Redington Wind Farm Redington Pond Range, Maine Section 7: Wildlife and Fisheries Prepared by Woodlot Alternatives, Inc. Topsham, Maine Redington Wind Farm Page i Section 7 – Wildlife and Fisheries Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction............................................................................................................. 1 2.0 Ecological Setting of Project area........................................................................... 3 3.0 Natural Communities and Wetlands ....................................................................... 5 3.1 Methods................................................................................................................ 5 3.2 Natural Community Descriptions ........................................................................ 7 3.2.1 Terrestrial Communities ................................................................................ 8 3.2.2 Beech-Birch-Maple Forest............................................................................. 9 3.2.3 Spruce-Northern Hardwood Forest.............................................................. 10 3.2.4 Spruce-Fir-Mountain Sorrel-Feathermoss Forest ........................................ 11 3.2.5 Fir-Heartleaved Birch Subalpine Forest ...................................................... 11 3.2.6 Regenerating Forest Stands.......................................................................... 14 3.2.7 Wetlands and Streams.................................................................................. 16 4.0 Fish and Fisheries ................................................................................................. 20 4.1 Methods.............................................................................................................. 20 4.1.1 Habitat Assessment and Agency Consultation ............................................ 20 4.1.2 Field Surveys............................................................................................... 20 4.2 Fish Community Characterization ..................................................................... 20 4.3 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................ 22 5.0 Reptiles and Amphibians ...................................................................................... 23 5.1 General Community Description ....................................................................... 23 5.2 Methods.............................................................................................................. 24 5.2.1 Species-Habitat Association........................................................................ 24 5.2.2 Incidental Observations ............................................................................... 25 5.3 Results................................................................................................................ 25 5.4 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................ 26 6.0 Birds...................................................................................................................... 27 6.1 General Community Description ....................................................................... 27 6.1.1 Game Birds and Waterfowl ......................................................................... 28 6.1.2 Raptors and Owls......................................................................................... 28 6.1.3 Forest Birds and Songbirds.......................................................................... 28 6.1.4 Migratory Birds............................................................................................ 29 6.2 Methods.............................................................................................................. 30 6.2.1 Species – Habitat Matrix.............................................................................. 30 6.2.2 Incidental Observations ............................................................................... 30 6.2.3 Breeding Bird Surveys................................................................................. 31 6.2.4 Golden Eagle Surveys.................................................................................. 32 6.2.5 Hawk Migration Surveys ............................................................................. 33 Redington Wind Farm Page ii Section 7 – Wildlife and Fisheries 6.2.6 Nocturnal Songbird Migration Surveys....................................................... 34 6.2.6.1 1994 Ceilometer and Moonwatching Surveys....................................... 34 6.2.6.2 2002 Radar Surveys ............................................................................... 35 6.2.6.3 Acoustical Monitoring........................................................................... 39 6.3 Results................................................................................................................ 41 6.3.1 Species – Habitat Matrix.............................................................................. 41 6.3.2 Breeding Bird Survey Results...................................................................... 41 6.3.3 Hawk Migration Survey Results.................................................................. 43 6.3.4 Songbird Migration Survey Results............................................................. 46 6.3.4.1 Ceilometer and Moonwatching Surveys................................................ 46 6.3.4.2 Radar Surveys........................................................................................ 49 6.3.4.3 Acoustic Surveys................................................................................... 58 6.4 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................ 62 7.0 Mammals............................................................................................................... 64 7.1 General Community Description ....................................................................... 64 7.2 Methods.............................................................................................................. 67 7.2.1 Species-Habitat Matrix................................................................................ 67 7.2.2 Incidental Observations ............................................................................... 67 7.2.3 Small Mammal Trapping ............................................................................. 68 7.2.4 Deer and Moose Wintering Habitat Surveys ............................................... 68 7.2.5 Canada Lynx Snow Tracking Surveys......................................................... 69 7.3 Results................................................................................................................ 70 7.3.1 Species-Habitat Matrix................................................................................ 70 7.3.2 Deer and Moose Wintering Habitat ............................................................. 71 7.3.3 Canada Lynx Snow Tracking Surveys......................................................... 72 7.4 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................ 72 8.0 Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species.......................................................... 74 8.1 Reptiles and Amphibians ................................................................................... 74 8.1.1 Spring Salamander – Special Concern Species ........................................... 74 8.1.2 Northern Leopard Frog – Special Concern Species..................................... 75 8.2 Birds................................................................................................................... 75 8.2.1 Golden Eagle – Maine Endangered Species ................................................ 75 8.2.2 Cooper’s Hawk – Special Concern Species................................................. 76 8.2.3 Three-toed Woodpecker – Special Concern Species................................... 77 8.2.4 Olive-sided Flycatcher – Special Concern Species ..................................... 77 8.2.5 Bicknell’s Thrush – Special Concern Species ............................................. 77 8.3 Mammals............................................................................................................ 79 8.3.1 Long-tailed Shrew – Special Concern Species ............................................ 79 8.3.2 Yellow-nosed Vole – Special Concern Species........................................... 80 8.3.3 Northern Bog Lemming – Maine Threatened Species ................................ 80 8.3.4 Bats – Special Concern Species................................................................... 82 8.3.5 Canada Lynx – Federal Threatened Species, Maine Special Concern Species ......................................................................................................... 93 8.4 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................ 95 Redington Wind Farm Page iii Section 7 – Wildlife and Fisheries 9.0 Impact Assessment................................................................................................ 96 9.1 Roads.................................................................................................................. 97 9.2 Turbines ............................................................................................................