WEST Survey Reports

Appendix F -3

February 2011
Project No. 0092352

Environmental Resources Management Southwest, Inc.

206 East 9th Street, Suite 1700
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 459-4700
 Report on Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) Sampling at Ten
Sites on the Proposed Location of the Cape Vincent Wind Farm

Jefferson County, New York

June, 2008

Sampling by:
Sanders Environmental Inc.
0B

322 Borealis Way

Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823
Sanders@batgate.com
HU U

814-364-8776

Undertaken for:
WEST, Inc.
2003 Central Avenue
Cheyenne, Wyoming, 82001
&
Cape Vincent Wind Power
Cape Vincent, NY
 Table of Contents

Section 1.0: Executive Summary

Section 2.0: Methods
2.1: Site Selection
Section 3.0: Results
3.1: Capture Summary

List of Tables
1B

Table 3-1: Summer 2008 Bat Capture Summary

List of Appendices
2B

Appendix A: Mist Net Site Location Maps

Appendix B: Completed Field Datasheets
Appendix C: Select Site and Bat Photos
Section 1.0: Executive Summary
In June 2008, ten mist net sites were sampled on the proposed location of the
Cape Vincent Wind Farm, located near Cape Vincent NY, Jefferson county NY.
These sites were run in an effort to assess the distribution of the federally
endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and to provide subjects for radio
telemetry tracking.

At the ten mist net sites (Appendix A), one hundred and twenty bats of five
species were captured, including four Indiana bats. The total consists of 73 little
brown (Myotis lucifugus), 20 northern long-eared (Myotis septentrionalis), 22 big
brown (Eptesicus fuscus), and1 red (Lasiurus borealis) bats. Capture rates
averaged 12.0 bats per mist net site.

Indiana bats were captured at sites 1, 2, and 6. Sites one and two are located
near the north wester border of the project and site 6 is near the south eastern
project border.

No previously banded bats were captured at any of these sites.

Section 2.0: Methods

Bats were captured using mist nets; a minimum of two separate net sets were
run per site. Each site was run for two nights over a period of five hours starting
at dusk. Nets were checked for bats every fifteen minutes. Net set heights
ranged from single high (2.6M) to triple high (7.8M). The sampling techniques
followed USFWS sampling protocol as set by the Indiana bat recovery team in
the agency draft Indiana bat recovery plan.

Radio telemetry was performed on two adult female Indiana bats. Telemetry
data, roost tree data, and emergence count results are provided in separate
reports detailing those activities.

2.1: Mist Net Site Selection

Mist net sites were selected by Sanders Environmental, focusing on the wooded
habitat and ecotones associated with the larger forest areas. The sites were
selected based on suitability for netting, nearby habitat, distribution across the
project area in relation to disturbance, the overall topography/geography/habitat,
and its ability to funnel or direct bats to the netting locations. Sites were also
selected based on data obtained from the 2007 mist netting & telemetry studies.

Individual net sets were placed in three basic configurations: blocking trails,
roads, or flyways, over water, or jutting from the edge of a block of forest into an
open area. Many mist net sites allowed for the placement of individual net sets in
at least two of these basic configurations.

Trail and flyway net sets are placed to give optimum coverage in the selected
flyway. The ends of the nets are set back into the woods, making it difficult for
bats to fly around the nets. A net of appropriate height is used to reach as high
into the canopy as possible.

Net sets over water are set to catch bats either coming in for a drink, using a
stream as a flyway, or foraging over the water. Still pools are selected on
streams and nets are strategically placed against vegetation to prevent bats from
evading them. Nets over water are sometimes placed in V, N, or even W shapes
to obstruct bats’ access to the water.

Section 3.0 Results

Netting at ten sites resulted in an average of 12.0 bats being captured per mist
net site.

Four Indiana bats were captured at three different sites. Two of the sites were
located within the woodlot on the north west side of the project that containing
the maternity site identified during the 2007 telemetry survey. The other site was
located adjacent to a large swamp on the south eastern project border which also
contained roost trees occupied by radio tagged bats in both 2007 and 2008.

3.1: Capture summary

Capture results for the project are summarized in Table 3-1. It provides a
complete breakdown of captures by species and sex.

No previously banded bats were captured at any of these sites.

 Table 3-1: Bat Capture Summary
Little Brown Northern Long-eared Indiana Big Brown Red
Total for all species M. lucifugus M. septentrionalis M. Sodalis E. Fuscus L. borealis
Project Total
Total 120 73 20 4 22 1
Male/Female 39 78 3 26 47 0 5 14 1 1 3 0 7 13 2 0 1 0
Project Averages per Site
Total 12.0 7.3 2.0 0.4 2.2 0.1
Site 1
Total 11 9 0 2 0 0
Male/Female 0 11 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Site 2
Total 19 14 3 1 1 0
Male/Female 3 15 1 3 11 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Site 3
Total 8 8 0 0 0 0
Male/Female 2 6 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Site 4
Total 14 6 3 0 5 0
Male/Female 6 8 0 2 4 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0
Site 5
Total 2 2 0 0 0 0
Male/Female 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Site 6
Total 25 20 2 1 2 0
Male/Female 17 8 0 12 8 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
Site 7
Total 5 2 1 0 2 0
Male/Female 0 5 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0
Site 8
Total 9 6 3 0 0 0
Male/Female 2 7 0 2 4 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Site 9
Total 20 5 4 0 10 1
Male/Female 4 14 2 2 3 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 8 1 0 1 0
Site 10
Total 7 1 4 0 2 0
Male/Female 3 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0

Key
Total Total bats of species
Male/Female Males Females ?
Appendix A: Mist Net Site Location Map
Appendix B: Completed Field Datasheets