Bugging Out In Northern Ontario, Part 5: Fraserdale

The vast majority of Ontarians have never heard of Fraserdale. This is not surprising, as Fraserdale is nothing more than a train stop along the Cochrane to Moosonee route, about 45 minutes north of Smooth Rock Falls along a pot-holed road. But Fraserdale is well-known among a very small subset of people, those being birders, moth-ers, and other naturalist types who love exploring northeastern Ontario. Fraserdale is one of easiest places to access high quality peatlands in northeast Ontario, and it is home to a high diversity of species that are difficult or impossible to find further south. Indeed, it is only about an eight hour drive from where I live (Hamilton) to Fraserdale!

Fraserdale, Cochrane District

I've been to Fraserdale on many occasions, with my first visit in 2012. These early visits were bird-finding missions on my way to Moosonee, as the nearby Abititi Dam is a rare bird magnet and Fraserdale a convenient stop to take the train to Moosonee. Though I never found any mega-rarities during these early Fraserdale expeditions, it was always a good place to find specialty birds like Spruce Grouse, LeConte's Sparrow, American Three-toed Woodpecker and much more. 

Spruce Grouse - Fraserdale, Cochrane District (September 2012)

LeConte's Sparrow - Fraserdale, Cochrane District (September 2014)

American Three-toed Woodpecker family - Fraserdale, Cochrane District (June 2020)

I have returned to Fraserdale in the years since on insect hunting expeditions, first in June 2020 and again in August 2024. It is one of those places that I could return to over and over again and never get bored, though I may tire of the mosquitoes eventually. 

Taiga Alpine (Erebia mancinus) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District (June 2020)

Now back to the present. I did not have really high hopes for a productive Fraserdale visit this time around, mainly due to the weather. The smoky haze had not lifted as I drove north from Smooth Rock Falls, and the following day had lots of rain in the forecast. But the day after that was supposed to be clear and sunny, so I hoped that the forecast for the final day would hold. 

Abitibi River boat launch, road to Fraserdale, Cochrane District

As it was late in the day I only had time for one stop;  a boat launch for the Abitibi River. I waited around for a bit but other than a presumed Shadow Darner, there were no dragonflies to speak of here and so I continued north to Fraserdale. 

Mothing in Fraserdale, Cochrane District

As dusk fell I set up my lights at a familiar spot just south of Fraserdale. I hoped that the light breeze would subside by sunset, but the weather gods had other plans. The warm evening temperatures were a nice change and a boon for moth diversity, but the breeze picked up throughout the course of the evening. I had to weigh the sheets down with rocks but the continuous movement of the sheets made photography difficult, especially with any insect that was fairly small. 

Lettered Habrosyne Moth (Habrosyne scripta) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Hairy Pine Borer (Tragosoma harrisii) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Rose Plume Moth (Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Draeculacephala angulifera - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Still, I came away with a number of great sightings. In total I photographed around 60 species of moths of which seven were new for me. Below are a few of the new ones. 

Hanham's Owlet (Phalaenostola hanhami) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Tufted Sedge Moth (Hypocoena inquinata) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Hypenodes palustris - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Frigid Owlet (Nycteola frigidana) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Spruce Needleworm Moth (Hypsopygia thymetusalis) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

And below are a few more photos of some of the eye-catching species of moths (and a bonus crane fly). 

Canadian Owlet (Calyptra canadensis) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Parthenice Tiger Moth (Apantesis parthenice) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Tipula metacomet - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Rose Hooktip (Oreta rosea) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

The next day was a complete right off and the definitive low point of the trip. I awoke to heavy cloud cover, hazy skies and a fresh breeze, though the wind was not quite strong enough to deter the voracious black flies and mosquitoes. The poor weather conditions provided a silver lining as they allowed a longer sleep-in followed by a leisurely breakfast of my usual scrambled eggs and instant coffee. Eventually, I grabbed my net and camera and headed out to see what I could find. My hopes were low, but maybe I would get lucky with a few dragonflies. 

Fraserdale, Cochrane District

This was not the case. After two hours I had not observed a single odonate or butterfly. At least the birds were active, and I contented myself by watching several active Olive-sided Flycatchers and a Black-backed Woodpecker. A Red Crossbill was a somewhat surprising discovery while I also found a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Canada Jay. 

Olive-sided Flycatcher - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

The weather conditions deteriorated further as the noon-hour came and went. I spent much of the afternoon hanging out in my car, watching the rain on the windshield. At one point I came across a family of Ruffed Grouse on the road who cooperated for a photoshoot. 

Ruffed Grouse - road to Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Finally, around 6 PM the last band of rain seemed to pass and a few feeble rays of sun weekly shone through the tips of the Black Spruce trees. Too little, too late. I saw my one and only odonate of the day, a Shadow Darner that I was able to net just before sunset at the boat launch from the previous evening. ​

Shadow Darner (Aeshna umbrosa) - Abitibi River boat launch, road to Fraserdale, Cochrane District

The skies cleared at dusk and the temperatures plummeted. I set up my mothing gear at a new site for me near Homuth Lake. 

Sharp-lined Yellow (Sicya macularia) - Homuth Lake, Cochrane District

This ended up being the slowest night of mothing of the trip with just 36 species photographed, none of which were new for me. Still, as is always the case, there were a few interesting moths! 

Herald Moth (Scoliopteryx libatrix) - Homuth Lake, Cochrane District

My Moth Of The Night was probably the above species, called the Herald Moth. It seems to be an uncommon moth that I have only observed three times before, and it is quite attractive. Another highlight was this tortricid moth called Notocelia culminana, which is a rare species that I had observed just once previously. 

Notocelia culminana - Homuth Lake, Cochrane District

Here are a few other odds and ends from the evening. 

Ypsolopha canariella - Homuth Lake, Cochrane District

Spruce Coneworm Moth (Dioryctria reniculelloides) - Homuth Lake, Cochrane District

Two-lined Hooktip (Falcaria bilineata) - Homuth Lake, Cochrane District

Syngrapha epigaea - Homuth Lake, Cochrane District

I found this sphinx moth caterpillar on my car as I was packing up for the evening. I am not positive on the species identification, but it may be Small-eyed Sphinx (Paonias myops). 

Small-eyed Sphinx (Paonias myops) - Homuth Lake, Cochrane District (tentative identification)

I awoke to a cool morning with clear skies. It appeared that the wildfire smoke had finally drifted on; a perfect day for exploring! Having been cooped up in my car during yesterday's persistent rain, I was feeling a little restless and looking forward to a nice long hike. Even the black flies didn't seem as bothersome today. 

Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

I set off on a raised track wide enough for a truck that heads west from the main road, just south of Fraserdale. This track eventually crosses the railroad tracks and continues on to the southwest for a number of kilometres.

The butterflies also seemed restless after yesterday's rainout and the trail was littered with them. The vast majority were Arctic Fritillaries and I'm sure that I crossed paths with over 100 of them over the course of the morning. Last year, I visited this location in similar weather conditions on August 21 and could not find even one. Amazing the difference that a couple of weeks makes with butterflies. 

Arctic Fritillaries (Boloria chariclea) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Arctic Fritillaries (Boloria chariclea) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Mixed in with the Arctic Fritillaries were a number of other species including American Branded Skipper, Long Dash, Dorcas Copper, Aphrodite and Atlantis Fritillaries, three species of sulphurs and Green Comma. 

Dorcas Copper (Tharsalea dorcas) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Aphrodite Fritillary (Argynnis aphrodite) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

I tried not to get too distracted by the many butterflies as my main goal was to locate several northern dragonflies. Though I had found a couple of lifer Somatochlora emeralds a few days earlier along the Detour Mine Road (Brush-tipped and Lake Emeralds), there were still several other possibilities here. Forcipate and Ringed Emeralds in particular were high on my target list. 

Fraserdale, Cochrane District

The first Somatochlora of the day appeared over the ditch. My swing was accurate and I heard the satisfying swish of a dragonfly trapped in the netting. A male Brush-tipped Emerald. Not a lifer, but my first views of a male with that distinctive brushy appendage.  

Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Anticipation was high as the weather conditions were nearly perfect, if a touch cool, and the Somatochlora were flying. A few minutes later I saw another emerald patrolling the ditch. I missed with my first swing and I worried that I had blown my chances. But, a few minutes later, it buzzed past again and this time I connected. And it was one of my targets - a Forcipate Emerald! 

Forcipate Emerald (Somatochlora forcipata) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

As you can see, many of the Somatochlora emeralds appear very similar to each other, so a close look is often required to identify them. Additionally, they rarely perch in view where photos can be taken, so netting them is absolutely essential for identification. 

Forcipate Emerald (Somatochlora forcipata) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

The insect activity continued unabated as the morning turned to afternoon. Even a wispy layer of clouds would not deter them, and I took hundreds of photos. Below are a few random odds and ends from my stroll. 

Dorcadion Bee Fly (Exoprosopa dorcadion) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Yellow Velvet Beetle (Lepturobosca chrysocoma) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Crackling Forest Grasshopper (Trimerotropis verruculata) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Black-shouldered Drone Fly (Eristalis dimidiata) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

I reached the railway tracks and walked south along them for a few hundred meters. Various goldenrods and other asters were in bloom and insect activity was quite high. A small, bluish butterfly caught my eye. I followed it with my binoculars and, after an eternity, it landed. A Northern Blue!

Northern Blue (Plebejus idas) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

This was a new photographed species for me (I had seen one in July, 2012 on the train to Moosonee, while the train was stopped). This butterfly, while rarely common, occurs widely across the far north in Ontario but I figured that I was too late in the year to find one. Guess not! Unfortunately, it vanished before I could manage better quality photos. 

Northern Blue (Plebejus idas) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

I crossed the tracks and continued to the southwest with my destination being a boggy lake that I had scouted on satellite imagery. It took a few hundred metres of bog-slogging through hummocky, Black Spruce forest but eventually I reached the shores. I am not sure how frequently this lake gets checked by naturalists although I know that a friend of mine, Bill Lamond, has stopped here before to look for dragonflies. 

Unnamed lake near Fraserdale, Cochrane District

A female Ring-necked Duck watched me nervously as I set out to explore the boggy edge. The birding was actually pretty good here as I found an American Three-toed Woodpecker and a family of Canada Jays while listening to a soundtrack of yodeling Common Loons, nasal Pine Siskins, and chittering White-winged Crossbills.

Canada Jay - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Bog Sedge (Carex oligosperma) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

I quickly found a new dragonfly for me here as dozens of Crimson-ringed Whitefaces occupied the boggy fringe. This species is more closely tied to these boggy environs than the similar Hudsonian Whiteface which is more of a generalist. The whitefaces were quite wary and I was unable to net any for a closer look. However, I managed some photos that show the distinctive wing venation, a key field mark for this species.

Crimson-ringed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia glacialis) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

The other potential lifer dragonfly that I hoped to find here was the Sedge Darner. I photographed several patrolling darners but they all turned out to be either Canada or Lake Darner. 

Canada Darner (Aeshna canadensis) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

The walk back to the car was more of the same - hundreds of butterflies flitting along, and many other insects to look at. I netted another Brush-tipped Emerald and also found a Forcipate Emerald perched along the ditch. I also saw a Four-spotted Skimmer which was my 49th species of odonate for this trip. 

Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Black Meadowhawk (Sympetrum danae) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

Not wanting to waste any time, I quickly wolfed down lunch and made my way over to a nearby boggy lake that can be easily accessed from the roadside just east of Fraserdale. My friend Jon Pleizier had been there a week earlier and netted a Sedge Darner. This was one of my remaining targets for the Fraserdale area. 

White Bog Orchid (Platanthera dilatata) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

The odonates were flying. I caught a male bluet which upon close inspection was my first Boreal Bluet. Another target in the bag, and my 50th odonate of the trip! I turned my attention to the darners and tallied three species - Subarctic, Canada, and Lake - but no Sedge Darner. 

Lake Darner (Aeshna eremita) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

The afternoon was getting on and I still had one more place to check. I pulled myself away from this productive spot, photographing a few day-flying moths on my walk back out to the car. 

Manchester Treble-bar Moth (Carsia sororiata) - Fraserdale, Cochrane District

This small boggy lake, near the much larger Homuth Lake, is found about halfway between Smooth Rock Falls and Fraserdale. Several hundred meters of bog-slogging is required to access it but the trouble is worth it for the view alone. 

Unnamed lake near Homuth Lake, Cochrane District

Mustard White (Pieris oleracea) - Homuth Lake area, Cochrane District

Northern Spreadwings (Lestes disjunctus) - Homuth Lake area, Cochrane District

Finally, my luck with the Sedge Darner turned as one was patrolling the lake with a handful of other darner species. The relatively straight, thick thoracic stripes are easy to pick out with the binoculars. Despite my best efforts I was unable to photograph it in flight, while I was also 0 for 1 swinging at it with my net.  It never gave me a second opportunity. Of course I had no trouble catching several Canada Darners. 

Canada Darner (Aeshna canadensis) - Homuth Lake area, Cochrane District

I took a closer look at the bluets and managed some better photos with my macro lens of a male Boreal Bluet as well. 

Boreal Bluet (Enallagma boreale) - Homuth Lake area, Cochrane District

And with the sun slinking lower in the sky, I hopped back in my car and drove south towards Smooth Rock Falls. It had been a fantastic day with innumerable highlights. And though I had been unable to photograph any Sedge Darners, that is just a reason to return next year. As if I need any excuse to revisit this extraordinary region.