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Appendix E2 Night Parrot Survey Report

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Appendix E2 Night Parrot Survey Report Night Parrot Survey Report Lake Disappointment Potash Project Reward Minerals Ltd July 2018 VERSION 3 On behalf of: Reward Minerals Limited PO Box 1104 NEDLANDS WA 6909 T: (08) 9386 4699 E: [email protected] Prepared by: Greg Harewood Zoologist PO Box 755 BUNBURY WA 6231 M: 0402 141 197 E: [email protected] LAKE DISAPPOINTMENT POTASH PROJECT – REWARD MINERALS LTD – NIGHT PARROT SURVEY REPORT - JULY 2018 – V3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 2. SURVEY SCOPE ....................................................................................... 1 3. METHODS ................................................................................................. 2 3.1 EQUIPMENT AND CALL ANALYSIS ......................................................... 2 3.2 JUNE 2017 SURVEY ................................................................................. 2 3.3 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 SURVEY .................................................... 9 3.4 OCTOBER/SEPTEMBER 2017 SURVEY ............................................... 13 3.5 DECEMBER 2017 SURVEY .................................................................... 16 3.6 MARCH/APRIL 2018 SURVEY ................................................................ 18 4. SURVEY RESULTS ................................................................................. 21 4.1 JUNE 2017 SURVEY ............................................................................... 21 4.2 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 SURVEY .................................................. 22 4.3 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 SURVEY ................................................. 23 4.4 DECEMBER 2017 SURVEY .................................................................... 23 4.5 MARCH/APRIL 2018 SURVEY ................................................................ 24 5. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 25 6. REFERENCES ......................................................................................... 27 LAKE DISAPPOINTMENT POTASH PROJECT – REWARD MINERALS LTD – NIGHT PARROT SURVEY REPORT - JULY 2018 – V3 TABLES TABLE 1: ARU Sites – June 2017 TABLE 2: Dusk Listening Sites – June 2017 TABLE 3: ARU Sites – August/September 2017 TABLE 4: ARU Sites – October/November 2017 TABLE 5: ARU Sites – December 2017 TABLE 6: ARU Sites – March/April 2018 TABLE 7: June 2017 Survey Results TABLE 8: August/September 2017 Survey Results TABLE 9: December 2017 Survey Results TABLE 10: March/April 2018 Survey Results FIGURES FIGURE 1: Night Parrot Survey Locations - June 2017 FIGURE 2: Night Parrot Survey Locations - Aug/Sept 2017 FIGURE 3: Night Parrot Survey Locations - Oct/Nov 2017 FIGURE 4: Night Parrot Survey Locations - December 2017 FIGURE 5: Night Parrot Survey Locations – March/April 2018 FIGURE 6-10: Vegetation Communities (Courtesy Botanica Consulting 2017) LAKE DISAPPOINTMENT POTASH PROJECT – REWARD MINERALS LTD – NIGHT PARROT SURVEY REPORT - JULY 2018 – V3 1. INTRODUCTION This report details the results of a series of surveys targeting the night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) carried out as part of Reward Minerals Limited (Reward) Lake Disappointment Potash (LDP) Project situated in the Little Sandy Desert, approximately 180km south of Telfer and 285km east of Newman, Western Australia. The survey work completed to date has been carried out in five phases, these being: x June 2017 – Survey points located and locations in the vicinity of Lake Disappointment including the proposed plant site; x August/September 2017 – Survey points located within one area and a number of areas in close vicinity to Lake Dora; x October/November 2017 – A “regional survey” at various locations around Lake Disappointment and along/near Savory Creek. x December 2017 – Survey points located within two areas x March/April 2018 – As with the December 2017 survey – survey undertaken at points located within two areas This report summarises the methods and results of each survey. 2. SURVEY SCOPE The scope of the targeted surveys reported on here were to determine if the night parrot was utilising sections of the Project area as habitat and also to try and determine if it was also present at other locations in the general region. This survey work has been facilitated by the relatively recent release of night parrot call recordings, in particular those made in Western Australia, which allows for the reliable identification of the species using autonomous recording units (ARUs). To comply with the scope of works and the likely requirements of environmental regulatory authorities the survey documented in this report was planned and implemented in accordance with the recently released document: x Department of Parks and Wildlife (2017). Interim guideline for preliminary surveys of night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) in Western Australia. Version 1 May 2017. Page 1 LAKE DISAPPOINTMENT POTASH PROJECT – REWARD MINERALS LTD – NIGHT PARROT SURVEY REPORT - JULY 2018 – V3 3. METHODS 3.1 EQUIPMENT AND CALL ANALYSIS During all surveys, passive call detection using automated recording units (ARUs) was undertaken using a Wildlife Acoustic SM2+ and/or SM4 recorders. The ARUs were set to record from or just before sunset and turn off at or just after sunrise each day. Sound recordings were analysed for night parrot calls by Bob Bullen (Bat Call WA Pty Ltd). 3.2 JUNE 2017 SURVEY In June 2017 targeted surveys were undertaken at various points and This phase of survey work included: x passive acoustic surveys (using ARUs); x listening surveys; and x targeted and area searches around waterholes/bores while looking for night parrot feathers. Two camera traps were also placed at watering points at two bores. The passive acoustic and listening surveys were carried out in areas that appeared to contain the most likely roosting and nesting habitat (e.g. long unburnt spinifex, in particular near areas of healthy stands of samphire, if present) located within the defined study area and any other location in close proximity to proposed development areas or Lake Disappointment). Site selection was carried out by Greg Harewood and George Swann. During this survey ARUs were deployed at 14 different locations for period of between one to eight nights. The location of the various survey points is shown in Figure 1. Other details on the locations surveyed are provided in Table 1 below. Page 2 LAKE DISAPPOINTMENT POTASH PROJECT – REWARD MINERALS LTD – NIGHT PARROT SURVEY REPORT - JULY 2018 – V3 Table 1: ARU Sites – June 2017 ARU Description Example Image Landform/Vegetation Sandplain - Open shrub mallee of Eucalyptus gamophylla/ E. kingsmillii over low scrub of Acacia bivenosa and mid-dense hummock grass of Triodia basedowii. (P-HG2) 4552 Location Deployment 16/06/2017 to 24/06/2017 Nights 8 Landform/Vegetation Salk lake edge – Mosaic of dense hummock grass of Triodia spp. and heath of mixed Tecticornia spp. (CD-CSSSF1) Location 4605 17/06/2017 to 23/06/2017 Nights 6 Landform/Vegetation Salk lake edge – Mosaic of dense hummock grass of Triodia spp. and heath of mixed Tecticornia spp. (CD-CSSSF1) Location 4888 Deployment 17/06/2017 to 18/06/2017 Nights 1 Page 3 LAKE DISAPPOINTMENT POTASH PROJECT – REWARD MINERALS LTD – NIGHT PARROT SURVEY REPORT - JULY 2018 – V3 ARU Description Example Image Landform/Vegetation Rocky Plain - Open low woodland of Corymbia aspera over low scrub of Acacia spp. and mid-dense hummock grass of Triodia basedowii. (RP-HG1) 4888 Location Deployment 18/06/2017 to 19/06/2017 Nights 1 Landform/Vegetation Sand Dunes/Swales - Open low woodland of Corymbia opaca over low scrub of Acacia/Grevillea spp. and mid-dense hummock grass of Triodia basedowii. (D-HG1) 4888 Location Deployment 19/06/2017 to 20/06/2017 Nights 1 Landform/Vegetation Sand Dunes/Swales - Open low woodland of Corymbia opaca over low scrub of Acacia/Grevillea spp. and mid-dense hummock grass of Triodia basedowii. (D-HG1) 4888 Location Deployment 20/06/2017 to 21/06/2017 Nights 1 Page 4 LAKE DISAPPOINTMENT POTASH PROJECT – REWARD MINERALS LTD – NIGHT PARROT SURVEY REPORT - JULY 2018 – V3 ARU Description Example Image Landform/Vegetation Sand Dunes/Swales - Open low woodland of Corymbia opaca over low scrub of Acacia/Grevillea spp. and mid-dense hummock grass of Triodia basedowii. (D-HG1) 4888 Location 21/06/2017 to 22/06/2017 Nights 1 Landform/Vegetation Sand Dunes/Swales - Open low woodland of Corymbia opaca over low scrub of Acacia/Grevillea spp. and mid-dense hummock grass of Triodia basedowii adjacent to open mixed herbs in clay-loam depression. 4888 (D-HG1) Location 22/06/2017 to 23/06/2017 Nights 1 Landform/Vegetation Sand Dunes/Swales - Open low woodland of Corymbia opaca over low scrub of Acacia/Grevillea spp. and mid-dense hummock grass of Triodia basedowii adjacent to open mixed herbs in clay-loam depression. 4896 (D-HG1) (CD-OGHSR1) Location 17/06/2017 to 23/06/2017 Nights 6 Page 5 LAKE DISAPPOINTMENT POTASH PROJECT – REWARD MINERALS LTD – NIGHT PARROT SURVEY REPORT - JULY 2018 – V3 ARU Description Example Image Landform/Vegetation Swales - Open low woodland of Corymbia opaca over low scrub of Acacia/Grevillea spp. and mid- dense hummock grass of Triodia basedowii. (D-HG1) 7566 Location Deployment 16/06/2017 to 21/06/2017 Nights 5 Landform/Vegetation Rocky Plain - Open low woodland of Corymbia aspera over low scrub of Acacia spp. and mid-dense hummock grass of Triodia basedowii. (RP-HG1) 11040 Location Deployment 18/06/2017
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