THIS ISSUE. Common Yellowthroat (Ed McAskill)

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1 Issue #9 JULY 2017 THIS ISSUE Birds of Thickson s Woods - Eastern Whip-poor-will Silver-haired Bat Binocular Review Kite 10x42 Thickson s Woods Moths Update New Project - Bees Mammals - White-footed Mouse Common Yellowthroat (Ed McAskill)

2 The Matt Holder Environmental Education Fund Committee Carol Allan - Margaret Bain - Dennis Barry - Phill Holder - Sue Holder - Kelly Holder - Nigel Parr - Phil Reyenga Publication Production Team: Phill Holder, Margaret Bain and Carol Allan The Birds of Thickson s Woods Nature Reserve Eastern Whip-poor-will Antrostomus vociferus Photographs by Mike McEvoy

3 Whip-poor-will!, Whip-poor-will!, Whip-poor-will! Not everyone has been lucky enough to actually see a Whip-poor-will, but most of us in Ontario have heard their loud, clear, enchanting, rolling song on a warm summer s night in cottage country. Even the moth hunters in Thickson s Woods have heard the occasional Whip-poor-will singing on recent spring evenings, but these birds are most likely migrants, only passing through, looking for suitable nesting habitat in our rapidly shrinking woodlots. The sad truth is that populations of this charismatic woodland bird have been declining dramatically over the last 50 years or more, with a shocking 51% fewer observations across our province in the second Breeding Bird Atlas of Ontario, which covered the years , compared with the first Atlas conducted in Whip-poor-wills are insect-eaters, spending daylight hours motionless on a branch or the forest floor, completely camouflaged by their beautiful cryptic plumage, only actively hunting at twilight or on bright moonlit nights. The recent marked decline in insect populations must be affecting this species almost as much as swallows, swifts, nighthawks, and other aerial foragers, but widespread loss of habitat across southern Ontario must be a major factor too. Significant populations of Whip-poor-wills can still be found along the Bruce Peninsula and up the Georgian Bay shoreline, on the Oak Ridges Moraine, through the Carden Plain, and along the edge of the Canadian Shield south of Algonquin to around the Rideau lakes. In all these areas, open conifer plantations, as well as savannahs and rocky barrens with scattered trees, are much preferred to deep forest. The female Whip-poor-will lays two white eggs spotted with grey and brown directly onto dead leaves on the woodland floor, without the benefit of any nest, but in tune with the lunar cycle, so that the young will hatch a few days before a full moon. Two newly laid eggs, laid directly on to the forest floor. Only the female incubates the eggs

4 Newly hatched young Going Going Gone This ensures that parent birds have long moonlit hours to catch large quantities of insects for their hungry brood. The adult never leaves the eggs during daylight, making their detection almost impossible, and making these amazing photographs taken by Mike McEvoy in the Ganaraska Forest all the more remarkable! He s even photographed the two tiny young, which usually instinctively run off into deep leaf litter a very short time after hatching to foil any possible nearby predators. What patient expertise that must have required!

5 Female Eastern Whip-poor-will So, if you would like to hear Whip-poor-wills this spring or summer, find out when the moon will be full, then hope for a calm, warm night around that same date; work out a route on quiet back roads on, say, the Moraine, and once the light is fading start to listen at each woodlot you pass. Roads hold the warmth of day better than grasslands and woods, and if you drive very slowly with your headlights dipped you may even be lucky enough to see their light reflected in the golden eye-shine of a Whip-poor-will taking a short rest on the warm road surface as it hunts for its supper! Margaret Bain Updated THICKSON S WOODS FIELD CHECKLIST OF BIRDS Documenting all the species (318) recorded within a 1.6 km radius of the centre of Thickson s Woods Nature Reserve. Available from $2.00

6 Silver-haired Bat This beautiful Silver-haired Bat was found in Thickson s Woods in a state of torpor on Monday April 3. It was a female, weighing 6g (which is normal for this time of year). Silver-haired Bats are thought to migrate south for winter and this one may have come back too early or even overwintered in the woods. Sadly, the bat died, but it was a thrill to finally see a Silver-haired instead of just hearing them. Female Silver-haired Bat (Mike McEvoy)

7 On Wednesday April 5, I joined a group of bat researchers at the Toronto Zoo, in part, to coordinate the bat research activities within Ontario and find a platform to share information. Over 50 people attended and the common theme throughout the meeting was that we still do not know very much about our bats. Their roost sites, movement patterns and populations in particular. So I have a request: Do you have bats roosting on your property and would you confidentially share that information? We are trying to get an idea of species and population counts. Please contact me with any bat information you have at hawkowl@bell.net Phill Holder NEW PUBLICATION from the Matt Holder Field Identification Series BATS of ONTARIO Field Identification Series BATS OF ONTARIO TOBY J. THORNE with illustra ons by Fiona A. Reid Ma Holder Environmental Research Fund Published by Hawk Owl Publishing Bats of Ontario by Toby J. Thorne with illustrations by Fiona A. Reid Bats are incredibly complex animals, and are subject to folklore, and misunderstanding. Because of their nocturnal nature they are very difficult to study. Ontario s bats are under increasing pressure from habitat loss, White Nose Syndrome and wind turbines. Fortunately there is an increasing interest in bats and we hope this book inspires naturalists, especially the young, to become involved with bats and their conservation. Full of information, this book will appeal to amateurs and professionals alike to learn about these masters of the night. Illustrated with the beautiful artwork of Fiona Reid and colour photographs, it shows all the bats of Ontario with identifying features, how to identfy them using Bat Detectors, discussing threats and their conservation. Price $20.00 Available from Thank you for your support Wendy Duncanson Peterborough Field Naturalists Willow Beach Field Naturalists Durham Field Naturalists Ontario Nature

8 Sticker shock. That is what you would get if you priced any of the top end binoculars from the major manufacturers. Whether it is the Swarovski EL, Leica Ultravid/Noctivid, Zeiss Victory or Nikon I hadn t been to the Toronto Sportsman s Show for at least 20 years when Kelly my daughter suggested we go on the Saturday morning. It has changed so much, I was not too impressed until I passed by a binocular display. As birders, if we are not talking birds, we are talking optics, and here was a brand I was not familiar with - Kite. Obviously I picked up a pair and did the usual test we all do. I was immediately impressed, even in the poor conditions of the display hall. I decided that these optics were worthy of more attention and contacted Brian Steele, who was our optic reviewer at Birders Journal magazine. Below is his review. Phill Holder EDG you are looking at $3, or more before tax. In this article I am reviewing a much more reasonably priced binocular from a company not that well known in North America. Kite Optics is a Belgian company that has been around since 1992 and has its manufacturing facility in Japan. Kite has a full range of binoculars, field scopes, and accessories for digiscoping. The model I was given to test is the Petrel in a 10 x 42 configuration. For those Brian Steele not familiar with binocular terminology the 10 represents the magnification and the 42 is the measure of the objective lens (not the end you look through) in millimetres. Binoculars usually come in 7, 8 or 10 times magnification. I personally prefer 10 as my eyes are not as good as they once were and I need the extra power. Objective lenses range from 30 to 50 mm. The larger the lens the more light the binocular will gather, but the penalty is added weight and size. I find 42 is a good size as advancements in technology have made them quite light. Over my years of birding I have collected a number of pairs of binoculars ranging from 7 to 10 magnification and 32 to 42 mm objective lenses. In this review I have compared the Petrel to some of my other bins for reference purposes. The Statistics The following information is taken from the Kite web site. Close Focus: 1.8m (5.91ft) Weight: 625g (22.04oz) Field of View: 105m (344ft) Height: 145mm (5.71 ) Width: 124mm (4.88 ) Depth: 47mm (1.85 ) Close focus is a priority for many binocular users. If you are a birder there are times you can get quite close to a bird and the last thing you want to have to do is back up to get proper focus. If you are chasing butterflies then you really need to get close. Similarly for insects and reptiles the closer you can get the better the view will be. The promised 1.8 metres of the Petrel is closer than any of my other binoculars. However, when I tested the close focus I found it was more like 2.3 metres. Although disappointing that the reality differed that much from the literature, the focus is still quite good and better than all but one pair of my other bins. The close focus of 2.3 metres (7.5 feet) means they are useable in virtually all situations likely to be found in the field. The close focus also illustrates a point which all purchasers should keep in mind. Try before you buy and, even after a decision has been made as to which model to buy, ask to see several pairs. They are not all alike. It might be that another Petrel might achieve the quoted close focus. When I saw the weight of the Petrel in the literature I thought it must be a mistake. They could not be that light. But when I weighed them on my scale they were! At just 625 grams (22.04 oz.) they are a featherweight and no strain to the neck. They are lighter than any binoculars I own including an 8 x 32 pair. The benefits of lighter binoculars go beyond just carrying less weight around. It is easier to steady a lighter pair when focusing and this becomes more important after a long day in the field. I have learned to appreciate that, when climbing hills, the lighter binoculars hurt less when they start to swing and bang into the chest. Climbing fences and rocks is easier because you don t feel as restricted when there is less weight hanging around your neck. Despite the light weight there is no indication that the Petrel is not durable. It feels and looks very solidly put together. The field of view in binoculars is the width you can see at a set distance. Generally the larger the better. The Petrel shows 105 metres (344 feet) wide at a distance of 1,000 metres (3,281 feet). This is average for a 10 x binocular. The Petrel is also pretty average in height and width for a 10 x binocular. The barrels are somewhat thinner than most and probably contribute to the low weight. Both large and small hands should have no trouble handling the binoculars. The binoculars are nitrogen-purged to be waterproof and fog proof. This is a must as you never know what kind of weather to expect. If the binoculars cannot survive a tropical storm while hanging outside a waterproof jacket, then it is not something I would use. The Petrel comes with a 30 year manufacturer s warranty. BINOCULAR REVIEW KITE PETREL 10 x 42 BY BRIAN STEELE

9 The Ergonomics The Petrel has an armoured coating with a nice, soft feel to it. The coating is quite tactile and you don t feel your hands will slip off. On the underside of the barrels there is an indentation where your thumbs can rest as you hold the binoculars. This gives an added feeling of security as it improves the grip. The Petrel uses screw-in, screw-out eye cups. I find this system is far superior to the pop up style eye cups or the old style where you had to fold the rubber eye cups. The screw-in, screw-out system allows for an infinite range of adjustment. If you wear glasses, then the eye cups will probably be all the way down. If you don t wear glasses, then you will want them up and you can easily adjust the height to suit your eyes. If you are not sharing your binoculars with someone else then this is probably not important. The dioptre adjustment on the Petrel is on the right barrel. The dioptre is used to allow for differences between a user s eyes. The idea is that you look through the left eyepiece and focus on an object until the image is sharp. You would then look through the right eye piece and turn the dioptre until the image is sharp. Once adjusted you would not need to use the dioptre again. For users with glasses the lenses of the glasses should account for differences between the eyes so the dioptre should be set at neutral. To use the dioptre adjustment on the Petrel you simply turn the ring on the right barrel below the eye cup. Personally I prefer a system where the dioptre can be locked into position. I have had binoculars where the dioptres on the barrel are frequently turning with minds of their own. The dioptre adjustment on the Petrel is stiff so it does not move easily but I wonder if through frequent use it would loosen. According to the manual the Petrel comes with a neck strap. The sample I was given had an aftermarket strap attached which can be used as either a neck strap or a harness. The neck strap is an important part of the binocular experience. The entire weight of the binocular will be resting around your neck and if the strap does not provide sufficient cushioning then it will hurt. There are aftermarket straps available and a harness is also an option. Due to the light weight of the Petrel it is likely that the provided neck strap would be adequate. The rain guard for the eye pieces was not attached to my sample but was included in the case. When you are out in all types of weather you can t be stopped by rain and it is important to be able to put the rain guard on and off quickly. The Petrel s rain guard looks like it is up for the job. One disadvantage to the Petrel strap is that the holes where the strap is threaded through are not at 90 degrees to the barrel. Instead they face more towards the body. The result of this is that the binoculars do not hang straight down but, instead, the bottom of the barrels rest against the chest and the upper part sticks out at an angle. The only way to avoid this is to spread the barrels out to their maximum width. Unfortunately when you want to bring them up to your eyes, you must fold them back in. Your only choice here seems to be having the binoculars hang awkwardly against the chest or go through frequent adjustments. This is a very common problem with binoculars and most of my binoculars have the same issue to varying degrees. The Petrel also comes with covers for the objective lenses. They attach to the barrels and fold down for viewing. The first thing I did was remove them. They get in the way and are not needed. The focus wheel falls easily to hand and has large raised ridges that make it easy to turn even with gloves on. As it is summer now I don t know how it will perform in -10oC (14 of) weather. The Petrel comes with a carrying case. The binoculars fit in nicely and even with the neck strap it looks like it would all tuck in. The case has its own carrying strap and a neat zippered pocket on the front. I personally only use a case when travelling by plane and I keep the case in my carry-on luggage. Otherwise the case remains in a closet. The Field Report Card I first tested the Petrel in good light and was immediately struck by how bright the image was. It is brighter than any other binoculars I own. I do not have access to a device to measure brightness but my seat of the pants conclusion was verified by two friends who also looked through them. In good light the view through the Petrel was excellent. Colours were true and even when looking at a white wall, the colour was very neutral. While brightness is important, what really matters is the detail the binocular brings out. In this case detail was superb. I spent much time comparing my binoculars to the Petrel and it was as good as any I own. To test in poor light I dimmed the lights in my basement and tried to read the text on a book. Again the Petrel stood up well and only one of my binoculars was better and it is one of the $3, plus ones mentioned above. The focus wheel on the Petrel is somewhat quicker than I am used to. To illustrate the speed I would focus on my hummingbird feeder at a distance of twelve feet and then focus on my neighbour s fence at a distance of one hundred and fifty feet. In order to make this transition I would have to turn the focus wheel about ½ turn. On my other go to binoculars I would have to make ¾ turn. I also have a pair of 8 x 32 and the transition there is only ¼ turn. The advantage of a faster focus wheel is reduced time in moving from one distance to another in the field. In birding this certainly helps when you are looking into trees in warbler season and moving from one branch to another at different distances. The drawback to the fast focus is that it is more difficult to be really sure you are on the bird and to stay there as the smallest movement of the focus wheel will put you out of focus. Certainly I did not feel that the Petrel focus passed through comfortably fast into too abrupt territory. The Conclusion The Kite Petrel ticks all of the boxes that a binocular user could want. They look good, they feel good, they are light, they are waterproof, they have exceptional close focus, and the view through them is excellent. Best of all, they retail for $ The distributor in Canada is Red Raven Marketing in Uxbridge, Ontario.

10 Thickson s Woods Moths Update The cold wet spring has been awful for mothing and blew our expectations of reaching the 1000 moth milestone by the end of June. However, we are now in the peak mothing period and we are once again optimistic that the Champagne will be popping before this season ends. We did spread our wings and set up our traps at the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust Bioblitz We had several new to us species including a Pawpaw Sphinx Moth and Putnam s Looper. Back at Thickson s we were able to confirm historical records of Cecropia Moths when we had several visits in early June. This spectacular moth is huge and beautifully marked. Not so large but wonderfully patterned is the Small Magpie, one of which decided, upon release, it would become part of Margaret Carney s earring collection. She was thrilled and posed long enough for Mike McEvoy to take some stunning photgraphs. - Phill Holder Margaret s new fashion accessory a Small Magpie (Mike McEvoy) Male and female Cecropia Moths (Mike McEvoy)

11 The Aquila Pawpaw Sphinx Moth (Phill Holder) Putnam s Looper (Phill Holder) New Moths of Thickson s Woods Checklist A BIRDERS JOURNAL PUBLICATION Field Identification Series Field Identification Series SILKWORM AND SPHINX MOTHS SHOREBIRDS Bird Topography of Southern Ontario of Southern Ontario JEAN IRON PHill HolDer and margaret Bain matt Holder environmental education fund Published by Hawk owl Publishing DAVID BEADLE Matt Holder Environmental Education Fund Published by Hawk Owl Publishing THE BIRDS OF THICKSON S WOODS WHITBY ONTARIO Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum. All proceeds go to the Matt Holder Education Fund Matt Holder Environmental Education Fund Published by Hawk Owl Publishing Birders Journal Publishing Inc THE BIRDS OF THICKSON S WOODS WHITBY ONTARIO ANNOTATED CHECKLIST Field Identification Series THe BasiCs of BirD identification THE BIRDS OF THICKSON S WOODS WHITBY ONTARIO Annotated Checklist PHILL HOLDER AND MARGARET BAIN Publications available from

12 New Project Bees This spring we started a study of bees that visit Thickson s Woods Nature Reserve. During our moth study we often find them, but have not focused on their identification. It s a natural progression of our overall biodiversity study to now include bees. After discussion with Wildlife Preservation Canada, we are going to participate in their Provincial Bumble Bee program by using bumble bee boxes to encourage and provide habitat for these important pollinators. Boxes were placed in various parts of the reserve and by monitoring them, we will be able to identify the species that use the reserve. A similar program using solitary bee logs should give a better understanding of what can be done to help protect these insects. Bumble Bees As with other pollinators, bumble bees are extremely important to our biodiversity and some species are seriously threatened. The Rusty-patched Bumble Bee is endangered and the Yellow-banded Bumble Bee is of special concern in Ontario. Bumble bee colonies are much smaller than those of Brown-belted Bumble Bee (Mike McEvoy) honeybees and do not produce significant quantities of honey. Nectar is stored only temporarily, because just mated queens overwinter. The queen emerging in spring, finds a suitable nesting site and raises the first brood of workers by herself. She then remains in the nest and focuses on egg-laying. Workers take over foraging, cell-building and tending to the young. When the colony reaches sufficient size, the next generation of reproductive queens and males are produced and mating occurs. These mated queens disperse and the social structure of the original colony begins to break down. The founding queen dies in the fall. The young, newly mated queens hibernate over the winter, emerging In spring to start the cycle again. We have placed 14 boxes around the Reserve, and as some bee species prefer to nest undergound, we have placed the boxes above and below ground in various habitats. This was a horrible spring but our first check revealed that we had bees visiting two of our boxes. On the left, only the entrance pipe is seen of the underground nest box. The ones above ground are attached to trees or in gardens, and are obvious. (Mike McEvoy)

13 Solitary Bees Solitary bees make individual nest cells for their larvae. Most species nest in small tunnels or holes. They are harmless to us, but are predators of small insects. Many solitary bees are very small and you may not even realize they are bees. All collect nectar and pollen from flowers and although they are known as solitary bees, some species will group their nest cells together. Solitary bees are not aggressive. They rarely if ever sting unless trodden on. Even if they do sting, it is not a painful sting like honeybees and most of the time you will not even feel it. They do not make honey, build honeycombs, or swarm They are important pollinators. Artificial nest sites can be made by drilling holes in logs. These are often called bee hotels, but this is misleading, as they are the bee s permanent home for most of its short life as it develops from an egg through a larval stage, then as a pupa, finally emerging as an adult. We are hoping to be able to identify as many Solitary Bees as possible to find out which species call the Reserve home. Phill Holder Mammals This young White-footed Mouse stopped by for a visit and pose for photographs. (Mike McEvoy) Two photographs of White-footed mice. The one on the left was caught in one of our traps. It held on to a sunflower seed the entire time it was extracted, weighed and measured. When it was released it sat next to us and ate the seed. We placed some more next to it and it happily chomped away without paying any attention to us. The baby on the right came to visit while we were photographing moths and was content to pose for photographs. Phill Holder White-footed Mouse with sunflower seed (Phill Holder) Beauty and the Beast - combined!! Horse Fly (Mike McEvoy) One of our Solitary Bee hotel s (Phill Holder) Mothing in the Haliburton Highlands was fantastic, but did have its challenges! I was forced for the first time ever to wear a bug jacket. Mike photographed this evil beauty when we were setting up the moth traps - a painful experience! Phill Holder

14 Winter Wren (Greg Macleod) All images are copyright Hawk Owl Publishing