Prince Wind FarmBird and Bat Monitoring

Prince Wind FarmBird and Bat Monitoring

David Stephenson Lisa Keable

March 3, 2009 Timmins, Ontario

OverviewOverview

• Who we are• Prince study area• Monitoring

program• Monitoring results• Recommendations• Questions

Natural Resource Solutions Inc.– 30 full-time terrestrial, wetland and

aquatic biologists– Head Office – Waterloo, ON– Local Office – Sault Ste. Marie, ON– Senior staff over 20 years experience– >60 wind power projects across Canada

Who We AreWho We Are

Prince Study AreaPrince Study Area

Pre-Construction Monitoring ProgramPre-Construction Monitoring Program

• Vegetation inventories & mapping• Wildlife surveys, herpetofauna, birds,

mammals• Fisheries surveys• Study area changed with the layout

Post-ConstructionMonitoring ProgramPost-ConstructionMonitoring Program

Phase I (southwestern half) operational in early September 2006Phase II (northeastern half) operational November 2006

Fall 2006:-Phase I post construction/operation year 1-Phase II during construction

Spring 2007-Phase I and II post construction/operation year 1

Fall 2007-Phase I post construction/operation year 2-Phase II post construction/operation year 1

Spring 2008-Phase I and II post construction/operation year 2

Fall 2008-Phase II post construction/operation year 2

Post-ConstructionMonitoring ProgramPost-ConstructionMonitoring Program

Birds– Spring and fall bird behaviour monitoring

• Migration and soaring• Changes in number of birds in the area (utilization rates)• Changes in composition of bird community• Changes in behaviour (flight height & direction)

– All birds versus loons, waterfowl & raptors– Breeding bird monitoring

• 100 vs 250m from edge

– Helicopter waterfowl surveys– Mortality monitoring

Monitoring ProgramMonitoring Program

Bats– Spring and fall migration and summer

swarming periods– Radar monitoring– Acoustic surveys– Mortality monitoring

Bird MonitoringBird Monitoring

During Construction Results– Some changes observed at Phase II:

• landbird avoidance• increased soaring birds & heights

Bird MonitoringBird Monitoring

Post-Construction Results– No evidence of change in:

• Utilization rates • Bird populations or behaviour• Species composition or abundance• Flight direction or height (some avoidance observed)• Extent of edge effects

Mortality MonitoringMortality Monitoring

0.0

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February March April May July August September October November December Overall

Month

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Birds 2007

Bats 2007

Birds 2006

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Car

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Birds - FebruaryBirds - MarchBirds - AprilBirds - MayBirds - SeptemberBirds - OctoberBats - JulyBats - AugustBats - SeptemberBats - October

Searcher Efficiency & Scavenger Removal Trials

Mortality MonitoringMortality Monitoring

Month Bird Mortalities Adjusted Bird Mortalities

  Phase I Phase II Total Phase I Phase II Total

April 1 1 2 1.41 1.41 2.82

May 4 2 6 6.24 3.12 9.36

June 1 0 1 2 0 2

July 1-8 0 0 0 0 0 0

July 9-31 5 0 5 6.90 0 6.95

August 6 9 15 9.36 14.04 23.4

September 5 3 8 7.6 4.2 11.8

October 5 2 7 8.24 3.12 9.02

Total 27 17 44 41.8 25.89 67.69

Avg/turbine*Apr – July 8

.30 .16 0.23 0.48 0.25 0.37

Avg/turbine*Jul 9 – Oct 31

.32 .23 0.28 0.48 0.36 0.42

OverallAverage

.31 0.19 0.25 0.48 0.30 0.39

Avg/turbine** Fall 2006

1.25 2.02

Mortality MonitoringMortality Monitoring

Month Bat Mortalities Adjusted Bat Mortalities

  Phase I Phase II Total Phase I Phase II Total

April 0 0 0 0 0 0

May 6 6 12 9.36 9.36 18.72

June 4 5 9 8 10 18

July 1-8 4 0 4 8 0 8

July 9-31 64 20 84 93.42 28.22 121.64

August 30 24 54 46.8 38.32 85.12

September 18 9 27 26.48 12.96 39.44

October 1 1 2 1.17 1.17 2.34

Total 127 65 192 193.23 100.03 293.26

Avg/turbine*Apr – July 8

.70 .61 0.66 1.27 1.08 1.18

Avg/turbine*Jul 9 – Oct 31

1.71 0.9 1.31 2.54 1.34 1.94

Overall Average

1.21 0.76 0.99 1.91 1.21 1.54

Avg/turbine** Fall 2006

1.55 1.91

Mortality MonitoringMortality Monitoring

Bats Birds

Phase I Phase I

2007 2008 2007 2008

April 0 1 April 3 1

May 18 3 May 12 9

June 12 23 June 3 8

July 68 71 July 5 3

August 30 45 August 6 7

Total 98 98 Total 23 21

Phase II Phase II

April 0 0 April 3 1

May 18 0 May 6 7

June 15 13 June 0 3

July 20 33 July 0 2

August 24 33 August 9 3

Total 77 79 Total 18 16

Overall Results – Post Construction MonitoringOverall Results – Post Construction Monitoring

The results of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 bird and bat mortality monitoring at the Prince Wind project, were not higher than the averages presented in many current studies. In fact the Prince results are substantially lower (less than one-tenth) than the examples provided of other wind facilities in forested ridge landscapes

No evidence to suggest that the operation of the Prince Wind Power Project is causing a significant decline in bird utilization rates

Flight height monitoring showed evidence of avoidance during construction and limited evidence that some species fly higher during operation

QuestionsQuestions

Thank you

for inviting us to speak today