Baseline Fauna Report
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FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY 22nd October – 29th October 2007 Four Mile Prospect Baseline Fauna Survey April 2008, Version 1.1 37 Kent Road KESWICK SA 5035 Phone : 08 8297 7711 Fax : 08 8297 7722 Email : [email protected] Web : www.ebservices.com.au FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY 22nd October – 29th October 2007 Date: 07/04/2008 Version: 1.1 Document Control Revision No. Date Author Approved Date Revision type issued by approved 1.0 14/02/2008 H. Waudby / T. How TH 14/02/2008 First draft 1.1 07/04/2008 H Waudby / T How TH 07/04/2008 Final Distribution of copies Revision Issue date Quantity Media Issued to No. 1.0 14/02/2008 1 Electronic S Carter (Heathgate Resources), P Woods (Heathgate Resources) 1.1 07/04/2008 1 Electronic S Carter (Heathgate Resources), P Woods (Heathgate Resources) COPYRIGHT: Use or copying of this document in whole or in part without the written permission of Environment and Biodiversity Services constitutes an infringement of copyright. LIMITATION: This report has been prepared on behalf of and for the exclusive use of Environmental and Biodiversity Services Client, and is subject to and issued in connection with the provisions of the agreement between Environmental and Biodiversity Services and it’s Client. Environmental and Biodiversity Services accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report by any third party. Cover Photos: Northern Spiny-tailed Gecko (Strophurus ciliaris); Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax); Fat-tail Dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata). Four Mile Prospect Baseline Fauna Survey April 2008, Version 1.1 Environmental and Biodiversity Services Acknowledgements Various people have assisted us prior to and during monitoring and provided advice during preparation of this report. We would particularly like to thank the following people for their advice, logistical support and field assistance. ¾ Sue Carter (Heathgate Resources): Senior Environmental Adviser ¾ David Hunt (Heathgate Resources): Environmental Adviser ¾ Ping Goodwin (Heathgate Resources): Environmental Adviser ¾ David Sumner (Heathgate Resources): Environmental Technician ¾ Keith Bellchambers (Ardeotis Biological Consultants): Ornithologist ¾ Peter Copley (SA DEH): Senior Ecologist, Threatened Species and Communities ¾ Cath Kemper (SA Museum): Curator of Mammals ¾ David Stemmer (SA Museum):Collection Manager (Parasitology/Vertebrates) ¾ Mark Hutchinson (SA Museum): Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians ¾ Terry Reardon (SA Museum): Technical Officer (Bat Specialist) ¾ Reece Pedler (SA Arid Lands NRM Board): Community Fauna Recovery Officer Four Mile Prospect Baseline Fauna Survey i April 2008, Version 1.1 Environmental and Biodiversity Services Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................1 1.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................3 1.1 REGIONAL CONTEXT...................................................................................... 4 1.2 CLIMATE ....................................................................................................... 4 1.3 PREVIOUS FAUNA SURVEYS ........................................................................... 7 2.0 METHODS .........................................................................................8 2.1 BASELINE SURVEY......................................................................................... 8 2.2 SURVEY TECHNIQUES.................................................................................... 8 3.0 RESULTS.........................................................................................11 3.1 SITE DESCRIPTIONS..................................................................................... 11 3.2 TRAPPING EFFORT ...................................................................................... 13 3.3 MAMMALS ................................................................................................... 15 3.4 REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS.......................................................................... 19 3.5 BIRDS ......................................................................................................... 23 4.0 DISCUSSION ...................................................................................28 4.1 SURVEY LIMITATIONS................................................................................... 28 4.2 MAMMALS ................................................................................................... 28 4.3 REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS.......................................................................... 30 4.4 BIRDS ......................................................................................................... 30 4.5 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED FOUR MILE PROSPECT ................... 32 5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................33 6.0 REFERENCES.................................................................................34 7.0 APPENDICES ..................................................................................36 APPENDIX 1 SITE PHOTOS......................................................................37 ii Four Mile Prospect Baseline Fauna Survey April 2008, Version 1.1 Environmental and Biodiversity Services Tables TABLE 1. WEATHER DATA OBTAINED FROM THE BEVERLEY URANIUM MINE WEATHER STATION DURING THE FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE SURVEY.............................................. 5 TABLE 2. MONTHLY AND YEARLY RAINFALL RECORDS FROM 2000 - 2007. .................................. 6 TABLE 3. SITE DESCRIPTIONS, LOCATIONS AND ASSOCIATED HABITAT AT EACH TRAPPING SITE... 11 TABLE 4. TRAP EFFORT FOR THE OCTOBER 2007 FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY ................................................................................................................. 13 TABLE 5. HARP TRAPPING AND MIST NETTING EFFORT, OCTOBER 2007 .................................... 13 TABLE 6. SPOTLIGHTING EFFORT .......................................................................................... 144 TABLE 7. MAMMALS DETECTED DURING THE OCTOBER 2007 FOUR MILE PROSECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY .................................................................................................... 177 TABLE 8. MAMMALS DETECTED OPPORTUNISTICALLY DURING OCTOBER 2007 FOUR MILE PROSPECTFAUNA SURVEY ................................................................................... 178 TABLE 9. REPTILES DETECTED DURING THE OCTOBER 2007 FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY .................................................................................................... 211 TABLE 10. REPTILES OBSERVED OPPORTUNISTICALLY DURING THE OCTOBER 2007 FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY ................................................................... 222 TABLE 11. REPTILES SPECIES NOT RECORDED WITHIN THE 2007 FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY BUT KNOWN TO OCCUR WITHIN THE PROJECT VICINITY .................... 222 TABLE 12. BIRDS DETECTED DURING THE OCTOBER 2007 FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY .................................................................................................... 244 TABLE 13. BIRDS DETECTED OPPORTUNISTICALLY DURING THE OCTOBER 2007 FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY ..................................................................... 25 TABLE 14. BIRD SPECIES NOT RECORDED WITHIN THE 2007 FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY BUT KNOWN TO OCCUR WITHIN THE PROJECT VICINITY .................... 266 FIGURES FIGURE 1. 2007 MONTHLY RAINFALL FOR THE BEVERLEY MINE SITE. ......................................... 6 FIGURE 2. LOCATION OF THE TRAPPING SITES FOR THE FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY. ................................................................................................................ 12 FIGURE 3. COMPARISON OF SPECIES DIVERSITY ACROSS THE FAUNA SURVEY SITES FOR THE FOUR MILE PROSPECT BASELINE FAUNA SURVEY. ............................................................. 27 iii Four Mile Prospect Baseline Fauna Survey April 2008, Version 1.1 Environmental and Biodiversity Services Executive Summary This document reports on the baseline fauna survey undertaken for the Four Mile Prospect. The project was undertaken by Environmental and Biodiversity Services (EBS) for Quasar Resources Pty Ltd from October 22nd – 29th 2007. A number of trapping techniques were used, including Pitfall, Elliott, cage and harp traps. Active searching, spotlighting, mist nets and AnaBat detectors were also used. Bird surveys were undertaken at all trapping sites and any opportunistic sightings of fauna and their locations were noted. Trapping sites were left open for four nights. Nine mammal species were directly observed or captured at the Four Mile Prospect survey sites. Eight bat species were detected using Anabat detectors across the survey sites with all species being confidently identified from at least one survey site. No conservation significant species were observed. The most commonly recorded species was the Fat-tailed Dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) and the least commonly detected species, were Dingoes (Canis lupus dingo), Euros (Macropus robustus), and Echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus). The nationally vulnerable Dusky Hopping Mouse (Notomys fuscus) was recorded during the 2007 annual fauna monitoring within the Beverley Mine area. Four specimens of this species were