Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Kemess North Area June - October 2006

Prepared for: Northgate Minerals Corporation Smithers, BC

Prepared by:

Todd Mahon, RPBio Laurence Turney, RPBio and Anne MacLeod Wildfor Consultants Ltd. Gartner Lee Limited Box 562, Telkwa, BC V0J 2X0 2175 Millar Rd., Smithers, BC V0J 2N6 250-846-5449 250-877-6705 [email protected] [email protected]

November 2006

Executive Summary

The Kemess North Mine Joint Review Panel in their Information Adequacy Determination Document, dated June 30, 2006 requested that the results of proposed further breeding bird and waterfowl studies in 2006 be made available to the Panel during the Public Hearings in 2006.

The purpose of this project was to assess the occurrence of breeding songbirds, raptors and waterfowl within the Kemess Mine Expansion area (Kemess North Study Area, KNSA) as part of the environmental assessment for the proposed mining development. This project involved identification of a list of potential bird species inhabiting the area using range maps and literature, determining species-at-risk status from the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre, and field surveys to assess the presence of birds in the KNSA.

Songbird surveys consisted of point counts connected by line transects, which facilitated continuous observation periods and maximized detection of bird species. Survey routes were located to cover the main development areas (pit, dam, tailings pond) and to assess representative Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping habitat types within the overall KNSA. Raptor surveys included call playback surveys for Northern Goshawks and surveys of suitable habitat for cliff nesting raptors such as Golden Eagles, Gyrfalcons, and Peregrine Falcons. Goshawk call playback surveys were conducted in conjunction with the songbird surveys following completion of each point count station. Potential cliff nesting habitat was identified from ortho photos and topographic data in GIS and during a reconnaissance flight of the area; identified areas included the ridge west of Duncan Lake and the north face of the mountain where the mine pit is proposed. Waterfowl and shorebird surveys were conducted in both the summer (breeding) and fall (migration or staging) seasons. The breeding surveys consisted of helicopter and ground surveys. These surveys were initially focused on the KNSA and the 2 primary fisheries compensation options – Mulvaney Lake and Whudzi Lake. After we detected Long-tailed Ducks breeding at Mulvaney Lake we expanded the survey in order to determine the distribution of this species within a larger area surrounding the main KNSA (~ radius of 40 km). The fall staging surveys consisted of helicopter surveys focused on and around the main KNSA, as well as Mulvaney Lake and Whudzi Lake. The main round of field surveys for all species groups was conducted June 23-26, 2006. Expanded waterfowl surveys targeted at Long-tailed Ducks were conducted July 31-August 3, 2006. Fall migration surveys for waterfowl were conducted September 19-October 16, 2006.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page i Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project We identified a total of 177 bird species that could potentially occur in the KNSA based on range and habitat requirements. During field surveys we observed a total of 53 bird species within the main KNSA and an additional 29 species during the expanded waterfowl surveys (mostly water birds but also incidental observations of several additional land birds). Generally, songbird richness and abundance was moderate to low. No goshawks were detected and habitat suitability for nesting was generally low; however, higher value nesting habitat does occur in lower elevation forests outside of the KNSA. No cliff nesting raptors or nests were observed during our surveys for those species. Additionally, there have been very few sightings of eagles or falcons in the area by other field personnel. As these species are generally large and conspicuous, the lack of sightings suggests these species were probably not breeding in the KNSA. The species richness and abundance of water birds at Duncan Lake during the breeding season was quite low. Only 2 pairs of Common Loons, 1 pair of Canada Geese, 1 female Red- breasted Merganser, 3 Mallards (one of which was nesting near the southwest inlet), 1 Common Snipe, and several pairs of Spotted Sandpipers were observed during helicopter, boat and shoreline surveys during the breeding season. During the expanded waterfowl surveys, 27 lakes were surveyed outside of the KNSA. A total of 470 individuals and 28 species were recorded during these surveys, however, Long-tailed Ducks were only observed at Mulvaney Lake. Four waterfowl surveys were conducted during the fall staging season. These surveys recorded 1413 individuals and 32 species in the area around the KNSA and the compensation lakes. A majority of the species and individuals observed during these surveys were on Thutade Lake and the lower Attichika floodplain. American Wigeon and Mallard were the most common species observed.

Eleven bird species were listed as species-at-risk (SAR) for the Cassiar and MacKenzie Forest Districts by the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre (2006). Only one SAR, the Barn Swallow, was detected in the KNSA in 2006, however one other, the Short-eared Owl, was observed incidentally during fieldwork in September 2003 (Turney and Roberts 2005). In the case of the Barn Swallow, the proposed mine development is unlikely to have an adverse impact on the species; mine buildings may offer nesting structures that do not currently exist. In the case of the Short-eared Owl, preferred grassland and shrub-carr habitats occur mostly in the valley bottoms of the upper Attycelley Creek and its tributaries, which are outside of the development footprint. Some alpine grassland areas will be impacted by mine development but these areas are suboptimal habitats for Short-eared Owls due to the sparse grass cover that occurs there. Three additional SAR have limited potential to occur in the KNSA: Red-necked Phalaropes, Sandhill Cranes, and Smith’s Longspurs, but none have been detected in the KNSA.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page ii Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project The remaining 6 SAR are unlikely to occur in the KNSA either because their normal range is farther north or the KNSA does not meet their habitat requirements.

Long-tailed Ducks were observed breeding at Mulvaney Lake, which is one of the potential fisheries compensation lakes where trout stocking is proposed. This is the southernmost breeding record for the species in British Columbia. This species was formerly Blue-listed in the Cassiar District but their status was changed because of a lack of information on their occurrence and breeding status in British Columbia. Personnel from the BC Conservation Data Centre indicate they would still be a species of conservation concern if their breeding status was confirmed, which our surveys have done. Introducing trout or char into Mulvaney Lake may reduce the suitability of the lake for Long-tailed Ducks by reducing the taxonomic richness and abundance of macro-invertebrates and aquatic insects, which are their primary foods during the breeding season.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page iii Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Table of Contents

Executive Summary ...... i Introduction ...... 1 Purpose and Scope ...... 1 Objectives ...... 2 Study Area ...... 2 Methods...... 4 Potential Avian Species Occurring in the Kemess North Study Area...... 4 Potential Avian Species-At-Risk in the Kemess North Study Area...... 4 Field Surveys ...... 5 Results ...... 11 Potential Avian Species Occurring in the Kemess North Study Area...... 11 Potential Avian Species-At-Risk in the Kemess North Study Area...... 11 Songbirds...... 14 Raptors ...... 17 Waterfowl and Shorebirds ...... 17 Unique or Especially Productive Habitats...... 21 Southern Range Records...... 28 Discussion ...... 29 Survey Adequacy...... 29 Observations of Long-tailed Ducks ...... 30 Management and Mitigation Recommendations...... 31 Literature Cited...... 33 Personal Communication ...... 35

Appendix 1. A list of bird species that could potentially occur in the KNSA based on range and habitat requirements and a checklist of birds observed during this study and from past studies in the surrounding area.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page iv Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project List of Tables

Table 1. Description of nesting habitat suitability for goshawks for each of the 4 rating classes used...... 7 Table 2. Number of confirmed, likely, possible and unlikely bird species occurring in the Kemess North Study Area and surrounding area based on several data sources...... 11 Table 3. British Columbia Conservation Data Centre (2006) list of at-risk bird species in the Cassiar and Mackenzie Forest Districts with global, national and provincial conservation risk ratings...... 12 Table 4. Potential occurrence of the 11 BC Conservation Data Centre listed bird species in the Kemess North Study Area and surrounding area...... 12 Table 5. A summary of the main habitat types associated with songbird surveys in the Kemess North Study Area 2006...... 15 Table 6. Typical bird communities associated with 5 broad habitat types surveyed in the Kemess North Study Area in 2006...... 16 Table 7. A summary of waterfowl and shorebirds observed within the KNSA and at the two compensation lakes during waterfowl surveys conducted June 9-25, 2006...... 18 Table 8. A list of waterfowl and shorebirds observed at specific lakes and creeks within the Kemess North Study Area and the 2 Compensation Lakes, June 9-25, 2006...... 19 Table 9. A summary of water birds observed during waterfowl surveys at 27 lakes surrounding the Kemess North Study Area July 31-August 3, 2006...... 21 Table 10. A list of water birds observed at 27 lakes surrounding the KNSA during the expanded waterfowl surveys July 31-August 3, 2006...... 23 Table 11. A summary of waterfowl and other bird species observed within the waterfowl survey areas during fall 2006 waterfowl surveys...... 26 Table 12. Bird species detected in the Kemess North Study Area and surrounding area whose range is indicated as being much farther north...... 28

List of Figures

Figure 1. Main study area for the proposed Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project. Waterfowl surveys in July were conducted over a much larger area (~ 40 km radius)...... 3 Figure 2. Location of songbird point count and goshawk playback stations and raptor cliff nest survey route within the KNSA...... 6 Figure 3. Fall waterfowl survey areas near the KNSA (Whudzi and Mulvaney Lakes also surveyed)...... 10 Figure 4. Distribution of waterfowl observed in the KNSA area during fall staging surveys September 18-19 and September 28, 2006...... 24 Figure 5. Distribution of waterfowl observed in the KNSA area during fall staging surveys October 3rd and October 16th, 2006...... 25

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page v Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Introduction

The Kemess North Mine Joint Review Panel provided a document that outlined Review Comments, Panel Assessments and Additional Information Requirements that the Review Panel required of the proponent prior to proceeding to or during Public Hearings. Under Section 3.6.3, the Panel stated the following related to breeding birds and waterfowl:

Panel Assessment The panel is satisfied with the level of information for the purposes of proceedings to hearings. However, the proponent has committed to bird studies in 2006, and the panel wishes to see the results of these surveys and related assessments. The panel will expect Northgate to provide information and respond to questions on the results of these surveys during the hearings.

The abundance and distribution of breeding birds and waterfowl inhabiting the area surrounding the proposed Kemess North mine was assessed during studies conducted in 2004 and 2005. As outlined in Appendix 8-A of the Environmental Assessment (Turney et al. 2005) the diversity and abundance of breeding birds and waterfowl was determined to be low in the Kemess North area and no bird species at risk would be affected by the proposed development. A further assessment provided in the Responses to Comments and Information Requests document (Turney et al. 2006) assessed the overall risks to breeding birds and waterfowl at the local and regional level was identified as Low. Based on requests from resource agencies and the Panel, this report provides additional information on breeding birds and waterfowl habitat and species composition in the proposed Kemess North Mine area including the proposed fish transplant sites.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this project was to assess the occurrence of breeding songbirds, raptors and water birds within the Kemess Mine North Expansion Area (hereafter Kemess North Study Area, KNSA) as part of the environmental assessment for the proposed mining development. This project involved developing a list of potential bird species inhabiting the area based on ranges and habitat requirements, determining species-at-risk status from the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre, and conducting field surveys to assess the presence of birds in the KNSA. The project also included field surveys conducted at the potential fisheries compensation lakes to assess the presence of water birds at these locations.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 1 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Objectives The specific objectives of this project were to: 1. Identify a list of probable and potential bird species inhabiting the KNSA based on range maps from a variety of sources. 2. Identify potential avian species-at-risk (SAR) within the KNSA based on COSEWIC-listed species and the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre-listed species for the region. 3. Conduct a breeding bird inventory of the KNSA. Sample sites were located a) within all major proposed development areas, and b) to provide representative coverage of all of the dominant habitat types within the larger study area. 4. Conduct Northern Goshawk call playback surveys and ground and aerial nest surveys for cliff nesting raptors (Golden Eagles and falcons). 5. Conduct waterfowl and shorebird surveys at all lakes and ponds within approximately 5 km of the KNSA and the 2 potential fisheries compensation lakes – Mulvaney Lake and Whudzi Lake, during the breeding season and the fall migration. 6. Identify unique or especially productive bird habitats within the KNSA, especially areas that may be impacted by mining development. In addition to these original objectives, a supplemental objective was identified after our documentation of breeding Long-tailed Ducks at Mulvaney Lake. 7. Determine the distribution of breeding Long-tailed Ducks within a larger area surrounding the main KNSA (~ radius of 40 km) and assess distribution with respect to major habitat factors including lake size, elevation, fish presence/absence, and latitude.

Study Area

The KNSA is located in north central British Columbia, approximately 5 km north of the current Kemess Mine site (Figure 1), at the southern end of the Northern Boreal Mountains ecoprovince. The study area occurs in the Omineca Mountains along the boundary between the Southern Boreal Plateau and Cassiar Ranges ecosections (Demarchi 1993). The terrain of the property can be described as steep sloped with rugged mountains. Elevation ranges from approximately 1200 to 2000 metres above sea level.

Average annual precipitation in the area is approximately 746 mm, with the average snow depth during the winter being approximately 0.8 m (Hallam Knight Peisold 1993a). The average annual temperature is –1.5o C with extreme temperatures ranging from –53o C to +32o C (Hallam Knight Peisold 1993a).

Based on information obtained through the terrestrial ecosystem mapping project (Turney et al. 2005), three BEC subzones occur in the study area: the Spruce Willow Birch moist cool (SWBmk), the Spruce Willow Birch moist cool scrub (SWBmks) and Alpine Tundra (AT).

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Figure 1. Main study area for the proposed Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project. Waterfowl surveys in July were conducted over a much larger area (~ 40 km radius).

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 3 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Forested habitats within the KNSA are dominated by subalpine fir, reflecting the subalpine nature of most of the area. Mixed lodgepole pine and spruce leading forests occur at lower elevations but have limited extent in the KNSA.

In addition to the main KNSA, we also surveyed 2 of the potential fisheries compensation lakes - Mulvaney Lake and Whudzi Lake. Mulvaney Lake drains south into the Toodoggone River and is located approximately 60 km north-northwest of the proposed Kemess North Mine. Whudzi Lake drains northwest into the Finlay River and is located approximately 40 km northeast of the proposed Kemess North Mine. The compensation lakes are located in subalpine valleys at elevations of 1464 m (Mulvaney Lake) and 1283 m (Whudzi Lake). Both lakes are oligotrophic and non-fish bearing (Klohn Crippen 2005).

Methods

Potential Avian Species Occurring in the Kemess North Study Area

We compiled a list of bird species potentially occurring in the KNSA based on range maps from several field guides (Godfrey 1979; National Geographic Society 1983; Fraser et al. 1999; Campbell et al. 2001), personal knowledge, and reports from others with experience in the area. Other biologist may be more or less conservative in their assessment of the potential for certain species to occur within the KNSA. We further qualified the potential occurrence of species on the list as Likely, Possible, Unlikely, or Confirmed. Likely species are species whose range is known to include the KNSA and whose habitat requirements are met within the KNSA. Possible species are those that either have the edge of their range in the vicinity of the KNSA and whose habitat requirements are met within the KNSA, or those species whose range includes the KNSA but whose habitat requirements may not be met within that area. Unlikely species are species whose range does not include the KNSA, but is within 500 km, and whose habitat requirements may be met within the KNSA. Confirmed species are those that we observed during our field surveys.

Potential Avian Species-At-Risk in the Kemess North Study Area

A list of avian species-at-risk (SAR) potentially occurring in the KNSA was created using the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre for the Cassiar and MacKenzie Forest Districts (BC Conservation Data Centre 2006). Similar to the complete list of potential bird species, we rated potential occurrence of SAR within the KNSA as Likely, Possible, Unlikely or Confirmed based on range maps and habitat requirements.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 4 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Field Surveys

In order to assess the presence of birds within the KNSA during both the breeding and staging seasons, fieldwork was conducted throughout the summer and fall of 2006 that focussed on songbird species, raptors and waterfowl. Additional waterfowl surveys were also conducted at the two potential fisheries compensation lakes – Mulvaney Lake and Whudzi Lake. Following the discovery of Long-tailed Ducks breeding at Mulvaney Lake, the waterfowl surveys were expanded to include a larger area surrounding the main KNSA (~ radius of 40 km).

Songbird Surveys Songbird surveys were conducted June 23-26, 2006 and consisted of point counts connected by line transects. Point count and transect survey methods followed standardized methodology outlined in BC Inventory Methods for Forest and Grassland Songbirds (RIC 1999b). Point count stations were established 400-1000 m along 3 main transects within the KNSA (Figure 2). Survey routes were located to cover the main development areas (pit, dam, tailings pond) and to assess representative Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping habitat types within the overall KNSA. At each station a GPS location was recorded, the habitat was described, and visual and aural detections of all birds were recorded over a 10-minute detection period. For all birds detected the species and activity were recorded using standard songbird survey codes. We utilized unlimited detection distances at each point count to maximize the number of species detected. Point counts were conducted between 0430 (~sunrise) and 0900 when the singing of territorial birds should be at its peak. All point count data was recorded on standardized data forms from BC Inventory Methods for Forest and Grassland Songbirds (RIC 1999b) and entered into a database containing corresponding fields. Between each point count station we conducted a transect survey in which we recorded all species detected (but not number of individuals or activity) in order to facilitate continuous monitoring over the entire survey period and the entire area traversed. We also conducted several additional transect surveys in potentially unique or especially productive areas in order to locate any other species which may be associated with those types.

Raptor Surveys Raptor surveys were conducted June 23-26, 2006 and consisted of call playback surveys for Northern Goshawks and ground- and aerial-based surveys of suitable habitat for cliff nesting raptors such as Golden Eagles, Gyrfalcons, and Peregrine Flacons.

Call playback surveys for Northern Goshawks were conducted at each songbird survey station following the completion of the point count survey. Methods followed the Resource

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 5 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project S# 1 S# t7 S#2 S#3 ST4# S#4 S#5 S#6

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Figure 2. Location of songbird point count and goshawk playback stations and raptor cliff nest survey route within the KNSA.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 6 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Inventory Standards Committee (RISC) (2001) Standard methodologies for the inventory of biodiversity in British Columbia: Raptors - Version 2.0, as adapted from Kennedy and Stahlecker (1993). After the point count survey, which gave us time to detect spontaneously calling raptors, we broadcast recorded goshawk call sequences consisting of 3 call bouts, with 60 second intervals between bouts in which to detect responses. Each of the 3 bouts was played in a different direction, with the megaphone rotated 120o between calls. We used adult alarm calls (vs. juvenile begging calls) because that was what was most appropriate for the time of the breeding period we surveyed in (nestling stage). At the end of the 3 call bouts, an additional 5 minutes were spent listening and visually searching for birds at each station. Broadcast calls were played at a volume that was audible to observers at a minimum distance of 300 m.

In addition to the call playback surveys, we rated the suitability of the habitat at each station as goshawk nesting habitat. Key habitat variables that we assessed were stand age, stand height, canopy closure, and tree species. These variables relate to nesting habitat in terms of having trees with branch form and size adequate to support a nest (primarily stand age and species) and stands that offer good subcanopy flyways, which the goshawks use to access their nests (primarily stand height, canopy closure, and species composition) (Penteriani 2002). We used a 4-class rating system (Nil, Low, Moderate, High) following British Columbia Wildlife Habitat Rating Standards. Version 2.0. (RIC 1999a) and based ratings on T. Mahon’s extensive experience studying goshawks over the last 10 years including assessment of over 150 nest sites in British Columbia, Alberta and the Yukon. Suitability interpretations for each of the 4 classes are provided in Table 1.

Table 1. Description of nesting habitat suitability for goshawks for each of the 4 rating classes used. Class Interpretation Nil Unsuitable. Habitat fails to provide minimum requirements. Low Suitability Unknown. Habitat provides theoretical minimum requirements for supporting a nest, but use by goshawks is rarely observed. Suitability of two or more habitat variables is suboptimal, substantially reducing the overall suitability of the stand. Goshawks are not normally expected to use Low class habitats, but may do so if that is all that available. Moderate Suitable. Suitability of one or two habitat variables is slightly lower than optimal conditions but minimum requirements still exceeded. Minority of nest sites expected to occur in Moderate class habitat. High Suitable. All habitat variables meet optimal conditions. Majority of nest sites are expected to occur in High class habitat.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 7 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Cliff nest surveys consisted of visually searching suitable habitat areas for nests and scanning the sky for flying birds. Potential cliff nesting species within the KNSA included Golden Eagles, Gyrfalcons, and Peregrine Falcons. We identified potential cliff nesting habitat areas based on review of air photos and topographic data in GIS and a reconnaissance flight through the KNSA. Potential habitat areas were searched using 2 methods: scanning from the ground using binoculars and aerial helicopter surveys. Ground searches were conducted from a boat along Duncan Lake and while walking along the base of the cliffs on the north face of the main ore body. Helicopter surveys consisted of flying slowly (~30 km/h) past suitable habitat at a distance of 100-200 m and searching for nests or raptors.

Waterfowl Surveys We conducted 3 rounds of waterfowl surveys during the breeding season between June 9 and August 3, 2006. The first round of surveys were conducted in early June and consisted of helicopter surveys with limited supplemental shoreline surveys of all lakes and ponds in the KNSA. These surveys included the following main streams and lakes and all wetlands, ponds, and lakes associated with them: Kemess Creek, Kemess Lake, Attichika Creek, Kemess Creek and its tributaries, Duncan Lake, two southern inflows into Duncan lake, Duncan Creek, small wetlands and ponds north of Duncan Lake, Cirque Creek, and Attycelley Creek.

The second round of surveys in late June were of Duncan Lake and the two primary potential fisheries compensation lakes – Mulvaney Lake and Whudzi Lake (all of these lakes were partially or completely frozen during the first round of surveys). Surveys at these 3 lakes included helicopter survey of the entire lake plus a boat survey at Duncan Lake and ground surveys from the shoreline with frequent scans across the lake using binoculars or a spotting scope at Mulvaney and Whudzi Lakes. At Mulvaney Lake the entire western shore was traversed. At Whudzi Lake the ground survey was limited to the northern end of the lake.

In early August the study area for waterfowl surveys was expanded to a radius of approximately 40 km beyond the original KNSA. The primary objective of this round of surveys was to determine the distribution of Long-tailed Ducks and to assess their distribution with respect to major habitat factors including lake size, elevation, fish presence/absence, and latitude. Sample lakes were selected to include all potential fisheries compensation lakes, to cover a range of conditions for the major habitat variables, and to provide representative geographic coverage of the area. Waterfowl surveys in August consisted of both helicopter and shoreline surveys, although the helicopter surveys were mostly limited to determining the number and locations of birds on a lake because the birds were in eclipse (i.e. they were moulting) and identification from the air was difficult.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 8 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Helicopter surveys were conducted at approximately 30 km/h, 75-200 m above the water, and usually consisted of a flight line down the middle of the lake with observers on either side of the aircraft. Occasional circles were made to confirm the identity of birds or to wait for diving ducks to resurface. Shoreline surveys involved walking along one side of the lake and stopping frequently (100-300 m) to scan the lake for waterfowl with a spotting scope. Although the focus of these surveys was on waterfowl we recorded all water birds that we observed including waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, terns, and raptors as well as incidental observations of uncommon land birds. All sightings were recorded by species, sex, age, and group size.

In addition to the breeding season surveys, a series of waterfowl surveys were also conducted during the fall migration period to identify the relative abundance of waterfowl passing through and the areas used at that time. We conducted 4 fall waterfowl staging surveys between September 19 and October 16, 2006, approximately every 7 to 10 days. Each survey was conducted by helicopter of the major water bodies within or in close proximity to the KNSA (Figure 3) and the two primary potential fisheries compensation lakes. As with the early June surveys, the fall surveys included the main streams, lakes, wetlands, and ponds in the Attycelley watershed and in the lower Attichika Creek and Kemess Creek drainages. Surveys were conducted at approximately 30 km/h, and 50-100 m above the water. For each sighting, a GPS point was taken and species, number, activity code and habitat type recorded.

Methods for all waterfowl surveys followed the Resource Inventory Committee standards Inventory Methods for Waterfowl and Allied Species: Loons, Grebes, Swans, Geese, Ducks, American Coot and Sandhill Crane - Version 2.0 (RIC 1999c), and Inventory Methods for Riverine Birds: Harlequin Duck, Belted Kingfisher and American Dipper – Version 2.0 (RIC 1998).

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 9 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Kemess North Proposed Mine Waterfowl Survey Areas General Survey Areas

Lakes N Wetlands W E Rivers/Streams S 100m Contour Lines ÚÊ Proposed Kemess North Mine ÚÊ Kemess South Mine 0 1 2 3 4 Kilometers Middle Attycelley Creek UTM 9 Projection NAD 83 Datum Mapping by Gartner Lee Limited Natural Features from TRIM and NTS

Lower Attycelley Creek Upper Attycelley

Duncan Lake

Thutade ÚÊ Lake

Omenica Kemess Lake Resource and Creek Road

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Lower Upper Attichika Creek Attichika Creek

Figure 3. Fall waterfowl survey areas near the KNSA (Whudzi and Mulvaney Lakes also surveyed).

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 10 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Results

Potential Avian Species Occurring in the Kemess North Study Area

We identified a total of 177 bird species that could potentially occur in the KNSA based on range and habitat requirements (Appendix 1). We confirmed the presence of 53 (30%) of those species within the KNSA through direct observation during our surveys. Of the remaining species 61 (34%) are Likely to occur based on range and habitat requirements, 43 (24%) are Possible, and 20 (11%) are Unlikely. Several additional species were detected outside of the main KNSA during our expanded waterfowl surveys and others were noted in historical bird surveys from the Kemess South Environmental assessment (Hallam Knight Piesold Ltd. 1993a, 1993b, 1997) and from the 3 nearest North American Breeding Bird Survey Routes (Sauer and Parieck 2006). The total number of confirmed species within the Kemess region when including data from these additional sources increased to 123 species. The number of species confirmed in each data source is listed in Table 2. The expanded waterfowl surveys in August 2006 detected an additional 29 species. An additional 29 species were detected during the expanded waterfowl surveys in August 2006. These were mostly water birds but included some incidental land bird observations as well. A list of observations by species from each of these survey sources is included in Appendix 1.

Table 2. Number of confirmed, likely, possible and unlikely bird species occurring in the Kemess North Study Area and surrounding area based on several data sources. Probable Occurrence Data Source Confirmed Likely Possible Unlikely Total Main Kemess North Study Area 53 61 43 20 177 KNSA + Expanded 2006 study area1 82 41 34 20 177 All 2006 + Kemess South EA2 98 30 30 19 177 All 2006 + Kemess South + BBS3 123 17 19 18 177 1 Mostly water birds associated with the waterfowl surveys but some incidental land birds as well. 2 Hallam Knight Piesold Ltd. 1993a, 1993b, 1997 3 Three nearest North American Breeding Bird Survey Routes (Sauer and Parieck 2006) Potential Avian Species-At-Risk in the Kemess North Study Area

Eleven avian species were listed as species-at-risk (SAR) for the Cassiar and MacKenzie Forest Districts in the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre (Table 3, BC Conservation Data Centre 2006). The potential for occurrence of each in the KNSA, including a rationale for that potential is provided in Table 4. Two SAR have been identified in the KNSA; the Barn Swallow was identified in the KNSA during the 2006 field surveys, and the Short-eared Owl was noted in an incidental sighting during previous fieldwork conducted in September 2003 (Turney and Roberts 2005). Three additional SAR have limited potential to occur in the KNSA: Red-

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 11 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project necked Phalaropes, Sandhill Cranes, and Smith’s Longspurs based on their range and habitat requirements. The remaining 6 SAR are unlikely to occur in the KNSA either because their normal range is does not include the KNSA or the KNSA does not meet their habitat requirements.

Table 3. British Columbia Conservation Data Centre (2006) list of at-risk bird species in the Cassiar and Mackenzie Forest Districts with global, national and provincial conservation risk ratings. Global English Name Scientific Name Provincial COSEWIC BC Status Rank American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica G5 S3S4B,SZN BLUE Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica G5 S3S4b BLUE Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus G5 S3?B,SZN NAR (1987) BLUE Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica G4 S2B,SZN RED Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus G3G4 S2B, S4N T (Nov 2000) BLUE marmoratus Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus G4G5 S3S4B,SZN BLUE Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis G5 S3S4B NAR (May BLUE 1979) Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus G5 S2S4B,SZN BLUE Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus G5 S3B,S2N SC (1994) BLUE Smith's Longspur Calcarius pictus G5 S3S4B BLUE Wandering Tattler Heteroscelus incanus G5 S3S4B,SZN BLUE

Table 4. Potential occurrence of the 11 BC Conservation Data Centre listed bird species in the Kemess North Study Area and surrounding area. Potential Species Rationale1 Occurrence American Golden- Unlikely Main breeding range much farther north but breeding records from Plover Spatsizi; preferred habitat of wet alpine near lakes/ponds is very limited in KNSA. Barn Swallow Confirmed Several pairs nesting on buildings at the existing mine site. Gyrfalcon Unlikely Known breeding range is farther north; lack of reported sightings of this conspicuous large raptor suggest that it is not present in the area; suitable nesting habitat above west side of Duncan Lake and the north face of the mountain containing the main Kemess North ore body. Hudsonian Godwit Unlikely Main breeding range further north but not well known; occasional sightings throughout northern BC mountains and breeding record in Chilkat Pass; preferred habitat of alpine tundra near lakes/ponds is very limited in KNSA Marbled Murrelet Unlikely Coastal species. KNSA is well outside normal range and does not offer suitable habitat. Red-necked Phalarope Possible Main breeding range is farther north but southern limit of range is not well known; occasional sightings reported throughout northern BC mountains; 2 unidentified phalaropes at Cascadero Lake may have been RNPH

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 12 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Potential Species Rationale1 Occurrence Sandhill Crane Possible Likely occurs in area surrounding the KNSA but preferred marshy habitat does not occur in the KNSA. Short-billed Dowitcher Unlikely Main breeding range further north but not well known; preferred habitats of wet subalpine meadows and muskeg that contain a complex of sedges and sphagnum swamps, pools and willow clumps is very limited in the KNSA. Short-eared Owl Confirmed Confirmed sightings in KNSA during the winter of 20042. Best breeding habitat is shrub and forb/grass meadows in valley bottoms of the 3 main upper Attycelley headwater streams; alpine grasslands may also be used. Smith's Longspur Possible Main breeding range much farther north but unconfirmed breeding records from Spatsizi; alpine grasslands within the KNSA do offer suitable habitat. Wandering Tattler Unlikely Known breeding range is farther north; lack of reported sightings of this conspicuous sandpiper suggest that it is not present in the area; preferred habitat is gravel bars along braided streams, which is very limited in the KNSA. 1 All information is from Birds of Canada (Godfrey 1979), Rare Birds of British Columbia (Fraser et al. 1999), or Birds of British Columbia, Vol. 1-4 (Campbell et al., 1997) 2 Turney and Roberts (2005) In addition to the 11 listed species-at-risk, we observed 2 additional species in the expanded area surrounding the KNSA that were previously Blue-listed in the Cassiar District, Trumpeter Swans and Long-tailed Ducks. We are not aware of the specific rationale for the change in status for Trumpeter Swans but in the case of Long-tailed Ducks the status was changed because so little was known about their occurrence and breeding status in British Columbia (L. Ramsay, pers. comm.). Although Long-tailed Ducks are not officially listed they are still a species of conservation concern and may be re-listed as more information about their occurrence in British Columbia becomes available (L. Ramsay, pers. comm.). We highlight our observations of both the Long-tailed Ducks and Trumpeter Swans here in case there are relevant management concerns associated with them.

Long-tailed Ducks were observed on 3 occasions at Mulvaney Lake and were confirmed breeding there. During the first occasion in late June, 18 Long-tailed Ducks were observed in small groups and pairs and several were exhibiting courtship behaviour. On the subsequent occasions in mid July and early August at least one adult with juveniles was observed. This is the southernmost breeding record for the species and at this point it is uncertain whether this is an isolated, extralimital breeding occurrence or whether small groups of Long-tailed Ducks regularly breed in the area. Seven ducks were also observed at Whudzi Lake in late June that were likely Long-tailed Ducks but identification was uncertain. Based on the lack of sightings during subsequent surveys of the area it was apparent that the species was not breeding at

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 13 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Whudzi Lake, even if a small group was present in late June. During extensive surveys for Long-tailed Ducks at 27 lakes surrounding the KNSA in August we did not positively detect the species anywhere except Mulvaney Lake, however, detectability was low because ducks were in eclipse, they were shy and secretive, and males may have dispersed from breeding areas. It is unlikely that Long-tailed Ducks would use any areas within the KNSA because breeding sites are non-forested tundra and shrub adjacent to alpine and arctic lakes, which do not occur in the KNSA.

We observed 4 Trumpeter Swans (3adults, 1juvenile) in a small lake between Kitchner Lake and the Sturdee River headwaters. Trumpeter Swans are not likely to occur in the KNSA because their preferred habitat of shallow lakes/ponds with marshy shorelines does not occur.

Songbirds

We conducted 31 point count stations along 3 routes. The 3 routes were 1) the confluence of Duncan and Attycelley Creeks to the mine pit along the existing access road, 2) lower slopes above Duncan Lake, and 3) alpine area of the main pit south to the valley between Kemess and Duncan Lakes (Figure 2). In addition we conducted short transect surveys through 7 potentially unique or especially productive habitats. The main habitat types associated with the songbird surveys along each of the 3 main routes and the 7 potentially unique or especially productive habitats are summarized in Table 5. All of the point count stations and transects were selected using the Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping (TEM) maps prior to going in the field. Although we selected point count stations and transects using TEM site series, the bird communities were similar among many of them so we lumped site series into 5 broad habitat classes for reporting purposes (Table 6).

We observed a total of 53 species within and around the KNSA during the 2 June field sessions; of those, 46 species were recorded during songbird point counts and transects, and the remainder were recorded in incidental observations. Generally songbird diversity and abundance was moderate to low. The average number of species detected at each point count was 6.0 and the average number of individual birds was 6.8. A checklist of all the bird species we observed in the KNSA is included in Appendix 1. Lists of the typical bird communities associated with 5 broad habitat types that occur in the KNSA are outlined in Table 6.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 14 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Table 5. A summary of the main habitat types associated with songbird surveys in the Kemess North Study Area 2006. Point BEC % Str. Stg. % Str. Stg. Broad Habitat Type Ecosystem 1 Ecosystem 2 Count Variant Eco 1 1 Eco 2 2 1 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 60 Sw - Scrub birch - Step moss 5 40 Sw - Willow - Crowberry 5 2 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 80 Sw - Scrub birch - Cladina 6 10 Sw - Willow - Crowberry 6 3 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 100 Sw - Willow - Crowberry 5 4 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 80 Sw - Willow - Crowberry 5 20 Sw - Grey-leaved willow - Scrub birch 5 5 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 100 Sw - Willow - Crowberry 5 6 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 90 BlSw - Scrub Birch - Crowberry 6 10 Bl - Huckleberry - Feathermoss 6 7 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 60 Bl - Huckleberry - Feathermoss 6 40 BlSw - Scrub Birch - Crowberry 6 8 Subalpine Krummholtz SWBmks 80 Bl - Mtn. Heather 6 10 Bl - Herb meadow 6 9 Subalpine Krummholtz SWBmks 50 Scrub Birch - Altai fescue 3 30 Talus 0 10 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 40 BlSw - Scrub Birch - Crowberry 6 40 BlSw - Scrub Birch - Crowberry 3 11 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 40 Bl - Huckleberry - Feathermoss 6 40 Sw - Grey-leaved willow - Scrub birch 6 12 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 60 Sw - Grey-leaved willow - Scrub birch 6 40 Scrub birch - Altai fescue 3 13 Regen Con/Avalanche1 SWBmk 50 Bl - Feathermoss 3 50 Scrub birch - Altai fescue 3 14 Regen Con/Avalanche1 SWBmk 70 Grey-leaved willow - Scrub birch 3 30 Scrub birch - Altai fescue 3 15 Regen Con/Avalanche1 SWBmk 80 Bl - Feathermoss 3 20 Scrub birch - Altai fescue 3 16 Shrub SWBmk 50 Sw - Scrub birch - Cladina 5 30 Scrub birch - Altai fescue 3 17 Shrub SWBmk 50 Sw - Scrub birch - Cladina 5 30 Scrub birch - Altai fescue 3 18 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 100 BlSw - Scrub Birch - Crowberry 6 18-2 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 70 Sw - Willow - Crowberry 6 30 Sw - Scrub birch - Cladina 6 19 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 40 Grey-leaved willow - Scrub birch 3 40 Sw - Scrub birch - Step moss 6 20 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 60 Bl - Huckleberry - Feathermoss 6 30 BlSw - Scrub Birch - Crowberry 6 21 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 80 Bl - Five-leaved bramble - Feathermoss 6 20 Scrub birch - Altai fescue 3 22 Alpine AT 70 Altai Fescue - Arctic willow tundra 2 30 Moss campion - Lichen tundra 2 23 Alpine AT 50 Altai Fescue - Arctic willow tundra 2 30 Mtn. Heather heath 2 24 Alpine AT 50 Altai Fescue - Arctic willow tundra 2 30 Mtn. Heather heath 2 25 Subalpine Krummholtz SWBmks 60 Scrub Birch - Altai fescue 2 20 Lichen tundra 1 26 Mature Coniferous SWBmks 60 Bl - Scrub birch - Crowberry 6 30 Bl - Mtn. Heather 6 27 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 70 Bl - Huckleberry - Feathermoss 6 30 BlSw - Scrub Birch - Crowberry 6 28 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 50 BlSw - Scrub Birch - Crowberry 6 40 Sw - Scrub birch - Cladina 6 29 Mature Coniferous SWBmk 50 BlSw - Scrub Birch - Crowberry 6 30 Bl - Five-leaved bramble - Feathermoss 6 30 Shrub SWBmk 60 Willow - Sedge fens 2 40 Willow riparian 3 t1 Subalpine Krummholtz SWBmks 40 Scrub Birch - Altai fescue 3 30 Talus 0 t2 Alpine AT 50 Mtn. Heather heath 2 30 Moss campion - Lichen tundra 2 t3 Alpine AT 50 Altai Fescue - Arctic willow tundra 2 30 Talus 0 t4 Shrub SWBmk 50 Willow - Sedge fens 2 50 Sw - Scrub birch - Step moss 5 t5 Shrub SWBmk 70 Scrub birch - Altai fescue 3 30 Sw - Grey-leaved willow - Scrub birch 6 t6 Shrub SWBmk 60 Willow riparian 3 20 Grey-leaved willow - Scrub birch 3 t7 Shrub SWBmk 60 Willow riparian 3 40 Grey-leaved willow - Scrub birch 3

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 15 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Table 6. Typical bird communities associated with 5 broad habitat types surveyed in the Kemess North Study Area in 2006. Regenerating Conifer/ Mature Coniferous Forest Shrub-Carr Subalpine Krummholtz Alpine Shrub Avalanche Tracks Rufous Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Lesser Yellowlegs Willow Ptarmigan Willow Ptarmigan Three-toed Woodpecker Hermit Thrush Common Snipe Townsend’s Solitaire Common Raven Gray Jay Swainson’s Thrush American Robin Ruby-crowned Kinglet Savannah Sparrow Common Raven American Robin Wilson’s Warbler Hermit Thrush Horned Lark Boreal Chickadee Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow Warbler Swainson’s Thrush American Pipit Red-breasted Nuthatch Blackpoll Warbler MacGillivray’s Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Rosy Finch Winter Wren Wilson’s Warbler Savannah Sparrow Wilson’s Warbler Golden-crowned Kinglet Dark-eyed Junco Chipping Sparrow American Tree Sparrow Ruby Crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Hermit Thrush Fox Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Swainson’s Thrush Common Redpoll Song Sparrow Savannah Sparrow American Robin Fox Sparrow Yellow-rumped Warbler Common Redpoll Blackpoll Warbler Townsend’s Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Northern Waterthrush Chipping Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Pine Siskin White-winged Crossbill Red Crossbill Pine Grosbeak

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 16 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Raptors

We did not detect any Northern Goshawks in response to our call playback surveys. As well, most of the mature forest we surveyed within the KNSA offers Low nesting habitat suitability to goshawks. The stands typically have variable height canopies and low canopy closures, which results in poor subcanopy flyways, and the trees generally provide poor branch structures for supporting nests. Small patches of Moderate value habitat do occur throughout the KNSA with larger patches of Moderate (and limited High) areas in the lower elevation, more productive stands along Duncan and Attycelley Creeks. Areas of High value goshawk nesting habitat occur primarily in productive mature forest stands in the main valley bottoms outside of the KNSA, such as along Thutade Lake and the Finlay River.

We also did not observe any Golden Eagles, Gyrfalcons, or Peregrine Falcons anywhere within the KNSA and did not locate any nests on the potentially suitable cliffs above Duncan Lake and on the north face of the mountain where the main pit is proposed. The location of potentially suitable cliff habitats that we surveyed is identified on Figure 2. In addition to our surveys we canvassed other field personnel for sightings of any large raptors in the area. We received very few sightings of eagles, and no sightings of large falcons. Given the conspicuousness of these species, the lack of sightings suggests that they are probably not breeding in the KNSA.

During the various waterfowl surveys we observed a Golden Eagle on 3 occasions near Junkers Lake and a pair appeared to be nesting on the cliff above the south end of Hoy Lake. No falcons were observed during any of the 2006 spring/summer surveys. One Red-tailed Hawk was observed near the confluence of Attichika Creek and Kemess Creek.

Waterfowl and Shorebirds

A summary of the waterfowl and shorebirds observed in the KNSA during the 2 June surveys is provided in Table 7 and a list of species observed in specific areas is provided in Table 8. A total of 175 individuals and 14 species were observed. The most common species were Barrow’s Goldeneye, Canada Goose, Lesser Scaup, Long-tailed Duck (only observed at the compensation lakes), Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, and Spotted Sandpiper. In addition to our observations, fisheries crews reported seeing Harlequin Ducks on 4 occasions in the upper Attycelley Creek (including 2 sightings of a female with chicks) and on one occasion in Upper North Kemess Creek (2 females or subadults) (D. Bustard, pers. comm.).

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 17 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Table 7. A summary of waterfowl and shorebirds observed within the KNSA and at the two compensation lakes during waterfowl surveys conducted June 9-25, 2006. Survey Date Species Total June 9-12, 2006 June 24-25, 2006 Barrow’s Goldeneye 26 14 40 Bufflehead 2 2 Canada Goose 12 2 14 Common Loon 2 4 6 Common Snipe 0 1 1 Green-winged Teal 7 7 Horned Grebe 1 1 Lesser Scaup 4 7 11 Long-tailed Duck 0 25 25 Mallard 25 1 26 Northern Pintail 1 1 Red-breasted Merganser 0 1 1 Ring-necked Duck 14 2 16 Spotted Sandpiper 0 2 2 Merganser spp. 5 5 Scaup spp. 11 11 Unknown Duck spp. 6 6

Survey efforts during the 2 sessions in June were focussed on Duncan Lake because of the proposed alteration to it and waterfowl and shorebird activity appeared to be quite low there. We observed 2 pairs of Common Loons, 1 pair of Canada Geese, 1 female Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Mallards (including 1 female nesting along the southwest inlet stream), 1 Common Snipe, and several Spotted Sandpipers during helicopter, boat and shoreline surveys over 3 days. Duncan Lake is a clear, deep lake that appears to have low productivity in terms of plankton, invertebrates and aquatic vegetation. The fish community consists of small populations of Dolly Varden char, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish (Hatfield Consultants Ltd. 2005). The shoreline typically consists of forest right down to water, occasionally with a narrow (<1m) gravel beach. Emergent shoreline vegetation is very limited and occurs mainly near the 2 inlet and outlet streams. Where it occurs, the emergent vegetation typically consists of sedges extending 1-2 m from shore.

During the expanded waterfowl surveys conducted in August, a total of 27 lakes were surveyed outside of the KNSA. A summary of the water birds observed during these waterfowl surveys is provided in Table 9 and a detailed list of species observed at each lake is provided in Table 10. A total of 470 individuals and 28 species were observed. The most common species were Barrow’s Goldeneye, Lesser Scaup, Canada Goose, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, and Spotted Sandpiper. Four Trumpeter Swans (3 adults and 1 juvenile) were observed in a small

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 18 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Table 8. A list of waterfowl and shorebirds observed at specific lakes and creeks within the Kemess North Study Area and the 2 Compensation Lakes, June 9-25, 2006. Survey Lake/Location Species No. Comments Date(s) Duncan Lake June 12, 24, Canada Goose 2 25 Common Loon 2 (4) 1 pair for sure, possibly 2 Common Snipe 1 Mallard 3 Female nesting in Shrub-carr along SW inlet stream Red-breasted Merganser 1 Might have been a Common Merganser Several pairs and individuals observed in various Spotted Sandpiper >12 locations Kemess Lake June 9, 10 Barrow’s Goldeneye 8 Mallard 4 Upper North Kemess Creek Sept 10 Sightings by fisheries crews – single females or Harlequin Duck 2 juveniles Kemess Creek with associated June 9 Canada Goose 7 wetlands and ponds Mallard 2 Attichika Creek with June 9 Bufflehead 2 associated wetlands and Canada Goose 4 ponds Green-winged Teal 2 Lesser Scaup 2 Ring-necked Duck 10 Wetland near inlet of June 9 Mallard 8 Attichika Creek into Thutade Lake Merganser spp 5 Upper Attycelley Creek Aug 9, 20, Sightings by fisheries crews – twice of a female with Harlequin Duck 4 Sept 7, 11 chicks and twice of single females or juveniles Lower-mid Attycelley Creek June 12 Barrow’s Goldeneye 1 with associated wetlands and Green-winged Teal 2 ponds Mallard 2 Scaup spp. 4 Probably Lesser Scaup Unnamed lake north of June 12 Horned Grebe 1 Attycelley Creek Lesser Scaup 6 Scaup for sure, assumed to be Lesser Scaup

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 19 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Survey Lake/Location Species No. Comments Date(s) Small lakes/ponds between June 9, 11 Barrow’s Goldeneye 3 A female may have been Common Goldeneye Duncan and Kemess Lakes Mallard 2 Unnamed lake above Duncan June 9 Barrow’s Goldeneye 4 – Attycelley confluence (east Ring-necked Duck 2 side of road) Mallard 2 Unnamed lake along Duncan June 9 Creek, halfway down to Barrow’s Goldeneye 1 Attycelley Creek Pond southwest of Duncan June 9 Mallard 2 Lake Whudzi Lake June 9, 10, Barrow’s Goldeneye 7 25 Green-winged Teal 3 In wetland around inlet. Lesser Scaup 2 Long-tailed Duck 7 Identification not confirmed Mallard 1 In wetland around inlet. Northern Pintail 1 In wetland around inlet. Mulvaney Lake June 24 Barrow’s Goldeneye 7 Lesser Scaup 6 Long-tailed Duck 18 Ring-necked Duck 2

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 20 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project lake between Kitchner Lake and Sturdee River and several Long-tailed ducks were observed on 3 occasions at Mulvaney Lake. During the first occasion in late June, 18 Long-tailed Ducks were observed in small groups and pairs and several were exhibiting courtship behaviour. On the subsequent occasions in mid July and early August at least one adult with juveniles was observed. This is the southernmost breeding record of Long-tailed Ducks in British Columbia.

A total of 1413 individuals and 32 waterfowl and shorebirds species were observed during the 4 fall waterfowl surveys completed from September 18 to October 16th, 2006. The most common species overall were American Wigeon and Mallard, while Scaup and Goldeneye species were the most common diving ducks. Figure 4 and Figure 5 outline the general distribution of waterfowl observed during the fall surveys in 2006. A summary of the water birds observed during the fall waterfowl surveys is provided in Table 11. The majority of the waterfowl species and individuals were noted on Thutade Lake and the lower Attichika floodplain. A few Common Loons and Common Mergansers were observed on Duncan Lake during the surveys. A small number of dabbler species such as Northern Shoveler, and Mallard and Goldeneye species were seen in Kemess Lake during the surveys. One blue-listed species, the Surf Scoter (B.C. CDC 2006), was observed in the KNSA area during these surveys. We observed Surf Scoters on Duncan Lake, Thutade Lake and the Kemess South tailings pond on October 3rd, and on Whudzi Lake on October 16th.

Unique or Especially Productive Habitats

The KNSA contains a range of mid to high elevation areas types offering habitat to a variety of avian species. In terms of our focal species groups, these include a variety of vegetation communities and structural stages for terrestrial songbirds and raptors, cliff habitats for cliff-nesting raptors, and a variety of lake, pond, stream and side channel areas for waterfowl and shorebirds. Although all of these areas offer habitat to one or more avian species we would not categorize any of the areas we observed as being unique or especially productive habitats in terms of 1) being used by a species-at risk, 2) supporting either especially high richness or abundance of avian species, or 3) providing specific habitat structures or features not available in other areas.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 21 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Table 9. A summary of water birds observed during waterfowl surveys at 27 lakes surrounding the Kemess North Study Area July 31-August 3, 2006. Total No. No. Lakes Species Observed Detected American Dipper 2 1 Artic Tern 4 2 Bald Eagle 3 2 Barrow's Goldeneye 163 23 Bufflehead 4 1 Canada Goose 56 7 Common Goldeneye 1 1 Common Loon 15 8 Common Merganser 2 2 Common Snipe 1 1 Green-winged Teal 19 11 Herring Gull 3 1 Horned Grebe 4 3 Least Sandpiper 7 4 Lesser Scaup 82 13 Long-tailed Duck 18 3 Mallard 15 7 Mew Gull 12 4 Northern Pintail 1 1 Red-breasted Merganser 1 1 Ring-necked Duck 12 3 Red-necked Grebe 4 3 Ruddy Duck 2 1 Solitary Sandpiper 1 1 Semipalmated Plover 4 3 Spotted Sandpiper 17 4 Trumpeter Swan 3 1 White-winged Scooter 3 1 Total 470 27

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 22 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Table 10. A list of water birds observed at 27 lakes surrounding the KNSA during the expanded waterfowl surveys July 31-August 3, 2006.

Lake Name/ID e y anser anser g American Dipper Artic Tern Bald Eagle Barrow's Goldeneye Bufflehead Canada Goose Common Goldene Common Loon Common Mer Common Snipe Green-winged Teal Herring Gull Horned Grebe Least Sandpiper Lesser Scaup Long-tailed Duck Mallard Mew Gull Northern Pintail Red-breasted Merganser Ring-necked Duck Red-necked Grebe Ruddy Duck Solitary Sandpiper Semipalmated Plover Spotted Sandpiper Trumpeter Swan White-winged Scooter Bronlund 2 1 1 1 Brothers 5 3 Cascadero 1 1 1 1 3 Chapelle 2 2 1 9 1 Chuckachida 3 Duncan 2 4 1 1 1 2 Hoy 2 24 12 Jack Lee 5 1 1 1 3 5 4 6 Jock 1 2 Kadah 32 4 2 2 26 8 2 Kemess 0 1 Lower Belle 7 23 1 2 2 1 Mulvaney 11 6 22 2 Pulpit 3 1 1 Unnamed_1 2 1 9 2 2 1 Unnamed_2 9 1 2 1 Unnamed_3 1 8 3 11 2 3 Unnamed_4 5 2 Unnamed_5 3 2 2 Unnamed_6 1 Unnamed_7 2 Unnamed_8 1 6 Unnamed_9 46 Upper Belle Lake 1 1 Upper Brother 3 4 1 1 11 4 1 2 2 Upper Thudaka 2 Whudzi 15 1 4 4 7 2 1

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 23 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Mulvaney Lake Whudzi Lake Kemess North Proposed Mine - Fall 2006 Waterfowl Distribution General Survey Areas Waterfowl Distribution # Lakes # 1 - 5 N Wetlands # 5 - 10 # 10 - 25 W E # Rivers/Streams # 25 - 75 S 100m Contour Lines # 75 - 150 ÚÊ Proposed Kemess North Mine 0 1 2 3 4 Kilometers ## ÚÊ Kemess South Mine UTM 9 Projection NAD 83 Datum Mapping by Gartner Lee Limited - Natural Features from TRIM and NTS

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Figure 4. Distribution of waterfowl observed in the KNSA area during fall staging surveys September 18-19 and September 28, 2006.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 24 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Mulvaney Lake Whudzi Lake Kemess North Proposed Mine - Fall 2006 Waterfowl Distribution Whudzi Lake Mulvaney Lake General Survey Areas Waterfowl Distribution # # Lakes # 1 - 5 N # 5 - 10 # Wetlands # # 10 - 25 W E Rivers/Streams # # # 25 - 75 S 100m Contour Lines 75 - 150 # # Proposed Kemess North Mine # # ÚÊ 0 1 2 3 4 Kilometers ## ÚÊ Kemess South Mine UTM 9 Projection NAD 83 Datum Mapping by Gartner Lee Limited - Natural Features from TRIM and NTS

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Session 3 Session 4 October 3, 2006 October 16, 2006 # Figure 5. Distribution of waterfowl observed in the KNSA area during fall staging surveys October 3rd and October 16th, 2006.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 25 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Table 11. A summary of waterfowl and other bird species observed within the waterfowl survey areas during fall 2006 waterfowl surveys. General Area Species Sept 18-19 Sept 28 Oct 3 Oct 16 Total Duncan Lake Bufflehead 2 2 Common Goldeneye 2 1 3 Common Loon 1 1 1 3 Green-winged Teal 1 1 Mallard 1 1 Red-breasted Merganser 1 1 Surf Scoter 2 2 Unidentified Diver 1 1 Unidentified Goldeneye 2 1 3 Unidentified Scaup 1 1 2 Duncan Lake Total 7 7 4 1 19 Kemess Lake and Crk American Widgeon 6 6 Bald Eagle 1 1 Common Goldeneye 1 3 4 Mallard 9 6 12 27 Northern Shoveler 1 1 Surf Scoter 14 14 Unidentified Goldeneye 7 4 11 Unidentified Scaup 7 1 8 Kemess Lake and Crk Total 25 11 30 6 72 Lower Attichika American Widgeon 2 112 40 16 170 Bald Eagle 1 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Blue-winged Teal 3 3 Bufflehead 2 1 3 Common Goldeneye 1 1 Common Merganser 5 5 Green-winged Teal 6 10 4 20 Harlequin Duck 6 6 Hooded Merganser 4 4 Mallard 23 119 106 3 251 Red-necked Grebe 1 1 Red-tailed Hawk 2 2 Unidentified Goldeneye 1 1 Unidentified Merganser 2 2 Unidentified Scaup 3 3 6 Unidentified Yellowlegs 1 1 Lower Attichika Total 46 257 156 19 478 Upper Attichika American Widgeon 55 2 57 Green-winged Teal 5 3 3 3 14 Hooded Merganser 3 3 Mallard 4 14 18 3 39 Red-breasted Merganser 2 2 Unidentified Scaup 18 18 Upper Attichika Total 82 22 21 8 133

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 26 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project General Area Species Sept 18-19 Sept 28 Oct 3 Oct 16 Total Lower Attycelley American Widgeon 2 3 5 Bald Eagle 1 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 1 Black Scoter 2 2 Bufflehead 4 4 Canvasback 3 3 Common Goldeneye 4 4 Common Loon 1 1 Mallard 5 4 9 Ring-necked Duck 1 1 Unidentified Goldeneye 10 10 Unidentified Scaup 2 7 11 3 23 Unidentified Scoter 5 5 White-winged Scoter 1 1 Lower Attycelley Total 19 22 22 7 70 Middle Attycelley Unidentified Goldeneye 0 2 0 0 2 Middle Attycelley Total 0 2 0 0 2 Omenica Resource Rd American Widgeon 65 3 5 73 Bufflehead 3 1 4 Common Loon 1 1 Common Merganser 3 3 Mallard 2 5 7 Red-breasted Merganser 6 6 Unidentified Diver 1 1 Unidentified Goldeneye 2 2 Unidentified Scaup 3 3 Omenica Resource Rd Total 73 17 5 5 100 Thutade Lake American Widgeon 99 50 149 Barrow's Goldeneye 4 4 Bufflehead 2 2 Canada Goose 4 4 Common Loon 1 2 3 6 Green-winged Teal 2 2 Least Sandpiper 18 18 Long-billed Dowitcher 8 8 Long-tailed Duck 2 20 22 Mallard 152 152 Osprey 1 1 2 Red-necked Grebe 3 2 2 7 Surf Scoter 1 1 Unidentified Dabbler 5 5 Unidentified Diver 2 2 4 Unidentified Duck 1 1 Unidentified Goldeneye 5 5 Unidentified Scaup 37 15 53 Thutade Lake Total 296 *n/s 100 48 445 *n/s = not surveyed during period

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 27 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project General Area Species Sept 18-19 Sept 28 Oct 3 Oct 16 Total Mulvaney Lake Canada Goose 1 1 Common Goldeneye 1 4 5 Mallard 3 3 Unidentified Diver 5 5 Unidentified Goldeneye 7 6 13 Unidentified Scaup 12 8 20 Mulvaney Lake Total 24 *n/s 11 12 47 Whudzie Lake American Dipper 2 2 Common Goldeneye 5 1 6 Surf Scoter 4 4 Unidentified Diver 3 3 Unidentified Goldeneye 4 5 9 Unidentified Scaup 1 5 6 Whudzie Lake Total 8 *n/s 12 10 30 High Elev. Pond S. of Tundra Swan 18 18 Attichika Cr. Other Area Total *n/s *n/s *n/s 18 18 Grand Total 580 338 361 134 1413 *n/s = not surveyed during period Southern Range Records

Several of the bird species we observed during the 2006 breeding season were well south of their normally reported ranges (Table 12). Of these species only the Common Redpoll was observed within the main KNSA. All other species were observed during the expanded waterfowl surveys.

Table 12. Bird species detected in the Kemess North Study Area and surrounding area whose range is indicated as being much farther north. Species Comments Long-tailed Duck 18 birds observed in small groups and pairs at Mulvaney Lake; active courtship activities observed in late June; female with chicks observed in mid July and early August. Not detected at 26 other lakes surveyed in early August. Semipalmated Plover 2 adults and 1 juvenile observed at Upper Brother Lake; 1 adult at lower of 2 unnamed lakes at the head of Delta Cr; 1 adult at unnamed lake 5 km west of Fleet Peak, upper McConnell Cr. Least Sandpiper Adults with juveniles observed at Lower Belle Lake, at the lower of 2 unnamed lakes at the head of Delta Cr, and at the unnamed lake 5 km west of Fleet Peak along upper McConnell Cr.; 1 adult also observed at Upper Brother Lake Artic Tern 2 adults exhibiting territorial behaviour at Bronlund Lake; 2 adults and 2 juveniles observed at the lower of 2 unnamed lakes at the headwaters of the Thudaka River. Northern Shrike 1 juvenile observed near Chapelle Lake Common Redpoll Several pairs and singing males observed in the main KNSA but breeding not confirmed.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 28 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Discussion

Survey Adequacy

We feel our field surveys were adequate to meet our objectives of determining typical avian communities associated with major terrestrial and aquatic habitats in the KNSA and locating potential species-at-risk if they occurred in the KNSA in 2006. Surveying more sample sites and replicating surveys within a given breeding season and over multiple years would increase confidence in the status of avian species in the area, and may increase the likelihood of detecting a potential species-at-risk. The probability however, that a species-at-risk would be affected by the proposed development however is very low given the habitat requirements of the species-at-risk and potential habitat effects of the project.

Songbird and Raptor Surveys The survey intensity for the songbird and raptor surveys during 2006, in terms of area surveyed, methodology and replication, was limited and should be considered reconnaissance- level. For example, our songbird surveys covered less than 1% of the KNSA and were limited to one survey round in one year. This level of coverage and replication, when considered in isolation, would be suboptimal and limits the ability to account for the high seasonal and annual variation in behaviour, occurrence and breeding status of many avian species. Some songbirds may have largely completed territorial singing by the time of our surveys in late June and therefore may have had reduced detectability. Another potential issue is that raptors often do not breed every year. Despite our lack of detections this year, individuals may occupy suitable habitats and breed within the KNSA in other years. Based on these factors it is possible that we failed to detect some species that inhabit the area.

The results of the 2006 surveys, however, are similar to observations of songbirds and raptors in the KNSA during field activities in 2003 to 2005 (Turney et al. 2006) and observations from the Kemess South assessments (Hallam Knight Piesold 1993a, 1993b, and 1997) (See Appendix 1). When considered in conjunction with these other sources, we feel confident that our surveys are representative of the species found in the KNSA.

Waterfowl Surveys The spring waterfowl surveys conducted in 2006 provide similar results to those found during the surveys conducted in 2004 (Turney and Roberts 2005) and confirm that the Duncan and Kemess Lakes areas have limited use by waterfowl for breeding. Breeding waterfowl habitats are more common in the lower Attycelley watershed and between Thutade Lake and Duncan Ridge, with significantly more birds using those habitats than habitats in the upper

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 29 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Attycelley, Duncan Lake or Kemess Lake watersheds. Harlequin ducks were the only riverine waterfowl species detected, being found in the upper Attycelley and North Kemess Creek areas and not expected to be directly affected by the proposed development activities.

The expanded waterfowl surveys in early August were somewhat limited in detecting waterfowl species such as Long-tailed duck as the main breeding season was over and all waterfowl were in eclipse (moulting). Not only were the birds difficult to identify because they lacked their more identifiable breeding plumages, they were shy, tending to move away from us (even when we were several hundred metres away), and often hiding in shoreline vegetation. It is also possible that male Long-tailed Ducks may have already dispersed from the area after mating. As well, similar to other species, Long-tailed Ducks may experience annual fluctuations with higher or lower breeding densities and number of lakes occupied in different years.

The fall migration surveys found that the peak of migration in 2006 was occurring between mid-September and early October. By mid-October, many small ponds were frozen and the numbers of waterfowl observed were reduced significantly. We found that the main congregation areas for waterfowl during the fall was at the mouth of Attichika Creek and along the shoreline of Thutade Lake. The lower Attycelley Creek and wetlands between Duncan Ridge and Thutade Lake were also much more used than Duncan or Kemess Lakes, suggesting that the main flyway and resting areas were along the Finlay River corridor and Thutade Lake.

Observations of Long-tailed Ducks

The single occurrence of Long-tailed Ducks breeding at Mulvaney Lake was potentially significant, although there are limitations to the interpretations that can be made about their status in the area and habitat requirements. The following sections discussing these two issues are based primarily on information from the Birds of North America Species Account (Robertson and Savard 2002).

Status in British Columbia The breeding range of Long-tailed Ducks in North America occurs primarily in the arctic and subarctic regions of northern Canada and Alaska, although isolated breeding records have been reported across central Alaska and the Yukon. In British Columbia the only previous breeding records for Long-tailed Ducks appear to have been in the Chilkat Pass in the extreme northwest portion of the province. The status of Long-tailed Ducks within the broader northern British Columbia area is unknown due to low human habitation and a concurrent lack of avian surveys in the area. Similar habitat to the subalpine/alpine lakes and wetlands that the Long- tailed Ducks used in the Chilkat (Campbell et al. 2001) occurs in the northern mountains area

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 30 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project west of the Rocky Mountain Trench. Based on our observations, and those in the Chilkat, it is likely that Long-tailed Ducks are at least occasional breeders in the northern mountainous areas of BC. This pattern of sporadic, isolated breeding is consistent with breeding reports in Alaska and the Yukon that are also south of the Long-tailed Duck’s primary breeding range (Robertson and Savard 2002).

Breeding Habitat Selection Again, we caution the level of confidence of interpretations that can be made from the single occurrence of breeding Long-tailed Ducks at Mulvaney Lake, but at least 2 characteristics of Mulvaney Lake are worth discussing based on the literature and our field observations: 1) subalpine/alpine location, and 2) absence of fish.

Long-tailed Ducks are considered a “true arctic species” with occasional occurrences in high altitude areas that offer lake and wetland habitat in alpine/subalpine settings (Robertson and Savard 2002). The subalpine setting of Mulvaney Lake is consistent with this description, and if this is a requirement for the species it would reduce the probability of Long-tailed Ducks breeding at many of the other lakes in the area, including Duncan Lake.

The second factor that may be relevant to the suitability of lakes in the area is the availability of food, and this factor may be largely affected by the presence or absence of fish. The diet of Long-tailed Ducks can be quite variable but is predominantly aquatic insects and invertebrates during the breeding season (Robertson and Savard 2002). The richness and abundance of aquatic insects and macro-invertebrates is typically higher (often much higher) in high elevation lakes without fish, than those with them (Bradford et al. 1998, Donald et al. 2001, Parker et al. 2001). Therefore, fishless, high elevation lakes typically offer higher biomass of food to Long-tailed Ducks than comparable lakes with fish. This is consistent with our observations at other lakes during the August surveys that the richness and abundance of waterfowl other than Long-tailed Ducks was often higher at lakes without fish, than those with fish.

Management and Mitigation Recommendations

Based on our songbird, raptor, and water bird inventory and habitat assessment (and recognizing the limitations of the work as described above) we did not identify any specific areas within the KNSA where we feel mitigation strategies would be appropriate based on the proposed development map we were provided. We recognize this judgment is a subjective one

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 31 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project and that other biologists may be more or less conservative in their recommendations for mitigation strategies. We base our position on the following rationales:

1. The proposed mining development will have obvious habitat impacts including the permanent removal of some habitat areas used by birds. Our assessment did not focus on the appropriateness of this larger issue, which is largely a socio-economic choice. Rather, our assessment focused on the impacts of development in the KNSA relative to habitats and bird communities in the surrounding landscape.

2. Further to point 1, the broad habitat types within the KNSA appear to be widely distributed and well represented outside of the KNSA based on reconnaissance flights and ground surveys associated with the expanded waterfowl surveys and other terrestrial assessments since 2003.

3. The footprint of development activities affects a relatively small proportion of any of the TEM ecosystem units, cliff areas, and aquatic habitats, relative to the total amount of those habitats within the KNSA and the surrounding region.

4. No avian species-at-risk were observed in any of the habitats within the KNSA in 2006 and none are likely to occur within any of the proposed development areas (other than the Barn Swallow which may benefit from the presence of human structures) based on their range or habitat preferences. Short-eared Owls may occur in the grassland and shrub-carr areas along upper Attycelley Creek and its tributaries but these areas are either outside of the KNSA or are not located with the proposed development.

5. In the case of Duncan Lake, the richness and abundance of waterfowl and shorebirds using the lake was quite low relative to communities of water birds observed at other lakes in the area. This area does not appear to support large numbers of breeding, feeding or migrating waterfowl or shorebirds in comparison to habitats such as those found in the lower Attycelley and Attichika Creek watersheds.

The one concern we do have is that there could be potential negative effects to Long- Tailed Ducks if stocking fish in Mulvaney Lake were to proceed. Our observation of breeding Long-tailed Ducks at this location is the southern most breeding record for Long-tailed Ducks in British Columbia and possibly Canada. Introducing trout and/or char into Mulvaney Lake may reduce the suitability of the lake to Long-tailed Ducks by reducing the taxonomic richness and abundance of macro-invertebrates and aquatic insects, which are their primary foods during the breeding season. This reduction in food supply may be sufficient to make the lake unsuitable to

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 32 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project support future breeding by Long-tailed Ducks. It is our recommendation that any introduction of fish into non-fish lakes for fisheries habitat compensation and/or mitigation be evaluated against the potential detrimental effects that the introduction could have on species such as Long-Tailed Ducks.

Literature Cited B.C. Conservation Data Centre (B.C. CDC). 2006. BC species and ecosystems explorer. BC Min. of Environ. Victoria, BC. Available: http://srmapps.gov.bc.ca/apps/eswp/ (accessed Oct 23, 2006). Bradford D.F., S.C. Cooper, T.R. Jenkins, K. Kratz, O. Sarnelle, and A.D. Brown. 1998. Influences of natural acidity and introduced fish on faunal assemblages in California alpine lakes. Can. J. Fish Aquat Sci 55: 2478–91. Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J.M. Cooper, G.W. Kaiser, M.C.E. McNall, and G.E.J. Smith. 2001. The birds of British Columbia. Volumes 1-4. UBC Press, Vancouver BC. Demarchi, D.A. 1993. An introduction to the ecoregions of British Columbia. BC Min. of Environ., Lands and Parks. Victoria, B.C. Donald D.B., R.D. Vinebrooke, R.S. Anderson, J. Syrgiannis, and M.D. Graham. 2001. Recovery of zooplankton assemblages in mountain lakes from the effects of introduced sport fish. Can. J. Fish Aquat Sci 58:1822–1830. Fraser, C.F., W.L. Harper, S.G. Cannings, and J.M. Cooper. 1999. Rare birds of British Columbia. Wildl. Branch and Resour. Inv. Branch, BC Min. Environ., Lands and Parks, Victoria, BC. 244 pp. Godfrey, W.E. 1979. The birds of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, Canada. Ottawa. 428 pp. Hallam Knight Peisold Ltd. 1993a. Kemess south gold-copper project. Application report. Vol. III. Environmental setting. Unpub. report prep. for El Condor Resources Ltd and St. Phillips Resources Inc. Hallam Knight Piesold Ltd. 1993b. Kemess south gold-copper project: Sloane connector road environmental evaluation. Unpub. report prep. for El Condor Resources Ltd. Hallam Knight Piesold Ltd. 1997. Vegetation and wildlife habitat in the Kemess Project Area: Summary report. Unpub. report prep. for Royal Oak Mines Inc. 23 pp + append. Hatfield Consultants Ltd. 2005. Baseline report: Aquatic resources in the vicinity of the Kemess Mine Expansion project. Appendix 7 in Northgate Minerals Corporation, Kemess Mine Expansion, Kemess North Copper-Gold Project, Environmental Impact Assessment. Submitted to the Environmental Assessment Review Panel, September 30, 2005. 352 pp. Kennedy, P.L., and D.W. Stahlecker. 1993. Responsiveness of nesting northern goshawks to taped broadcasts of 3 conspecific calls. J. Wildl. Manage. 57(2): 249-257. Klohn Crippen. 2005. Fish habitat compensation plan. Appendix 11 in Northgate Minerals Corporation, Kemess Mine Expansion, Kemess North Copper-Gold Project,

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 33 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Environmental Impact Assessment. Submitted to the Environmental Assessment Review Panel, September 30, 2005. 209 pp + append. National Geographic Society. 1983. A field guide to the birds of North America. National Geographic Book Service. 464 pp. Parker B.R., D.W. Schindler, D.B. Donald, and R.S Anderson. 2001. The effects of stocking and removal of a nonnative salmonid on the plankton of an alpine lake. Ecosystems 4: 334– 345. Penteriani, V. 2002. Goshawk nesting habitat in Europe and North America: A review. Ornis Fennica 79(4): 149-163. Resources Inventory Committee (RIC). 1998. Inventory methods for riverine birds: Harlequin Duck, Belted Kingfisher and American Dipper. Version 2.0. BC Min.of Environ., Lands and Parks. Victoria, BC. 51 pp. Resources Inventory Committee (RIC). 1999a. British Columbia wildlife habitat rating standards. Version 2.0. BC Min. of Environ. Victoria, BC. 97 pp. Resources Inventory Committee (RIC). 1999b. Inventory methods for forest and grassland songbirds. Standards for Components of British Columbia’s Biodiversity No.15. BC Min. of Environ., Lands and Parks. Victoria, BC. 37 pp. Resources Inventory Committee (RIC). 1999c. Inventory methods for waterfowl and allied species: Loons, Grebes, Swans, Geese, Ducks, American Coot and Sandhill Crane. Version 2.0. BC Min. of Environ., Lands and Parks. Victoria, BC. 82 pp. Resource Inventory Standards Committee (RISC). 2001. Standard methodologies for the inventory of biodiversity in British Columbia: Raptors. Version 2.0. BC Min. of Sustainable Resource Management, Victoria, B.C. Robertson, G.J. and J-P.L. Savard. 2002. Long-tailed Duck. In: A. Poole and F. Gill (eds.). The birds of North America. No 651. Academy of Natural Sciences and The American Ornithologists Union, Washington, DC. Sauer, J.R. and K. Pardieck. 2006. North American breeding bird survey. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. Available: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/ (accessed Jan 18, 2006). Turney, L. and A.M. Roberts. 2005. Wildlife habitat assessment for the Kemess Mine expansion, Kemess North project. Appendix 8-B in Northgate Minerals Corporation, Kemess Mine Expansion, Kemess North Copper-Gold Project, Environmental Impact Assessment. Submitted to the Environmental Assessment Review Panel, September 30, 2005. 65 pp + append. Turney, L., A. MacLeod, L. Rach, S. Haeussler. 2006. Responses to comments and additional information requests for the Kemess Mine Expansion environmental assessment. Supplement 19, submitted to the Environmental Assessment Review Panel, March 9th, 2006. 64pp + append. Turney, L., I. Ronalds, G. Cushon, and I. Weiland. 2005. Terrestrial ecosystem mapping for the Kemess Mine expansion, Kemess North project. Appendix 8-A in Northgate Minerals Corporation, Kemess Mine Expansion, Kemess North Copper-Gold Project,

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 34 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Environmental Impact Assessment. Submitted to the Environmental Assessment Review Panel, September 30, 2005. 48 pp + append.

Personal Communication Bustard, D. 2006. E-mail message on Sep. 15, 2006 with attached excel spreadsheet containing 2006 Harlequin Duck observations. Ramsay, L. 2006. Personal communication. Program Zoologist, Conservation Data Centre, Victoria, BC.

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 35 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Appendix 1. Bird species that could potentially occur in the KNSA based on range and habitat requirements (Godfrey 1979; National Geographic Society 1983; Fraser et al. 1999; Campbell et al. 2001; pers. obs). For definitions of probability of occurrence categories refer to the Methods section. Observations of bird species from 4 sources are listed under the Survey columns (2006 Kemess = this study, 2003-05 Kemess = Turney et al. 2006, Kemess South = Hallam Knight Piesold Ltd. 1993a, 1993b, 1997, BBS = the 3 nearest North American Breeding Bird Survey Routes [Sauer and Parieck 2006]).

Survey Species Probability of 2006 2003-05 Kemess Spp. Name Code Occurrence Kemess Kemess South BBS Common Loon COLO Confirmed Y Y Y Yellow-billed Loon YBLO Unlikely Arctic Loon ARLO Unlikely Red-throated Loon RTLO Unlikely Red-necked Grebe RNGR Confirmed Y Horned Grebe HOGR Confirmed Y Pied-billed Grebe PBGR Unlikely American Bittern AMBI Unlikely Great Blue Heron GBHE Unlikely Sandhill Crane SACR Likely Trumpeter Swan TRSW Confirmed Y Tundra Swan TUSW Confirmed Y Canada Goose CAGO Confirmed Y Y Y Y Mallard MALL Confirmed Y Y Y Y Green-winged Teal GWTE Confirmed Y Y Y Blue-winged Teal BWTE Confirmed Y Y American Wigeon AMWI Confirmed Y Northern Pintail NOPI Likely Northern Shoveler NOSH Confirmed Y Canvasback CANV Confirmed Y Redhead REHE Unlikely Ring-necked Duck RNDU Confirmed Y Y Y Greater Scaup GRSC Unlikely Lesser Scaup LESC Confirmed Y White-winged Scoter WWSC Confirmed Y Surf Scoter SUSC Confirmed Y Black Scoter BLSC Confirmed Y Harlequin Duck HADU Confirmed Y Y Y Long-tailed Duck LTDU Confirmed Y Barrow's Goldeneye BAGO Confirmed Y Y Common Goldeneye COGO Confirmed Y Y Bufflehead BUFF Confirmed Y Y Common Merganser COME Confirmed Y Y Y Red-breasted Merganser RBME Confirmed Y

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 36 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Survey Species Probability of 2006 2003-05 Kemess Spp. Name Code Occurrence Kemess Kemess South BBS Hooded Merganser HOME Confirmed Y Sora SORA Possible American Coot AMCO Likely Lesser Golden-Plover LGPL Possible Semipalmated Plover SEPL Confirmed Y Killdeer KILL Likely Y Greater Yellowlegs GRYE Confirmed Y Y Y Lesser Yellowlegs LEYE Confirmed Y Y Solitary Sandpiper SOSA Confirmed Y Y Y Spotted Sandpiper SPSA Confirmed Y Y Y Y Wandering Tattler WATA Unlikely Least Sandpiper LESA Confirmed Y Hudsonian Godwit HUGO Possible Short-billed Dowitcher SBDO Possible Long-billed Dowitcher LBDO Confirmed Y Upland Sandpiper UPSA Unlikely Common Snipe COSN Confirmed Y Y Y Red-necked Phalarope RNPH Possible Wilson's Phalarope WIPH Possible Red Phalarope REPH Unlikely Bonaparte's Gull BOGU Confirmed Y Mew Gull MEGU Confirmed Y Herring Gull HEGU Confirmed Y Arctic Tern ARTE Confirmed Y Golden Eagle GOEA Confirmed Y Y Y Bald Eagle BAEA Confirmed Y Y Y Northern Harrier NOHA Likely Y Sharp-Shinned Hawk SSHA Likely Y Y Northern Goshawk NOGO Likely Y Red-tailed Hawk RTHA Confirmed Y Y Swainson's Hawk SWHA Unlikely Osprey OSPR Confirmed Y Y Y American Kestrel AMKE Confirmed Y Y Merlin MERL Likely Y Peregrine Falcon PEFA Unlikely Gyrfalcon GYFA Possible Ruffed Grouse RUGR Likely Y Spruce Grouse SPGR Likely Y Blue Grouse BLGR Likely Y White-tailed Ptarmigan WTPT Likely Rock Ptarmigan ROPT Likely Willow Ptarmigan WIPT Confirmed Y Y Y Sharp-tailed Grouse STGR Unlikely Short-eared Owl SEOW Confirmed Y Y

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 37 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Survey Species Probability of 2006 2003-05 Kemess Spp. Name Code Occurrence Kemess Kemess South BBS Great-horned Owl GHOW Likely Great Gray Owl GGOW Likely Western Screech Owl WSOW Unlikely Northern Pygmy Owl NPOW Possible Northern Saw-whet Owl NSWO Possible Northern Hawk-Owl NOHO Likely Y Boreal Owl BOOW Likely Common Nighthawk CONH Confirmed Y Rufous Hummingbird RUHU Confirmed Y Y Y Belted Kingfisher BEKI Confirmed Y Y Y Northern Flicker NOFL Confirmed Y Red-breasted Sapsucker RBSA Possible Y Yellow-bellied Sapsucker YBSA Possible Downy Woodpecker DOWO Likely Y Hairy Woodpecker HAWO Likely Y Three-toed Woodpecker TTWO Confirmed Y Y Black-backed Woodpecker BBWO Likely Pileated Woodpecker PIWO Possible Y Olive-sided Flycatcher OSFL Confirmed Y Y Western Wood-Pewee WEWP Likely Y Y Say's Phoebe SAPH Likely Y Dusky Flycatcher DUFL Possible Hammond's Flycatcher HAFL Confirmed Y Y Y Yellow-bellied Flycatcher YBFL Unlikely Y Least Flycatcher LEFL Likely Y Alder Flycatcher ALFL Likely Y Pacific-slope Flycatcher PSFL Possible Y Northern Shrike NOSH Confirmed Y Cassin's Vireo CAVI Possible Y Warbling Vireo WAVI Confirmed Y Y Red-eyed Vireo REVI Possible Y Stellar's Jay STJA Likely Gray Jay GRJA Confirmed Y Y Y Y Black-billed Magpie BBMA Possible American Crow AMCR Likely Y Common Raven CORA Confirmed Y Y Y Y Horned Lark HOLA Confirmed Y Y Tree Swallow TRSW Confirmed Y Y Violet-green Swallow VGSW Confirmed Y Y Y Bank Swallow BANS Possible Rough-winged Swallow RWSW Possible Cliff Swallow CLSW Possible Y Barn Swallow BASW Confirmed Y Y Y Black-capped Chickadee BCCH Confirmed Y Y

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 38 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Survey Species Probability of 2006 2003-05 Kemess Spp. Name Code Occurrence Kemess Kemess South BBS Mountain Chickadee MOCH Likely Boreal Chickadee BOCH Confirmed Y Y Y Brown Creeper BRCR Likely Red-breasted Nuthatch RBNU Confirmed Y Y Y Y Winter Wren WIWR Confirmed Y Y Y American Dipper AMDI Confirmed Y Y Golden-crowned Kinglet GCKI Confirmed Y Y Y Ruby-crowned Kinglet RCKI Confirmed Y Y Y Mountain Bluebird MOBL Possible Y Townsend's Solitaire TOSO Confirmed Y Y Swainson's Thrush SWTH Confirmed Y Y Y Gray-cheeked Thrush GCTH Possible Y Hermit Thrush HETH Confirmed Y Y Y Varied Thrush VATH Confirmed Y Y Y American Robin AMRO Confirmed Y Y Y American Pipit AMPI Confirmed Y Y Bohemian Waxwing BOWA Likely Cedar Waxwing CEWA Possible Y European Starling EUST Possible Tennessee Warbler TEWA Possible Y Orange-crowned Warbler OCWA Confirmed Y Y Y Magnolia Warbler MAWA Possible Y Yellow-rumped Warbler YRWA Confirmed Y Y Y Y Townsend’s Warbler TOWA Confirmed Y Y Y Blackpoll Warbler BLWA Confirmed Y Y Y Y Yellow Warbler YEWA Confirmed Y Y Y MacGillivray’s Warbler MGWA Confirmed Y Y Wilson’s Warbler WIWA Confirmed Y Y Y Y Northern Waterthrush NOWA Confirmed Y Y Y Common Yellowthroat COYE Confirmed Y Y Y American Redstart AMRE Confirmed Y Y Y Western Tanager WETA Possible Y Savannah Sparrow SASP Confirmed Y Y Y Y Song Sparrow SOSP Confirmed Y Y American Tree Sparrow ATSP Confirmed Y Chipping Sparrow CHSP Confirmed Y Y Brewer’s Sparrow BRSP Unlikely Dark-eyed Junco DEJU Confirmed Y Y Y Y White-throated Sparrow WTSP Possible Y Y White-crowned Sparrow WCSP Confirmed Y Golden-crowned Sparrow GCSP Confirmed Y Y Fox Sparrow FOSP Confirmed Y Y Y Lincoln’s Sparrow LISP Confirmed Y Y Y Smith’s Longspur SMLO Possible

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 39 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project Survey Species Probability of 2006 2003-05 Kemess Spp. Name Code Occurrence Kemess Kemess South BBS Lapland Longspur LALO Confirmed Y Snow Bunting SNBU Unlikely Y Red-winged Blackbird RWBL Confirmed Y Y Rusty Blackbird RUBL Likely Y Y Brewer's Blackbird BRBL Possible Y Brown-headed Cowbird BHCO Possible House Sparrow HOSP Unlikely Pine Siskin PISI Confirmed Y Y Y Red Crossbill RECR Confirmed Y Y White-winged Crossbill WWCR Confirmed Y Y Pine Grosbeak PIGR Confirmed Y Evening Grosbeak EVGR Possible Y Common Redpoll CORE Confirmed Y Gray-crowned Rosy Finch ROFI Confirmed Y Purple Finch PUFI Confirmed Y Y

2006 Breeding Songbird, Raptor and Waterfowl Inventory Page 40 Kemess Mine Expansion – Kemess North Project