ML110400644
| ML110400644 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Bell Bend |
| Issue date: | 12/31/2010 |
| From: | Normandeau Associates |
| To: | AREVA NP, Office of New Reactors |
| Palmrose, D, NRO/DSER/RAP1, 415-3803 | |
| References | |
| BNP-2011-004 | |
| Download: ML110400644 (100) | |
Text
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Prepared for:
AREVA NP, Inc.
Marlborough, MA Prepared by:
Normandeau Associates, Inc.
Stowe, PA December 2010
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
...................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 4 Personnel ................................................................................................... 5 BBNPP SITE STUDY AREA................................................................................. 6 BIRDS................................................................................................................... 6 Methods ..................................................................................................... 7 Results and Discussion .............................................................................. 8 MAMMALS.......................................................................................................... 10 Methods ................................................................................................... 10 Results and Discussion ............................................................................ 12 REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS ........................................................................... 14 Methods ................................................................................................... 15 Results and Discussion ............................................................................ 16 IMPORTANT SPECIES ...................................................................................... 18 Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species ........................................... 18 Indiana bat..................................................................................... 19 Peregrine falcon ............................................................................ 19 Eastern spadefoot ......................................................................... 20 Allegheny woodrat ......................................................................... 20 Eastern small-footed myotis .......................................................... 21 Bald eagle ..................................................................................... 21 Osprey........................................................................................... 21 Redbelly turtle ............................................................................... 22 Northern myotis ............................................................................. 22 Timber rattlesnake......................................................................... 22 Eastern hognose snake................................................................. 23 Rare butterflies .............................................................................. 23 ii
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Commercially and Economically Important Species................................. 24 White-tailed deer ........................................................................... 24 Black bear ..................................................................................... 24 Wild turkey..................................................................................... 25 Ecologically Important Species ................................................................ 25 White-footed mouse, deer mouse, and meadow vole.................... 25 Scarlet tanager .............................................................................. 26 RARE, THREATENED, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES SURVEYS ................. 26 Indiana Bat Mist Net Survey..................................................................... 26 Introduction.................................................................................... 27 Methods......................................................................................... 27 Results and Discussion ................................................................. 29 Butterfly Survey for Species of Special Concern...................................... 32 LITERATURE CITED.......................................................................................... 34 TABLES .............................................................................................................. 38 FIGURES............................................................................................................ 72 APPENDICES..................................................................................................... 80 Appendix A - Survey of Amphibians and Reptiles at BBNPP Site............ 81 Appendix B - Report on BBNPP Site Indiana Bat Mist Net Survey .......... 97 Appendix C - Survey of Rare Butterflies at BBNPP Site ........................ 103 iii
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
Table 2. Seasonal and annual abundance and percent of field days each bird species was observed at the BBNPP site, October 2007 through June 2010 and May through June 2010.
Table 3. Important terrestrial species at the BBNPP site.
Table 4. Pennsylvania mammals observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after Pennsylvania Biological Survey, Mammal Technical Committee (PBS 2010).
Table 5. Mammal species observed, heard, or determined to be present from scats, tracks or other sign on the BBNPP site, October 2007 through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
Table 6. Pennsylvania reptiles and amphibians observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. Modified after Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission list of native, extant reptiles and amphibians (PFBC 2010).
Table 7. Occurrence of hosts plants for butterfly species of concern at the BBNPP site.
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Plant communities at the BBNPP site.
Figure 2. Vertebrate survey sectors and locations of mammal trap sites on the BBNPP site, May through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
Figure 3. Locations of observations for seven species of snakes on the BBNPP site, May through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
Figure 4. Locations of observations for five species of turtles on the BBNPP site, May through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
Figure 5. Locations of observations for eight species of frogs and toads on the BBNPP site, May through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
Figure 6. Locations of observations for seven species of salamanders at the BBNPP site, May through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
Figure 7. Locations of mist net sites used for the Indiana bat mist net survey at the BBNPP site, June and July 2008.
Figure 8. Locations of observations for two butterfly species of special concern, the long dash (Polites mystic) and the black dash (Euphyes conspicua), on the BBNPP site, June and July 2008.
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Record of Revisions Pages/Sections Revision Date Changed Brief Description 000 September 2008 All Initial Release 001 July 2010 Pages 2-3 Executive Summary- revised survey period and site name to reflect additional studies associated with Plot Plan Change.
001 July 2010 Pages 4-5 Introduction-Added paragraph describing the report revision associated with the Plot Plan Change, and revised description of survey area.
001 July 2010 Pages 5-6 Updated areas by land use categories to reflect the new properties that have been added and the revised site boundary.
001 July 2010 Pages 6-26 Updated numbers and descriptions of bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian studies to include 2010 results.
001 July 2010 Figures Moved location of BBNPP as part of the Plot Plan Change Project and changed boundary from OCA to BBNPP/SSES Site Boundary. Figure 1 was modified to provide a map of plant communities for the new areas as a result of the change. Study dates for 2010 and new location data were added to Figures 2 through 6.
001 July 2010 Tables Data was updated in Tables 1-2 and 4-6 to include 2010 study results. Titles of Tables 2 and 5 were modified to reflect dates of 2010 studies.
002 August 2010 Page 5 Text added in regard to scope of additional field surveys 002 August 2010 Pages 3 and 8 Number of bird species observed changed to 124.
002 August 2010 Page 12 Text change in regard to number of mammals observed from 30 to 17.
002 August 2010 Page 27 Text added in regard to ongoing coordination concerning Indiana bats.
002 August 2010 Page 47 Total number of bird species changed to 124.
003 November 2010 Figures Revised boundary from BBNPP/SSES Site Boundary to BBNPP Project Boundary which included addition of the cemetery cut-out.
003 November 2010 Page 6 Revised text to correspond with boundary name change.
004 December 2010 Figures 2-7 Revised sector label in northeast corner of site from W-11 to F-11.
004 December 2010 Appendices, Page 80 Added note for Appendix A regarding OCA boundary during 2008 field survey.
004 December 2010 Appendix A, Figures 1-5 Revised sector label for F-11, located between F-9 and F-10, to W-11.
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
A series of studies was conducted by Normandeau Associates to assemble a baseline inventory of terrestrial fauna at the Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant (BBNPP)/ Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (SSES) site (herein referred to as the BBNPP Site). Studies were initiated in July 2007 and continued through September 2008. A second series of studies was conducted during May and June 2010 to capture additional areas potentially impacted by the relocation of the BBNPP power block. These studies included surveys of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians to determine the presence or absence of important species as defined and required by NUREG-1555 (NRC 1999). Two additional surveys were conducted at the request of regulatory agencies: the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) requested a mist net survey to determine the presence of Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), a federally- and state-listed endangered species; and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) requested a butterfly survey to investigate the presence of five butterfly species of special concern.
Normandeaus studies resulted in the observation of 124 species of birds, 30 species of mammals, 12 species of reptiles, and 15 species of amphibians on the BBNPP site. No Indiana bats were captured during the mist net survey.
However, potential roosting and maternity den sites were observed in forested areas of the BBNPP site in the form of exfoliating bark of large, often dead, trees.
Two butterfly species identified by DCNR as of special concern were observed, long dash (Polites mystic) and black dash (Euphyes conspicua); however, long dash has since been removed from the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) tracked species due to a recent revision of state ranks.
Twenty-three species of terrestrial fauna have been identified as potentially important for the BBNPP site. Sixteen of those species fall in the category of rare, threatened, or endangered (Indiana bat, eastern small-footed myotis, 2
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania northern myotis, Allegheny woodrat, peregrine falcon, bald eagle, osprey, redbelly turtle, timber rattlesnake, eastern hognose snake, eastern spadefoot, northern pearly-eye, long dash, mulberry wing, Baltimore checkerspot, black dash); three species were classified as commercially or economically important (white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey); and four other species were classified as ecologically important (white-footed mouse, deer mouse, meadow vole, scarlet tanager). Of the 23 potentially important species, nine were mammals, five were birds, three were reptiles, one was an amphibian, and five were insects.
Of the 16 rare, threatened, or endangered species that potentially may occur at the BBNPP site, evidence of only four of those species were detected during the studies. They include northern myotis, peregrine falcon, black dash and long dash: Four northern myotis (Pennsylvania candidate rare) were captured during the Indiana bat mist net survey; one peregrine falcon (Pennsylvania endangered) was observed during the vertebrate fauna survey; and during the butterfly survey one long dash (no longer listed) was captured, two black dash were captured, and eight to ten more black dash (Pennsylvania species of special concern) were observed.
3 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania INTRODUCTION Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant (BBNPP) is proposed to be sited adjacent to the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (SSES) in Salem Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Figure 1). Normandeau Associates, Inc. was contracted by AREVA NP, Inc. to conduct a baseline inventory of terrestrial fauna at the proposed BBNPP site and to determine the presence or absence of important species as defined and required by NUREG-1555 (NRC 1999). NUREG-1555 defines important species as: 1) species listed or proposed for listing as threatened, endangered, candidate, or of concern in 50 CFR 17.ll and 50 CFR 17.12 (CFR, 2007), by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the State in which the project is located; 2) commercially or recreationally valuable species; 3) species essential to the maintenance and survival of rare or commercially or recreationally valuable species; 4) species critical to the structure and function of local terrestrial ecosystems; or 5) species that could serve as biological indicators of effects on local terrestrial ecosystems.
A review of relevant literature and a series of field studies to characterize the terrestrial fauna within and adjacent to potential areas of disturbance of the BBNPP site were initiated in July 2007 and continued through September 2008.
These studies included surveys of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and specific investigations to determine the presence or absence of (1) a federally-and state-listed endangered species, Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), and (2) five butterfly species of special concern. The purpose of this report is to present the results of these literature searches and terrestrial fauna studies conducted by Normandeau Associates.
To minimize encroachment on wetlands, PPL Bell Bend LLC and Unistar Nuclear Energy determined that the BBNPP power block needed to be relocated approximately 1,000 feet (305 meters) to the north of its previous location. This alteration required expansion of the site to include several new parcels of 4
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania property, alteration of the limit of disturbance, and relocation of certain other plant features. Consequently, reconnaissance level field studies of the new parcels were performed during May and June 2010 to supplement the ecological survey data previously obtained and reported in the prior revision of this report. The additional field studies were conducted to supplement the previous studies and document any new species present on the new parcels adjacent to the previous study area. The reconnaissance level surveys during the spring season were deemed appropriate for the size of the additional parcels since the habitats observed in the new survey areas were similar to those observed during the original surveys, with no special or unique terrestrial habitats indentified. This revision includes the new data as well as previously reported information.
Personnel This terrestrial fauna report for the BBNPP site is the product of efforts from a well-trained, experienced team of terrestrial ecologists and field biologists. Avian and mammalian field work was accomplished by fish and wildlife biologists Jayme Schaeffer, Charles Dix, Enn Kotkas, and Rebecca Smith. Senior Wetland Scientist, Keith Maurice, provided data and analysis of habitat and vegetation.
Entomologist Daniel Bogar conducted a survey for butterfly species of special concern. Herpetologist Dr. Rudolf Arndt conducted a survey of reptiles and amphibians. Bat Specialist Dr. Karen Campbell conducted an Indiana bat mist net survey with assistance from Jayme Schaeffer. Shelly Sherman provided GIS/graphics support for figures. Melonie Ettinger, Brenda Strouse, and Connie Booz provided secretarial and computer support for tables and text. Principal Scientist Dr. Gary Alt wrote the report, and Project Manager, Robert Blye, coordinated the efforts of the entire terrestrial fauna studies team. Paul Harmon was Normandeaus Principal-In-Charge and overall Project Manager for all Bell Bend Environmental Studies.
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania BBNPP SITE STUDY AREA The BBNPP site is located in Salem Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, adjacent to Susquehanna Steam Electric Station along the Susquehanna River in an area consisting primarily of open deciduous woodlands interspersed with previously cultivated fields. Land use/plant community categories within the BBNPP Project Boundary consist of a total of approximately 1,991 acres: 730 acres (295 hectares) of forest (36.7%), 561 acres (227 hectares) of agriculture or old field/former agriculture (28.2%), 369 acres (149 hectares) developed (18.6%),
165 acres (67 hectares) of wetlands (8.3%), 106 acres (43 hectares) of upland scrub/shrub (5.3%), and 59 acres (24 hectares) of water (3.0%). A map showing the location of plant communities at the BBNPP site is provided in Figure 1.
BIRDS There is a rich history of research studies from which to glean an inventory of avifauna for the general area of the proposed BBNPP site. Environmental studies between 1977 and 1994 (Ecology III 1995), within 5 miles (8 km) of the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, adjacent to the proposed location for the BBNPP site, reported 245 species of birds (Table 1). Gross (2004) reported 247 bird species (126 breeding bird species) as having been observed on the Pennsylvania Important Bird Area #50, of which the BBNPP site is a part. One hundred and sixteen different species of breeding birds were identified for areas close to the BBNPP site in both the first (1984-1989) and second (2004-2008)
Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas (CMNH 2010). Bird species likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site are presented in Table 1, based on results of the above-mentioned studies.
Though a wealth of historic bird observation data exists for the general area, historically, the purpose of this study was to intensively search the BBNPP site for current use of birds, and other terrestrial fauna, to establish a baseline 6
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania inventory, and to determine the presence or absence of species which meet importance criteria as defined by NUREG-1555 (NRC 1999).
Methods A vertebrate fauna survey was used to develop inventories of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians that use potential areas of disturbance and adjacent lands at the proposed BBNPP site. A vertebrate fauna survey area was established and divided into 40 survey sectors (Figure 2). Each sector was determined by habitat type (forest, field, orchard, etc.) and topographical features (roads, transmission lines, stone walls, etc.).
Two-day sampling periods were scheduled biweekly for most of the 1-year duration survey which ran from mid-October 2007 through mid-September 2008.
The schedule established which sectors would be sampled on which days in such a way that all sectors were sampled after every 4 days in the field.
Sampling was reduced or curtailed when new species observations were no longer observed, for example, from mid-December until early-February, after fall migration and before spring migration.
During May and June 2010 surveys were conducted on the new properties added to the site using methodologies identical as described above with the exception that each of the survey sectors was sampled daily, instead of every 4 days, which provided a total of 6 days of observations in each survey sector for the new study. Efforts were focused to coincide with the peak of spring migration for birds.
During each sampling event, each selected sector was walked through thoroughly for approximately an hour. Observations were recorded for all bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species. This included whether they were heard, observed directly, or if sign of their presence, such as tracks or scats, 7
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania were observed. Binoculars were used for most direct observations to facilitate specific identification on vertebrates. All avian species observed within the study area were recorded, including those that flew over the area or were heard in the area.
Results and Discussion One hundred and twenty-four different bird species were observed during 47 field-days of terrestrial fauna observations between October 16, 2007 and June 3, 2010 at the proposed BBNPP site (Table 1). Eighty-four of those species were identified as likely breeding, and 39 species were identified as migrants or winter residents (observed only outside of normal breeding dates or not in appropriate habitat (Table 1).
Though our efforts were restricted only to the BBNPP site and to only 47 field-days of data collection, results in many respects were comparable to earlier, long-term, broader geographic area studies (Table 1) and typical of other rural landscapes in northeastern Pennsylvania. As expected, forest interior birds such as scarlet tanager, red-eyed vireo, ovenbird, and wood thrush were found mostly in larger blocks of forest; while field sparrow, killdeer, and eastern bluebird were found in or near fields.
Table 2 provides statistics on seasonal and annual relative abundance of bird species observed during our study. In terms of annual relative abundance, or the total number of individuals observed throughout the study, the top ten species were as follows: (1) Canada goose, 1,635; (2) European starling, 1,309; (3)
American robin, 811; (4) American crow, 609; (5) blue jay, 589; (6) song sparrow, 520; (7) gray catbird, 446; (8) mourning dove, 417, (9) tufted titmouse, 378; and (10) red-winged blackbird, 347. Of these species, only American crow remained in the top 10 for abundance in all four seasons. American robin was in the top four in all seasons but winter. Blue jay was in the top five for all seasons 8
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania but summer. Gray catbird was the most abundant species observed in summer, the 12th most abundant in spring, 22nd most abundant in fall, and was completely absent during winter, undoubtedly due to its southward migration.
Table 2 also provides statistics on seasonal and annual frequency of occurrence (percent of field-days observed) of bird species observed during our study. Blue jay was the only species observed on each of the 47 field days. American crow was observed on 98% (46/47) of the field days; American robin, northern cardinal, and tufted titmouse were observed on 96% (45/47) of the field-days; mourning dove and song sparrow on 89% (42/47) of the field-days; and black-capped chickadee and northern flicker were observed on 85% (40/47) of the field-days.
None of the nearly 250 bird species reported from all studies at or near the BBNPP site, including the present study, are listed on the federal threatened or endangered list; however, 10 species are listed on the state threatened or endangered list. They include bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), short-eared owl (Asio flammeus), upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), least bittern (Ixobrychus exillis), great egret (Casmerodius alba),
black tern (Chlidonias niger), and sedge wren (Cistothorus platensis). Of these 10 state-listed threatened or endangered species that could occur in the site vicinity, six are migrants with no history of local nesting and one, American bittern, is a migrant that may have historically nested in the area, although no breeding activity has been documented recently (Ecology III 1995).
Based on correspondence with regulatory agencies, historical and current study results presented above, five bird species have been identified as potentially important at the BBNPP site (Table 3) according to criteria defined in NUREG-1555 (NRC 1999). Three bird species qualify as rare (bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and osprey), one species as commercially or recreationally valuable (wild turkey), and one species because of its ecological importance as a biological 9
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania indicator of effects on local terrestrial ecosystems (scarlet tanager). Discussion of these important bird species will be presented, along with other important fauna species, in the Important Species section below.
MAMMALS According to the Pennsylvania Biological Survey, 64 species of native and introduced mammals currently reside in Pennsylvania (PBS 2010) (Table 4).
Virtually all of them could occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site, based on range maps (Merritt 1987), with the possible exception of eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius), thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus), and least shrew (Cryptotis parva).
Methods Two primary methods were used to develop an inventory of mammals that occupy the proposed BBNPP site: (1) direct observations from the vertebrate fauna survey and (2) mammal trapping. Detailed methods for direct observations provided by the vertebrate fauna survey are presented in the birds Methods section above. Since mammals are difficult to observe directly, we also had to rely heavily on tracks, scat, and other indicators for detection of their presence.
Mammal trapping methods followed recommended guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists to keep captive animals alive, uninjured, well-provisioned, and in comfortable microclimatic conditions while awaiting subsequent processing and release (ASM 2008). Sherman live traps were used for capturing small mammals (mice, voles, shrews) and Tomahawk traps (4 sizes) were used for capturing medium-sized mammals such as raccoons, opossums, groundhogs, and cottontails.
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A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Small mammal trap lines consisted of a linear arrangement of 10 Sherman traps, set approximately 60-75 feet (18-23 meters) apart. The medium-sized Tomahawk mammal traps were placed individually and opportunistically to take advantage of animal travel corridors and habitat conditions. GPS coordinates were recorded for each trap location. In addition, trap locations were marked with uniquely-labeled flagging (letters and sequential numbers) to identify trap location and type, and to ensure that all traps were located and checked each day. An effort was made to set traps in each of the major habitat types (upland forest, upland scrub/shrub, old fields, etc.) on the BBNPP site to attain a representative sample of mammals. A map showing the location of where mammal traps were set on the BBNPP site is provided in Figure 2. Small mammal traps were baited with a mixture of peanut butter and oats (Quaker Old-Fashioned). Tomahawk traps, for medium-sized mammals, were baited with pieces of apples and carrots, or wet cat food (Nine Lives Ocean Whitefish and Tuna) and sardines.
Trapping occurred during eight periods between May 13, 2008 and September 10, 2008 and two periods between May 18, 2010 and June 3, 2010. Trapping periods typically consisted of 3 days each, where traps were set the evening of the first day and removed on the morning of the third day. During days of trapping, traps were set between 3:30 and 6:30 pm, remained set all night, then checked and closed between 6:00 and 10:00 am. Traps were closed from morning until late afternoon and were set in shaded areas whenever possible to avoid capturing animals during the middle of the day when overheating could be lethal.
For the 2010 mammal trapping survey the same methods as mentioned above were used. The only difference in the study for 2010 was the number of traps used and the time frame in which trapping occurred. For the small mammal traps 6 lines of 10 traps were set for a total of 5 nights between May 18 and June 3, 2010. There were seven new vertebrate survey sectors added in 2010 of which 11 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania six were sampled and one was not. The unsampled area was almost entirely comprised of open water in the Susquehanna Riverlands area and had very little space to effectively trap.
Small mammals were removed from Sherman traps and placed in holding containers until all traps were checked, then processed and taken back close to their capture sites and released. Medium-sized mammals were processed at the trap site, as soon as the trap was checked, and released at the trap site immediately after processing. Processing included removal of the animal from the trap, species identification, determination of sex, and then release. Some individuals were also weighed and photographed for later reference.
Results and Discussion Seventeen mammal species were detected on the BBNPP site during 48 days of terrestrial vertebrate surveys between October 16, 2007 and June 3, 2010 (Table 4). Nearly two-thirds of all the mammalian detections involved only four species:
white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were detected on 90% (43/48) of the field-days, eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) on 88% (42/48) of the field-days, eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) on 65% (31/48), and eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) on 48% (23/48) of the field-days (Table 5).
Insufficient data were available to say much about seasonality differences other than eastern chipmunk was observed on virtually all visits except the period between October 23, 2007 and February 27, 2008, when they were likely to be less active above ground (Table 5).
Sixteen different mammalian species were captured as a result of 1,789 trap-nights between May 13 and September 10, 2008, and between May 18 and June 3, 2010. White-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) were, by far, the most common mammals captured.
Of the 332 mammalian captures, 260 (78%) were Peromyscus spp., either 12 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania white-footed mice or deer mice. Other captures, by species, were as follows:
14 northern short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda), 11 meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), 10 southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans), 10 Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), 7 eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus), 5 eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus), 5 raccoons (Procyon lotor), 4 meadow jumping mice (Zapus hudsonius), 1 house mouse (Mus musculus), 1 masked shrew,1 long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), 1 mink (Mustela vison), 1 striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), and 1 groundhog (Marmota monax). The capture effort did produce eight additional mammalian species that were not detected during the terrestrial vertebrate survey.
The combined effort of the terrestrial vertebrate survey and the trapping study identified a total of 30 mammalian species on the BBNPP site. None of these 30 species are considered rare, threatened or endangered. However; at the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a special mist-net study was conducted at the BBNPP site to check for the presence of Indiana bats (federally- and state-listed as endangered) and which is known to occupy hibernacula within 5 miles (8 km) of the BBNPP site. Indiana bat was not detected during the mist-netting study. A detailed description of the bat study and its results are presented later in this report under the title Indiana Bat Mist Net Survey in the Important Species section, and Dr. Campbells original report is available in its entirety in Appendix B.
Nine mammalian species have been identified as potentially important at the BBNPP site (Table 3) according to criteria defined in NUREG-1555 (NRC 1999).
Four species qualify as rare (federally- or state-listed as threatened or endangered): Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), eastern small-footed myotis (Myotis leibii), Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister), and northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis). Two species meet the criteria of being commercially or recreationally valuable: white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and black bear (Ursus americanus). Three additional species are important to the structure 13 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania and function of the local terrestrial ecosystem: white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), and meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus). A discussion of these important mammalian species is provided in the Important Species section below.
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS Seventy-four species of native, extant reptiles and amphibians currently occur in Pennsylvania according to a publication of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC 2010). Thirteen (18%) of those species are classified as state endangered, threatened, or candidate and an additional 29 (39%) are classified as species of special concern (PFBC 2010) (Table 6). Based on available range maps (POHA 2010) only one endangered species, eastern spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii); one threatened species, redbelly turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris); and one candidate species, timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) may possibly occur at the BBNPP site (Table 6). Using similar criteria, 15 of Pennsylvanias 29 species of special concern have ranges that may include the BBNPP site (Table 6). They include northern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix), eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos), smooth green snake (Liochlorophis vernalis), eastern ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus), eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata), wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta), map turtle (Graptemys geographica), northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens), northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans crepitans), Fowlers toad (Bufo fowleri), eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis), Jefferson salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum), marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum), and four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum).
The only reptile or amphibian listed in correspondence from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC 2008), the regulatory agency responsible for the states reptiles and amphibians regarding Species Impact Review (SIR) for 14 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania rare, candidate, threatened, and endangered species at the BBNPP site, was eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platyrhinos).
Methods In an effort to determine presence or absence, relative abundance, and distributions of amphibian and reptilian species at the BBNPP site, especially those potentially important species listed above, herpetologist Dr. Rudolf Arndt surveyed the area for 213 hours0.00247 days <br />0.0592 hours <br />3.521825e-4 weeks <br />8.10465e-5 months <br /> during 28 field-days between May 21, 2008 and September 7, 2008. Observations were determined largely using five techniques: (1) random opportunistic sampling, (2) cover boards, (3) traps, (4) dip nets, and (5) road searches.
Random opportunistic sampling involved walking throughout the BBNPP site searching for specimens basking, foraging, or hiding under shelter such as logs, old boards, rocks, and dead grass, or by breaking open rotten stumps and logs.
Thirty-four cover boards were placed throughout the area on June 4 and 5 and left there throughout the study, in a variety of habitats. This was done to enhance the possibility of locating reptiles and amphibians known to seek shelter on land from weather conditions and predators, or to seek food. The cover boards were pieces of scrap wood, primarily 1/2-inch to 1-inch-thick plywood, ranging in size from 18 inches by 20 inches (2.5 ft2, 0.3 m2) to 4 feet by 8 feet (32 ft2, 3.0 m2). The area under cover boards was examined for reptile and amphibian specimens about once every two field-days.
Modified Faby traps were placed in runways or rivulets to capture reptiles and amphibians in marshy and aquatic habitats. No bait was used in the traps as they were placed in runways and activated when animals attempted to pass through them. Traps were set so the top was always above water to allow captured animals the opportunity to breathe. Traps were constructed of wire 15 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania mesh with dimensions of 12 inches long, 5 inches wide, and 4 inches high with a swinging trap door attached at the top on either end which can only be pushed in by a moving animal but cannot be pushed out. Trapping was done in 2-4 day periods. For animal safety, traps were set at the beginning of each period, checked on the beginning and end of each day, then removed at the end of each trapping period to prevent accidental captures or losses during non-trapping periods.
A dipnet (15 by 16-inch oval; 1/8-inch mesh) was used to capture aquatic amphibians in ponds and streams.
Another method used to inventory reptiles and amphibians was to search roads for live or dead specimens. Many species are attracted to roads to thermoregulate, especially during evening, night, or during a rain, when roads are dissipating heat after a sunny day, or move across roads while foraging.
In addition, observations of reptiles and amphibians were included from the terrestrial vertebrate survey which included 48 field-days between October 16, 2007 and September 10, 2008 and May 6 and June 3, 2010. A more detailed description of the terrestrial vertebrate survey methods is presented in the Bird Methods section above.
Each individual observation, by species, was plotted on a map of the BBNPP site to determine geographical distributions for each species. Four maps were generated to present results, by species for: (1) snakes, (2) turtles, (3) frogs and toads, and (4) salamanders.
Results and Discussion Twenty-seven species of reptiles and amphibians were detected, either observed or heard, during the study on the BBNPP site. This included 12 species of 16 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania reptiles (seven snakes and five turtles) and 15 species of amphibians (eight frogs and toads, and seven salamanders) (Table 6). Locations where observations were made for seven species of snakes are provided in Figure 3; for five species of turtles are provided in Figure 4; for eight species of frogs and toads are provided in Figure 5; and for seven species of salamanders are provided in Figure 6.
During the second vertebrate survey, May 6 through June 3, 2010, on the new areas for the BBNPP site only three species of reptiles and four species of amphibians were observed. The three reptile species observed during the survey were; eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), painted turtle (Clemmys picta), and northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon). The four amphibians recorded during the second survey were; Eastern American toad (Bufo americanus americanus), Bullfrog (Rana catesbeina), Gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor), and the red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens).
All of these species have range distributions that are widespread throughout the northeastern United States, including large portions of Pennsylvania. None has highly specialized habitat requirements, although those with the most specialized habitats, longtail salamander and northern red salamander, require cool, clean, unpolluted waters, and common map turtle is restricted to large rivers. For a detailed account of specific species observations, see herpetologist Dr. Rudolf Arndts report, Reptile and Amphibian Survey at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, May through September 2008 provided in its entirety in Appendix A.
Additional species of reptiles and amphibians are expected to occur on the BBNPP site that were not observed during this study. They include smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis), northern red-bellied snake (Storeria o.
occipitomaculata), and black rat snake (Elaphe o. obsolete). Suitable habitat for all of these species appears to be present on the property; this area is well within 17 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania their range distribution and they are usually common species. None of these species, however, are federally- or state-listed as threatened or endangered, nor are they even species of special concern in Pennsylvania.
Four important rare species of reptiles and amphibians that were not observed at the proposed BBNPP site, but for which there is evidence that their ranges may cover the area of interest, include the eastern spadefoot, redbelly turtle, timber rattlesnake, and eastern hognose snake. Further discussion of these species is provided in the Important Species section below.
IMPORTANT SPECIES Twenty-three species of terrestrial fauna have been identified as potentially important as defined by NUREG-1555 (NRC 1999) for the BBNPP site. Sixteen of those species fall in the category of rare, threatened, or endangered; three species were classified as commercially or economically important; and four other species were classified as ecologically important.
Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species Sixteen rare, threatened or endangered species have been identified as potentially occurring on the BBNPP site (Table 3). They include four mammals (Indiana bat, eastern small-footed myotis, northern myotis, Allegheny woodrat),
three birds (peregrine falcon, bald eagle, osprey), three reptiles (redbelly turtle, timber rattlesnake, eastern hognose snake), one amphibian (eastern spadefoot),
and five butterflies (northern pearly-eye, long dash, mulberry wing, Baltimore checkerspot, black dash).
Indiana bat is federally- and state-listed as endangered, the only federally-listed species that may occur on the BBNPP site. Peregrine falcon and eastern spadefoot are also state-listed as endangered. Five species are listed as state-18 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania threatened: Allegheny woodrat, eastern small-footed myotis, bald eagle, osprey, and red-bellied turtle; two as Pennsylvania candidate rare: northern myotis and the timber rattlesnake; and six are listed as species of special concern: eastern hognose snake, northern pearly-eye, long dash, mulberry wing, Baltimore checkerspot, and black dash (Table 3). A brief discussion of each of the 16 rare, threatened, or endangered species that may occur at the BBNPP site is presented below.
Indiana bat Indiana bat, which is federally- and state-listed as endangered, is known to occupy hibernacula in Luzerne County, within 5 miles (8 km) of the BBNPP site (PPL 2006). To document presence or absence of this endangered species, a mist-net capture survey and habitat evaluation by a qualified bat biologist was requested by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was conducted during June and July 2008 by Dr. Karen Campbell. Mist net site locations for this survey are provided in Figure 7. Results of this survey are presented below in a section entitled Indiana Bat Mist Net Survey and Dr. Campbells original report, in its entirety, is attached in Appendix B.
During non-hibernating periods (April through mid-November), Indiana bat typically favors sites under exfoliating bark of large, often dead, trees as roosting sites and maternity dens. Though Indiana bat is not known to occur on the BBNPP site, there is suitable forested habitat [loose bark of shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), wild black cherry (Prunus serotina) and red maple (Acer rubrum) and dead snags > 5 inches (13 cm) diameter at breast height (dbh)] that may be used by Indiana bat during non-hibernating periods.
Peregrine falcon Peregrine falcon is listed as endangered in Pennsylvania. In the vicinity of BBNPP site, its status was listed as a rare but regular migrant just over a 19 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania decade ago (Ecology III 1995). However, in 2007, for the first time in about 47 years, a pair nested and raised young at a cliff site along the Susquehanna River (Brauning 2007), less than 2 miles from the proposed BBNPP site. In 2008, the pair successfully raised young at the same location again. Jayme Schaeffer and Gary Alt, of Normandeau Associates, observed a pair of peregrine falcons just east of the Susquehanna River southeast of the BBNPP site on May 5 and 7, 2010. Though a pair was known to be nesting nearby, only one observation of a peregrine falcon was made at the BBNPP site during the 47 field-days of the terrestrial vertebrate survey. It is likely that most peregrine falcon activity was concentrated in locations closer to the river than most of the BBNPP site.
Eastern spadefoot Eastern spadefoot is currently listed as endangered in Pennsylvania. Though it was not observed during our studies at the BBNPP site, and though the range maps of Conant and Collins (1998), and Hulse et al. (2001) do not appear to include the BBNPP site, it was recorded in Luzerne County (the county where the BBNPP site is located) during the original Pennsylvania Herpetological Atlas work between 1997 and 2002 (POHA 2010). It is possible, but unlikely, that eastern spadefoot toad occurs on the BBNPP site.
Allegheny woodrat Allegheny woodrat is classified as threatened in Pennsylvania with very specific habitat requirements that severely limit its distribution. This mammalian species is almost always found in caves, cliff faces, in boulder piles or talus slopes along mountain tops (Merritt 1987; PGC 2008a). The closest active site where Allegheny woodrat is known to occur is in Carbon County, which borders Luzerne County to the east. However, no observations of this species were made during this study, or previous studies on or near the BBNPP site, and no suitable habitat has been identified.
20 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Eastern small-footed myotis Eastern small-footed myotis is listed as threatened in Pennsylvania and has been documented in hibernacula within 5 miles (8 km) of the BBNPP site. It is known to hibernate in caves and mine shafts. They have rarely been encountered during non-hibernating periods, so very little is known about habitat requirements or food habits of this rare bat (PGC 2008b). Because there are no caves or mine shafts on the BBNPP site, and no observations of this species were made during the bat mist-netting survey on the area, we have no evidence that eastern small-footed myotis would be significantly impacted by this project.
Bald eagle Bald eagle is currently listed as threatened for Pennsylvania and was delisted from the Federal Endangered Species List on June 28, 2007 (PGC 2008c). Bald eagle sightings in the project area are increasingly common (Ecology III 1995) and nest sites are known to exist within 10 miles (16 km) of the BBNPP site.
However, there are no known nests on the BBNPP site and no observations of bald eagles were made during the terrestrial fauna surveys.
Osprey Osprey is listed as threatened in Pennsylvania, is a regular and relatively common migrant along the Susquehanna River area near the BBNPP site, and is known to nest within 10 miles (16 km) of the site (Ecology III 1995; PGC 2008d).
Jayme Schaeffer and Gary Alt, biologists from Normandeau Associates, observed an osprey at Lake Took-A-While, Susquehanna Riverlands, just east of the BBNPP site on May 5 and 7, 2010. However, there are no known nests on the BBNPP site and no observations of osprey were made during the terrestrial fauna surveys.
21 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Redbelly turtle Redbelly turtle is currently listed as threatened in Pennsylvania and, like eastern spadefoot, range maps of Conant and Collins (1998) and Hulse et al. (2001) do not include any part of Luzerne County (actually range maps for this species indicate it to be at least 50 miles away), yet it too was recorded (photographed) in Luzerne County during the original Pennsylvania herpetological Atlas work between 1997 and 2002 (POHA 2010). Though this turtle is large and exhibits conspicuous basking behavior that should make it relatively noticeable, we found no evidence in our studies at the BBNPP site that the redbelly turtle resides there.
Northern myotis The current status of northern myotis, also known as long-eared bat, in Pennsylvania is candidate rare. It is known to occupy hibernacula in Luzerne County near the BBNPP site. Four adult male northern myotis were captured during the bat mist-net survey (discussed in more detail below, in the Indiana Bat Mist Net Survey section). However, the capture of only adult males and no females or young, provides evidence for the existence of roost sites in the area surveyed, but not maternity colonies of females and young. Accordingly, the loss of potential roost trees on the BBNPP site may have a negative impact on at least the male segment of the local northern myotis population.
Timber rattlesnake Timber rattlesnake is listed as a candidate species of special concern in Pennsylvania and is known to occur in Luzerne County (POHA 2010). However, we found no suitable habitat, such as rock ledges, rock and boulder slides, or relatively wild forested habitat (Hulse et al. 2001), for this species on site.
Further, the long agricultural and other human-occupation history of the site is usually incompatible with survival of venomous snakes such as timber 22 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania rattlesnake. We found no evidence that timber rattlesnake resides at the BBNPP site.
Eastern hognose snake Eastern hognose snake is a species of special concern in Pennsylvania, is known to occur in Luzerne County, and was the only species of reptile or amphibian listed in correspondence from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC 2008) regarding Species Impact Review for rare, candidate, threatened, and endangered species at the BBNPP site. No evidence of eastern hognose snake was found during our studies at the site. Usually, population density of this species in habitat like that which occurs on this site, if the species indeed occurs, is low. More optimal habitat for it would be areas with more sand and with a higher population of toads, which it feeds on almost exclusively (Hulse et al. 2001). Because of the spectacular anti-predator behavior display of this species, with spreading neck hood, hissing, and mouth-gaping, its presence in an area is usually known by local people, but that did not appear to be the case at this site. Because of the evidence above, we believe this species is either absent or uncommon.
Rare Butterflies Four butterfly species of special concern, thought to occupy areas near the BBNPP site, were brought to our attention in correspondence with the Pennsylvania DCNR (DCNR 2008). They were northern pearly-eye, long dash, mulberry wing, and Baltimore checkerspot. To determine presence or absence of these butterfly species of special concern on the BBNPP site, at the request of DCNR, a butterfly survey was conducted by an experienced entomologist (Daniel Bogar) during June and July 2008. No northern pearly-eye, mulberry wing, or Baltimore checkerspot butterflies were located during the butterfly survey; however, one long dash butterfly was collected.
23 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania In an email correspondence from entomologist Daniel Bogar, dated July 24, 2008, he indicated that two of the four original butterfly species of concern (northern pearly-eye and long dash) were no longer PNDI-tracked species due to a recent revision of the state ranks, but one new species for Luzerne County (black dash) had been added. He collected a pair of black dash and observed at least 8 to 10 more at the BBNPP site during his survey on July 18, 2008.
Locations of black dash and long dash observations on the BBNPP site are provided in Figure 8. Occurrence of butterfly species of special concern host plants at the BBNPP site is provided in Table 8.
Commercially and Economically Important Species White-tailed deer White-tailed deer is, by far, the most important wild animal economically or recreationally in Pennsylvania. There are more deer hunters (just under a million) in Pennsylvania than any other state and the percentage of all hunters who hunt deer is higher (>90%) in Pennsylvania than for any other state (USFWS 2004). Deer hunting is a very popular activity in Luzerne County and most areas near the BBNPP site. The white-tailed deer is ubiquitous and abundant throughout the BBNPP site. White-tailed deer was one of the most often detected mammals, identified on 90% of the field-days during the terrestrial vertebrate surveys.
Black bear Black bear was also identified as a commercially or recreationally important mammal. It is one of the premier big game animals in Pennsylvania and provides a great deal of high-quality recreation for hunters. About 125,000 hunters purchase specific licenses to hunt bears in Pennsylvania each year 24 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (PGC 2006). The black bear also can be an indicator of ecosystem health, a symbol of wilderness, and have major economic impacts. The black bear was known to occur in the vicinity of the proposed BBNPP site and both tracks and scat of bears were detected during our terrestrial faunal surveys of the property.
In addition, some of the workers at the BBNPP site reported seeing bears in the area on several occasions during spring and summer of 2008, and Keith Maurice and Rob Blye, of Normandeau Associates, observed a bear on the BBNPP site during late May 2010.
Wild turkey Wild turkey is one of the most important birds in Pennsylvania both commercially and recreationally. Currently in Pennsylvania greater than 225,000 hunters, more than any other state, are taking in excess of 40,000 turkeys in fall hunting seasons (PGC 2008e) and it is a very popular activity in Luzerne County and around the vicinity of the proposed BBNPP site.
During the vertebrate fauna survey, 122 wild turkeys were seen: 35 in winter, 64 in spring, 12 in summer and 11 in fall. Wild turkeys were observed on 34%
(16/47) of all days in the field: 43% (3/7) in winter; 38% (6/16) in spring; 14%
(2/14) in summer; and 50% (5/10) in fall.
Ecologically Important Species White-footed Mouse, deer mouse, and meadow vole White-footed mouse, deer mouse, and meadow vole are considered ecologically important mammals to the BBNPP site because of their ubiquitous distribution and abundance. They form an essential link in the complex food web. They represent the major herbivore component bridging the gap between plants (producers) and carnivorous animals (consumers) (Merritt 1987). Two Peromyscus species (white-footed mouse and deer mouse) represented over 25 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania three-quarters (78%) of all mammalian captures during the trapping survey. We included meadow vole here even though we only captured 11 in our trapping effort, because they are known to be abundant throughout Pennsylvania, are a major prey species, and are very cyclic in abundance (Merritt 1987). We suspect that they were under-represented in our trapping effort, perhaps due to being at the low end of their abundance cycle. Abundance and wide distribution of these small mammals likely play an important role in reproductive success and survival of many predators in the local terrestrial ecosystem including foxes, raccoons, skunks, weasels, hawks, owls, and snakes (Merritt 1987).
Scarlet tanager Scarlet tanager is included as an important species because it can serve as a biological indicator of effects attributable to forest clearing and fragmentation.
Given the relatively high frequency of observance at the BBNPP site (it was observed on 57 of summer field days during the terrestrial vertebrate survey) and its forest interior habitat preference, scarlet tanager is appropriate as an indicator species for forest interior habitat.
RARE, THREATENED, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES SURVEYS Two surveys were conducted specifically for rare, threatened, or endangered species on the BBNPP site. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requested an Indiana Bat Mist Net Survey be conducted to determine the presence of this federally- and state-listed threatened species. Also, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources requested a rare butterfly survey to check for species of special concern. The methods, results, and discussion of both of these requested surveys are presented below.
Indiana Bat Mist Net Survey 26 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Introduction Information was requested of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on December 21, 2007 concerning the presence of species of special concern under their jurisdiction, known to occur within 0.5-mile radius of the BBNPP project area. USFWS responded on April 21, 2008 (USFWS 2008a) that Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), a federally-listed endangered species, was known to occupy hibernacula near the project site and they made comments pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 regarding protection of endangered and threatened species. They requested an Indiana bat mist net survey be conducted between May 15 and August 15 by a qualified, Service-approved biologist using the USFWS Indiana Bat Mist Netting Guidelines and that survey results be submitted to the USFWS for review and concurrence. Additionally, they requested the area be surveyed for potential hibernacula (cave and/or mine openings) and recommended that any tree-cutting activities be carried out from November 16 to March 31, while bats are hibernating. If it is necessary to cut trees between April 1 and November 15, they recommended not cutting or physically disturbing trees (live or dead) with a diameter at breast height (dbh) greater than or equal to 5 inches with exfoliating or defoliating bark, cracks, crevices, or holes that could be used by Indiana bats as a potential roost.
As of August 2010, coordination is ongoing with both the USFWS and PGC to address concerns over Indiana bats that may occur on the BBNPP site. An additional field survey on the BBNPP site to document the presence of maternal roost trees suitable for Indiana bats is anticipated.
Methods Dr. Karen Campbell, a USFWS-approved biologist, assisted by Normandeau field biologist Jayme Schaeffer, conducted an Indiana Bat Mist Net Survey at the proposed BBNPP site between June 7 and July 11, 2008, following USFWS 27 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania guidelines. The survey of 32 net-nights effort overall consisted of four mist nets set on each of eight sampling nights. The four mist nets consisted of three three-tier net-panels and one two-tier net panels. Each tier is 10 feet (3 meters) high, therefore, three-tier mist nets were 30 feet (9 meters) high and two-tier mist nets were 20 feet (6 meters) high. The width of both three-tier and two-tier mist nets were made up of a combination of net panels either 20 feet (6 meters) or 30 feet (9 meters) wide to span the sample area.
Sampling was concentrated at two main areas along the most prominent potential bat travel corridors on the property: (1) along a forest road in survey sector W-7 and (2) along the edge of the Beaver Pond, near the W-8/W-9 survey sector boundary, as shown on the map in Figure 8. The forest road area was sampled for five nights with four nets each night, and the Beaver Pond area was sampled for three nights with four nets each night. Survey dates and mist net locations operated each night are supplied in Dr. Campbells report in Appendix B.
An effort was made to place nets following potential travel corridors along the road in W-7 and along the edge of the Beaver Pond (W-8/W-9), although bat activity was monitored acoustically at a number of other sites to gain a sense of overall activity. Many areas on the property are open and unsuitable for mist-netting (e.g., F-3, F-4, O-1, F-5, F-8, and F-6 in Figure 8), but acoustic monitoring also detected low levels of bat activity in these areas.
Dense vegetation in other areas (e.g., W-7, W-8, and W-9 in Figure 7) restricted the ability to set mist nets, but it is expected that bat flight activity would also be low in these congested locations. There are no permanent or seasonal waterways in this part of the property, which made it difficult to predict potential foraging sites. There is a small pond (Farm Pond) adjacent to the trailer in F-3 and a larger pond (Johnsons Pond) in F-6 (Figure 7), and although there is bat activity over these ponds, it is not possible to capture bats in mist nets in such open locations. Acoustic monitoring of bat activity was conducted at net sites, 28 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania ponds, and along transects across the property to provide information on bat activity and to guide the placement of mist nets to areas more likely to result in bat captures. Each of the captured bats was tagged with a numbered aluminum wrist-band for future identification.
Bat activity was monitored acoustically using hand-held AnaBat ultrasonic detectors (Titley Electronics). These instruments have a detection frequency range of 10-200 kHz, and sufficient sensitivity to monitor bat echolocation calls flying along the netting corridors as well as above the tree canopy. Acoustic monitoring occurred at 20-minute intervals at each of the mist net sites throughout each sampling night. Additionally, bat activity was monitored at the beginning and end of each sampling night along transects perpendicular to the ridge away from each mist net site. The activity at the ponds was monitored separately, to gain a better appreciation for overall bat activity on the property.
Results and Discussion Sixteen bats were captured in mist nets during eight sampling nights, involving 32 net-nights effort, between June 7 and July 11, 2008. Three different bat species were captured: 8 little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), 4 big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), and 4 northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis). In terms of sex, age and reproductive status of the 8 little brown bats, 5 were adult females (4 lactating and 1 pregnant) and 3 were adult males; of the 4 big brown bats, 3 were females (2 lactating and 1 juvenile) and 1 was a juvenile male; and all 4 of the long-eared bats were adult males. Specific details showing date of capture and net locations are provided in the original Report on Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Indiana Bat Mist Net Survey in Appendix B.
Capture data reflects the generally low level of bat activity detected during acoustic monitoring in the areas sampled, which was fairly uniform at each of the net sites as well as along transects through the surrounding area. Bat activity 29 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania was uniformly low along the road in vertebrate survey sector W-7 (Figure 7),
starting at less than one bat pass per minute (<60/hour) at dusk as the nets were set, and dropping off through the survey period each night to less than 0.1 bat passes per minute (4-5/hour) after midnight. Generally, activity was a bit higher by the beaver pond, starting at four or five bat passes per minute at dusk, dropping to one or two passes per minute around midnight and falling off afterwards to less than one pass per minute. Temperatures were typically hot and humid at dusk throughout the survey period (daytime averages over 85 F, 29 C), and remained elevated throughout the sampling each night, except for July 10, 2008 when the temperature at midnight had dropped to 54 F (12 C). There were no captures that night.
Most of the activity was recorded from bats flying below canopy level, lower than the three-tier (30-foot or 9-meter high) mist nets, so the acoustic monitoring represents a reasonable estimate of bat activity along the corridors sampled that resulted in the captures reported. The echolocation signals detected were consistent with big brown as well as the Myotis species captured, but it is not possible to reliably distinguish between all Myotis species using acoustic methods. There was no indication of higher-flying species like red bat (Lasiurus borealis) or hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), which can readily be discriminated by their echolocation signatures.
The capture of reproductively active (pregnant and lactating) females and juvenile bats suggests that this area supports maternity roosts of some bat species during the summer months. Although big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) preferentially roost in human structures such as barns and attics, particularly when forming maternity colonies (Barbour and Davis 1969), these bats can also form maternity roosts in tree cavities (Brigham 1991; Fenton and Barclay 1980).
30 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania The capture of only adult male long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis), which are tree-roosting species (Barbour and Davis 1969), provides additional evidence for the existence of roost sites in the area surveyed, but not maternity colonies of females and young. While little brown bats tend to forage along the edges of wooded areas, northern long-eared bats are known to forage in more cluttered forested areas, below the canopy but above the understory shrub layer (LaVal et al. 1977). Both little brown bat and big brown bat have been shown to forage preferentially in riparian areas (Kurta 1982), as have endangered Indiana bat (Murray and Kurta 2004). The absence of significant bodies of water on this property, and the low level of bat activity detected over the ponds present on the property, suggests that even resident bats might seek other areas over which to forage.
The primary objective of this survey was to determine the extent of Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) activity in this area, with particular attention to summer habitat for roosting and reproduction. Despite suitable habitat for both roosting and foraging, the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) was not captured during this survey.
While we might expect capture rates of Indiana bat to be low, as other studies (e.g., Callahan et al. 1997; Kurta et al. 1996) have shown that the bats roost singly or in small groups in hollow trees or underneath loose bark during the summer, there was potential for capture of Indiana bat moving through the habitat if these bats were present in any reasonable number, as would be expected of resident bats.
The members of a maternity colony of Indiana bat typically roost in 10 to 20 trees each summer (Callahan et al. 1997; Kurta et al. 1996). Although some colonies restrict roosting to an area of only a few acres, other Indiana bat use trees that are up to 5 miles (8 km) apart (Kurta et al. 1996). Radio-tracking studies of Indiana bat (Murray and Kurta 2004) show that these bats do not fly over open fields but travel along wooded corridors, even though such behavior may increase commuting distance by over 50 percent. Given this variability, it is 31 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania difficult to predict the movements of bats within any one colony, but the failure to capture any Indiana bat, despite suitable roosting and foraging areas, does not provide evidence for their presence on the site.
Based upon the failure to capture any Indiana bat, the clearing of trees proposed for the development of the Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant project appears unlikely to have a significant direct impact on the roosting or foraging activity of Indiana bat in this area. It seems likely that some of the larger blocks of forested habitat surrounding the site may provide more adequate roosting and foraging habitat for tree-roosting species, including Indiana bat. The presence of trees of the appropriate size and species in which bats might roost does not preclude the potential for roost colonies of several species of bats (see Barbour and Davis 1969). This would include big brown, little brown and northern long-eared bats captured in this study, as well as Indiana bat, despite the absence of Indiana bat captures. Development of this property should proceed with this potential in mind, by conserving candidate roost trees whenever possible and, if tree removal is necessary, limit habitat disturbance to periods outside their breeding and active season, between November 16 and March 31, when most bats, including Indiana bat, are hibernating in caves or mines.
Butterfly Survey for Species of Special Concern Information concerning the presence of species of special concern within a 0.5-mile radius of the project area was requested via correspondence submitted on December 21, 2007 to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), which has jurisdiction over rare plants, natural communities, terrestrial invertebrates, and certain geological features in Pennsylvania. DCNR replied that there were no known occurrences of plants or geological features of state concern within the project area. However, the agency listed four butterfly species of concern known to occur within the project vicinity including northern pearly-eye (Enodia anthedon), Baltimore checkerspot 32 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Euphydryas phaeton), mulberry wing (Poanes massasoit), and long dash (Polites mystic).
The project area provides potentially suitable habitat for the four butterfly species listed above based on habitat descriptions furnished by DCNR and information researched by Normandeau Associates concerning life histories and breeding/foraging preferences of these species (Table 7). DCNR requested in a response letter that attempts be made to minimize impacts to potential habitat for these butterflies within the project area (DCNR 2008).
To determine presence or absence of the four butterfly species of concern on the BBNPP site, an entomologist familiar with these species, Daniel Bogar, conducted surveys lasting 6 hours6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> on June 12, 2008 and 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> on July 18, 2008. Weather on both days was excellent for insect activity with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit (29-34 C),
between the hours of 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM. Appropriate habitat for adult butterflies near food plants and nectar sources was searched. A pair of 8X binoculars and a net to collect voucher specimens was used when appropriate.
In terms of survey results, no northern pearly-eye, mulberry wing, or Baltimore checkerspot butterflies were located during either of the surveys. However, one worn female long dash butterfly was collected in a transmission line right-of-way (Figure 8). Based on the condition of this specimen, the first brood of this species was almost over and more individuals might have been located if the search had been conducted 1 or 2 weeks earlier. For more details on these butterfly surveys, the report is available in its entirety in Appendix C.
In an email correspondence from entomologist Daniel Bogar, dated July 24, 2008, he indicated that two of the four original butterfly species of concern (northern pearly-eye and long dash) are no longer PNDI-tracked species due to a recent revision of the state ranks. Accordingly, no evidence of the remaining two 33 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania species of concern was located on the BBNPP site. However, he indicated that a new species, black dash (Euphyes conspicua) was added to the list of butterfly species of special concern for Luzerne County and, as indicated in his report, he collected a pair and observed at least 8-10 more black dash butterflies at the BBNPP site (Figure 8) on July 18, 2008.
LITERATURE CITED ASM. 2008. Guidelines for the Capture, handling, and care of mammals as approved by The American Society of Mammalogists. Prepared by the Animal Care and Use Committee. Website:
http://www.mammalsociety.org/committees/commanimalcareuse/98alucgu idelines.pdf, Date accessed: August 20, 2008.
Barbour, R.W. and W.H. Davis. 1969. Bats of America. The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington. 286 pp.
Brauning, D. 1992. Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania. Scarlet Tanager, Pg 360. Univ. of Pittsburgh Press.
Brauning, D. 2007. The Year of the Peregrine. PSO Pileated. Newsletter of the Pennsylvania Society of Ornithology. Vol. 18, Number 2. June 2007.
Brigham, R.M. 1991. Flexibility in foraging and roosting behaviour by the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). Can. J. Zool. 69:117-121.
Callahan, E.V., R.D. Drobney and R.L. Clawson. 1997. Selection of summer roosting sites by Indiana bats (Myotis sodalist) in Missouri. J. Mammal.
78:818-825.
CFR. 2007. Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 17, Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, 2007.
CMNH. 2010. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas 2004-2008. Website:
http://www.carnegiemnh.org/atlas/home.htm, Date accessed: July 25, 2010.
Conant and Collins. 1998. Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians. Eastern/Central North America. Third Edition.
Houghton Mifflin Company. 616pp.
34 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania DCNR. 2008. Letter from Rebecca H. Bowen (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, to George Wrobel (CEG GNA Engineering), Re: Environmental Review of Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Berwick, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Dated: March 24, 2008.
Ecology III. 1995. Environmental Studies in the Vicinity of the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station: 1994 Annual Report. Prepared by Ecology III, Inc.,
Berwick, Pennsylvania, for PPL Susquehanna, LLC. June.
Fenton, M.B. and R.M.R. Barclay. 1980. Myotis lucifugus. Mammal. Sepcies 142:1-8.
Gross, D. 2004. Pennsylvania Important Bird Area #50, Susquehanna Riverlands Phase I Conservation Plan. Pennsylvania Audubon, 9pp.
Hulse, A.C., C. J. McCoy and E. J. Censky. 2001. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. Cornell University Press. 419 pp.
Kurta, A. 1982. Flight patterns of Eptesicus fuscus and Myotis lucifugus over a stream. J. Mammal. 63(2): 335-337 Kurta A., K.J. Williams and R. Mies. 1996. Ecological, behavioral, and thermal observations of a peripheral population of Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis).
Pp. 102-117 in Bats and forests. (R.M.R. Barclay and R.M. Brigham, eds.). Research Branch, Ministry of Forests, Province of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
LaVal, R.K., R.L. Clawson, M.L. LaVal and W. Caire. 1977. Foraging behavior and nocturnal activity patterns of Missouri bats, with emphasis on the endangered species Myotis grisescens and Myotis sodalis. J. Mammal.
58(4):592-599.
Merritt. 1987. Guide to the Mammals of Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. 90-3. 1987.
Murray, S.W. and A. Kurta. 2004. Nocturnal activity of the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). Journal of Zoology 262:197-206.
NRC. 1999. Standard Review Plans for Environmental Reviews for Nuclear Power Plants, NUREG-1555, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, October 1999.
PBS. 2008. Pennsylvania Biological Survey, Mammals: Review of status in Pennsylvania, Website: http://www.altoona.psu.edu/pabs/, Date accessed: July 25, 2010.
35 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania PFBC. 2008. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Letter from Christopher A. Urban to Rod Krich (Unistar Nuclear), Re: threatened and endangered reptiles and amphibians concerning the Bell Bend Nuclear Power Site, Berwick, Luzerne County, PA. Letter dated April 14, 2008.
PFBC. 2010. 2007 List of Native Species for Purposes of 58 Pa. Code Chapter
- 79. Available at http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol36/36-51/2532.html Accessed July 25, 2010.
PGC. 2006. Management and Biology of Black Bears in Pennsylvania: Ten Year Plan (2006-2015). Available at www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/lib/pgc/blackbear/pdf/bear_plan_2006.pdf Accessed April 7, 2008.
PGC. 2008a. Pennsylvania Game Commission, Threatened Species: Alegheny Woodrat, Website:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=486&q=152547, Date Accessed: April 5, 2008.
PGC. 2008b. Pennsylvania Game Commission, Threatened Species: Small-footed Myotis, Website:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=486&q=152582 , Date Accessed: September 8, 2008.
PGC. 2008c. Pennsylvania Game Commission, Threatened Species: Bald Eagle, Website:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=486&q=152498&pp=12&
n=1, Date accessed: April 9, 2008.
PGC. 2008d. Pennsylvania Game Commission, Threatened Species: Osprey, Website:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=486&q=152561&pp=12&
n=1, Date Accessed: April 10, 2008.
PGC. 2008e. Wildlife Notes: Wild Turkeys and Pennsylvania Turkey Hunting.
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=458&q=150678&pp=12&
n=1 Accessed April 11, 2008.
POHA. 2010. Pennsylvania Online Herpetological Atlas: Species Distribution Maps. http://webspace.ship.edu/tjmare/maps.htm. Accessed on July 25, 2010.
PPL. 2006. Applicants Environmental Report SSES Operating License Renewal Stage, September 2006.
36 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania PSO. 2010. Pennsylvania Society of Ornithology. Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee, Official List of the Birds of Pennsylvania, Website:
http://www.pabirds.org/PORC/POR_Official_List.htm, Date accessed:
July 26, 2010.
USFWS. 2004. Deer Hunting in the United States-An Analysis of Hunter Demographics. Addendum to the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Report 2001-6. Available at: http://library.fws.gov./nat_survey2001_deerhunting.dpf Accessed on April 6, 2008.
USFWS. 2008. Letter from David Densmore (United States Fish and Wildlife Service) to Rod Krich (Unistar Nuclear), Re: USFWS Project #2008-518, Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Species for the Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Berwick, Luzerne County, PA dated January 18, 2008.
37 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
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Safe Dates 1 ECO ECO III IBA 2nd Common Name Scientific Name Status NAI IBA BBA III (breeding) (breeding) BBA Begin End Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Regular O 9
Brant Branta bernicla Regular 9
Canada Goose Branta canadensis Regular X 9 9 X X 5/1 7/31 Mute Swan Cygnus olor Regular 5/1 8/31 Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus Regular 9
Wood Duck Aix sponsa Regular X 9 9 X X 5/1 7/31 Gadwall Anas strepera Regular 9 6/1 7/31 American Wigeon Anas americana Regular O 9 6/1 7/31 American Black Duck Anas rubripes Regular O 9 9 X 5/1 7/31 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Regular X 9 9 X X 5/1 7/31 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Northern Pintail Anas acuta Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Regular 9 O 9 6/1 7/31 Canvasback Aythya valisineria Regular Redhead Aythya americana Regular 9 6/1 8/15 Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Regular O 9 6/1 8/15 Greater Scaup Aythya marila Regular 9
Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Regular 9
White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca Regular 9
Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillala Regular 9
Black Scoter Melanitta nigra Regular 9
Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis Regular 9
Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Regular 9
Common Merganser Mergus merganser Regular 9 9 X X 6/1 8/15 Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Regular 9 6/1 8/15 38 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
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Safe Dates 1 ECO ECO III IBA 2nd Common Name Scientific Name Status NAI IBA BBA III (breeding) (breeding) BBA Begin End Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis 9 6/1 8/15 Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Regular X 9 9 X PO 4/15 7/31 Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 4/1 7/31 Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo Regular 9 X 9 9 X X 4/15 7/31 Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Regular 9 9 4/15 7/31 Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata Regular 9
Common Loon Gavia immmer Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus Regular 9
Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena 9
Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Regular O 9 PR 6/1 7/31 American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Regular O 9 PO 6/1 7/15 Great Egret Ardea albua Regular 9 9 6/1 6/30 Snowy Egret Egretta thula Regular 9 6/1 6/30 Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Regular 9
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Regular 9 6/1 6/30 Green Heron Butorides virescens Regular X 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/15 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Regular 6/1 6/30 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Regular 9 6/1 6/30 Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Regular X 9 PO 5/1 7/31 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Regular X 9 9 PO PO 5/1 7/31 Osprey Pandion haliaetus Regular 9 9 O 6/1 7/31 Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippiensis Casual 9
Haliaeetus Bald Eagle leucocephalus Regular 9 9 PO 5/1 7/15 39 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
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Safe Dates 1 ECO ECO III IBA 2nd Common Name Scientific Name Status NAI IBA BBA III (breeding) (breeding) BBA Begin End Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Regular O 9 6/1 7/31 Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus Regular 9 O 9 9 PR PO 6/1 7/31 Coopers Hawk Accipiter cooperii Regular 9 O 9 9 PR PO 6/1 7/31 Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Regular 9 5/1 7/31 Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Regular X 9 9 PO 5/1 8/15 Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus Regular 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/31 Swainsons Hawk Buteo swainsoni Accidental 9
Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 5/1 7/15 Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus Regular 9
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Regular 9
American Kestrel Falco sparverius Regular X 9 9 X PO 5/15 7/31 Merlin Falco columbarius Regular 9
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Regular 9 O 9 9 X 5/15 7/31 Virginia Rail Rallus limicola Regular 9 9 X PO 5/15 8/15 Sora Porzana carolina Regular 9 9 X 5/15 7/31 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Regular 9 PR 5/15 8/31 American Coot Fulica americana Regular 9 9 6/1 7/31 Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Regular 9
Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus Regular 9
Killdeer Charadrirrs vociferus Regular X 9 9 X PO 5/1 7/15 Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Regular 9
Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Regular 9
Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria Regular 9
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia Regular 9 9 X PO 6/1 6/30 Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla Regular 9
Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Regular 9
White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis Regular 9
40 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
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Safe Dates 1 ECO ECO III IBA 2nd Common Name Scientific Name Status NAI IBA BBA III (breeding) (breeding) BBA Begin End Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melantus Regular 9
Dunlin Calidris alpina Regular 9
Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Regular 9
Wilsons Snipe Gallinago delicata Regular 9 9 5/15 7/15 American Woodcock Scolopax minor Regular X 9 9 PR 4/1 7/15 Wilsons Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Regular 9
Laughing Gull Larus atricilla Regular 9
Bonapartes Gull Larus philadelphia Regular 9
Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Regular O 9 PO 5/15 7/31 Herring Gull Larus argentatus Regular 9 5/15 7/31 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus Regular Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinas Regular 9
Common Tern Sterna hirundo Regular 9 6/5 6/30 Black Tern Chlidonias niger Regular 9 9 6/1 7/15 Rock Pigeon Columba livia Regular X 9 9 X PO 1/1 12/31 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Casual 5/1 7/15 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Regular X 9 9 X X 5/1 7/15 Coccyzus Black-billed Cuckoo erythropthalmus Regular 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/5 7/31 Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/5 7/31 Barn Owl Tyto alba Regular 9 9 X 5/1 8/15 Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio Regular 9 9 9 X PO 4/15 8/15 Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus Regular 9 O 9 9 X PO 12/20 7/31 Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus Regular Barred Owl Strix varia Regular 9 9 PO 1/15 7/31 Long-eared Owl Asio otus Regular 9 5/1 8/15 Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Regular 9 5/1 8/15 41 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
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Safe Dates 1 ECO ECO III IBA 2nd Common Name Scientific Name Status NAI IBA BBA III (breeding) (breeding) BBA Begin End Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus Regular 9 5/1 8/15 Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Regular 9 9 9 6/5 7/31 Whip-poor-will Caprimulgus vociferus Regular 9 9 6/1 7/31 Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica Regular X 9 9 PR PO 5/25 7/31 Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris Regular 9 9 O 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/15 Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon Regular O 9 9 X PO 4/15 7/15 Melanerpes Red-headed Woodpecker erythrocephalus Regular 9 5/25 7/31 Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus Regular X 9 9 X X 3/15 7/31 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius Regular 9 PO 5/15 7/31 Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X X 3/15 7/31 Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X X 3/15 7/31 Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PR 5/15 7/31 Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 3/15 7/31 Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi Regular 9 6/10 7/31 Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/31 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris Regular 9 O 9 6/10 7/15 Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens Regular O 9 9 PR PO 5/25 7/31 Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum Regular 9 9 PR PO 6/10 7/15 Willow Flycatcher Empidonax traillii Regular X 9 9 X PO 6/10 7/15 Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus Regular 9 9 X PO 6/5 7/15 Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Regular X 9 9 X PO 5/1 7/31 Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X X 5/25 7/31 Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Casual 9
Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 5/25 7/15 Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Regular 9 5/1 7/31 Northern Shrike Lanius excubitor Casual 42 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
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Safe Dates 1 ECO ECO III IBA 2nd Common Name Scientific Name Status NAI IBA BBA III (breeding) (breeding) BBA Begin End White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Regular X 9 9 PO 5/25 8/15 Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PR 6/1 8/15 Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius Regular O 9 9 PO 5/25 7/31 Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus Regular 9 9 X PO 6/1 8/15 Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus Regular 9
Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/31 Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/10 7/31 American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 5/1 7/31 Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 5/1 7/31 Common Raven Corvus corax Regular X 9 9 PO 3/1 7/15 Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Regular 9 X 5/1 7/31 Purple Martin Progne subis Regular O 9 9 PO 5/25 6/30 Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Regular X 9 9 X X 5/25 6/30 Northern Rough-winged Stelgidopteryx Swallow serripennis Regular X 9 9 X PO 6/1 6/30 Bank Swallow Riparia riperia Regular X 9 9 X X 6/1 6/30 Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Regular O 9 9 X 6/5 7/5 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Regular O 9 9 X X 5/25 6/30 Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis Regular 3/15 8/15 Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X X 4/15 8/15 Tufted Titmouse Baeolophrus bicolor Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X X 3/15 8/15 Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis Regular 9 9 9 9 PO 6/1 8/15 White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 5/1 8/15 Brown Creeper Certhia americana Regular 9 9 O 9 9 X PO 5/15 7/31 Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Regular 9 X 9 9 X X 4/1 9/30 House Wren Troglodytes aedon Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/1 8/15 Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Regular 9 9 PO 5/15 8/15 43 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
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Safe Dates 1 ECO ECO III IBA 2nd Common Name Scientific Name Status NAI IBA BBA III (breeding) (breeding) BBA Begin End Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis Casual 9 6/1 8//15 Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Regular 9 5/25 7/31 Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa Regular O 9 9 5/15 8/15 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Regular O 9
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PR 5/15 7/15 Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis Regular X 9 9 X X 5/1 8/15 Veery Catharus fuscescens Regular 9 X 9 9 X PR 6/1 7/31 Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus Regular 9
Swainsons Thrush Catharus ustulatus Regular 9 6/5 7/31 Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus Regular 9 O 9 9 PO 5/15 7/31 Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/31 American Robin Turdus migratorius Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X X 5/1 7/31 Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X X 6/1 7/31 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Regular X 9 9 X PO 5/15 8/31 Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum Regular X 9 9 PR PO 5/15 7/31 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris Regular X 9 9 X PR 4/15 7/31 American Pipit Anthus rubescens Regular 9
Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum Regular 9 9 O 9 9 X PO 6/15 7/31 Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora pinus Regular X 9 9 5/25 7/15 Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera Regular X 9 9 PO 5/25 7/15 Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina Regular 9
Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Regular 9
Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla Regular 9 5/25 7/31 Northern Parula Parula americana Regular O 9 9 X PO 5/25 7/31 Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PR 5/25 6/30 Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/31 Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia Regular 9 9 6/1 7/31 44 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
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Safe Dates 1 ECO ECO III IBA 2nd Common Name Scientific Name Status NAI IBA BBA III (breeding) (breeding) BBA Begin End Cape May Warbler Dendroica tigrina Regular O 9
Black-throated Blue Warbler Dendroica caerulescens Regular 9 9 PO 6/1 7/31 Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Regular O 9 9 6/1 8/15 Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Regular 9 9 O 9 9 PR PO 6/1 7/31 Blackburnian Warbler Dendroica fusca Regular 9 9 9 9 PR PO 6/1 7/31 Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica Regular 9 5/1 7/15 Pine Warbler Dendroica pinus Regular 9 9 9 9 X 5/1 8/15 Prairie Warbler Dendroica discolor Regular X 9 9 X PO 5/25 7/31 Palm Warbler Dendroica palmarum Regular O 9
Bay-breasted Warbler Dendroica castanea Regular 9
Blackpoll Warbler Dendroica striata Regular 9 6/15 8/15 Cerulean Warbler Dendroica cerulea Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Regular 9 9 X 9 9 PR PO 6/1 7/31 American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PR 6/1 7/31 Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea Regular 9 5/25 7/15 Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorus Regular 9 9 9 9 X 5/25 7/15 Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/31 Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis Regular O 9 PR 6/5 7/15 Louisiana Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla Regular 9 9 PR PO 4/15 7/15 Kentucky Warbler Oporornis formosus Regular 9 9 9 9 X 5/25 7/31 Connecticut Warbler Oporornis agilis Regular 9
Mourning Warbler Oporornis philadelphia Regular O 9 9 6/15 7/31 Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PR 5/25 7/31 Hooded Warbler Wilsonia citrina Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X 6/1 7/31 Wilsons Warbler Wilsonia pusilla Regular 9
Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis Regular 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/31 45 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
(Page 9 of 11)
Safe Dates 1 ECO ECO III IBA 2nd Common Name Scientific Name Status NAI IBA BBA III (breeding) (breeding) BBA Begin End Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens Regular X 9 9 X 6/1 7/31 Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PR 6/1 7/31 Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/31 American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea Regular O 9
Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Regular 9 X 9 9 X PR 6/1 8/15 Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla Regular X 9 9 X PO 5/15 8/15 Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus Regular O 9 9 PR PO 5/15 8/15 Passerculus Savannah Sparrow sandwichensis Regular 9 9 PR PO 5/25 8/15 Ammodramus Grasshopper Sparrow savannarum Regular 9 9 PO PO 6/1 8/15 Nelsons Sharp-tailed Sparrow Ammodramus nelsoni Regular 9
Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca Regular O 9
Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia Regular X 9 9 X X 5/15 8/15 Lincolns Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Regular 9
Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana Regular X 9 9 X X 6/1 8/15 White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis Regular PO 9 6/10 8/15 White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys Regular O 9
Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis Regular O 9 9 PO 5/25 8/15 Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus Regular 9
Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Regular 9
Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PR 3/15 9/30 Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/31 Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PO 6/1 7/31 46 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
(Page 10 of 11)
Safe Dates 1 ECO ECO III IBA 2nd Common Name Scientific Name Status NAI IBA BBA III (breeding) (breeding) BBA Begin End Dickcissel Spiza americana Regular 9 6/1 7/31 Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus Regular 9 9 PO PO 5/15 6/30 Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Regular X 9 9 X X 4/15 6/30 Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Regular X 9 9 X PO 5/15 7/31 Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus Regular O 9
Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula Regular X 9 9 X X 4/15 6/30 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PR 5/15 7/15 Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius Regular X 9 9 X X 6/1 7/31 Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula Regular X 9 9 X PR 6/1 7/31 Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator Regular 9
Purple Finch Carpodacus purpureus Regular X 9 9 PO 5/15 7/31 House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus Regular X 9 9 X PR 4/15 7/31 Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra Regular 9 5/15 7/31 White-winged Crossbill Loxia leucoptera Regular 9
Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea Regular 9
Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus Regular 9 9 6/1 7/31 American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis Regular 9 9 X 9 9 X PR 6/10 8/31 Coccothraustes Evening Grosbeak vespertinus Regular 9 6/10 7/31 House Sparrow Passer domesticus Regular O 9 9 X PO 2/1 9/30 Total # of species: 67 46 124 245 132 116 116 47 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 1. Birds observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after the Pennsylvania Ornithological Record Committee Official List of Birds of Pennsylvania (PSO 2010).
(Page 11 of 11)
ECO III = species accounted for in Ecology III 1994 Report NAI = species accounted for during field observation in 2007, 2008, and 2010 by Normandeau Associates IBA = species recorded in Important Bird Area #50 (Susquehanna Riverlands)
ECO III (breeding) = recorded in 1994 report as breeding in immediate area IBA(breeding) = recorded in PPL Birds of the Susquehanna Riverlands as breeding in immediate area BBA = Breeding Bird Atlas survey completed from 1984-1989 in sectors 52D12 and 52D14 2nd BBA = 2nd Breeding Bird Atlas survey completed from 2004-2008 in sectors 52D12 and 52D14 Safe Dates* = a time period in which birds are considered breeding
- (Safe dates defined by 2nd breeding bird atlas. http://www.carnegiemnh.org/atlas/home.htm)
Note: Two hybrid species of the Blue-winged Warbler and Golden-winged Warbler were excluded from the list.
They are the Brewster's Warbler and Lawrence's Warbler Key for NAI, BBA, and 2nd BBA X = confirmed breeding activity PO = species breeding possible PR = species breeding probable O = species observed outside safe dates or not in appropriate habitat 1
Additional species observed only during the 2010 surveys are indicated in blue font 48 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 2. Seasonal and annual abundance and percent of field days each bird species was observed at the BBNPP site, October 2007 through August 2008 and May through June 2010.
(Page 1 of 4)
Seasons Winter (Dec 1-Feb 28) Spring (Mar 1-May 31) Summer (Jun 1-Aug 31) Fall (Sept 1-Nov 30) Totals 7 days of observation 16 days of observation 14 days of observation 10 days of observation 47 days of observation total # # days % days total # # days % days total # # days % days total # # days % days total # # days % days Species obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs Acadian Flycatcher 0 0 0.0% 1 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 2.13%
American Black Duck 35 6 85.7% 17 2 12.5% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 52 8 17.02%
American Crow 131 7 100.0% 244 16 100.0% 136 14 100.0% 98 9 90.0% 609 46 97.87%
American Goldfinch 9 4 57.1% 35 9 56.3% 136 14 100.0% 69 9 90.0% 249 36 76.60%
American Green-winged Teal 0 0 0.0% 12 2 12.5% 0 0 0.0% 65 7 70.0% 77 9 19.15%
American Kestrel 2 1 14.3% 7 6 37.5% 2 2 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 11 9 19.15%
American Redstart 0 0 0.0% 5 2 12.5% 1 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 6 3 6.38%
American Robin 28 5 71.4% 253 16 100.0% 217 14 100.0% 313 10 100.0% 811 45 95.74%
American Widgeon 0 0 0.0% 15 2 12.5% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 15 2 4.26%
American Woodcock 0 0 0.0% 2 2 12.5% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 4.26%
Baltimore Oriole 0 0 0.0% 44 8 50.0% 61 10 71.4% 0 0 0.0% 105 18 38.30%
Barn Swallow 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 12 2 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 12 2 4.26%
Belted Kingfisher 1 1 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 10.0% 2 2 4.26%
Black and White Warbler 0 0 0.0% 1 1 6.3% 1 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 4.26%
Black Throated Green Warbler 0 0 0.0% 6 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 10.0% 7 2 4.26%
Black Vulture 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 2.13%
Black-billed Cuckoo 0 0 0.0% 4 2 12.5% 14 6 42.9% 1 1 10.0% 19 9 19.15%
Black-capped Chickadee 65 7 100.0% 81 11 68.8% 69 12 85.7% 92 10 100.0% 307 40 85.11%
Blue Jay 133 7 100.0% 192 16 100.0% 82 14 100.0% 182 10 100.0% 589 47 100.00%
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 4.26%
Blue-headed Vireo 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 20.0% 2 2 4.26%
Blue-winged Warbler 0 0 0.0% 1 1 6.3% 2 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 3 2 4.26%
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 2 1 2.13%
Brown Creeper 0 0 0.0% 1 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 10.0% 2 2 4.26%
Brown Thrasher 1 1 14.3% 11 6 37.5% 7 3 21.4% 0 0 0.0% 19 10 21.28%
Brown-headed Cowbird 15 1 14.3% 50 10 62.5% 50 8 57.1% 0 0 0.0% 115 19 40.43%
Canada Goose 688 5 71.4% 700 13 81.3% 16 1 7.1% 231 5 50.0% 1635 24 51.06%
Cape May Warbler 0 0 0.0% 1 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 2.13%
Carolina Wren 17 4 57.1% 12 4 25.0% 29 10 71.4% 23 10 100.0% 81 28 59.57%
Cedar Waxwing 30 4 57.1% 19 4 25.0% 5 1 7.1% 110 8 80.0% 164 17 36.17%
Chestnut Sided Warbler 0 0 0.0% 9 5 31.3% 9 5 35.7% 0 0 0.0% 18 10 21.28%
Chimney Swift 0 0 0.0% 3 1 6.3% 1 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 4 2 4.26%
49 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 2. Seasonal and annual abundance and percent of field days each bird species was observed at the BBNPP site, October 2007 through August 2008 and May through June 2010.
(Page 2 of 4)
Seasons Winter (Dec 1-Feb 28) Spring (Mar 1-May 31) Summer (Jun 1-Aug 31) Fall (Sept 1-Nov 30) Totals 7 days of observation 16 days of observation 14 days of observation 10 days of observation 47 days of observation total # # days % days total # # days % days total # # days % days total # # days % days total # days % days Species obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs # obs obs obs Chipping Sparrow 0 0 0.0% 15 5 31.3% 20 8 57.1% 0 0 0.0% 35 13 27.66%
Cliff Swallow 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 2.13%
Common Grackle 0 0 0.0% 147 11 68.8% 48 5 35.7% 77 4 40.0% 272 20 42.55%
Common Raven 1 1 14.3% 5 4 25.0% 2 2 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 8 7 14.89%
Common Yellowthroat 0 0 0.0% 112 8 50.0% 206 13 92.9% 6 2 20.0% 324 23 48.94%
Coopers Hawk 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 4 1 10.0% 4 1 2.13%
Dark-eyed Junco 156 7 100.0% 49 5 31.3% 0 0 0.0% 77 4 40.0% 282 16 34.04%
Double-crested Cormorant 0 0 0.0% 1 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 2.13%
Downy Woodpecker 22 7 100.0% 30 14 87.5% 21 8 57.1% 31 10 100.0% 104 39 82.98%
Eastern Bluebird 32 7 100.0% 42 11 68.8% 5 3 21.4% 48 8 80.0% 127 29 61.70%
Eastern Kingbird 0 0 0.0% 5 4 25.0% 5 4 28.6% 1 1 10.0% 11 9 19.15%
Eastern Meadowlark 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 2 1 2.13%
Eastern Phoebe 0 0 0.0% 26 8 50.0% 12 7 50.0% 7 3 30.0% 45 18 38.30%
Eastern Towhee 2 2 28.6% 43 11 68.8% 107 13 92.9% 14 8 80.0% 166 34 72.34%
Eastern Wood Pewee 0 0 0.0% 3 2 12.5% 16 9 64.3% 3 2 20.0% 22 13 27.66%
European Starling 14 2 28.6% 78 11 68.8% 57 7 50.0% 1160 9 90.0% 1309 29 61.70%
Field Sparrow 0 0 0.0% 126 14 87.5% 99 14 100.0% 7 3 30.0% 232 31 65.96%
Fish Crow 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 4 3 21.4% 2 1 10.0% 6 4 8.51%
Fox Sparrow 1 1 14.3% 13 4 25.0% 0 0 0.0% 14 4 40.0% 28 9 19.15%
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4 4 57.1% 1 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 15 6 60.0% 20 11 23.40%
Golden-winged Warbler 0 0 0.0% 1 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 2.13%
Gray Catbird 0 0 0.0% 113 9 56.3% 303 14 100.0% 30 2 20.0% 446 25 53.19%
Great Blue Heron 1 1 14.3% 10 4 25.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 10.0% 12 6 12.77%
Great Crested Flycatcher 0 0 0.0% 2 1 6.3% 3 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 5 2 4.26%
Great Horned Owl 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 10.0% 1 1 2.13%
Green Heron 0 0 0.0% 4 3 18.8% 2 2 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 6 5 10.64%
Hairy Woodpecker 1 1 14.3% 6 5 31.3% 9 6 42.9% 4 4 40.0% 20 16 34.04%
Hermit Thrush 1 1 14.3% 1 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 6 4 40.0% 8 6 12.77%
Hooded Warbler 0 0 0.0% 3 2 12.5% 2 2 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 5 4 8.51%
House Finch 25 3 42.9% 2 1 6.3% 1 1 7.1% 41 5 50.0% 69 10 21.28%
House Wren 0 0 0.0% 6 4 25.0% 8 3 21.4% 0 0 0.0% 14 7 14.89%
Indigo Bunting 0 0 0.0% 28 4 25.0% 160 14 100.0% 0 0 0.0% 188 18 38.30%
50 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 2. Seasonal and annual abundance and percent of field days each bird species was observed at the BBNPP site, October 2007 through August 2008 and May through June 2010.
(Page 3 of 4)
Seasons Winter (Dec 1-Feb 28) Spring (Mar 1-May 31) Summer (Jun 1-Aug 31) Fall (Sept 1-Nov 30) Totals 7 days of observation 16 days of observation 14 days of observation 10 days of observation 47 days of observation total # # days % days total # # days % days total # # days % days total # # days days total # days % days Species obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs # obs obs obs Killdeer 0 0 0.0% 15 8 50.0% 1 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 16 9 19.15%
Mallard 47 6 85.7% 57 9 56.3% 7 2 14.3% 17 4 40.0% 128 21 44.68%
Mourning Dove 101 6 85.7% 65 13 81.3% 47 13 92.9% 204 10 100.0% 417 42 89.36%
Mourning Warbler 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 2.13%
No. Rough Winged Swallow 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 2.13%
Northern Cardinal 40 7 100.0% 107 16 100.0% 90 14 100.0% 33 8 80.0% 270 45 95.74%
Northern Flicker 17 6 85.7% 69 15 93.8% 32 11 78.6% 13 8 80.0% 131 40 85.11%
Northern Harrier 2 2 28.6% 1 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 10.0% 4 4 8.51%
Northern Mockingbird 8 4 57.1% 9 6 37.5% 3 2 14.3% 5 4 40.0% 25 16 34.04%
Northern Parula 0 0 0.0% 2 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 1 2.13%
Northern Waterthrush 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 4.26%
Orchard Oriole 0 0 0.0% 7 4 25.0% 10 4 28.6% 0 0 0.0% 17 8 17.02%
Ovenbird 0 0 0.0% 40 8 50.0% 39 8 57.1% 0 0 0.0% 79 16 34.04%
Palm Warbler 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 20.0% 2 2 4.26%
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 10.0% 1 1 2.13%
Pileated Woodpecker 10 4 57.1% 15 7 43.8% 13 7 50.0% 7 5 50.0% 45 23 48.94%
Prairie Warbler 0 0 0.0% 11 5 31.3% 11 4 28.6% 0 0 0.0% 22 9 19.15%
Purple Finch 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 14.3% 18 3 30.0% 20 5 10.64%
Purple Martin 0 0 0.0% 4 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 4 1 2.13%
Red-bellied Woodpecker 10 5 71.4% 31 13 81.3% 13 5 35.7% 28 7 70.0% 82 30 63.83%
Red-eyed Vireo 0 0 0.0% 37 7 43.8% 58 12 85.7% 5 2 20.0% 100 21 44.68%
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 7.1% 2 1 10.0% 3 2 4.26%
Red-tailed Hawk 22 7 100.0% 47 12 75.0% 20 10 71.4% 21 9 90.0% 110 38 80.85%
Red-winged Blackbird 7 1 14.3% 187 14 87.5% 108 9 64.3% 45 2 20.0% 347 26 55.32%
Ring-billed Gull 0 0 0.0% 2 1 6.3% 1 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 3 2 4.26%
Ring-necked Duck 0 0 0.0% 7 2 12.5% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 7 2 4.26%
Ring-necked Pheasant 0 0 0.0% 4 3 18.8% 1 1 7.1% 1 1 10.0% 6 5 10.64%
Rock Pigeon 15 2 28.6% 0 0 0.0% 2 1 7.1% 1 1 10.0% 18 4 8.51%
Rose Breasted Grosbeak 0 0 0.0% 14 5 31.3% 6 4 28.6% 3 2 20.0% 23 11 23.40%
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 1 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 5 2 20.0% 6 3 6.38%
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 0 0 0.0% 1 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 2.13%
Ruffed Grouse 2 2 28.6% 2 2 12.5% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 4 4 8.51%
51 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 2. Seasonal and annual abundance and percent of field days each bird species was observed at the BBNPP site, October 2007 through August 2008 and May through June 2010.
(Page 4 of 4)
Seasons Winter (Dec 1-Feb 28) Spring (Mar 1-May 31) Summer (Jun 1-Aug 31) Fall (Sept 1-Nov 30) Totals 7 days of observation 16 days of observation 14 days of observation 10 days of observation 47 days of observation total # # days % days total # # days % days total # # days % days total # # days days total # days % days Species obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs obs # obs obs obs Rusty Blackbird 0 0 0.0% 6 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 6 1 2.13%
Scarlet Tanager 0 0 0.0% 21 6 37.5% 22 8 57.1% 0 0 0.0% 43 14 29.79%
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 1 14.3% 1 1 6.3% 0 0 0.0% 5 5 50.0% 8 7 14.89%
Snow Goose 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 10.0% 1 1 2.13%
Song Sparrow 7 3 42.9% 227 16 100.0% 226 13 92.9% 60 10 100.0% 520 42 89.36%
Swamp Sparrow 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 6 5 35.7% 0 0 0.0% 6 5 10.64%
Tree Sparrow 50 4 57.1% 55 5 31.3% 0 0 0.0% 29 2 20.0% 134 11 23.40%
Tree Swallow 0 0 0.0% 19 5 31.3% 12 6 42.9% 0 0 0.0% 31 11 23.40%
Tufted Titmouse 87 7 100.0% 163 16 100.0% 68 12 85.7% 60 10 100.0% 378 45 95.74%
Turkey Vulture 1 1 14.3% 16 6 37.5% 4 2 14.3% 3 2 20.0% 24 11 23.40%
Veery 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 12 5 35.7% 0 0 0.0% 12 5 10.64%
Vesper Sparrow 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 2.13%
White-breasted Nuthatch 31 6 85.7% 14 8 50.0% 18 9 64.3% 39 8 80.0% 102 31 65.96%
White-crowned sparrow 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 17 3 30.0% 17 3 6.38%
White-eyed Vireo 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 2 2 4.26%
White-throated Sparrow 59 7 100.0% 34 9 56.3% 3 3 21.4% 77 8 80.0% 173 27 57.45%
Wild Turkey 35 3 42.9% 64 6 37.5% 12 2 14.3% 11 5 50.0% 122 16 34.04%
Willow Flycatcher 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 7 5 35.7% 1 1 10.0% 8 6 12.77%
Wood Duck 1 1 14.3% 45 6 37.5% 3 3 21.4% 0 0 0.0% 49 10 21.28%
Wood Thrush 0 0 0.0% 70 7 43.8% 62 11 78.6% 0 0 0.0% 132 18 38.30%
Yellow Warbler 0 0 0.0% 84 7 43.8% 114 9 64.3% 1 1 10.0% 199 17 36.17%
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 1 1 10.0% 1 1 2.13%
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 0 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 7 3 21.4% 0 0 0.0% 7 3 6.38%
Yellow Breasted Chat 0 0 0.0% 2 2 12.5% 2 1 7.1% 0 0 0.0% 4 3 6.38%
Yellow Rumped Warbler 1 1 14.3% 28 3 18.8% 0 0 0.0% 20 6 60.0% 49 10 21.28%
Northern Flicker 17 6 85.7% 69 15 93.8% 32 11 78.6% 13 8 80.0% 131 40 85.11%
Yellow-throated vireo 0 0 0.0% 2 2 12.5% 5 2 14.3% 0 0 0.0% 7 4 8.51%
52 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 3. Important terrestrial species at the BBNPP site.
(Page 1 of 4)
Common Name Description Location Rationale Name Mammals Myotis sodalis Indiana Bat Small, insectivorous mammal. Favors Known to occur in hibernacula Federal and sites under exfoliating bark of large, within 5 miles (8 km) of BBNPP site Pennsylvania often dead, trees as roosting sites and but has not been observed on site Endangered maternity dens. to date (8/5/08).
Myotis leibii Eastern Small- Small, insectivorous mammal. Little Known to occur in hibernacula Pennsylvania footed Myotis known about habitat requirements. within 5 miles (8 km) of BBNPP site Threatened but not observed on site to date (8/5/08).
Neotoma magister Allegheny Mammalian rodent that favors caves, Range includes BBNPP site but Pennsylvania Woodrat cliff faces, boulder piles, and talus suitable habitat appears to be Threatened slopes along mountain tops. lacking and none have ever been observed on site to date (8/5/08).
Myotis Northern Myotis Small insectivorous mammal (bat). Known to occur in hibernacula Pennsylvania Candidate septentrionalis Favors tree cavities and exfoliating tree within 5 miles (8 km) of BBNPP site Rare bark for maternity roosts. and has been captured in bat survey Odocoileus White-tailed Large, herbivorous mammal. Favors Observed in all terrestrial habitats Commercially and virginianus Deer forest edge habitat. Game species at the BBNPP site and adjacent Recreationally Important landscape.
Ursus americanus Black Bear Large omnivorous mammal. Favors Tracks and scat located on BBNPP Commercially and very dense vegetation, especially shrub- site. Recreationally Important dominated wetland.
Microtus Meadow Vole Small mammalian rodent, primarily Common, especially in herbaceous Ecologically Important pennsylvanicus herbivorous, that provides prey base for areas such as early-stage carnivores. regeneration fields of the BBNPP site.
Peromyscus Deer Mouse Small mammalian rodent, primarily Common in most of the terrestrial Ecologically Important maniculatus insectivorous, that provides prey base habitats of the BBNPP site.
for carnivores.
53 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 3. Important terrestrial species at the BBNPP site.
(Page 2 of 4)
Common Name Description Location Rationale Name Peromyscus White-footed Small mammalian rodent, primarily Common in most of the terrestrial Ecologically Important leucopus Mouse insectivorous, that provides prey base habitats of the BBNPP site.
for carnivores.
Birds Falco peregrinus Peregine Large predatory bird that specialized in Nested along river within 2 miles Pennsylvania Falcon feeding on other birds. (3.2 km)of the BBNPP site in 2007 Endangered and 2008 but not known to nest or perch on the proposed site itself.
Haliaeetus Bald Eagle Large, piscivorous (fish-eating) bird. Known to nest within 10 miles (16 Pennsylvania leucocephalus km) and sightings are increasingly Threatened common along adjacent areas of Susquehanna River.
Pandion haliaetus Osprey Large, piscivorous (fish-eating) bird. Known to nest within 10 miles (16 Pennsylvania km) and sightings are increasingly Threatened common along adjacent areas of Susquehanna River.
Meleagris Wild Turkey Large upland game bird that fees on Frequently observed in forests and Commercially and gallopovo acorns, beechnuts, grapes, cherries, fields at the BBNPP site. Recreationally Important thornapples, grains, vegetation and insects.
Piranga olivacea Scarlet Tanager Neotropical migratory bird that breeds in Heard frequently throughout Ecologically Important North America in late spring and early forested areas on the BBNPP site.
summer and winters in Central and Common in other forested areas in South America in fall and winter. Favors surrounding landscape based on large tracts of forest, especially forest previous ecological studies.
with lots of dead or declining trees, for breeding territory.
54 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 3. Important terrestrial species at the BBNPP site.
(Page 3 of 4)
Common Name Description Location Rationale Name Reptiles Pseudemys Redbelly Turtle Turtle that feeds primarily on aquatic Known to occur in Luzerne County Pennsylvania rubriventris vegetation and algae and secondarily on though none were observed at the Threatened crayfish, snails, fish, and tadpoles. site to date (8/5/08)
Crotalus horridus Timber Large poisonous snake that feeds Known to occur in Luzerne County Pennsylvania Rattlesnake primarily on small mammals and birds. but has not been observed on site Candidate.
Favors rocky, mountainous terrain. to date (8/5/08).
Heterodon Eastern Snake that favors grasslands and open The range of the hognose snake Pennsylvania Species of platyrhinos Hognose Snake forests near water and dry sandy soil includes the BBNPP site but none Special Concern where they can burrow. They feed have been observed on the site to primarily on toads and frogs. date (8/5/08).
Amphibians Scaphiopus Eastern Toad that requires temporary bodies of The range of the eastern spadefoot Pennsylvania holbrookii Spadefoot water for breeding. They feed primarily includes the BBNPP site but none Endangered on worms and arthropods. have been observed on the site to date (8/5/08).
Insects Enodia anthedon Northern Butterfly that feeds on dung, fungi, Known to use area just east of the Pennsylvania Pearly-eye carrion, and sap from willows, poplars, site, by Rt. 11, but none were Vulnerable and birch. Caterpillar hosts include observed on the site during a various grasses. butterfly survey.
Polites mystic Long Dash Butterfly that feeds on nectar from Known to use area just east of the Pennsylvania flowers including common milkweed, site, by Rt. 11, and one was Vulnerable selfheal, mountain laurel,. Caterpillar collected on site during a butterfly hosts are bluegrasses. survey.
55 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 3. Important terrestrial species at the BBNPP site.
(Page 4 of 4)
Common Name Description Location Rationale Name Poanes massasoit Mulberry Wing Butterfly that feeds on flower nectar. Known to use area just east of the site, Pennsylvania Caterpillar host is uptight sedge. by Rt. 11, but none were observed on Vulnerable the site during a butterfly survey.
Euphydryas Baltimore Butterfly that feeds on nectar from Known to use area just east of the site, Pennsylvania phoeton Checkerspot milkweed, viburnum, and wild rose. by Rt. 11, but none were observed on Vulnerable the site during a butterfly survey.
Euphyes Black Dash Butterfly that feeds on nectar from Observed on the BBNPP site. Pennsylvania conspicua buttonbush, jewelweed, and Captured a pair and observed eight or Vulnerable swampthistle. Caterpillar hosts are ten more during a butterfly survey.
sedges.
56 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 4. Pennsylvania mammals observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after Pennsylvania Biological Survey, Mammal Technical Committee (PBS 2010).
(Page 1 of 4) 1 Common Name Scientific Name Status Habitat Behavior Observations Marsupiala (pouched mammals)
Didelphidae (New World Opossums)
Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana C G N,C O Insectivora (shrews and moles)
Soricidae (shrews) masked shrew Sorex cinereus C G A O long-tailed shrew Sorex dispar I M,R Maryland shrew Sorex fontinalis C G A smoky shrew Sorex fumeus C M,D,X A pygmy shrew Sorex hoyi S G A water shrew Sorex palustris R,T M,S A northern short-tailed shrew Blarina brevicauda C G A O least shrew Cryptotis parva E A,N A Talpidae (moles) hairy-tailed mole Parascalops breweri C G A,Y eastern mole Scalopus aquaticus C G A,Y star-nosed mole Condylura cristata C W,S A,Y Chiroptera (bats)
Vespertilionidae (plain-nosed bats) eastern small-footed myotis Myotis leibii T S H little brown myotis Myotis lucifugus C L,S H O northern myotis Myotis septentrionalis R L,S H O Indiana myotis Myotis sodalis E S H red bat Lasiurus borealis U X M hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus U X M seminole bat Lasiurus seminolus U G,H silver-haired bat Lasionycteris noctivagans R X M 57 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 4. Pennsylvania mammals observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after Pennsylvania Biological Survey, Mammal Technical Committee (PBS 2010).
(Page 2 of 4) 1 Common Name Scientific Name Status Habitat Behavior Observations eastern pipistrelle Pipistrellus subflavus S C,S H big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus C C H O evening bat Nycticeius humeralis R G,H T,H Lagomorpha (rabbits and hares)
Leporidae eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus C B,G A,Y O Appalachian cottontail Sylvilagus obscurus A M A,Y snowshoe hare Lepus americanus A M,C N,Y Rodentia (gnawing mammals)
Sciuridae (squirrels) eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus C G D,H O Woodchuck Marmota monax C B,N,A D,H O thirteen-lined ground squirrel Spermophilus tridecemlineatus I N,A D,H eastern gray squirrel Sciurus carolinensis C D,G D,T O fox squirrel Sciurus niger R,E,C D,A D,T red squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus C D,X D,T O northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus E X,C N,T southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans C D,X N,T O Castoridae (beavers)
Beaver Castor canadensis C S,L C,Y T,S Cridetidae (native rats, mice, and voles) white-footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus C G N O deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus C G N O Allegheny woodrat Neotoma magister T M,R N,Y southern red-backed vole Clethrionomys gapperi C X,C,R N rock vole Microtus chrotorrhinus A X,R D,Y meadow vole Microtus pennsylvanicus C N,W A,Y O 58 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 4. Pennsylvania mammals observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after Pennsylvania Biological Survey, Mammal Technical Committee (PBS 2010).
(Page 3 of 4) 1 Common Name Scientific Name Status Habitat Behavior Observations woodland vole Microtus pinetorum C D,A A,Y common muskrat Ondatra zibethicus C W,L,S N O southern bog lemming Synaptomys cooperi I X,N,W A,Y Muridae (old world rats and mice)
Norway rat Rattus norvegicus C H,A N house mouse Mus musculus C H,A N O Zapodidae (jumping mice) meadow jumping mouse Zapus hudsonius C N,A H,N O woodland jumping mouse Napaeozapus insignis C M,S H,N,C Erethizontidae (new world porcupines)
Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum C M,X N,Y O Carnivora (carnivores)
Canidae (dogs and foxes)
Coyote Canis latrans S G A O red fox Vulpes vulpes C B,A N T,S gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus C B,D N O Ursidae (bears) black bear Ursus americanus C M,C,D N T,S Procyonidae (raccoons)
Raccoon Procyon lotor C G N,T O Mustelidae (weasels, skunks, and otters)
Ermine Mustela erminea I B,A N long-tailed weasel Mustela frenata C G N O least weasel Mustela nivalis U B,A N Mink Mustela vison C W,S C O eastern spotted skunk Spilogale putorius E R,M D striped skunk Mephitis mephitis C G N T 59 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 4. Pennsylvania mammals observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. List modified after Pennsylvania Biological Survey, Mammal Technical Committee (PBS 2010).
(Page 4 of 4) 1 Common Name Scientific Name Status Habitat Behavior Observations northern river otter Lutra canadensis C S,L A Felidae (cats)
Bobcat Felis rufus A M,B,R N T Artiodactyla (even-toed hoofed mammals)
Cervidae (deer) wapiti or elk Cervus elaphus A G A white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus C G A O Status: Habitats: Behavior: Observations:
C -Common M - mountain woodlands C - crepuscular O - Observed I - Restricted B - brush thickets, hedgerows A - active day and night S - Scat U - Undetermined S - streams, rivers M - migratory T - Tracks/Signs R - Rare N - grasslands N - nocturnal A - At Risk D - deciduous forests Y - active year-round T - Threatened A - agricultural lands, old fields T - nests in tree hollows E - Endangered H - near humans H - hibernator G - generalized habitat requirements D - diurnal R - rocky areas W - marshes L - lakes, ponds C - coniferous forests X - mixed forests 1
Additional species observed only during the 2010 surveys are indicated in blue font 60 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 5. Mammal species observed, heard, or determined to be present from scats, tracks or other signs on the BBNPP site, October 2007 through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
(Page 1 of 3)
Survey Dates Mammal Species 10/16/07 10/17/07 10/22/07 10/23/07 11/5/07 11/6/07 11/19/07 11/20/07 12/3/07 12/4/07 12/17/07 12/18/07 Beaver T T T T T T T T T T T Black bear S Coyote T S S,T T T T T T Eastern chipmunk O O O O Eastern cottontail O O T T Eastern grey squirrel O O O O O O O O O O O O Groundhog T T T T T T T T T T T T Virginia Opossum O T T Raccoon T Red squirrel O O O Striped skunk T T White-tailed deer O O O O O O O O O O O O Survey Dates Mammal Species 2/12/08 2/27/08 2/28/08 3/12/08 3/13/08 3/26/08 3/27/08 4/9/08 4/10/08 4/23/08 4/24/08 5/7/08 Beaver T Bobcat T Black bear T Coyote O T,S O S S O Eastern chipmunk O O O O O O O O O O O Eastern cottontail O O O O O O O O O O Eastern grey squirrel O O O O O O O O O O Gray Fox Groundhog O O Long-tailed Weasel O Virginia Opossum Raccoon T Red Fox T 61 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 5. Mammal species observed, heard, or determined to be present from scats, tracks or other signs on the BBNPP site, October 2007 through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
(Page 2 of 3)
Survey Dates Mammal Species 2/12/08 2/27/08 2/28/08 3/12/08 3/13/08 3/26/08 3/27/08 4/9/08 4/10/08 4/23/08 4/24/08 5/7/08 Red squirrel O Short tailed shrew O Striped Skunk White-tailed deer T O O O O O O O O O O O Survey Dates Mammal Species 5/8/08 5/21/08 5/22/08 6/3/08 6/4/08 6/16/08 6/17/08 7/2/08 7/3/08 7/15/08 7/16/08 7/17/08 Beaver Bobcat Black bear Coyote Eastern chipmunk O O O O O O O O Eastern cottontail O O O O O Eastern grey squirrel O O O O O O O O Gray Fox Groundhog O O O Long-tailed Weasel Virginia Opossum O Raccoon Red Fox Red squirrel O O Short tailed shrew Striped Skunk White-tailed deer O O O O O O O O O 62 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 5. Mammal species observed, heard, or determined to be present from scats, tracks or other signs on the BBNPP site, October 2007 through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
(Page 3 of 3)
Survey Dates Mammal Species 8/20/08 8/21/08 8/22/08 9/8/08 9/10/08 5/6/10 5/7/10 5/19/10 5/20/10 5/21/10 6/2/10 6/3/10 Beaver Bobcat Black bear S S S Coyote T,S T,S T,S T,S Eastern chipmunk O O O O O O O O Eastern cottontail O O Eastern grey squirrel O O O O O O O O O O O Gray Fox Groundhog O S S S O S Long-tailed Weasel Virginia Opossum O O O Raccoon S O Red Fox Red squirrel O O O Short tailed shrew O Striped Skunk White-tailed deer T O O O O T T T,S T,S TS T O Key to mammal and amphibian occurrence codes O = observed H = heard T = tracks/signs S = scats 63 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 6. Pennsylvania reptiles and amphibians observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. Modified after Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission list of native, extant reptiles and amphibians (PFBC 2010).
(Page 1 of 6)
Range includes BBNPP: Observed at BBNPP Site Scientific Name Common Name Pennsylvania Status (x) indicates that it does during NAI study Lizards Eumeces northern coal skink S anthracinus Eumeces fasciatus five-lined skink A X Eumeces laticeps broadhead skink C Sceloporus northern fence lizard S undulates Snakes Agkistrodon northern copperhead S X contortrix Carphophis worm snake S X amoenus Clonophis kirtlandii Kirtlands snake E Coluber constrictor northern black racer A X X constrictor Crotalus horridus timber rattlesnake C X Diadophis ringneck snake A X X punctatus Elaphe eastern ratsnake A X alleghaniensis Heterodon eastern hognose snake S X platirhinos Lampropeltis eastern milksnake A X X triangulum triangulum 64 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 6. Pennsylvania reptiles and amphibians observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. Modified after Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission list of native, extant reptiles and amphibians (PFBC 2010).
(Page 2 of 6)
Range includes BBNPP: Observed at BBNPP Site Scientific Name Common Name Pennsylvania Status (x) indicates that it does during NAI study Liochlorophis smooth green snake S X vernalis Nerodia sipedon northern water snake A X X sipedon Opheodrys rough green snake E aestivus Regina queen snake S septemvittata Sistrurus catenatus eastern massasauga E catenatus Storeria dekayi northern brown snake A X X dekayi Storeria northern redbelly snake A X occipitomaculata occipitomaculata Thamnophis shorthead garter snake S brachystoma Thamnophis eastern ribbon snake S X X sauritus Thamnophis sirtalis eastern garter snake A X X sirtalis Virginia pulchra mountain earth snake S Virginia valeriae smooth earth snake S Turtles Apalone mutica midland smooth softshell X mutica Apalone spinifera eastern spiny softshell S spinifera 65 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 6. Pennsylvania reptiles and amphibians observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. Modified after Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission list of native, extant reptiles and amphibians (PFBC 2010).
(Page 3 of 6)
Range includes BBNPP: Observed at BBNPP Site Scientific Name Common Name Pennsylvania Status (x) indicates that it does during NAI study Chelydra snapping turtle A X X serpentina Chrysemys picta midland painted turtle A marginata Chrysemys picta eastern painted turtle A X X picta Clemmys guttata spotted turtle S X Emys blandingii Blandings turtle C Glyptemys wood turtle S X X insculpta Glyptemys bog turtle E muhlenbergii Graptemys map turtle S X X geographica Kinosternon eastern mud turtle X subrubrum subrubrum Pseudemys red-bellied turtle T X rubriventris Sternotherus Stinkpot A odoratus Terrapene carolina eastern box turtle S X X carolina Frogs & Toads Acris crepitans northern cricket frog S X X crepitans Bufo americanus eastern American toad A X X americanus 66 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 6. Pennsylvania reptiles and amphibians observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. Modified after Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission list of native, extant reptiles and amphibians (PFBC 2010).
(Page 4 of 6)
Range includes BBNPP: Observed at BBNPP Site Scientific Name Common Name Pennsylvania Status (x) indicates that it does during NAI study Bufo fowleri Fowlers toad S X Hyla versicolor gray treefrog A X X Pseudacris mountain chorus frog S brachyphona Pseudacris crucifer northern spring peeper A X X crucifer Pseudacris upland chorus frog S feriarum feriarum Pseudacris western chorus frog S feriarum triseriata Pseudacris New Jersey chorus frog E triseriata kalmi Rana catesbeiana Bullfrog A X X Rana clamitans green frog A X X Rana palustris pickerel frog A X X Rana pipiens northern leopard frog S X Rana coastal plain leopard frog E sphenocephala Rana sylvatica wood frog A X X Scaphiopus eastern spadefoot E X holbrookii Salamanders Ambystoma Jefferson salamander S X jeffersonianum Ambystoma spotted salamander A X maculatum Ambystoma marbled salamander S X opacum 67 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 6. Pennsylvania reptiles and amphibians observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. Modified after Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission list of native, extant reptiles and amphibians (PFBC 2010).
(Page 5 of 6)
Range includes BBNPP: Observed at BBNPP Site Scientific Name Common Name Pennsylvania Status (x) indicates that it does during NAI study Ambystoma tigrinum tiger salamander X Aneides aeneus green salamander T Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis eastern hellbender S X Desmognathus fuscus dusky salamander A X X Desmognathus monticola seal salamander A Desmognathus mountain dusky ochrophaeus salamander A X Eurycea bislineata northern two-lined salamander A X X Eurycea longicauda longicauda longtail salamander A X X Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus spring salamander A X Hemidactylium scutatum four-toed salamander S X Necturus maculosus Mudpuppy S Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens eastern red-spotted newt A X X Plethodon cinereus redback salamander A X X 68 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 6. Pennsylvania reptiles and amphibians observed or likely to occur in the vicinity of the BBNPP site. Modified after Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission list of native, extant reptiles and amphibians (PFBC 2010).
(Page 6 of 6)
Range includes BBNPP: Observed at BBNPP Site Scientific Name Common Name Pennsylvania Status (x) indicates that it does during NAI study Plethodon glutinosus slimy salamander A X X valley and ridge Plethodon hoffmani salamander S Plethodon richmondi ravine salamander S Plethodon wehrlei Wehrles salamander A Pseudotriton montanus montanus eastern mud salamander E Pseudotriton ruber rubber northern red salamander A X X Legend:
A = Abundant C = Candidate Species E = Endangered Species S = Species of special concern, rare, not common due to one or more of the following factors: range restriction, population decline, limited distribution, direct threats from habitat alteration, collection T = Threatened Species X = Extirpated, no longer occurs in PA 69 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 7. Occurrence of host plants for butterfly species of concern at the BBNPP site.
(Page 1 of 2)
Northern Long Mulberry Baltimore Pearly Eye Dash Wing Black Dash Checkerspot Enodia Polites Poanes Euphyes Euphydryas ECO Host plants anthedon mystic massasoit conspicua phaeton NAI III ATLAS Asclepias syriaca common milkweed A A X X Aureolaria spp. false foxglove C X Betula spp. birches A X X X Brachyelytrum erectum bearded shorthusk C X Carex stricta uptight sedge C C X X Carex spp. sedges C C X X X Chelone glabra turtlehead C X X Desmodium spp. tick trefoil A X Echium vulgare viper's bugloss X Erianthus spp. plumegrass C Fraxinus americana white ash C X X Hystrix patula bottlebrush C X Kalmia latifolia mountain laurel A X X Leersia virginica white grass C X X japanese Lonicera japonica honeysuckle C X X Pedicularis canadensis common lousewort C X Penstemon hirsutus beardtongue C X Plantago lanceolata English plantain C X X Poa spp. bluegrasses C X X Populus spp. poplars A X X Prunella vulgaris selfheal A X Rosa spp. rose A X X X Salix spp. willows A X X Uniola latifolia broadleaf uniola C 70 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Table 7. Occurrence of host plants for butterfly species of concern at the BBNPP site.
Page 2 of 2)
Northern Long Mulberry Baltimore Pearly Eye Dash Wing Black Dash Checkerspot Enodia Polites Poanes Euphyes Euphydryas ECO Host plants anthedon mystic massasoit conspicua phaeton NAI III ATLAS Viburnum recognitum arrowwood A,C X X X Cephalanthus occidentalis buttonbush A X Impatiens capensis jewelweed A X X X Cirsium muticum swampthistle A X Viola Fimbriatula Northern downy violet Viola lanceolata Lance leaved violet X A = Adult food C = Caterpillar hosts X = Species observations NAI = observed 2007-2008 by Normandeau Associates ECO III = observed 1990-2007 by Ecology III ATLAS = documented as occurring in Luzerne County, PA in The Vascular Flora of Pennsylvania 71 Rev. 4
[
t u
11 Legend
[ BBNPP BBNPP Project Boundary Vegetation Type Upland Forest Upland Scrub/Shrub Old Field/Former Agricultural Agricultural Palustrine Forested Wetlands Palustrine Scrub/Shrub Wetlands Palustrine Emergent Wetlands Waterbodies Stormwater Detention Basin Stream Channel 0.5 0.25 0 0.5 Miles Gravel Quarry Developed Figure 1.
Plant Communities at the BBNPP site.
³ NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464
F-11 W-16!(
(
RR-1
( W-10
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(
F-12 W-9 F-7 F-5 !
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W-13 (!
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! W-8 W-11 F-10
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(
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W-18 F-16
³ Legend
[ BBNPP BBNPP Project Boundary Vertebrate Survey Sectors
( Tomahawk Trap for Medium-sized Mammal Sherman Live Trap lines for Small Mammals 2,200 1,100 0 2,200 Feet Figure 2.
Vertebrate survey sectors and NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES locations of mammal trap sites on the BBNPP site, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 May through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
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W-14 F-18 W-17 TR-1 F-13 Legend F-16 W-18
(
(
(
(
northern black racer northern brown snake northern water snake eastern garter snake
³
( eastern milk snake
( eastern ribbon snake
( northern ringneck snake Vertebrate Survey Sectors BBNPP Project Boundary 2,400 1,200 0 2,400 Feet Wetlands Figure 3.
Locations of observations for seven species NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES of snakes on the BBNPP site, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 May through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
F-11
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(
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F-18 W-17 TR-1 F-13 W-18 F-16
(
(
³
(
Legend
( eastern box turtle
( common map turtle
( snapping turtle
( eastern painted turtle
( Wood turtle Vertebrate Survey Sectors BBNPP Project Boundary 3,000 1,500 0 3,000 Feet Wetlands Figure 4.
Locations of observations for five species NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES of turtles on the BBNPP site, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 May through September 2008 and May through June 2010.
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³ Legend
( bullfrog W-18 !
( green frog F-16
( northern gray treefrog
( northern cricket frog
( pickerel frog
( wood frog
( eastern American toad
( spring peeper Vertebrate Survey Sectors BBNPP Project Boundary 2,400 1,200 0 2,400 Feet Wetlands Figure 5.
Locations of observations for eight species NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES of frogs and toads on the BBNPP site, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS May through September 2008 and 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 May through June 2010.
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( F-3 W-5 F-15
(
( F-2 F-1 F-14 W-1 W-3 W-4 W-2 W-14 F-18 W-17 TR-1 F-13
³ Legend
( longtail salamander W-18 F-16 !
( northern dusky salamander
( northern red salamander
( northern two-lined salamander
( northern slimy salamander
( redback salamander
( red-spotted newt Vertebrate Survey Sectors BBNPP Project Boundary 2,400 1,200 0 2,400 Feet Wetlands Figure 6.
Locations of observations for seven species NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES of salamanders on the BBNPP site, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS May through September 2008 and 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 May through June 2010.
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³ Legend
[ BBNPP BBNPP Project Boundary Vertebrate Survey Sectors 2,300 1,150 0 2,300 Feet !
( Indiana Bat mist net trapping site Figure 7.
Locations of mist net sites used for the NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS Indiana Bat mist net survey at the BBNPP site, 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 June and July 2008.
(
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(
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[ BBNPP BBNPP Project Boundary Butterfly Observations
( Black Dash (Euphyes conspicua)
( Long Dash (Polites mystic)
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ue Palustrine Forested Wetlands sq Su Palustrine Scrub/Shrub Wetlands Palustrine Emergent Wetlands Waterbodies Stormwater Detention Basin Stream 0.5 0.25 0 0.5 Miles Quarry Developed Figure 8.
Locations of observations for two butterfly species NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES of special concern, the Long Dash (Polites mystic) ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 and the Black Dash, (Euphyes conspicua) at the BBNPP site, June and July 2008.
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania APPENDICES NOTE:
The original OCA (Owner Controlled Area) shown in Figures 1 through 5 of Appendix A was changed subsequent to completion of the 2008 field study. The revised boundary, BBNPP Project Boundary, is shown in Figures 2 through 7 of main body of the report. The original OCA has been retained in Appendix A because it was the boundary at the time of the survey.
80 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania APPENDIX A REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN SURVEY AT THE PROPOSED BELL BEND NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SITE, LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2008.
By Rudolf G. Arndt, Ph.D., September 2008 INTRODUCTION Reptile and amphibian survey work was done at the proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant (BBNPP) site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, between May 21 and September 7. The purpose of the survey was to determine the presence or absence, relative abundance, and distributions of amphibians and reptile species at the BBNPP site. Consideration was given to the presence of Pennsylvania-listed endangered, threatened, and species of concern, and to their habitats. A total of some 213 hours0.00247 days <br />0.0592 hours <br />3.521825e-4 weeks <br />8.10465e-5 months <br /> was spent in field searching on the site during eight multiple-day visits during the survey periods. This survey formed a part of a much larger survey of wetland, plant, mammal, bird, and butterfly species, and prior Amerindian and historical occupation, to identify and characterize the biological and historical history and value of the site. Some of this earlier work was done by other persons in 2007 and on other dates in 2008.
The site was divided into 33 vertebrate survey sectors, based on habitat type (forest, field, orchard, etc.) and topographical features (roads, transmission lines, stone walls, etc.) (Figure 1). The site has been continuously occupied by humans for probably about 4,000 years, first and mostly by paleolithic Indians, then by modern Indian tribes, and most recently, and for the last 200 years or so, by settlers and farmers, these last who no doubt had the greatest impact on the landscape.
Historically, and recently, what maked the site attractive was the gentle topography, absence of abundant surface bedrock, and the productive soils. Thus, there is probably not a square foot of the site that has not, at one time or another, and probably frequently, been logged, clear-cut, rock-cleared, farmed, dammed, built-upon, or otherwise disturbed by humans. Evidence of human disturbance and occupation are everywhere: farm fields, fallow farm fields, secondary forest, house and barn foundations, abandoned orchards, stone fences, barbed-wire fences, farm gates, paved roads, dirt roads, man-made ponds, etc.
Nevertheless, the original habitat can still be identified. Much of the site is forested, mostly with mature deciduous forest. There are numerous wetlands of several types, including several streams, marshes, and man-made vernal and permanent ponds, much of these located in forest; and some of the streams and marshes are located in active/now inactive farmland. There is considerable wetland forest. Some forest is located on the flood-plain of the Susquehanna River. Some of the site is in fallow fields. Several larger and smaller man-made ponds, created to water former livestock or to reduce or prevent flood damage, are evident. Several areas where slate rock was quarried are present. The area assigned to be surveyed consists of well over a thousand acres.
Many additional acres were added to be surveyed near the end of this survey period as described above. Most of these latter acres are of open and scraped active quarry; of active farmland planted in corn; and of heavily man-disturbed former cropland now in the early successional stages of reverting back to forest. A rapid survey of these indicates that they are expected to contain few additional amphibian or reptile species.
81 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Common and scientific names of species used herein follow those used in Conant and Collins (1998). On locality maps, one dot can represent one specimen, two, and in some cases, many (up to dozens).
METHODS AND MATERIALS The survey work can be divided into six categories.
- 1) Most sampling was by random opportunistic searching. In this, for terrestrial reptiles and amphibians, I walked through much of the site to search for specimens and for habitat by looking for basking and foraging individuals, as well as by searching for individuals hidden in and under shelter such as logs, old boards, rocks, old sheet metal, under dead grass, by breaking open rotten logs and stumps, etc. I used the techniques appropriate to certain weather conditions and times of day to find certain species: for example, basking turtles were searched for after the early morning hours and on quiet and sun-lighted days, and frequently with the aid of binoculars. The same was true of snakes, but while a hot afternoon in June and July would be suitable to find turtles, it was often deemed to be too hot to find basking snakes, so snakes would be searched for earlier or later on such days, or on cooler days.
Aquatic amphibians could be searched for on the edges of bodies of water during nicer weather, as well as by dip-netting in ponds and streams in all types of weather. This work basically required much walking and turning and probing and ripping (into rotting logs and stumps), and in places that corresponded to the various habitat requirements of different species.
- 2) In order to enhance the possibility to discover organisms that are known to seek shelter on land (which includes snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, toads, and many species of salamanders essentially, almost all species), I placed out in selected areas a total of 34 pieces of wood (often known as coverboards and suckerboards) under which individuals of many reptile and amphibian species might seek shelter, whether it be from high or low temperatures, rain or sun, predators, or as sites at which to find food. These boards were examined at opportune (for the surveyor) times for what might be underneath. Since animals that might be attracted by such boards could come and go at will, such boards did not have to be examined on a specific schedule. Generally, they were examined about once every two days. The wood was of different types, mostly of plywood, and ranged in size from pieces of 8 feet by 4 feet to about 18 inches by 20 inches, and of a thickness of about 1 inch to about 1/2 inch. Basically, they were pieces of scrap wood that were available for the survey and which we could transport readily to the site. Boards were placed out on 4 and 5 June in seven types of habitats in areas O-1, F-1, F-3, F-6, W-3, and W-8 (Figure 1).
- 3) In order to sample in marshy and aquatic habitats, we constructed some 30 traps of thin-gauge screening, of which 24 were to be placed in runways or rivulets in marshes; such runways or rivulets are frequently or sometimes used by organisms as travel routes. These were deployed largely on a trial basis. Six traps were kept in reserve, in anticipation of some traps being lost or damaged. I discovered upon later and more detailed familiarity with the site that such specific types of habitat (meaning rivulets) did not occur (as it had in earlier surveys I had done), but I placed the traps out anyway. Traps were placed in marsh or ponds 82 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania in areas W-8, F-7, and W-12 (Figure 1). Each trap was about 12 inches long by 5 inches wide and 4 inches high, with 1/4 inch mesh, and with a swinging door hung from the top of each end of the trap; each door was about 1/2 inch higher than the trap and when set the door bottom leaned into the trap. The trap was placed where an animal might walk and push or swim through vegetation, not knowingly encounter a door, keep on moving, and, with the door so light that there was little resistance, the animal enters, and the door then swings down behind the animal. The animal cannot go forward through the door ahead, and it cannot back out or turn around to escape through the entry door, which has now swung down and closed from the inside. The trap is not baited, and is set so that the top of the trap is always above water so that an animal has access to air. This type of trap depends only on a moving animal walking into itand is easy to make, transport, set, maintain, and to empty. In previous work, with such a type of trap, which was set in bog turtle habitat, I captured organisms as diverse in size, weight, and biology, as crayfishes, frogs, turtles, and jumping mice. Traps were first placed out on June 27, and examined the last time on the morning of July 18, after which they were removed. They were examined for organism contents on the beginning and the end of each day they were out. Minor repairs, if necessary, were then also made to the traps in order to keep them functioning properly. All traps were removed at the end of each 2-4 day period on which I visited the site for field work.
- 4) Another method to discover reptiles and amphibians was by searching roads for live or dead individuals. Many species are known to prefer to not cross roads, but roads are not a real barrier to any species (of which I am aware) as some individuals, at least at some time or another in their life-history or life, cross roads. Many other species, however, are known to be attracted to roads, especially to take advantage of the possibility to thermoregulate(pick up warmth from the road), especially since many roads accumulate heat from the sun during the day and then release it slowly as the air cools in the evening, at night, or during a rain.
Individuals of many species can simply be found much more readily when in the relative open of a road than in their normal forest or field habitats. Little-used, blacktop or similar, clean roads are the easiest to search and the most productive; heavily-used, blacktop or similar roads in very poor repair, and dirt roads, are the opposite. The roads on the site frequently traveled were of the former type. Thus, whenever I drove to the site trailer to sign in or out for the workday, or to leave the site for meals, or to move from one area of the site to another for searching activities, I always carefully observed what I might find on the roads, dead or alive. Likewise, I asked other workers on this overall project to advise me on what they might have observed on the roads and, if possible, to bring me documentation (for example, photographs, dead specimens, etc.) of this.
- 5) Another way to obtain data was by enlisting the help of other individuals that worked on, or were otherwise familiar with, the site. Thus, I asked other Normandeau employees (primarily Charlie Dix, Keith Maurice, Becky Smith), the site managers (Chuck Thompson, Lindsay Stutzman, Steve Finch), and site archeologists (Terry - Butch- Newell and his student workers), for information that they might obtain/have obtained in the routines of performing their normal tasks. All were happy to cooperate. Also consulted were local police whom I met on the site, and one long-term resident on the site. This yielded some additional data. Their hours of effort are difficult to quantify and to add to the hours of effort by the author, but their hours and contributions are significant.
83 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- 6) Consulted were published books and reports and other for information on what species might occur on the site or adjacent. Particularly helpful were Conant and Collins 1998, Reptiles and amphibians of the central and eastern United States, Third Edition, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. However, although such publications provided guidelines, the greatest emphasis was placed on the results of groundtruthing the site.
Unless specified otherwise, all dates given in this report refer to the year 2008.
RESULTS A total of 27 species of amphibians and reptiles were recorded as occurring on the site, or adjacent.
Fifteen species were amphibians, of which eight were toad and frog species, and seven were salamander species. Twelve species were reptiles, of which five were turtle species, and seven were snakes. These species are listed in Table 1.
All these are species that have large and what are referred to as continental distributions, and all are found in large portions of North America. Further, all are widespread throughout the northeastern United States, including large portions of Pennsylvania. None has highly specialized habitat requirements, although those with the most-specialized habitats, the longtail salamander and the northern red salamander, require cool, clean, unpolluted waters, and the common map turtle is restricted to large rivers. Some of the total group of species are extremely adaptive and have been introduced into exotic habitat or have survived the man-made alterations of their natural landscape to survive in man-altered habitat (e. g., farm ponds, man-made lakes, urban environments) within their former natural ranges where they are doing extremely well (e. g., bullfrog, green frog, snapping turtle, eastern painted turtle, eastern garter snake, northern brown snake), and at least one species (bullfrog) into areas outside of its former natural range where it is doing well and often has even become a serious pest, i.e., a competitor with native species.
Most of the 27 species usually occur in large numbers where high-quality habitat is present. Many of these species could be found in abundance on the site, especially in their early life-history stages, namely their eggs and larvae (tadpoles) (e. g., eastern American toad, northern gray treefrog, green frog, red-spotted newt, eastern painted turtle), and the adults of some species could be heard calling by the dozens (e. g., northern gray treefrog, green frog, and spring peeper, the last of which calls in the spring, before I was on the survey, but was so reported to me by a co-worker). However, most reptiles and amphibians, especially the smaller species, survive by making themselves highly inconspicuous (by which they avoid aerial and terrestrial predators, and are also in turn able to closely approach their food), so that by definition, their observed numbers are rarely large, although they most likely are indeed numerous (as based on author observations elsewhere and on published studies). Further, a few of these species (e. g., the longtail salamander and the northern red salamander) are highly secretive and occur in wetlands types in which it is usually difficult to assess their numbers.
The secretive nature of many of these species is accentuated by their usually nocturnal behavior, especially in the warmer months, and by their being most active in rainy weather (e. g., almost all the amphibians listed, as well as the eastern milk snake), or when they become almost inactive (and thus extremely difficult to find) during hot and dry weather (e. g., many of the amphibians listed, and most of the reptiles). As previously mentioned, much of the soils of the area are highly productive.
84 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania This means that as the growing season progressed, the vegetation, especially of fields and marshes and wetlands, grew rampant and made effective searching for specimens extremely difficult. Some species, especially amphibians, can be found readily only during the period in which they concentrate at certain ponds for the purposes of reproduction. At this time, they may travel relatively large distances, some coming up from underground in order to do so, and some then making themselves conspicuous by loud species-specific calls. In our region of the world, most do this in the spring, and under certain weather conditions, usually during or after heavy rains, and mostly at night. Knowing where and when a given species is likely to reproduce is very important, for otherwise their existence in a given area may not be revealed, even to the generally observant person. Actual reproduction by most such species had already occurred by the time I stated on this project. However, another Normandeau employee did spend some time searching in earlier months, during the appropriate times. Species accounts and distributions follow.
Northern cricket frog (Figure 2.) - in November 2007, Enn Kotkas heard what was apparently one individual of this species calling in Walkers Run in the West-Central portion of area W-1, and another individual at the bridge on this creek where it crosses N. Market Street near the far NW corner of Area F-3. The species is probably more common and widespread on the site.
Eastern American toad (Figure 2.) - several adults of this species, numerous tadpoles, and some recently-metamorphosed individuals were noted at several widely scattered localities on the site.
Adults were seen on 6/6, 6/29, 7/16 (the last one was an old dead road-killed specimen in very poor condition), and one subadult on 9/6. Tadpoles were noted at two other localities on 6/20 and adjacent dates, and recently-metamorphosed young were noted very near the two localities at which tadpoles were seen, and on the same dates, and also on 8/21. Jayme Schaeffer mentioned seeing several adults on the site, but I do not have specific localities or dates. The species is probably widespread on the site.
Northern gray treefrog (Figure 2.) - this species was heard to call at numerous localities widely-distributed on the site as shown on the figure, and on most dates of my visit. Specific hearing dates for it were 5/29, 6/4, 6/5, 6/17, 6/19, 6/26, 6/27, 6/28, 7/14, 7/16, 7/17, 7/18, 8/19, 8/22, 9/5 and 9/6.
It is tied with the green frog for having the greatest number of localities for it on the site. Several of the vernal and permanent bodies of water on the site contained its tadpoles, often in abundance.
Calling adults could be heard at any time of the day or evening, and are usually most vociferous during or after rain, especially heavy rain. The incidences of its calling appeared to decrease after mid-July. Since it calls from up in trees, and usually becomes silent as a calling-site is approached, it is difficult to capture, although it is readily identified and located by its call.
Northern spring peeper (Figure 2.) - one young frog was found on 8/21 by Becky Smith, I heard several calling on 9/6, and I found one young on9/7. Enn Kotkas told me that he heard this species calling commonly throughout much of the site, mostly in lower-lying and wetter forest and also in some adjacent and more dry forest, in late October and November 2007; these records are not plotted because specific localities are not available. This is usually an early-spring breeder, when its calling, often in choruses of hundreds or thousands of frogs, makes it highly conspicuous; after breeding, the species seems to disappear.
Bullfrog (Figure 2.) - this species is moderately common at several localities on the site.
Observation/hearing dates for it, all of adults, were 5/29, 6/4, 6/5, 6/6, 6/20, and 7/17. Because it is 85 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania difficult to catch, and easy to confuse with the green frog at a distance, its occurrence on the site is probably underrepresented in the figure. It is widespread in North America and has been widely and unfortunately highly successfully introduced outside its natural distribution.
Green frog (Figure 2.) - this species was observed/heard at a large number of localities on the site.
Specific dates of such were 5/29, 6/4, 6/5, 6/6, 6/19, 6/20, 6/26, 6/27, 6/28, 7/14, 7/16, 7/17, 8/19, 8/20, 8/21, 9/5/ and 9/7. Most of these records are of adults and of subadults, and only a few tadpoles were observed. Visually, this was the most ubiquitous amphibian and reptile on the site.
The green frog occurs in meadows, marshes, woodlands, on pond, lake, and canal edges, in barren gravel pits, dirt-road pools, and generally any habitat with water, or with water nearby. It has a large distribution in eastern North America and it is usually a common species.
Pickerel frog (Figure 2.) - I have only a few records of this species from the site. Two adults were seen in a small marsh just below the Beaver Pond on 5/29, three just-metamorphosed individuals were seen on the edges of a (usually vernal) pond some 400 feet downstream of the previous site on 7/16 and 7/18, one adult was seen in a puddle in south-central area W-12, one adult was noted in a small pond in a corn field near the center of Area F-4 on 8/21, and one adult was noted in a marsh below the beaver dam in the northeastern part of area W-8. More search effort would probably reveal that it is more common and widely distributed on the site than is shown. It has a large distribution in North America, and is usually common in clean, clear, cool water, be it in springs, meadow streams, and woodland streams.
Wood frog (Figure 2.) - I have one record of this species from a Normandeau colleague, taken in April 2008 in Walkers Run at a point in the NW portion of area W-1, and I observed four more adults on 22 August in the SW portion of area W-12 and in the NW part of new Section No. 100, several adults in the woods along Walkers Run a short distance north of Beach Grove Road and E of Stone Church Road, and in the stream valley in the central portion of area W-10, those at the last two sites on 9/5, 9/6, and 9/7. A search for it earlier in the year would probably reveal it in much greater abundance as apparently ideal woodland habitat for it is common on the site.
Northern dusky salamander (Figure 3.) - some six specimens, all adults and subadults, were captured under rocks in a small stream in a heavily shaded glen on 7/17 and several other individuals were seen there, and about 10 adults were seen in the stream bed in mature deciduous forest in the center of section W-10 on 9/5 and 9/7. It probably occurs in other permanent and cool-water stream habitat on site. It is a widely distributed species and a usually common species in North America.
Northern two-lined salamander (Figure 3.) - this species was found as both larvae and adults. A few larvae were captured by Normandeau aquatic biologists while electrofishing in Walkers Run on the gravel by the bridge to the site trailer on 7/14, an adult was captured there on an unknown date in May or June 2008, several more were captured further upstream in this creek on 8/21 and 9/5 in the newly acquired lands, and four adults were noted on 7/17 in a clear, cool, rocky woodland stream (the ideal habitat) located just S of the main access road to the generating station from Rt. 11. It is usually very active, and thus can be difficult to capture and identify. It probably occurs in other clear, cool, stream habitat on the site. It has a large distribution in the United States and it is usually common in appropriate habitat.
86 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Longtail salamander (Figure 3.) - one adult about 6 inches (14.0 cm) in total length was found under a log on the edge of a small marsh in NE portion of W-8 on 5/29, another adult was found nearby on 8/19 under some rubber matting inside a very large metal pipe with a bit of water inside it, and several more adults were found on 8/21 and 9/5 under stones along Walkers Run near the extreme NW corner of the site, on the newly acquired lands. This species is highly secretive, usually nocturnal, and often difficult to find.
Redback salamander (Figure 3.) - this completely terrestrial salamander is represented on site by both the red-backed and the lead-backed color phases, but only a few individuals, all adult and one sub-adult, were found, and these at widely-distributed points on the site. Capture dates were 5/22, 5/29, 6/18, 7/17, 8/21, 9/5, and 9/7. It is probably much more common on the site than is represented by the few records presented as appropriate woodland habitat is common. This species had a large distribution and it is usually common where it occurs.
Slimy salamander (Figure 3.) - I found one juvenile of this salamander under loose bark of a downed tree near a small stream in central area W-11 on 8/20, and several adults in the woods of central portion of area W-10 on 9/5 and 9/7. It is secretive and nocturnal, usually hiding under wood or stones, and is no doubt more widely distributed on the site.
Red-spotted newt (Figure 3.) - found was one land stage (red eft) immature individual on 6/18 under an old railroad tie. numerous aquatic larvae in one vernal on 6/27 and 7/16 and one red eft here on 9/7, numerous adults in one permanent pond on 7/16, and one red eft where Walkers Run enters the woods at the border of area F-3 and W-1 (summer 2008). It probably occurs in other quiet and slow waters on the site, and the red eft, which is the dispersal phase in the life-history of this species, under appropriate conditions, can be expected to be found moving overland in any wooded habitat on the site, especially after a rain. It is a species with a very wide distribution and where found it is usually common to abundant.
Northern red salamander (Figure 3.) - one adult of this species was found on 6/19, under a coverboard in the same small marsh with a long-tailed salamander in NE area W-8; another adult under a small log next to Walkers Run on 8/21, and another adult under a stone next to a tiny creek on 8/21. This species is usually secretive and occurs burrowed in or otherwise well-hidden in the substrate of clear and clean marshes and mud, and thus is difficult to find. Overall, it has a wide distribution.
Snapping turtle (Figure 4.) - several adults, subadults, and one juvenile were found at several widely-distributed points on the site: some individuals were basking on logs (1 adult and 1 subadult 5/29, 1 subadult. 6/18), some small adults were discovered in water 6/20, 7/16, 9/7, one juvenile was caught in a trap on 7/18, and one large individual was found dead on 6/18 on Route 11 approximately one mile from the SW corner of the site. I have one more record of it, of a small snapper, from the archeologists, and another of a female digging a nest just before 5/31 in a field, but sighting dates and places are not exact and thus cannot be mapped. The species spends most of the time in the water and, although it reaches a large size, is thus not readily seen. It is no doubt more widely distributed and common on the site than these records indicate. It is widely distributed in North and Central America, and where it occurs, it is usually common.
87 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Eastern painted turtle (Figure 4.) - this was the most common turtle on the site and at one time and in one small man-made pond on 7/16 an estimated 200 heads of this species were seen poking out of surface duckweed; this species could be seen on every visit to Beaver Pond basking on logs and rocks; it occurred in the pond just S of the site trailer; one sub-adult was captured in a trap in a small man-made vernal pond near the West Building; the species was common in the canals and ponds in the SE portion of the site near the Susquehanna River and where some six nests were found on 6/18; one was seen in a barren moon-landscape of an active quarry just S of area F-9 (Figure 1); and one was crossing Beach Grove road near Bullfrog Pond in area F-6. Overall, I have dates of observation of it from 5/29 to 9/5. This subspecies has a large range in the eastern United States, and the species is distributed from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts of North America.
Wood turtle (Figure 4.) - at least two adults, and possibly up to four, were noted in this survey.
Two, possibly three (one individual noted by RGA might have been the same individual shown to me in a cell phone photograph taken by the site manager, or it might have been another individual the quality of the photos did not allow positive identification), were noted in and near Walkers Run in the general vicinity of the site trailer, and one (properly identified?) was noted by an archeologist to cross Beach Grove Road near Bullfrog Pond in area F-6 (Figure 1). Dates of observation were 6/1, 6/4, 6/25 and 6/27. In addition to the previous records, Mrs. Hummel, the landowner nearest the junction of Beach Grove Road and N. Market Street, near the NW extreme of the site, told me she saw wood turtles crossing Beach Gove Road at the Walkers Run passage there frequently over the years. This species hibernates in winter in a creek such as Walkers Run, and then forages and reproduces in adjacent woods and meadows in the warmer months. Where most of the specimens were found on the site is classical habitat for the species.
Common map turtle (Figure 4.) - one adult female was found dead on Route 11 about 1.5 miles from the SW corner of the site on 6/18. This river-dwelling turtle is expected only in the main-stem of the Susquehanna River, except for females, such as this one, on several days of the year, that had moved up a high and steep river embankment and then along a dirt road and then onto a highway, for a total distance from the river of at least 600 feet, in an effort to find a suitable nest site. The dead animal was large and measured 8.1 inches (20.7 cm) straight-line carapace length (and with extended head and legs it appeared even larger), and when I first noted the carcass, as I was rapidly driving by it, I believed it to be a dead snapping turtle. Only the next morning, when I drove past it again and then stopped and returned to examine it, did I discover that it was a map turtle. It contained at least seven eggs (the carcass and some eggs were smashed) that were ready to be deposited.
Eastern box turtle (Figure 4.) - four adults of this terrestrial species were found at widely-distributed parts of the site, on the dates 5/22, 6/5, 6/17, and 9/7. All were found near or on the edges of open fields, or in a field. I have one more record from the archeologists on site, but sight dates and places are inexact and thus cannot be mapped. The juveniles and sub-adults of this species are known to be very difficult to find because they are so secretive, the adults much less so, but in an area such as much of the site, with luxuriant vegetation in the mid- to late-summer, even adults can disappear, and hot and dry weather results in it to aestivate. This is a widely-distributed species in North America. While still common in many areas, it is becoming less so as its needs conflict with the increasing human population.
Northern black racer (Figure 5.) - six adults of this species were found, at widely distributed parts of the site, all in open, grassy areas, on the dates 5/22, 6/4, 6/6,and 6/28 (two of these snakes were 88 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania found on more than one date), and one dead-on-road hatchling on Beach Grove Road on 8/21. Four adults were found in proximity to each other: two of these probably hibernated near each other, two were sheltering under the same small area of patio blocks by the West Building; and two others were crossing Beach Grove Road about 200 feet apart just N of the two cooling towers and moving in the same direction. This is a common and widely-distributed snake, and still often survives in proximity to people, such as on popular barrier islands and near farm buildings. It can probably do so because it is highly alert and can readily evade humans, and because it is a generalist feeder.
Eastern milk snake (Figure 5.) - records of four live specimens of this colorful species were obtained, one a 2007 hatchling alive on Beach Grove Road on 7/16, one a 2006 hatchling under a stone on a powerline right-of-way on 6/5 (where I had been tipped off to the possible presence of a snake by finding a shed skin under that same stone a few days earlier), one adult at a farm house at the junction of Beach Grove Road and N. Market Street in summer 2007, and another adult at the edge of the latter road on 5/30. A dead-on-road young snake was found on the edge of N. Market Street and near the junction with Beach Grove Road on 9/5. The owner of a home and out-buildings here, Mrs. Hummel, described snakes she had seen here over the years, and they must have been milk snakes. This species is common in man-disturbed habitat, and especially near and in barns, foundations of occupied homes, and foundations of old and abandoned homes. These structures provide shelter and usually indicate the presence of small mammals, a major food.
Northern water snake (Figure 5.) - this is a species that I had expected more commonly on the site, given how much suitable-looking aquatic habitat is present and my efforts searching in such habitat.
However, I have records of only four specimens, all adults, on the site, and by two sets of individuals and myself. One snake was seen swimming in the pond some 150 feet S of the site trailer on 6/17, one was taken by a fish-shocker in Beaver Pond in the SE part of area W-9 on 7/14, one was taken by such a shocker in Walkers Run in the NW corner of area W-1 on 7/14, and one was found under a rock on near Walkers Run in the newly-acquired land on 8/21. This is a widely-distributed species in much of eastern North America, is usually common, and is common in man-made and man-disturbed areas, such as ponds, lakes, dams, dykes and other retaining walls, etc., where it feeds mostly on fishes, frogs and tadpoles.
Eastern ribbon snake (Figure 5.) - one adult of this snake was reported to me seen in summer 2008 by Chuck Thompson from the pond just S of the site trailer .
Eastern garter snake (Figure 5.) - this was by far the most common and widely-distributed snake on the site, and a total of about 25 different individuals were found, some of them at the same sites repeatedly over a period of several day and doing the same things (exposed and basking or hiding under barkI got to know some of the snakes and their behavior with predictability). The dates of capture or observation ranged from 5/22 to 9/7. Snakes ranged from young-of-year individuals born in 2008 to adults; as a group they were found basking in stone walls, hiding under rocks, under sheets of plastic, under loose bark of fallen trees, basking on fallen tree trunks, basking on rocks next to a marsh, alive on paved roads, dead on paved roads, in open sunlighted areas (fields), and in mature mesic wood habitat. This species has a large distribution in the eastern North America, and is common even in urban areas such as New York City in parks and in vacant lots, in backyards in suburbia, and in farmed areas. Its relatively small size and food of earthworms and frogs and tadpoles facilitate such lives.
89 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Northern brown snake (Figure 5.) - four adults of this species were found on the site: one under dead grass next to a small stream in a sunlighted wetland on 5/29, two under loose stones of a stone wall within inches of an adult garter snake on the edge of Confers Lane on 6/18, and one under bark of a large dead tree in a moist field in area 100 on 8/20. The adults are about 11 inches (4.3 cm) long.
This is a very widely-distributed species, and it occurs commonly in urban and suburban areas, where its small size and camouflaged coloration easily conceal it, and its food of worms and slugs is usually common. It is no doubt widespread and common on the site.
Northern ringneck snake (Figure 5.) - three adults of this species were found, both in mature mesic forest, one near the center of area W-10 among old truck inner tubes next to a paved road on 9/5, and two under adjacent stones on a forested slope on the E side of the valley of Walkers Run (in newly-acquired land) on 9/6. All were of approximately the same total length, and the one that was measured was 39 cm long.
DISCUSSION Additional species of amphibians and reptiles can be expected to be found on the site. These include, especially, smooth green snake, Opheodrys vernalis; northern red-bellied snake, Storeria o.
occipitomaculata; and black rat snake, Elaphe o. obsoleta. Suitable habitat for these species, and the site is well-within the distribution of all, appears to be present. Perhaps further searching will reveal them to be here. All are widely-distributed and usually common species, and none is a species of concern in Pennsylvania.
Other species that occur generally in this area of Pennsylvania include the timber rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus. I found no suitable habitat, such as rock ledges, rock and boulder slides, and relatively wild forested habitat, for this species on site. Further, the long agricultural and other human-occupation history of the site suggests that if the species did once occur, it has by now long been extirpated. The same comments can be made locally about the northern copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen. Typically, long after such serpents have been extirpated from an area, rumors of their existence there still persist, and I have no indication of even rumors referable to the survey site.
The eastern hognose snake, Heterodon platyrhinos, can be expected to occur locally. No specimen was found. Usually, population density of this species in habitat as occurs on the site, if the species indeed occurs, is low. More optimal habitat for it would be areas with more sand and with a higher population of toads, which are its almost exclusive food. Because of the spectacular anti-predator behavior display of this species, with spreading neck hood, hissing, and mouth-gaping, its presence in an area is usually known by local persons, and the presence of the snake on the site would be known (probably exaggerated). So, far, such was not recorded, which makes me believe that the species is absent from the area, or highly uncommon.
According to Conant and Collins (1998), the redbelly turtle, Pseudemys rubriventris, does not occur this far away from south-eastern Pennsylvania, along the Delaware River, the only area in the state from which it is reliably known as occurring naturally. When adult, this turtle is large and this, along with its conspicuous basking behavior, make it relatively noticeable. No redbelly turtle was noted in this survey, nor is likely to be. If it should be found in the area, which is highly unlikely, it would be as a result of introduced (released or escaped) individuals.
90 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania The eastern spadefoot, Scaphiopus holbrooki, is an amphibian that occurs in a limited portion of Pennsylvania, namely in a narrow wedge, with a point in approximately central Pennsylvania, and this extending to a bit wider base to the southern state line. No evidence of it on the site was found, nor is it likely to be. According to Conant and Collins (1998), it does not occur in or near that part of Pennsylvania that includes the study site. It is an explosive breeder that may remain underground for years at a time, to rise to the surface after a major rain event in summer, to reproduce, feed for a few days, and then return underground.
91 Rev. 4
F-11 RR-1 W-10 F-6 W-9 F-7 F-12 F-5 W-13 W-7 F-8 W-11 W-8 O-1 F-10 F-4 W-6 W-12 F-3
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Locations of observations for eight species NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS of frogs and toads on the BBNPP site, 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 May through September 2008.
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Locations of observations for seven species NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS of salamanders on the BBNPP site, 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 May through September 2008.
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Locations of observations for five species NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS of turtles on the BBNPP site, 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 May through September 2008.
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Locations of observations for seven species NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS of snakes on the BBNPP site, 400 Old Reading Pike, Bldg A, Suite 101 Stowe, PA 19464 May through September 2008.
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Captures:
A total of sixteen (16) bats representing three (3) species were captured during the survey:
Species Sex Number of bats Reproductive Status Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) F 2 lactating Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) M 1 juvenile Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) F 1 juvenile Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) M 3 adult Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) F 1 pregnant Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) F 4 lactating Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) M 4 adult Specific details showing date of capture and net locations are shown in Appendix 2.
Each of the captured bats was tagged with a permanent, aluminum wrist-band for future identification, and this number will be included in a separate report to be filed with PA Game Commission.
Acoustic monitoring:
Bat activity was monitored acoustically using hand-held AnaBat ultrasonic detectors (Titley Electronics).
These instruments have a detection frequency range of 10 - 200 kHz, and sufficient sensitivity to monitor bat echolocation calls flying along the netting corridors as well as above the tree canopy. Acoustic monitoring occurred at 20-minute intervals at each of the net sites throughout each sampling night. Additionally, bat activity was monitored at the beginning and end of each sampling night along transects perpendicular to the ridge away from each net site. The activity at the ponds was monitored separately, to gain a better appreciation for overall bat activity on the property.
The capture data reflects the generally low level of bat activity detected in the areas sampled, which was fairly uniform at each of the net sites as well as along transects through the surrounding area. Bat activity was uniformly low along the road in W-7, starting a less than 1 bat pass per minute at dusk as the nets were set, and dropping off through the survey period each night to less than 4 - 5 passes per hour after midnight.
Generally, activity was a bit higher by the Beaver Pond, starting at 4 - 5 bat passes per minute at dusk, dropping to 1-2 passes per minute around midnight and falling off afterwards to less than one pass per minute.
Temperatures were typically hot and humid at dusk throughout the survey period (daytime averages over 85 98 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania F), and remained elevated throughout the sampling each night, except for 7/10/08 when the temperature at midnight had dropped to 54 F. There were no captures that night.
Most of the activity was recorded from bats flying below canopy level, lower than the 3-tier (9m) mist nets, so the acoustic monitoring represents a reasonable estimate of bat activity along the corridors sampled that resulted in the captures reported. The echolocation signals detected were consistent with E. fuscus as well as the Myotis species captured, but it is not possible to reliably distinguish between all Myotis species using acoustic methods. There was no indication of higher-flying species (like L. borealis or L. cinereus) which can readily be discriminated by their echolocation signatures.
Recommendations:
The capture of reproductively active (pregnant and lactating) females and juvenile bats suggests that this area supports maternity roosts of some bat species during the summer months. Although big brown bats (E.
fuscus) and little brown bats (M. lucifugus) preferentially roost in human structures such as barns and attics, particularly when forming maternity colonies (Barbour and Davis, 1969), these bats can also form maternity roosts in tree cavities (Brigham, 1991; Fenton and Barclay, 1980). The capture of only adult male Myotis septentrionalis, which are tree-roosting species (Barbour and Davis, 1969), provides additional evidence for the existence of roost sites in the area surveyed, but not maternity colonies of females and young. While little brown bats tend to forage along the edges of wooded areas, M. septentrionalis is also known to forage in more cluttered forested areas, below the canopy but above the understory shrub layer (LaVal et al., 1977).
Both little brown bats and big brown bats have been shown to forage preferentially in riparian areas (Kurta, 1982), as have endangered Indiana Bats (Murray and Kurta, 2004). The absence of significant bodies of water on this property, and the low level of bat activity detected over the ponds present on the property, suggests that even resident bats might seek other areas over which to forage.
The primary objective of this survey was to determine the extent of Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) activity in this area, with particular attention to summer habitat for roosting and reproduction. Despite suitable habitat for both roosting and foraging, there were no Indiana Bats (Myotis sodalis) captured during this survey.
While we might expect capture rates of Indiana bats to be low, as other studies (e.g. Callahan et al., 1997; Kurta et al., 1996) have shown that the bats roost singly or in small groups in hollow trees or underneath loose bark during the summer, there was potential for capture of Indiana Bats moving through the habitat if these bats were present in any reasonable number, as would be expected of resident bats.
The members of a maternity colony of Indiana bats typically roost in 10-20 trees each summer (Callahan et al., 1997; Kurta et al., 1996). Although some colonies restrict roosting to an area of only a few hectares, other Indiana bats use trees that are 8-9 km apart (Kurta et al., 1996). Radio-tracking studies of the Indiana Bat (Murray and Kurta, 2004) show that these bats do not fly over open fields but travel along wooded corridors, even though such behavior may increase commuting distance by over 50%. Given this variability, it is difficult to predict the movements of bats within any one colony, but the failure to capture any Indiana Bats despite suitable roosting and foraging areas does not provide evidence for their presence on the site.
Based upon these results, particularly the failure to capture any M. sodalis, it would seem that the clearing of trees proposed for the development of the Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant project is unlikely to have a direct impact on the roosting or foraging activity of Indiana Bats in this area. There is so little wooded habitat on the property, that it seems likely that other areas surrounding the site would provide more adequate roosting and foraging habitat for tree-roosting species, including the Indiana Bat. The presence of trees of the appropriate size and species in which bats might roost does not preclude the potential for roost colonies of several species (see Barbour and Davis, 1969), including those species captured in this study, as well as the Indiana Bat, despite the absence of captures. Development of this property should proceed with this potential in mind, by conserving candidate roost trees whenever possible and removing these trees when necessary 99 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania during times outside the normal breeding season. Bats returning from hibernation typically resume residence in maternity roosts by late April, and most reproductive colonies have disbanded by late August, and so limiting the disturbance of the habitat to periods outside this breeding season will minimize the disruption of resident colonies.
100 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Appendix 1: Details of bat captures Capture date Net # Species Sex Number of bats Reproductive Status 6/7/08 2 M. lucifugus F 1 pregnant 3 M. lucifugus M 1 adult 3 M. septentrionalis M 1 adult 6/8/08 1 M. septentrionalis M 1 adult 6/26/08 2 M. lucifugus M 1 adult 7/1/08 2 E. fuscus F 1 lactating 7/2/08 1 E. fuscus F 1 lactating 2 M. septentrionalis M 1 adult 7/8/08 7 E. fuscus M 1 juvenile 7 E. fuscus F 1 juvenile 7 M. lucifugus M 1 adult 9 M. lucifugus F 1 lactating 7/11/08 7 M. lucifugus F 1 lactating 7 M. septentrionalis M 1 adult 7 M. lucifugus F 2 lactating 101 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania LITERATURE CITED:
Barbour, R.W. and W.H. Davis. 1969. Bats of America. The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington. 286 pp.
Brigham, R.M. 1991. Flexibility in foraging and roosting behaviour by the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus).
Can. J. Zool. 69:117-121.
Callahan, E.V., R.D. Drobney and R.L. Clawson. 1997. Selection of summer roosting sites by Indiana bats (Myotis sodalist) in Missouri. J. Mammal. 78:818-825.
Fenton, M.B. and R.M.R. Barclay. 1980. Myotis lucifugus. Mammal. Sepcies 142:1-8.
Kurta, A. 1982. Flight patterns of Eptesicus fuscus and Myotis lucifugus over a stream. J. Mammal. 63(2):
335-337 Kurta A., K.J. Williams and R. Mies. 1996. Ecological, behavioral, and thermal observations of a peripheral population of Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis). Pp. 102-117 in Bats and forests. (R.M.R. Barclay and R.M. Brigham, eds.). Research Branch, Ministry of Forests, Province of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
LaVal, R.K., R.L. Clawson, M.L. LaVal and W. Caire. 1977. Foraging behavior and nocturnal activity patterns of Missouri bats, with emphasis on the endangered species Myotis grisescens and Myotis sodalis. J. Mammal. 58(4):592-599.
Murray, S.W. and A. Kurta. 2004. Nocturnal activity of the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis).
Journal of Zoology 262:197-206.
102 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania APPENDIX C:
SURVEY OF RARE BUTTERFLIES AT BBNPP SITE Location: Bell Bend tract in Salem Twp., Luzerne Co.
First Survey Date: June 12, 2008 Methods: I spent 6 hours6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> searching the tract for adults and appropriate habitat of two species of butterfly turned up in a PNDI review of the property. The weather was excellent for insect activity with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s between the hours of 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. I searched appropriate habitat for adult butterflies near food plants and on nectar sources. I used a pair of 8X binoculars and also carried a net to collect voucher specimens where appropriate.
Findings: I collected one worn female of Polites mystic (Long Dash) in a powerline right-of-way (see attached map). The area appeared to be good habitat for this species with a mixture of wet meadow and emergent marsh vegetation. Based on the condition of this specimen, I speculate that the first brood of this species was almost over and I probably would have found more individuals had I been there 1-2 weeks earlier.
I found no evidence of Euphydras phaeton (Baltimore Checkerspot) on site despite being there during the period when the adults should be flying and having excellent weather conditions. The habitat of the large emergent marsh to the south of the BBNPP trailer (see attached map) looked very good for this species. I did not locate any Turtlehead, the preferred larval food plant, but I did see a few Hairy Beardtongue plants which are listed as an alternate larval host. This species is large and conspicuous and would be difficult to miss.
Species observed during the survey:
Spicebush, Tiger, and Black Swallowtails, Clouded and Orange Sulfurs, Cabbage Butterfly, Meadow and Great-spangled Fritillaries, Question Mark, Viceroy, Red-spotted Purple, Painted Lady, Eastern Tailed-blue, Summer Azure, Little Wood Satyr, Common Ringlet, Juvenals Duskywing, Northern Cloudywing, Silver-spotted, European, Least, Pecks, Long Dash, and Hobomoke Skippers Second Survey Date: July 18, 2008 Methods: I spent 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> searching the tract for adults and appropriate habitat of two additional species of butterfly turned up in a PNDI review of the property. The weather was excellent for insect activity with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s between the hours of 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. I searched appropriate habitat for adult butterflies near food plants and on nectar sources. I used a pair of 8X binoculars and also carried a net to collect voucher specimens where appropriate.
Findings: I collected a pair and observed at least 8-10 more individuals of Euphyes conspicua (Black Dash) in the same marsh referenced above. Adults were perching on vegetation and nectaring on Swamp Milkweed blossoms. This is a PNDI tracked species with a state rank of S3. I did not find any Poanes massasoit (Mulberry Wing) in this same marsh despite an exhaustive search. I also did not see any E. phaeton on this second visit either. I also searched an area of open woodlands near the 103 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Susquehanna River for Enodia anthedon (Northern Pearly-eye) but I did not locate this species either. This is another large and conspicuous species that would be difficult to overlook.
Additional species observed during the second survey:
Silver-bordered Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Appalachian Eyed-brown, Black Dash, Dun Skipper.
Submitted by: Daniel Bogar 104 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania during times outside the normal breeding season. Bats returning from hibernation typically resume residence in maternity roosts by late April, and most reproductive colonies have disbanded by late August, and so limiting the disturbance of the habitat to periods outside this breeding season will minimize the disruption of resident colonies.
100 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Appendix 1: Details of bat captures Capture date Net # Species Sex Number of bats Reproductive Status 6/7/08 2 M. lucifugus F 1 pregnant 3 M. lucifugus M 1 adult 3 M. septentrionalis M 1 adult 6/8/08 1 M. septentrionalis M 1 adult 6/26/08 2 M. lucifugus M 1 adult 7/1/08 2 E. fuscus F 1 lactating 7/2/08 1 E. fuscus F 1 lactating 2 M. septentrionalis M 1 adult 7/8/08 7 E. fuscus M 1 juvenile 7 E. fuscus F 1 juvenile 7 M. lucifugus M 1 adult 9 M. lucifugus F 1 lactating 7/11/08 7 M. lucifugus F 1 lactating 7 M. septentrionalis M 1 adult 7 M. lucifugus F 2 lactating 101 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania LITERATURE CITED:
Barbour, R.W. and W.H. Davis. 1969. Bats of America. The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington. 286 pp.
Brigham, R.M. 1991. Flexibility in foraging and roosting behaviour by the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus).
Can. J. Zool. 69:117-121.
Callahan, E.V., R.D. Drobney and R.L. Clawson. 1997. Selection of summer roosting sites by Indiana bats (Myotis sodalist) in Missouri. J. Mammal. 78:818-825.
Fenton, M.B. and R.M.R. Barclay. 1980. Myotis lucifugus. Mammal. Sepcies 142:1-8.
Kurta, A. 1982. Flight patterns of Eptesicus fuscus and Myotis lucifugus over a stream. J. Mammal. 63(2):
335-337 Kurta A., K.J. Williams and R. Mies. 1996. Ecological, behavioral, and thermal observations of a peripheral population of Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis). Pp. 102-117 in Bats and forests. (R.M.R. Barclay and R.M. Brigham, eds.). Research Branch, Ministry of Forests, Province of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
LaVal, R.K., R.L. Clawson, M.L. LaVal and W. Caire. 1977. Foraging behavior and nocturnal activity patterns of Missouri bats, with emphasis on the endangered species Myotis grisescens and Myotis sodalis. J. Mammal. 58(4):592-599.
Murray, S.W. and A. Kurta. 2004. Nocturnal activity of the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis).
Journal of Zoology 262:197-206.
102 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania APPENDIX C:
SURVEY OF RARE BUTTERFLIES AT BBNPP SITE Location: Bell Bend tract in Salem Twp., Luzerne Co.
First Survey Date: June 12, 2008 Methods: I spent 6 hours6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> searching the tract for adults and appropriate habitat of two species of butterfly turned up in a PNDI review of the property. The weather was excellent for insect activity with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s between the hours of 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. I searched appropriate habitat for adult butterflies near food plants and on nectar sources. I used a pair of 8X binoculars and also carried a net to collect voucher specimens where appropriate.
Findings: I collected one worn female of Polites mystic (Long Dash) in a powerline right-of-way (see attached map). The area appeared to be good habitat for this species with a mixture of wet meadow and emergent marsh vegetation. Based on the condition of this specimen, I speculate that the first brood of this species was almost over and I probably would have found more individuals had I been there 1-2 weeks earlier.
I found no evidence of Euphydras phaeton (Baltimore Checkerspot) on site despite being there during the period when the adults should be flying and having excellent weather conditions. The habitat of the large emergent marsh to the south of the BBNPP trailer (see attached map) looked very good for this species. I did not locate any Turtlehead, the preferred larval food plant, but I did see a few Hairy Beardtongue plants which are listed as an alternate larval host. This species is large and conspicuous and would be difficult to miss.
Species observed during the survey:
Spicebush, Tiger, and Black Swallowtails, Clouded and Orange Sulfurs, Cabbage Butterfly, Meadow and Great-spangled Fritillaries, Question Mark, Viceroy, Red-spotted Purple, Painted Lady, Eastern Tailed-blue, Summer Azure, Little Wood Satyr, Common Ringlet, Juvenals Duskywing, Northern Cloudywing, Silver-spotted, European, Least, Pecks, Long Dash, and Hobomoke Skippers Second Survey Date: July 18, 2008 Methods: I spent 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> searching the tract for adults and appropriate habitat of two additional species of butterfly turned up in a PNDI review of the property. The weather was excellent for insect activity with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s between the hours of 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. I searched appropriate habitat for adult butterflies near food plants and on nectar sources. I used a pair of 8X binoculars and also carried a net to collect voucher specimens where appropriate.
Findings: I collected a pair and observed at least 8-10 more individuals of Euphyes conspicua (Black Dash) in the same marsh referenced above. Adults were perching on vegetation and nectaring on Swamp Milkweed blossoms. This is a PNDI tracked species with a state rank of S3. I did not find any Poanes massasoit (Mulberry Wing) in this same marsh despite an exhaustive search. I also did not see any E. phaeton on this second visit either. I also searched an area of open woodlands near the 103 Rev. 4
A Field Survey of Terrestrial Fauna at the Proposed Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Site, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Susquehanna River for Enodia anthedon (Northern Pearly-eye) but I did not locate this species either. This is another large and conspicuous species that would be difficult to overlook.
Additional species observed during the second survey:
Silver-bordered Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Appalachian Eyed-brown, Black Dash, Dun Skipper.
Submitted by: Daniel Bogar 104 Rev. 4