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Mammals
Results
of the Biological Inventory in Red Hill Valley (1995)
The
mammal study combined incidental sightings primarily accumulated
during the bird migration surveys, with twelve nights of
small mammal trapping carried out by John Hannah. This was
supplemented with a review of the reports of the Hamilton
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (HSPCA)
and an appeal to local residents to "turn in what the cat
brings home".
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White tailed deer in Red Hill Valley.
Photo by John Brezden
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A
total of 24 mammal species (including four bats) were confirmed
in the study area. Unconfirmed sightings of three others,
including the flying squirrel were also recorded. Confirmed
species included mink, coyote, red fox, beaver and white-tailed
deer. Five small mammal species were found in the 60 captures
in the trapping program.
A
separate bat survey was done by Sandy Dobbyn who conducted
eight nights of field work in the valley. The first seven
nights took place in late July and early August and concentrated
on resident species. The final night, on August 29, was
for the purpose of searching for migrating bats. Tuttle
traps, mist nets and electronic bat detectors were used
to find and identify the bats.
One
hundred and thirty-five bats were observed and the presence
of four of Ontarios eight species was confirmed. The little
brown bat that is considered the most common species was
not confirmed in Red Hill although four echolocation signals
received in the bat detector could not be identified and
may have been from this species.
 Rare
Flying Squirrels Found in Red Hill Valley
(The following report was paid for by local taxpayers.
However, the Regional government has decided the report
should be kept secret and has refused to release it, even
to members of council.)
Red
Hill Valley
Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
Presence
/Absence Study:
Brief
Summary Report
Prepared
by: Ewa Bednarczuk
PURPOSE
To unequivocally confirm the presence of southern flying
squirrels (Glaucomys volans) in Red Hill Creek Valley, Hamilton,
Ontario. Presence is defined as the capture of one or more
flying squirrels and absence as no squirrels captured. The
sampling work was authorized under a permit obtained from
the Ministry of Natural Resources.
METHODS
Between July 19th and 27th, 1999, a trap line consisting
of 30 Sherman live traps was established along the escarpment
slope of the Red Hill Valley, extending from Mt. Albion
Road to the southwest edge of the King's Forest Golf Course.
Natural cotton stuffing was placed in the traps to keep
animals warm during the night. The traps were baited with
a mixture of peanut butter, molasses and rolled oats. A
piece of apple was provided for hydration. With the aid
of an 8-metre extension ladder, the traps were secured to
tree limbs with electrical tape between 5 and 8 metres above
ground. All traps were checked each morning. Any captured
flying squirrels were weighed, sexed, and their reproductive
status was determined. They were also marked with the use
of ear tags to help distinguish individuals. Hair samples
were collected for future genetic analysis. The animals
were then released in the same location where they were
discovered. Used traps were cleaned, baited and secured
in the same location as prior to capture.
RESULTS
A total of 28 individual southern flying squirrels (13 females,
15 males) were captured during 7 nights of trapping. Out
of 193 trap nights, southern flying squirrels were captured
60 times giving an overall trapping success rate of 31.1%.
Both juveniles and adults were captured but not all could
be accurately aged. Two individual females were pregnant.
Squirrels were caught in all but 4 traps during the trapping
session. One squirrel was found dead in a trap where it
may have succumbed to hypothermia. The dead squirrel has
been submitted to the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health
Centre at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph to determine
the cause of death.
DISCUSSION
The presence of a breeding population of southern flying
squirrels (Glaucomys volans) in the Red Hill Valley has
been confirmed through this study. Further implications
of the present study are being assessed and will be addressed
in a more detailed report.
Secret
Flying Squirrel Report Finally Released
On
October 15, 2002 the City released its long-secret studies
on Southern Flying Squirrels in the valley. Earlier versions
of this report were refused to a City Councillor in March
2000, and to repeated Freedom of Information requests from
Brabant Newspapers, the Spectator and individuals. This
refusal to share a publicly-funded report is more understandable
after you read it. A reasonable conclusion from it (although
it isn't stated in the report) is that the expressway will
likely wipe out this very rare species from the valley.
The
document incorporates reports on six separate studies conducted
between July 1999 and August 2001 including three field
seasons of "presence/absence" studies, mark-recapture
and radio-telemetry studies in 2000, and a concentrated
trapping effort in 2001 to examine the possible effects
of large roads on squirrel movement. However, the effects
of habitat loss, tree removal and other impacts of the proposed
expressway were not examined.
Southern
Flying Squirrels (Glaucomys volans) are considered to be
a "Species of Special Concern" by the Committee
on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
because they are particularly sensitive to human activities.
Provincial authorities have not yet assigned a status to
this species.
The
squirrels are at the northern extent of their range in Hamilton.
The last confirmed observations occurred in 1941 in the
Dundas Valley. Virtually every other recent sighting in
Ontario has occurred south of Hamilton. A major re-introduction
program for the species was undertaken at Point Pelee National
Park in the mid-1990s.
Environment
Canada's website on Species at Risk notes that: "Loss
and degradation of habitat are the main factors limiting
Southern Flying Squirrel populations. The hardwood forests
have been drastically fragmented and reduced in area, and
these squirrels will not live in isolated woodlots. Competition
for food with Grey Squirrels also limits the size of the
Southern Flying Squirrel population. The use of pesticides
could be affecting Southern Flying Squirrel populations
as well, since these squirrels feed mainly on insects."
The
initial 1999 study caught 60 flying squirrels in seven nights
of trapping in the area of the valley along the escarpment
between Mt. Albion Road and Mountain Brow Boulevard. Some
squirrels were caught more than once but 28 separate individuals
were identified. Five studies later, the just released report
concludes that there are between 30 and 40 squirrels in
the valley area.
Stuck
with a very rare and special species in the path of the
expressway, the City apparently ordered studies to try and
find the squirrels somewhere else so the Red Hill squirrels
would seem less important. Investigations in 2000 and 2001
failed in this mission. Squirrels were only found between
Gage Avenue and New Mountain Road. The SPCA, animal control
companies and veterinarians reported no records of this
species. The researchers also found that the squirrels northward
movement is apparently blocked by King Street and Greenhill
Avenue.
The
research effort then focused on the effect of roads on the
movements of the flying squirrels. Here again the results
were disappointing for the City. Two studies were conducted
to determine the effects of the 10 metre wide Mt. Albion
Road and the 20-metre-wide cut in the escarpment made by
Highway 20 (Centennial Parkway). The proposed expressway
will impose a 70 to 80-metre-wide cut in the escarpment,
nearly 4 times the cut for Highway 20.
Twenty-two
squirrels were radio-collared in a 2000 study in the vicinity
of Mt. Albion Road and Highway 20. Several squirrels crossed
Mt. Albion, but only one got across Highway 20. The study
was unable to determine whether this squirrel ran across
the road, glided across it (glides up to 75 metres have
been reported elsewhere), or went through the railway underpass
at the foot of the escarpment.
A
2001 study intensively trapped animals for 20 days on both
sides of three forest gaps plus a control area. The gaps
were Highway 20, Mt. Albion Road, and a hydro corridor near
Gage Park. The study found that 37% of the animals at the
control and hydro sites crossed from one side to the other,
29% crossed Mt. Albion Road, and 4% crossed Highway 20.
While
the City-funded studies concluded that roads do have a barrier
effect on flying squirrel movement, the report recommends
that the proposed expressway bridge near the escarpment
"may provide an opportunity to reduce the impacts of
the Expressway on the movement of Southern Flying Squirrels".
The studies could not offer any evidence of this. The squirrels
apparently didn't use the underpass at King Street, and
an intensive effort failed to find the species in the Hendrie
Valley near the Royal Botanical Gardens where the researchers
hoped to assess the impact of the Plains Road West bridge
on the movement of the small mammals.
The
report makes no comment on the proposed expressway. But
it does say that the City has a "unique opportunity"
to study the effect of large roads by conducting "a
'before and after' study of the flying squirrel population
at the future construction site." It also suggests
that having large trees alongside the road may be the best
long term solution, but concedes this would take decades
to achieve. Consequently it recommends installation and
study of artificial trees (eg log poles).
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Audio
Presentations: Red Hill Valley - No Place for a Road