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The Proposed Construction of the 90MW PV Solar Park, and 66Kv Avifaunal Habitat Assessment Farm Weltevreden 746-LS, Polokwane October 2017 The proposed construction of the 90MW PV solar park, and 66kv transmission line to connect to the existing substation over portion 3, 4, 6 and the remainder of the farm Weltevreden 746-LS within the Polokwane Local Municipality, Limpopo Province. Prepared by Cornel du Toit PhD UP Clayton Cook MSc UP Specialist ecological consultant Specialist faunal consultant Sterkfontein Farm Pri. Sci. Nat. 400084/08 Haenertsburg, Limpopo Munster, Kwazulu-Natal Email: [email protected] Cell: 082 877 3705 Commissioned by PHAKANANI ENVIRONMENTAL October 2017 To Phakanani Environmental Avifaunal Habitat Assessment 1 Avifaunal Habitat Assessment Farm Weltevreden 746-LS, Polokwane October 2017 We have the pleasure in submitting herewith our report as requested and as per your correspondence and appointment in October 2017. This study has been carried out in accordance with regulations stated in DEAT (2005) Guideline 3: General Guide to the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2005, Integrated Environmental Management Guideline Series, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), Pretoria. The aim of this report was to: 1. Identify detrimental environmental impacts, of the proposed construction of a 90MW PV Solar Park project and associated infrastructure, on avifauna in the survey area. 2. Provide the client with a description of the potential status of threatened bird species and habitats that could be potentially suitable for their presence in the survey area. 3. Provide recommendations for the long term management of the survey area. Exactly 353 bird species have been recorded in the survey area. This includes twenty one bird species of conservation concern (Table 1). Table 1. Birds of conservation concern that appear in the grid reference 2329CD. National number Scientific name Common name Regional conservation status 146 Terathopius ecaudatus Bateleur Endangered 238 Lissotis melanogaster Bustard Black‐bellied Near Threatened 140 Polemaetus bellicosus Eagle Martial Endangered 132 Aquila rapax Eagle Tawny Endangered 131 Aquila verreauxii Eagle Verreauxs' Vulnerable 172 Falco biarmicus Falcon Lanner Vulnerable 179 Falco vespertinus Falcon Red‐footed Near Threatened 165 Circus raniverus Harrier African Marsh‐ Endangered 167 Circus macrourus Harrier Pallid Near Threatened 233 Eupodotus senegalensis Korhaan White‐bellied Vulnerable 501 Certhilauda chuana Short-clawed lark Near-Threatened 393 Tyto capensis Owl African Grass‐ Vulnerable 772 Buphagus erythrorhynchus Oxpecker, red-billed Near Threatened 716 Anthus crenatus Pipit African Near Threatened 446 Coracias garrulus Roller European Near Threatened 118 Sagittarius serpentarius Secretary bird Vulnerable 85 Ciconia abdimii Stork Abdim's Near Threatened 84 Ciconia nigra Stork Black Vulnerable 89 Leptoptilos crumeniferus Stork Marabou Near Threatened 122 Gyps coprotheres Vulture Cape Endangered 124 Torgos tracheliotos Vulture Lappet‐faced Endangered 123 Gyps africanus Vulture White‐backed Endangered Avifaunal Habitat Assessment 2 Avifaunal Habitat Assessment Farm Weltevreden 746-LS, Polokwane October 2017 Four birds of conservation concern were encountered in the survey area during the survey period. These included Coracias garrulus (European Roller), Anthus crenatus (African Pippet), Certhilauda chuana (Short-clawed Lark) and Lissotis melanogaster (Black-bellied bustard), all listed as Near Threatened. Eupodotus senegalensis (White Bellied Korhaan) and Sagittarius serpentarius (Secretary bird) were not observed but are likely to use the site for foraging and possibly breeding. None of the remaining 14 species of conservation concern were observed. They may however traverse the site or use it for occasional foraging. The neighbouring Polokwane Nature Reserve is listed as an IBA by Birdlife South Africa. This reserve is located less than 1 km west of the survey area. As mentioned on their website, “it is the only reserve in South Africa in which the isolated eastern population of Short-clawed Lark Certhilauda chuana occurs. Secretary bird Sagittarius serpentarius can be found here and occasionally breeds. White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus and Cape Vulture G. coprotheres are occasional visitors. Other woodland specials include Red-crested Korhaan Eupodotis ruficrista, White-throated Robin- Chat Cossypha humeralis, Kalahari Scrub Robin Erythropygia paena, Burnt-necked Eremomela Eremomela usticollis, Barred Wren-Warbler Calamonastes fasciolata, Marico Flycatcher Bradornis mariquensis, Crimson-breasted Shrike Laniarius atrococcineus, Scaly-feathered Finch Sporopipes squamifrons, Violet-eared Waxbill Uraeginthus granatinus, Black-faced Waxbill Estrilda erythronotus and Shaft-tailed Whydah Vidua regia. Globally threatened species are Cape Vulture, White-backed Vulture and Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus. Regional threatened species include Short-clawed Lark (30–55 pairs, 80–120 individuals). About 75 pairs occur on neighbouring properties. Of the biome-restricted species in the IBA, Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyanus and Barred Wren-Warbler are common, while White-throated Robin-Chat and Kalahari Scrub Robin are less common.” According to Birdlife, the protection status of this IBA is not clear. It was formally protected but not formally proclaimed by the Polokwane municipality in terms of NEM: PAA. Birdlife recommends expansion of the IBA’s boundary to include large areas of undeveloped municipal land to the north-east of Polokwane Nature Reserve. This includes portions of the survey area. It is suspected that Certhilauda chuana (Short-clawed Lark) occurs in greater numbers on neighbouring properties than in Polokwane Nature Reserve itself, as it prefers degraded areas. Uncontrolled fires are a major threat to this species, especially fires that occur after October when the species is breeding. Should any development be allowed then a fire control plan will have to be implemented and adhered to. Urban expansion, quarrying, and trampling and over-grazing by cattle are important contributing factors to the decline in suitable habitats of the survey area. These activities have continued in and adjacent to the survey area for some time, which has caused habitat modification, and transformation of the survey site. Small species such as larks will be most affected as they have relatively small territories, which may be completely destroyed. Approximately 85% of the survey area (unit 1) is comprised of Polokwane Plateau Bushveld that remains in a largely natural condition. This vegetation unit is considered as Least Concern, however Avifaunal Habitat Assessment 3 Avifaunal Habitat Assessment Farm Weltevreden 746-LS, Polokwane October 2017 only 2% is statutorily conserved and approximately one third of Polokwane Plateau Bushveld is considered as degraded. Unit 1 land is used mainly for cattle grazing by local communities. There are however few signs of overgrazing and relatively few alien invasive plants occur in unit 1 of the survey area. Soil erosion in unit one is minimal. The property is fenced; however, access can easily be obtained through holes in this fence line or by simply climbing over dilapidated sections. Signs of snaring were evident towards the northeast of the survey area, where rural communities reside. Polokwane is considered a central point from where bushveld birds radiate outwards with eastern species overlapping with western species and northern species meeting their southern counterparts. The Polokwane Game Reserve lists 343 birds on their checklist. Not all of these species were observed for the following reasons: (1) the time of year when the survey was conducted not all migratory species have returned to the area, (2) relatively less abundant food resources occur in the survey area than in the adjacent Polokwane Game Reserve, and nearby Kuschke Nature Reserve, where habitats have a higher degree of ecological integrity, (3) time constraint of the study, and (4) the degree to which the environment and land surface of the survey area had been modified/ transformed. Currently the high voltage power lines pose a threat to raptors and vultures. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that Photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays do not have any direct negative consequences on birds. Only phototactic species, such as swallows, may be exposed to a very low risk of collision with the solar panels if they mistake the panels for a waterbody and attempt to drink on the wing (swallows) or land on it (ducks). Overall the construction of a PV solar array may assist in lowering risk factors, such as the danger of collision with power lines, to certain bird species, such as Verreaux’s eagle. Vultures are unlikely to breed or regularly frequent the survey area due to reduced probability of finding sufficient carrion resources. This is mainly because most large mammalian herbivores are absent from the site. Sufficient small mammal diversity does however occur for the raptors to feed and possibly even breed in the survey area. No evidence of poisoning was observed in the survey area, although this is something that is difficult to detect in a short survey period. There are few large trees for raptors to breed in and those that are suitable constitute exotic species. There are no cliffs that occur on the site and therefore no nesting sites for species such as the Cape Vulture. Ninety-five percent of the survey area is located within a CBA1. The remainder of the site is considered to be a CBA2. The urgent
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