The Aquila THIS ISSUE - Birds of Thickson's Woods Evening Grosbeak Thickson's Wood Moths 2016 Mammals of the Reserve Masked Shrew - Matt Holder Fund
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The Aquila Issue #8 JANUARY 2017
THIS ISSUE
Birds of Thickson’s Woods
Evening Grosbeak
Thickson’s Wood
Moths 2016
Mammals of the Reserve
Masked Shrew
Barred Owl (Mike McEvoy)
The Aquila
The Matt Holder
Environmental Education Fund
Committee
Carol Allan - Margaret Bain - Dennis Barry - Phill Holder - Sue Holder - Kelly Holder - Nigel Parr
Publication Production Team: Phill Holder, Margaret Bain and Carol Allan
The Birds of Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve
Evening Grosbeak
Coccothraustes vespertinus
A rare winter visitor.
(Mike McEvoy)
Issue #8 JANUARY 2017
The Aquila
Evening Grosbeak
Where have they gone? There’s no doubt that these spectacular birds were much more common in Durham Region in the
winters of the 1970s and 1980s when I started birding, but the reasons for their apparent decline are complex and interesting,
and still not fully understood.
Evening Grosbeaks breed in coniferous and mixed
woodlands from coast to coast across Canada,
south to the New England states in the east, and
in the western mountains south into Mexico. They
winter mostly within this breeding range but wander
more widely then, which is when we used to find
them, often in large noisy numbers, at our southern
Ontario sunflower seed feeders.
Originally mostly a western species, the eastern
population of the Evening Grosbeak expanded
during the1900s, at least partly because of
widespread planting in Ontario of Manitoba Maples,
shade trees whose seeds are one of the grosbeak’s
favourite foods. In the 1920s, famous Canadian
ornithologist P. A. Taverner likened this expansion to
the species progressing eastwards along a “baited
highway”! Logging and fires also produced gaps
in forest cover allowing abundant growth of wild
cherries, another favourite food, but the Evening
Grosbeak population peaked between 1940 and
1980 when extensive Spruce Budworm outbreaks
occurred in northern Ontario. These outbreaks
declined after the mid-1980s, and Evening Grosbeak
numbers fell too.
An increase in forest cover and of course climate
change may also be factors in their population
decline, but in winter you can still see good numbers
of bold, loud, disputatious Evening Grosbeaks north
of us, though most likely at the Visitor Centre feeders
in Algonquin Park to be certain.
And if you are very lucky, you may still occasionally
hear one or two Evening Grosbeaks calling overhead
as they pass briefly through Thickson’s Woods on
their travels, usually in late October/early November
and again in late April/early May. Once seen, never
forgotten! - Margaret Bain
Top photograph: Always a delight to see these beautiful birds but
they can quickly empty the sunflower feeders.
Left: a female Evening Grosbeak, (Photographs by Mike McEvoy)
I remember seeing my first Evening Grosbeaks on December
22, 1982, our first winter in Canada. I looked up my notes and
there was 25cm of snow on the ground and it was -50C. I saw
two females and one male. They were very impressive and not
surprizingly it was at the feeders of Dennis Barry and Margret
Carney in Thickson’s Woods. Appropriately I was with Dr. Mur-
ray Speirs, who along with his wife Doris were experts on these
beautiful birds. Doris in fact wrote the species account for Eve-
ning Grosbeak in the classic series “Life Histories of North American
Birds” by Arthur C. Bent in 1968. Phill Holder
Issue #8 JANUARY 2017
The Aquila
Thickson’s Woods Moths 2016
Mothing in 2016 has been just as enlightening as it was when we started the 1000 moth challenge in September 2014.
We ended 2015 with 650 species and we end 2016 with an incredible 952 species. Every time we set the traps we be-
come excited with anticipation as we discover just how diverse moths are and how important they must be as pollinators
to a healthy biodiversity.
From size to shape, to colour, to texture, to mimickery, to vagrancy - moths cover it all. We never know what may turn up.
We started the year as soon as the weather cooperated and overnight low temperatures reached 100 C or above. Moths
don’t seem to mind the rain but we do! A full moon is not the most productive as it seems the moonlight competes with
our lights. Wind is also not helpful especially near the lakeshore, so we tend to place traps in more sheltered areas when
it is windy, This year we explored different locations within the reserve including the Meadow and Waterfront Trail, with
good results just about everywhere.
2016 was a good year for moths, especially in July when we trapped over 370 species in one night, and again in the fall,
when we had many southern strays arrive, including one new for Canada. We have expanded our study and now can
place up to 10 traps throughout the Reserve, although we have not often placed more than 5 traps. I have included
some examples of the diversity we have found and some really rare surprises. The Thickson’s Woods Moth Group is a lot
of fun and in 2017 we hope to invite small numbers of interested people to come and learn what we do and hopefully
get “the bug” as we did.
Polyphemus Moth
The largest moth we have caught,
at Thickson’s Woods. Photographed next
to a toonie for scale (Phill Holder)
Issue #8 JANUARY 2017
The Aquila
Not looking at all like a moth, this
Caloptilia is one of the smallest moths we
catch. Photographed next to a dime to show
how tiny it actually is.
(Phill Holder)
Cute and cuddly, this Pink-shaded Fern Moth looks
every bit like a suffed toy. (Phill Holder)
An interesting leaf-shaped, Brown Scoopwing. (Phill Holder) This Toothed Brown Carpet looks like it was woven in a Turkish Bazaar.
(Phill Holder)
Issue #8 JANUARY 2017
The Aquila
I always think of a Viking cloak when I see this Green Marvel (Phill Holder) The name says it all - Tufted Bird-dropping Moth (Phill Holder)
Very delicate looking is the Pearly Wood-nymph Almost mettalic in colour is this Lupulina Ghost Moth (Phill Holder)
- also looking like bird-droppings (Phill Holder)
This Clymene Moth is surely French ? (Phill Holder) This moth is called a Cherry Scallop Shell, although I’m sure my
mother knitted a sweater just like th is when I was a kid (Phill Holder)
Issue #8 JANUARY 2017
The Aquila
Grass-Veneer moths often flush up in large numbers the daytime when you walk through the Meadow, though they look very small and
undistinguished to the naked eye. This is a Double-banded Grass-Vaneer (Phill Holder)
A Common Looper would not look out of place in Jurrassic Park! (Phill Holder)
The reflective scales on this Hologram Moth changes Hiding in plain sight, look closely for an Eight-lettered Looper
colour in different light angles (Phill Holder) (Mike McEvoy)
Issue #8 JANUARY 2017
The Aquila
Three of the rarest moth species we caught and released in
2016 include The Alamo Moth Condylorrhiza vestigialis (top left).
We actually caught five of these moths: The first one on Sep-
tember 28th,and the fifth one was on October 19th. A moth
of the southern United States, this species had never been
recorded in Canada before, although it has been seen in at
least one other location since our first record.
The moth above is a Dusky Herpetogramma Moth Herpetogram-
ma phaeopteralis. Interestingly Mike King caught several of these
in September but it was only when David Beadle asked me
to look through my photographs that we discovered that we
had caught two of them on October 18th and two on Octo-
ber 19th. Another southern US species - mainly Florida, Mike’s
find was the first record of this species in Canada.
My favourite moth of the year is not quite as rare: The Mel-
onworm Moth Diaphania hyalinata (left) is a Tropical species but
commonly found in the extreme south-east United States. Al-
though rare in Ontario it has been recorded in previous years. This moth has a spectacular “tail dance” as it releases phero-
mones to attract a mate. We caught this one on October 17th.
- Phill Holder.
Butterfly Walks 2016
Volunteer biologists Nigel Parr and Jenna Siu enjoy sharing
their knowledge, while young Evelyn got “caught up” in the
excitement. Photos by Eileen Nixon
Issue #8 JANUARY 2017
The Aquila
Mammals of Thickson’s Woods
During August, September, and October 2016, small nocturnal mammal surveys were conducted
under MNRF Permits at the Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve by the Matt Holder Environmental
Education Fund. The purpose of this study was to humanely catalogue the small mammal
species within the Reserve.
Although there is anecdotal information about the mammals of the Reserve, formal surveys for
small terrestrial mammals had not been conducted previously.The Fund is currently undertaking
many other biodiversity studies in the Reserve including snake coverboard surveys, bat acoustic
surveys, vascular plant inventories and moth live-trapping. The intention is to expand these
wildlife surveys to include small, nocturnal, terrestrial mammals: mice and voles (Cricetidae), rats
(Muridae), shrews (Soricidae), and moles (Talpidae).
We used Sherman live traps and pitfall traps in each of four microhabitats: meadow, woodland,
marsh, and riverine. Over five nights four of the target species were captured and identified. The
most numerous species captured was the White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), with fewer
captures of Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda)
and Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus).
We incidentally captured one non-target species, Eastern Chipmunk. During our surveys we also saw Eastern Gray Squirrel,
Red Squirrel, Meadow Jumping Mouse, Eastern Cottontail, Raccoon, Striped Skunk, Mink and an inquisitive White-tailed Deer
that stood a few metres from us watching as we dug pitfall traps.
Animals were handled and identified by Fiona Reid and Nigel Parr. Other assistance came from Phill Holder, Mike McEvoy
and Dianne McCurdy, and the surveys were photodocumented by Mike McEvoy. Student assistance was supplied by Aidan
Reyenga. The final report is available as a downloadable pdf from our web site.
Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus Northern Short-tailed Shrew Blarina brevicauda
All captured animals were
measured and released
at their capture site. Fiona
Reid is shown weighing a
White-footed Mouse. Most
of the released animals just
sauntered off into the under-
growth but this particular
mouse, upon release ran up
a tree and disapeared into
the canopy about 10m up -
quite extraordinary!
Photographs (Mike McEvoy).
White-footed Mouse Peromyscus leucopus
Issue #8 JANUARY 2017
The Aquila
Mammals of Thickson’s Woods
Masked Shrew
Masked Shrew Sorex cinereus (Mike McEvoy)
The Masked Shrew was not listed on the mammals list of Thickson’s Woods before we caught our first on August
25th 2016. I was like a kid at Christmas when Fiona showed it to me as I had never seen one before. Fiona fed it
mealworms while we got ready to take its measurements. It continually ate mealsworms during the few minutes
it took us to get the Pesola scales ready. Fiona determined it was a male and quickly weighed it at 4g. Its head
and body measured 55mm and Its tail length was 38mm - hind foot 11mm and its ear was measured at 5mm.
It looked so small and dainty as Fiona placed it into a glass box and fed it more mealworms while Mike took
a few photographs and released it where we first caught it. The whole fantastic experience took less than 5
minutes. The shrew ignored us as long as it was eating. What an experience! I later checked Fiona’s book; The
Peterson Field Guide to Mammals of North America for more details.
Masked Shrew is common and widespread but seldom seen as it spends most of its time under leaf litter search-
ing for food. It is found in a variety of habitats including woodland, fields, and marshes, usually in moist areas.
It feeds on small invertibrates, young mice, and mealworms when we provide them! Thickson’s Woods Nature
Reserve offers up another new discovery - I wonder what will be next as we will be surveying the small mammals
again in 2017!
Phill Holder
Issue #8 JANUARY 2017The Aquila
Heard but not often seen, this Cicada joined the moths in one of our traps (Mike McEvoy).
Male mosquito. Only females feed on blood. (Mike MeEvoy).
STUDENT VOLUNTEERS WANTED
If are interested in environmental research at
Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve, we are looking
for dedicated, committed students to help with
We have watched the European Red Fire Ant spread to all parts
of the Reserve in the last few years. Beware when walking the our surveys. Contact Phill at hawkowl@bell.net
trails as their bite is very painful (Mike McEvoy).
Publications available from www.mattholderfund.com/shop
Field Identification Series FieldIdentificationSeries FieldIdentificationSeries
THE BASICS OF BIRD SILKWORM AND
IDENTIFICATION SPHINX MOTHS SHOREBIRDS
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of
Bird Topography of Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
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THE BIRDS OF
THICKSON’S
WOODS
JEAN IRON WHITBY ONTARIO
DAVID BEADLE Matt Holder Environmental Education Fund Annotated Checklist
PHILL HOLDER and MARGARET BAIN Matt Holder Environmental Education Fund Published by Hawk Owl Publishing
Matt Holder Environmental Education Fund Published by Hawk Owl Publishing PHILL HOLDER AND MARGARET BAIN
Published by Hawk Owl Publishing
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Issue #8 JANUARY 2017The Aquila
All the best for 2017
Boreal Chickadee (Mike McEvoy)
www.mattholderfund.com
www.facebook.com/mattholderfund
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