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Spring/Summer 2010 Avian Survey Report Stony Creek Wind Farm Wyoming County, New York January 24, 2011 PREPARED FOR: Stony Creek Energy LLC 51 Monroe St. Suite 1604 Rockville, MD 20850 PREPARED BY: Lackawanna Executive Park 239 Main Street, Suite 301 Dickson City, PA 18519 www.shoenerenvironmental.com Stony Creek Wind Farm Avian Survey January 24, 2011 Table of Contents I. Summary and Background .................................................................................................1 Summary .......................................................................................................................1 Project Description ........................................................................................................1 Project Review Background ..........................................................................................2 II. Bald Eagle Survey .............................................................................................................3 Bald Eagle Breeding Status in New York ......................................................................3 Daily Movements of Bald Eagle in New York ...............................................................4 Bald Eagle Conservation Status in New York ................................................................4 Bald Eagle Survey Method ............................................................................................5 Analysis of Bald Eagle Survey Data ..............................................................................6 Bald Eagle Survey Results ............................................................................................6 Bald Eagle Nest Searches ..............................................................................................9 Bald Eagle Summary .....................................................................................................9 III. Northern Harrier Survey .................................................................................................. 10 Northern Harrier Breeding Range ................................................................................ 10 Daily Movements of Northern Harrier ......................................................................... 11 Northern Harrier Conservation Status in New York ..................................................... 11 Northern Harrier Survey Methods ............................................................................... 11 Analysis of Northern Harrier Survey Data ................................................................... 13 Northern Harrier Survey Results.................................................................................. 13 Northern Harrier Survey Summary .............................................................................. 16 IV. Breeding Bird Survey ...................................................................................................... 16 Breeding Birds in New York ....................................................................................... 16 Survey Methods .......................................................................................................... 18 Analysis of Breeding Bird Survey Data ....................................................................... 20 Breeding Bird Survey Results ...................................................................................... 21 Breeding Bird Survey Summary .................................................................................. 23 V. Incidental Sightings ......................................................................................................... 25 VI. Literature Cited ................................................................................................................ 28 Stony Creek Wind Farm Avian Survey January 24, 2011 Attachments Attachment 1 Site Location Map Attachment 2 USGS 7.5 Minute Quadrangles: Stony Creek Wind Farm Site Map: Attica, Dale, Johnsonburg, and Warsaw, NY. Attachment 3 Supporting Maps a. Site Layout with Survey Points b. Surface Geology Map c. NYS Breeding Bird Atlas Block Maps Attachment 4 2009 NAIP Aerial Orthoimagery Attachment 5 NYDEC Site Comments a. NYNHP Draft DEIS Comments b. Bald Eagle NYNHP Reports Attachment 6 Data Sheets a. Bald Eagle b. Northern Harrier c. Breeding Bird d. Breeding Bird Codes-Definitions Attachment 7 Species of Greatest Conservation Need List Attachment 8 AOU Alpha Codes for Bird Species Attachment 9 Weather Data Attachment 10 Point Count Data Attachment 11 Site Photographs Attachment 12 GPS Coordinates for all Survey Points Stony Creek Wind Farm Avian Survey January 24, 2011 Page 1 of 31 I. Summary and Background Summary This report describes studies to detect the presence of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and Northern harrier (Circus cyaneus) in the Stony Creek Wind Farm project area, located in Wyoming County, New York. The report also documents the findings of a survey of forest birds in the same general area. Stony Creek Energy LLC, a fully owned subsidiary of Invenergy Wind North America LLC, proposes to construct a wind-powered electric generating facility that includes the installation of access roads, electrical collection lines, a substation, an operations & maintenance building and wind turbines. Surveys were conducted on site during the weeks of April 26, May 9, June 6, and June 20, 2010. These weeks enveloped the primary period for breeding activity of the focal species. Field work was performed by Shoener Environmental, Inc. ornithologists. Project Description The project is located in Wyoming County in southwestern New York, east of Lake Erie and west of the Finger Lakes region. The project extends north and southward of State Route 20A, along hill tops of the Cattaraugus Highlands in the Appalachian Plateau physiographic province (Attachment 1, 2, 3a, b, 4). Route 238 runs north to south through the eastern portion of the site. On the west, the project lies east of Syler Road south of USR 20A and along Buffalo/Gassman roads north of USR 20A. Elevations range from 1000 to 2000 feet (305 to 610 meters). The Town of Orangeville is centrally located within the study area, the town of Varysburg is approximately 1.5 miles west of the site, and Warsaw is located approximately 2.5 miles to the east. The site’s climate is temperate, with cold, snowy winters and warm summers. Temperatures average between 18.9 and 66.4oF (-17.3 and 19.1oC) daily, and the region obtains approximately 41 inches (105.3 cm) of precipitation per year, distributed relatively equally throughout the months (http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi- bin/grid.pl?gr=N42W078). Stony Creek Wind Farm Avian Survey January 24, 2011 Page 2 of 31 The project area (Attachment 3a, 2010 Study Area) is primarily composed of rolling terrain, with relatively flat ridges bisected by deep ravines. The habitat generally consists of parcels of secondary mixed and hardwood forest, abandoned fields, hayfields, croplands, and low density residential areas, bisected by roads. Many of the forested areas show signs of recent logging activity, with timber comprised of oak (Quercus spp.), maple (Acer spp), beech (Fagus grandifolia), American basswood (Tilia americana) and cherry (Prunus spp) (Andrle and Carroll 1988). Small plots of Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and Pinus species persist throughout these forest fragments, either interspersed with deciduous hardwoods, or as small monocultures within patches of hardwood forest. Much of the project area was being actively farmed, logged, or affected by residential construction. Vegetation in many areas that were not actively managed was dominated by successional shrub and edge plant species. The site’s surface geology is dominated by glacial features, including rounded basins, or kettles. Often, these kettles hold wet areas, including pools, which are often fishless. These wetlands occur throughout the project area. The largest body of water in the project area is the Attica Reservoir. A portion of this triangular-shaped reservoir is located in the northeast corner of the project area, and is flanked by Bantam Swamp to the east, and low ridges to the north and west. Project Review Background A draft environmental impact statement was prepared on February 18, 2010 and submitted to the Orangeville Town Board by Stony Creek Energy LLC. Among other topics, the DEIS discussed the potential presence of state- and federally listed endangered and threatened species, and special concern species protected by the state. At the request of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC), Stony Creek Energy LLC conducted supplementary surveys to determine specific presence and flight paths within the project site by bald eagle and northern harrier, both listed as threatened by New York State. NYDEC records include eight bald eagle sightings in the project area, specifically in and around Attica Reservoir, between June 9, 1999 and January 10, 2008. In addition, a pair of bald Stony Creek Wind Farm Avian Survey January 24, 2011 Page 3 of 31 eagle was observed on June 19, 2000, during routine breeding bird surveys conducted by volunteers of the 2nd Breeding Bird Atlas of New York (McGowan and Corwin 2008), in the atlas block encompassing the same area. These atlas ‘blocks’ are 3x3 mi (5x5 km), and are used to divide the state into segments for survey during the Breeding Bird Atlases. Bald eagles were observed during surveys for the Atlas in only one of eight
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