REV102571 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

NEO-TROPICAL BIRDS Birds observed, other than listed species and raptors, were what would be expected in the various habitat types found in the project azea. A total of 70 species were observed while conducting transects or as opportunistic observations. In May there were numerous species of migrating birds observed in the study area. By June numbers for many of those species declined as they moved on through the azea. Some were not nesters and by June were not observed in the azea. Birds that breed in the area were then observed almost exclusively. As is commonly found when conducting bird studies, there aze prefen•ed habitat types within any study area. In addition, there aze birds that are habitat generalists and others that have specific habitat requirements. As shown by the data, Aspen and Gamble oak/mountain shrub support the greatest density and diversity of birds. Both the density and diversity of birds would probably have been higher had there been more riparian habitat in the study area. Riparian habitat was very limited due to the steepness of the drainages and lacked the vegetation typically found in riparian azeas where the gradient is less. The greatest diversity of birds in riparian habitat was found along Hubbazd Creek in areas where there was less gradient and vegetation such as willows and red osier dogwood was more common. Many of the species shown for the riparian habitat were also found in other habitats. This is a reflection of the influence of neighboring habitat types. The lazge expanses of aspen and oakbrush/mountain shrub habitat help minimize the potential impacts to neo-tropical birds from lost habitat due to construction of drill pads and access roads. Considering the total number of acres of these types available and the few acres that will be lost, potential impacts to these birds will be minor. In addition, as sites and roads are reclaimed, vegetative species used to revegetate these azeas will add to the diversity of the areas. Other studies in the North Fork Valley have shown that as vegetation becomes established along the road corridors and around pads, both the density and diversity of birds increases. AMPIBLANS AND REPTILES While conducting transects and raptor surveys observations of amphibians and reptiles were kept. The only species of amphibian observed or heard were chorus frogs that were found in many ponds located in the project azea. These ponds were checked for evidence of other amphibians. There were none observed nor were there any egg masses or tadpoles observed in the ponds. All ponds were man made structures that were built for livestock watering purposes. These ponds typically dry up eazly in the summer, which probably limits their use by amphibians. All drainages aze steep with swift flowing water, which limits their use by amphibians. The only species of reptile observed was the western terrestrial garter snake. This snake was observed in the lazge slump azea just west of Thousand Acre Flats. 14