Mt Owen Complex Fauna Monitoring 2016 Annual Report.0 2017.05.30
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Red-naped Snake under sheet of fibro, Mt Owen Complex Yellow-faced Whipsnake under sheet of fibro, Mt Owen Complex MT OWEN COMPLEX, FAUNA MONITORING 2016 ANNUAL REPORT Report to MT. OWEN COMPLEX 30 May 2017 Forest Fauna Surveys Pty Ltd Mt. Owen Complex Fauna Monitoring 2016 MT. OWEN COMPLEX FAUNA MONITORING 2016 ANNUAL REPORT Report prepared for MT. OWEN COMPLEX This report prepared by Michael Murray [B.Sc.(Hons)] Forest Fauna Surveys Pty Ltd 51 Sheridan Avenue ADAMSTOWN HEIGHTS NSW 2289 (02) 4946 2977 [email protected] Acknowledgements. Glenn Cook and Sarah Monckton (Glencore Mt Owen) and Peter York (Thiess Senior Environment and Community Advisor) kindly provided information and assistance with a number of tasks throughout the year. Document History Document No. Prep. Date Version Checked by Date 00354.a 22.03.2017 Draft v.1 Sarah Moore 00354.0 30.05.2017 FINAL __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 30 May 2017 Forest Fauna Surveys Pty Ltd 00354.0 Page i Mt. Owen Complex Fauna Monitoring 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................................... i 1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Prescriptions for Fauna Monitoring ................................................................................................................ 1 2.0 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Birds ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 2.1.1 Opportunistic Sightings .............................................................................................................................. 7 2.1.2 Nocturnal Surveys ...................................................................................................................................... 7 2.1.3 Diurnal Census ........................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Small Terrestrial Mammals ........................................................................................................................ 8 2.2.1.1 Trapping with Elliott Aluminium Traps ................................................................................................. 8 2.2.1.2 Pitfall Trapping ..................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.2 Larger Terrestrial Mammals....................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.2.1 Spotlight Searches ................................................................................................................................ 9 2.2.2.2 Remote Infra-red Cameras ................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.3 Arboreal Mammals .................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.3.1 Spotlight Searches ................................................................................................................................ 9 2.2.3.3 Nest Box Inspections ............................................................................................................................ 9 2.2.4 Bats ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 2.2.4.1 Captures ............................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.4.2 Echolocation Calls ............................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.4.3 Spotlight Searches .............................................................................................................................. 10 2.2.4.4 Roost Box Inspection .......................................................................................................................... 10 2.3 Reptiles ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.3.1 Systematic and Opportunistic Searches .................................................................................................. 10 2.3.2 Pitfall Captures ........................................................................................................................................ 10 2.4 Frogs ............................................................................................................................................................. 10 2.4.1 Monitoring of Frog Populations and Diversity ......................................................................................... 10 2.4.2 General Surveying Methods .................................................................................................................... 11 2.4.3 Frog Conservation Zones (from 2006) ..................................................................................................... 11 2.5 Threatened Birds ........................................................................................................................................... 11 2.6 Threatened Mammals ................................................................................................................................... 12 2.7 Threatened Frogs .......................................................................................................................................... 12 2.7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 12 2.7.2 Monitoring of Bell Frog Habitat ............................................................................................................... 13 2.7.3 Captive Breeding ...................................................................................................................................... 13 2.8 Research Licensing ........................................................................................................................................ 13 3.0 RESULTS ................................................................................................................................................................ 14 3.1 Birds .............................................................................................................................................................. 14 3.1.1 Opportunistic Bird Sightings .................................................................................................................... 14 3.1.2 Diurnal Bird Census .................................................................................................................................. 15 3.2 Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 3.2.1 Small Terrestrial Mammals ...................................................................................................................... 16 3.2.1.1 Trapping with Elliott Aluminium Traps ............................................................................................... 16 __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 30 May 2017 Forest Fauna Surveys Pty Ltd 00354.0 Page ii Mt. Owen Complex Fauna Monitoring 2016 3.2.1.1 Trapping with Pitfall Traps .................................................................................................................. 17 3.2.1.2 Opportunistic Sightings ...................................................................................................................... 18 3.2.2 Larger Mammals ...................................................................................................................................... 18 3.2.2.1 Mammals recorded by Opportunistic Sampling and Remote Cameras .............................................. 18 3.2.3 Arboreal Mammals .................................................................................................................................. 19 3.2.4 Bats .......................................................................................................................................................... 19 3.2.4.1 Captures ............................................................................................................................................. 20 3.2.4.2 Echolocation Calls ............................................................................................................................... 21 3.2.4.3 Spotlight Searches .............................................................................................................................