Spion Kop Wind Farm: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks New Role in Wind Energy

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) has acquired a new role in working with NorthWestern Energy to plan and implement the post construction monitoring (PCM) at Spion Kop Wind Farm, located on the southern slopes of the Highwood Mountains near Geyser, Montana. The objectives of this project are not only to assess the bird and bat fatalities and impacts of habitat loss as a result of construction and operation, but to work together to make a standard for wind energy monitoring in Montana, implementing any further mitigation measures and research as determined by the outcome of the PCM, and eventually making all findings available to the public for reference. Using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines and Eagle Conservation Plan Guidance, FWP will estimate bird and bat fatalities through conducting formal fatality searches, assess the risk to eagles through standard eagle point counts, monitor all eagle nests within the project area, search for new nests through flight surveys, and monitor species of concern including bat activity, nesting of non-eagle raptors, and sharp-tailed (Tympanuchus phasianellus) grouse leks. Through early PCM work, an active Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) nest was discovered just .70 miles away from the nearest wind turbine. This, as well as the challenges realized through pilot fatality searches, has made FWP have to adapt the PCM plan accordingly. Where the project is currently as well as the future goals and objectives are addressed

Assessing Impacts From One Year of Monitoring at a Wind Farm in Central Montana

In 2015, NorthWestern Energy, owner of Spion Kop Wind Farm, contracted Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to assess impacts on birds and bats and formed a Technical Advisory Committee to guide research and monitoring. An explicit objective was to ensure all methods and results are publicly available. We searched turbines weekly May-September, 2016 for mortalities, assessed eagle use via point counts year-round and the Montana Natural Heritage Program deployed acoustic bat detectors to record echolocation sequences for activity. Estimates of fatality were determined by adjusting raw carcass counts for bias using the Huso (2011) Fatality Estimator software. Bat activity and species presence were quantified through analysis of call sequences. We observed three Golden Eagles, Aquila chrysaetos, on counts for a total of 3 eagle use minutes. We found carcasses of two Western Meadowlarks, Sturnella neglecta, 15 Hoary Bats, Lasiurus cinereus, and five Silver-haired Bats, Lasionycteris noctivigans. The mean bird fatality estimate was 14 (95% CI: 9-20) and for bats 221 (95% CI: 120-397). An estimate of raptor fatality is of interest, but since no raptor fatalities were encountered we used the Huso (2014) Evidence of Absence (EOA) software to assess likelihood of a raptor collision. We can assert with 95% credibility that no more than 3 raptors were killed at the site. Impacts to birds are low relative to other wind farms in the west. The observed bat fatality rate (5.5 bats/MW) is below the average but above the median fatality rate observed at 49 wind farms in the mid-west

Scavenger removal of bird carcasses at simulated wind turbines: Does carcass type matter?

Wind energy development can negatively impact bird populations due to bird–turbine collisions. To accurately estimate bird mortality at wind farms, the number of dead birds found under turbines is commonly corrected for carcass removal by scavengers, which is quantified by measuring persistence of experimental carcasses through time. These studies often use domestic birds as surrogates because carcasses of wild birds (e.g., raptors) are difficult to obtain. We assessed scavenger removal of carcasses from five bird species at simulated turbines to determine whether domestic surrogates are scavenged at a different rate than raptors, species of interest for wind turbine mortality. The percentage of carcasses scavenged during 14-d rounds ranged from 34.6% for American kestrels (Falco sparverius) to 65.4% for chickens (Gallus gallus), and the percentage of carcasses completely removed ranged from 13.5% for red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) to 67.3% for northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). Carcass type (i.e., species) was the only predictor included in the best-fit logistic regression model of complete carcass removal, and a survival analysis indicated carcass type influenced elapsed time to scavenging events. Our results suggest the use of surrogate species to quantify carcass removal at wind turbines could lead to inaccurate mortality estimates

Mammal responses to global changes in human activity vary by trophic group and landscape

Wildlife must adapt to human presence to survive in the Anthropocene, so it is critical to understand species responses to humans in different contexts. We used camera trapping as a lens to view mammal responses to changes in human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across 163 species sampled in 102 projects around the world, changes in the amount and timing of animal activity varied widely. Under higher human activity, mammals were less active in undeveloped areas but unexpectedly more active in developed areas while exhibiting greater nocturnality. Carnivores were most sensitive, showing the strongest decreases in activity and greatest increases in nocturnality. Wildlife managers must consider how habituation and uneven sensitivity across species may cause fundamental differences in human–wildlife interactions along gradients of human influence.Peer reviewe

Use of predator hair to enhance perceived risk to white-tailed deer in a foraging context

Deer react to predator scent in varying degrees even when exposed to unknown predators. This response could be genetically based and maintained as long as the population is exposed to predation. We tested whether predator scent in the form of hair would enhance perceived risk and serve as a foraging repellent to free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). During the winters of 2013 and 2014, we quantified alert behaviors and consumption of whole-kernel corn in response to current (coyote [Canis latrans]) and extirpated (bobcat [Lynx rufus]; black bear [Ursus americanus]) predator species alone and in combination with a partial visual barrier. Due to changes in herd dynamics and weather conditions, we did not compare results between years. We found enhanced alert behavior in all experiments except the 2014 exposure to coyote hair. Alert behaviors were heightened for about 4 days after hair placement. However, corn consumption was reduced only in the 2013 coyote-hair experiment. Our results suggest predator hair, when used alone and in conjunction with a form of visual barrier, can provide an element of protection from deer damage, but energetic needs will override the enhanced perceived risk caused by predator hair. Further work integrating complete visual barriers with predator hair is warranted

Scavenger removal of bird carcasses at simulated wind turbines: Does carcass type matter?

Wind energy development can negatively impact bird populations due to bird–turbine collisions. To accurately estimate bird mortality at wind farms, the number of dead birds found under turbines is commonly corrected for carcass removal by scavengers, which is quantified by measuring persistence of experimental carcasses through time. These studies often use domestic birds as surrogates because carcasses of wild birds (e.g., raptors) are difficult to obtain. We assessed scavenger removal of carcasses from five bird species at simulated turbines to determine whether domestic surrogates are scavenged at a different rate than raptors, species of interest for wind turbine mortality. The percentage of carcasses scavenged during 14-d rounds ranged from 34.6% for American kestrels (Falco sparverius) to 65.4% for chickens (Gallus gallus), and the percentage of carcasses completely removed ranged from 13.5% for red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) to 67.3% for northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). Carcass type (i.e., species) was the only predictor included in the best-fit logistic regression model of complete carcass removal, and a survival analysis indicated carcass type influenced elapsed time to scavenging events. Our results suggest the use of surrogate species to quantify carcass removal at wind turbines could lead to inaccurate mortality estimates