Appendix B Phil’s Creek Project Area: Fauna Survey 2008 Phil’s Creek Project Area . Prepared for: URS Australia L3 20 Terrace Rd East Perth WA 6004 Prepared by: Western Wildlife 8 Ridgeway Pl Mahogany Creek WA 6072 Ph: 0427 510 934 3rd May 2009 Phil’s Creek Fauna Survey 2008 Executive Summary Introduction URS Australia Pty Ltd requested a fauna survey of the Phil’s Creek Project Area, on behalf of Iron Ore Holdings Ltd. The Phil’s Creek project area is a small (about 4km 2) area about 90 km northwest of Newman in the Eastern Pilbara, Western Australia. The fauna survey involved a field study to inventory, so far as possible, the fauna and fauna habitats present in the project area. To supplement the information gathered during the survey, a desktop review of fauna information for the area was also carried out. Methods The fauna surveys took place from the 20th to 30th October 2008. The methods used to sample the fauna of the area included: • Trapping for reptiles, amphibians and small mammals • Spotlighting and head-torching • Bat surveys • Bird surveys • Keeping opportunistic records Seven trapping sites were established and each site consisted of ten pitfall traps, eight funnel traps, ten Elliott traps and two cage traps. The traps were open for between seven and nine nights, to give a total of 1710 trap-nights. Results and Discussion Overall, the project area has the potential to support a wide range of vertebrate species including up to eight amphibian, 97 reptile, 108 bird and 40 mammal species. During the 2008 fauna survey, no amphibian, 36 reptile, 41 bird and nine mammal species were recorded in the project area. There are one reptile, four bird and three mammal species of conservation significance 1 that have the potential to occur in the project area. These species are the Pilbara Olive Python, Night Parrot, Peregrine Falcon, Fork-tailed Swift, Rainbow Bee-eater, Northern Quoll, Mulgara and Pilbara Orange Leaf-nosed Bat. Of these species, the Rainbow Bee-eater was recorded in the project area. There are one reptile, four bird and five mammal species of conservation significance 2 that have the potential to occur in the project area. These species are the blind snake Ramphotyphlops ganei, Grey Falcon, Australian Bustard, Bush Stone-Curlew, Long-tailed Dunnart, Ghost Bat, Lakeland Downs Mouse and Western Pebble-mound Mouse. Of these species the Australian Bustard and Western Pebble-mound Mouse were recorded in the project area. The following recommendations are made on how to preserve some of the fauna values of the project area. • Protect creek-lines and their riparian vegetation, where possible. The denser vegetation surrounding creeks, and the presence of large eucalypts with hollows, provide important habitat for fauna. Creek-lines may also play a linkage role, allowing fauna to move through the landscape. • Protect rocky areas such as gorges along Phil’s Creek, where possible. These areas provide shelter for a range of vertebrate species, and may potentially shelter the Northern Western Wildlife i Phil’s Creek Fauna Survey 2008 Quoll. Further targeted trapping in winter may confirm the presence of the Northern Quoll in the area. • Restrict vehicles to existing tracks where possible. Driving over Spinifex causes damage to fauna habitats. and Western Pebble-mound Mouse mounds are difficult to detect while driving. • Avoid damage to active Pebble-mound Mouse mounds, where possible. When mounds are in locations that are close to tracks or other infrastructure, they should be flagged to avoid disturbance. • Restrict driving speeds in the project area. Low speed-limits and restrictions on driving at night will help to avoid fauna road mortalities. • Include fauna information in mine-site inductions. Include information on reporting conservation significant species (such as the Pilbara Olive Python) and avoiding road mortalities. • Carry out appropriate re-vegetation after mining activities in an area have finished. Western Wildlife ii Phil’s Creek Fauna Survey 2008 Table of Contents Executive summary i Introduction 1 Methods 1 Personnel 1 Site description and selection 1 Trapping for amphibians, reptiles and small mammals 2 Spot-lighting and head-torching 8 Bat surveys 8 Bird Surveys 9 Opportunistic records 9 Sources of information 9 Assessment of conservation significance 10 Results and Discussion 11 Amphibians 11 Reptiles 11 Reptiles of conservation significance 13 Birds 14 Birds of conservation significance 14 Mammals 15 Mammals of conservation significance 16 Freshwater Fish 18 Summary and Recommendations 18 References 32 List of Plates Plate 1. Site 1. 4 Plate 2. Site 2. 5 Plate 3. Site 3. 5 Plate 4. Site 4. 6 Plate 5. Site 5. 6 Plate 6. Site 6. 7 Plate 7. Site 7. 7 List of Tables Table 1. Location and description of each trapping site. 2 Table 2. Number of trap-nights of each trap type. 8 Table 3. Databases used in the preparation of the fauna lists in Tables 4 – 8. 9 Table 4. Amphibians that have the potential to occur in the project area. 20 Table 5. Reptiles that have the potential to occur in the project area. 21 Table 6. Birds that have the potential to occur in the project area. 23 Table 7. Mammals that have the potential to occur in the project area. 26 Table 8. Freshwater fish that have the potential to occur in the project area. 27 Table 9. Captures of reptiles in trapping sites, 2008. 28 Table 10. Results of spotlighting and head-torching. 29 Table 11. Birds recorded during surveys at each trapping site. 30 Table 12. Captures of small mammals in trapping sites, 2008. 30 Table 13. Summary of conservation significant fauna. 31 Western Wildlife iii Phil’s Creek Fauna Survey 2008 List of Figures Figure 1. Aerial photograph showing locations of all trapping sites. 3 Figure 2. Layout of each pitfall trap, with funnel trap and drift-fence. 8 List of Appendices Appendix 1. Categories used in the assessment of conservation status. 34 Appendix 2. Species listed for the area 22.5ºS to 23.167ºS and 118.65ºE to 119.6ºE on the EPBC Protected Matters Search Tool, excluding marine species. 35 Appendix 3. Species listed for the area 22.5ºS to 23.167 ºS and 118.65ºE to 119.6ºE on the DEC Threatened and Priority Fauna Database. 36 Appendix 4. Captures of reptiles and mammals in trapping grids. 37 Appendix 5. Bird survey data. 42 Appendix 6. Opportunistic records. 44 Appendix 7. Locations of Western Pebble-mound Mouse mounds in the project area. 45 Appendix 8. Analysis of bat recordings. 46 Western Wildlife iv Phil’s Creek Fauna Survey 2008 Introduction URS Australia Pty Ltd requested a fauna survey of the Phil’s Creek Project Area, on behalf of Iron Ore Holdings Ltd. The Phil’s Creek project area is a small (about 4km 2) area about 90 km to the northwest of Newman in the Eastern Pilbara, Western Australia. The fauna survey involved a field study to inventory, so far as possible, the fauna and fauna habitats present in the project area. To supplement the information gathered during the survey, a desktop review of fauna information for the area was also carried out. The aims of the fauna survey and literature review were to: • Identify the fauna habitats available in the project area. • List the vertebrate fauna that have the potential to occur in the project area. • Identify species of conservation significance, or habitats of particular importance for fauna, that may occur in the project area. • Provide recommendations on protecting the fauna values of the project area. This report details the findings of the fauna survey and the literature review. Methods The survey conducted was a Level 2 survey (fauna survey) according to the EPA Position Statement No.3 (Environmental Protection Authority 2002) and Guidance Statement 56 (Environmental Protection Authority 2004). This was the level of assessment commissioned by the client. Personnel The personnel involved in the fauna survey were as follows: • Ms Jenny Wilcox (BSc.Biol./Env.Sci., Hons.Biol.) Ms Wilcox has eight years experience with fauna survey work and has worked across several sites in the Pilbara, including Woodie Woodie, Mining Area C and the Fortescue Metals Group Rail corridor. She has also worked at sites throughout Western Australia, including in the Kimberley, Mid-West, Goldfields, Wheatbelt, South-West and metropolitan areas. • Mr Richard King (BSc.Env.Biol.) Mr King has four years experience with fauna survey work and has worked across several sites in the Pilbara, including Woodie Woodie. He has also worked at sites throughout Western Australia, including in the Kimberley, Mid-West, Goldfields, Wheatbelt, South-West and metropolitan areas. • Mr Ian Harris (BSc.Biol., Hons.Zool.) • Dr Sean Doody (BSc.Zool., MSc. Biol., PhD.Apl.Sci.) • Mr Shane McAdam • Mr Dave Algaba The first four people listed above were present for the duration of the fauna survey. The remaining two were present for the first five days while the trapping sites were being installed. This report was prepared by Ms Jenny Wilcox. Site description and selection The Phil’s Creek Project Area is located about 90 km northwest of Newman, in the East Pilbara region of Western Australia. There are four main fauna habitats present in the project area, as described below. • Major and minor creek-lines The major creek-line (Phil’s Creek) was characterised by Eucalyptus camaldulensis over shrubs and grasses on sandy soils. Western Wildlife 1 Phil’s Creek Fauna Survey 2008 • Shrubs over grasslands on flats The flat areas around the creek-lines were characterised by a scrub of Acacia spp. over Spinifex and grasses on clay-loam. • Spinifex grassland on hills and slopes Most of the project area consists of low undulating hills, characterised by Spinifex grasslands with Acacia spp.