the common mummichog), 

 £. majalis (striped mummichog), and 

 Cyprinodon variegatus (sheepshead) may 

 be permanent residents of the larger 

 pond holes or pools. 



Birds 



After reviewing the literature, 

 Daiber (1977) concluded, "There is a 

 definite relationship between bird 

 distributions in a salt marsh and 

 the interplay between vegetational 

 zonation, tidal flooding and salinity 

 as it affects feeding and reproductive 

 activities." Working at Cape Ann, 

 Dexter (1947) identified 17 species of 

 birds with the high marsh, including 

 some from upland areas as well as 

 shorebirds (Table 9). His list is not 

 a complete inventory of the birds to 

 be found in this part of the marsh. 



Table 9. Birds on the high marsh at Cape Ann, Massachusetts (Dexter 1947), 



Least sandpiper (Pi sobia minutilla ) 



Semi pal mated plover~ TCharadrius semi pal ma tus ) 



Crow ( Corvu s brachyrhynchos ) 



Red-shouldered hawk ( Bute o ~lineatus ) 



Marsh hawk ( Circu s hudsoniuF ) 



Spotted sandpiper ( Actitis macularia ) 



Kingbird ( Tyrannus tr yannusl 



Tree swallow ( Iridoprocne bicolor ) 



Barn swallow ( Hirundo e rythrogaster ) 



Catbird ( Dumetella carolinensis ) 



Starling ( Sturnus "vulgaris ) 



Meadowlark ( Sturnella magna ) 



Redwing ( Agelaius phoeniceus ) 



Bronzed grackle ( Quiscalus quiscula ) 



Sharp-tailed sparrow ( Ammospiza caudacuta ) 



Song sparrow ( Melospiza melodia ) 



Black duck ( Anas rubripeT )""^ 



33 



