Vantage to Pomona FEIS Index 34 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 3 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Affected Environment PAGE 3-85 (WDFW 2011b; Guggenmos 2012). Migratory Birds with potential to occur in the Project study area are discussed further in Appendix B-8 - Migratory Bird Conservation Plan. Passerines and Other Birds The Project study area lies within the critical breeding habitat of the black swift (Cypseloides niger); however, nesting habitat for the black swift is highly specialized in forested areas near rivers. Nests are often located behind waterfalls or on damp cliffs (BirdWeb 2008). Suitable nesting habitat is unlikely to occur within the Project study area; however, the Project study area is on the eastern edge of their foraging, summer non-breeding range (Opperman et al. 2006). The black-throated sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) occurs in desert scrub, saltbush (Atriplex sp.), greasewood (Sarcobatus sp.), sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) and rabbitbrush shrublands (Paige and Ritter 1999). In Washington, they often favor degraded and dry, rocky areas along Columbia River (BirdWeb 2008; Opperman et al. 2006). The Project study area is within the black- throated sparrow’s core breeding habitat zone and suitable habitat is present within the Project study area. Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) are generally found in tall-grass prairies, hay fields, and similar open areas (BirdWeb 2008). The Project study area is not within the bobolinks breeding habitat zone. Limited suitable habitat exists in developed agricultural land within the Project study area. Cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) inhabit open, lowland woodlands with shrubs and small trees, especially when berry-producing trees and shrubs are present. They are often found in streamside woods, forest clearings, edges of wetlands, residential areas, orchards, and stands of Russian olive (BirdWeb 2008). Very little habitat is present and it is widely scattered throughout the Project study area. The gray flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) is associated with sagebrush and juniper habitats. The Project study area is within the migration corridor for the gray flycatcher (BirdWeb 2008). Suitable habitat is present within the Project study area, but the species is rare in the Project study area; a single individual was observed singing a few hundred meters north of Route Segment NNR-6 by POWER biologists during the 2013 field surveys. Lewis’s woodpecker is (Melanerpes lewis) associated with open forests; primary habitats in Washington include ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests, Garry oak (Quercus garryana) stands, and forested riversides with large cottonwoods and other hardwoods (Larsen et al. 2004). Limited suitable habitat is present within the Project study area, primarily along Lower Crab Creek, the Yakima River, and Burbank Creek, and possibly along Lmuma Creek, the Columbia River, Johnson Creek, and Foster Creek. The lesser goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) is typically found in dry, open woodlands, pastures, steppe, forest openings, and beside streams. In Washington, they are closely associated with Garry oak, especially at the brushy edges of Garry oak stands. The Project study area is outside the known range of the lesser goldfinch (BirdWeb 2008). Potential suitable habitat exists within the Project study area, but it is unlikely that lesser goldfinch is present. In Washington, the loggerhead shrike breeds primarily in shrub-steppe habitats. The Project study area is within the core breeding habitat zone for loggerhead shrikes (Larsen et al. 2004). Loggerhead shrikes have been documented in the Project study area and large tracts of suitable shrub-steppe habitats occur throughout the Project study area. Oregon vesper sparrows are commonly found in dry grasslands, shrub-steppe, and agricultural fields. They are uncommon in shrub-steppe areas that are heavily grazed or have little grass cover (BirdWeb