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Home My WebLink About3593; FARADAY AVENUE EXTENSION; GNATCATCHER SURVEY; 2006-04-28DUDEK CORPORATE OFFICE 605 THIRD STREET ENCINITAS. CALIFORNIA 92024 T 760.9425147 T 800.450.1818 F 760.632.0164 April 28, 2006 U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service Attn: Daniel Marquez Recovery Permit Coordinator 6010 Hidden Valley Road Carlsbad, CA 92009 JUN 2F 2006 ENGINEERI NG DEPARTMENT .4967-01 Subject: Focused California Gnatcatcher Survey,: Faraday Avenue Mitigation Site, City of Carlsbad, San Diego County, California Dear Daniel: This report documents the results of three protocol-level presence/absence surveys for the coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila calfornica calfornica; gnatcatcher) 'which were conducted for the approximately 1.25-acre-Faraday Avenue Mitigation Site by Dudekin 2006. The surveys were conducted within all areas of suitable coastal sage scrub habitat. .Thi included the entire 1.25-acre site. The purpose of the survey was to determine via protocol survey if the Mitigation Site is occupied by the California gnatcatcher. The California gnatcatcher is a federally-listed threatened species and a California Department of Fish and Game species of special concern. It is closely associated with coastal sage scrub habitat and typically occurs below 950 feet elevation and on slopes less than 40%, but gnatcâtchers have been observed at elevations greater than 2,000 feet. The species is threatened, primarily by loss, degradation, and fragmentation of coastal sage 'scrub habitat and is also impacted by brown- headed cowbird (MolOthrus ater) nest parasitism. LOCATION AND EXISTING CONDITIONS The Faraday Avenue Mitigation Site is a 1.25 acre site located on the north side of Faraday Avenue in the City of Carlsbad, California (Thomas Bros. Guide Page 1127, B-2) Figures 1 and 2). The City of Carlsbad's (City) extension of -Faraday Avenue t. Cannon Road resulted in impacts to Diegan coastal sage scrub (CSS) that required a total of- 12.95 acres of mitigátión. Most of the mitigation 'compensation was accomplished by,purchasing offsite mitigation credits, 1.2 acres at the Manchester Avenue Mitigation Bank in Encinitas and 1081 acres at the Carlsbad WWW.DUDEK.COM . - Focused California Gnatcatcher Survey, Faraday Avenue Mitigation Site, City of Carlsbad, San Diego County, California Highlands Mitigation Bank. The remaining 0;94 acre of required CSS mitigation habitat has been created within the 1.25 acre site along Faraday Avenue, adjacent to existing high quality CSS habitat, and is the subject of this report. The Mitigation Site can be found on the U.S. Geological Survey 7.5 minute San Luis' Rey quadrangle on unsectionned lands; Township 11 South; Range 4 West. The Mitigation Site is relatively flat in the eastern portion with a low area or drainage in the central portion and moderately sloping in the west. Topographic relief ranges from approximately 120. feet above mean sea level (AMSL) to approximately 150 feet AMSL. The Mitigation Site is adjacent to Faraday Avenue to the south and other undeveloped or open space lands to the north, east, and west. VEGETATION COMMUNITIES Work on the Mitigation Site began in July 2000 and the installation and 120-day maintenance period was certified as complete on March 9, 2001. Native Landscape hired Dudek to perform the three-year monitoring program, which began March 9, 2001, with acceptance of the installation and 120-day maintenance period as being complete. The three-year monitoring period for the site was completed in 2004. The transect cover data of the third annual monitoring report shows native coastal sage scrub species cover has increased to 95.3 percent after three years. Cover is dominated by California sagebrush (Artemisia calfornica) at 75.3 percent, followed by California bush sunflower (Encelia calfornica) at 6.7 percent, black sage (Salvia mellfera) and coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) at 5.3 percent each, and laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) at 2.7 percent. Bare ground was measured at 14 percent. New seedlings from California sagebrush, California bush sunflower, California buckwheat, laurel sumac, bush monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus), and black sage were observed in the past two years, indicating the Mitigation Site appears to be self- perpetuating. The Mitigation Site appears to have developed into high quality Diegan coastal sage scrub habitat with few weed species present. Most plants in the Mitigation Site are healthy and have grown substantially during three years of maintenance and monitoring. Most of the plants have matured to the point where they are now producing seed that has and in the future will result in further volunteer recruitment, .indicating a self-perpetuating habitat has been created. Coastal California gnatcatchers have been noted anecdotally to be foraging in the Mitigation Site since 2002, demonstrating that the habitat provides the necessary structure and food source for gnatcatcher use. 4967-01 D U D E K ' Faraday Avenue Project 2 Apri! 2006 -- ---. "-,.. •-- :.-''-- -, ----.-;,- ''- Focused California Gnatcatcher Survey, Faraday Avenue Mitigation, Site, City of Carlsbad, San Diego County, Ca!iforhià. METHODS The focused survey for the California gnatcatcher was conducted for the project site on April 3, 10, and 18,'2006 by Dudek biologist Anita M. Hayworth, Ph.D.. Dr. Hayworth holds federal permit TE-78l 084 to conduct surveys, for the gnatcatcher. The survey was conducted following the currently accepted protocol of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila calfornica calfornica) Presence/Absence Survey Protocol (July. 28, 1997). The survey included the typical three visits at a minimum of weekly intervals as required by the protocol in NCCP-enrolled areas. The route used to complete the urvey for gnatcatchers was arranged to ensure complete coverage of the suitable habitat onsite (Figure 3) Binoculars (10 x 50) were used to aid in detecting and identifying bird species. The weather conditions were within protocol limits as shown in Table 1 below. A tape of recorded vocalizations vas used frequently in 'order to elicit a response from the species. 'The tape was played approximately every 50 to 100 feet and when a gnatcatcher was detected,' the playing of the tape ceased in order to avoid harassment. TABLE 1 - .SUVEYDATESANDCONITIONS - LkqURS "5' qTlOS ' '- April 3 2006 0755-0900 0% cloud cover, wind 3-5 miles per hour (mph) 5961 degrees Fahrenheit (F) April 10, 2006 0916-1030 0% cloud cover, wind 3-5 mph, 61-63degreés F April 18, 2006 0805-0930 0% cloud cover; wind 1-3 mph;-58763 degrees F RESULTS One pair of California gnatcatchers was detected onsite within the coastal sage scrub habitat adjacentto the drainage in the western portion of the site (Figure 3). The obsei-vaion on April 10th included just the male gnatcatcher who was acting very territorial and aggressive and it was suspected that a nest was nearby. To avoid impacting nesting gnatcatèhers the area was not searched and the taped was not played The habitat onsite is dense (approximately 70% shrub cover) and high quality coastal sage scrub on moderately sloping east ad westfacing aspects. The coastal sage scrub is diverse in plant species and is dominated by California sagebrush, with patches of black sage, and , intermixed with lemonadeberry (Rhus integifolia), laurel sumac, coyotebrush, and California encelia. 4967-01 DUDE K Faraday Avenue Project 3 - April 2006 -, - - - - .:. • __S'_,, - Focused California Gnatcatcher Survey, Faraday Avenue, Mitigation Site, City of Carlsbad, San Diego County, California An interesting note for this mitigation site is that despite the small size, a surprising diversity of native bird species is present Two other native bird species, house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) and song sparrow Melospiza melodia), were also observed nesting on the site. Twenty-two species of birds were observed during the surveys. A full list of bird species observed during the survey is provided in Appendix A. Please feel free to contact me at (760) 479-4239 with questions or if you require additional information. I certify that the information in this survey report and attached exhibits fully and accurately represents my work. Very truly yours, DUDEK Anita M. Hayworth, •.D. Senior Biologist att. Figures 1-3 Appendix A, cc: Doug Gettinger, Dudek Sherri Howard, City of Carlsbad 4967-01 D U D E K Faraday Avenue Project 4 April 2006 Faraday Avenue CSS Mitigation- Focused California Gnàtcatcher Survey FIGURE Regional Map 1 s/afr - - PTA SOW It G Al A PIN 5. D) / /OEM' / - / V. i VA so!1. 1 'j '( (\ 1 low all- Olt — / - uz \S _ / - - - \- ---1 ' ' •. .\. .-' - : / / // • - '-I,- / - '-1 .-\ _ - / C Wax wn" AN - c- - 2 t ;J : j. ji Nil -. .. °J:/J/,"I..$ . ' - - — . - - .• I?-- J(\ L N LON— 777 I Iç \r\\MI. 'J T 1/ 23\ BASE MAP SOURCE: USGS 7.5 Minute Series, Encinitas & San Luis Rey Quadrangles 1" =2000' Faraday Avenue CSS Mitigation - Focused California Gnatcatcher Survey I FIGURE I Vicinity Map 2 "A Focused California Gnatcatcher Survey Faraday Avenue Mitigation Site, City of Carlsbad, San Diego County, California APPENDIX A List of Wildlife Species Observed or Detected at the Project Site WILDLIFE SPECIES -VERTEBRATES BIRDS PHASIANIDAE PHEASANTS & QUAILS Callipepla calfornica - California quail COLUMBIDAE - PIGEONS & DOVES Zenaida macroura - mourning dove TROCHILIDAE - HUMMINGBIRDS Calypte anna - Anna's hummingbird TYRANNIDAE - TYRANT FLYCATCHERS Sayornis nigricans - black phoebe Tyrannus vocferans - Cassin's kingbird CORVIDAE - JAYS & CROWS Aphelocoma calfornica - western scrub-jay Corvus brachyrhynchos - American crow Corvus. corax - common raven AEGITHALIDAE - BUSHTITS Psaltriparus minimus - bushtit. TROGLODYTIDAE - WRENS Thryomanes bewic/di - Bewick's wren SYLVIIDAE - GNATCATCHERS Polioptila calfornica calfornica- coastal California gnatcatcher TIMALIIDAE - LAUGHINGTHRUSH AND WRENTIT Chamaeafasciata - wrentit 4967-01 D U D E K Faraday Avenue Project 1 April 2006 Focused California Gnatcatcher Survey, Faraday Avenue Mitigation Site, City of Carlsbad, San Diego County, California APPENDIX A (Cont.) MIMIDAE - THRASHERS Toxostoma redivivum - California thrasher Mimus polyglottos - northern mockingbird PARULIDAE - WOOD WARBLERS Dendroica coronata - yellow-rumped warbler Geothlypis trichas - common yellowthroat EMBERIZIL)AE - BUNTINGS & SPARROWS Melospiza melodia - song sparrow Pipilo crissalis - California towhee Pipilo maculatus - spotted towhee S Zonotrichia leucophrys -. white-crowned sparrow FRINGILLIDAE - FINCHES Carpodacus mexicanus r house finch Carduelispsaltria - lesser goldfinch DUDE K 2 4967-01 Faraday Avenue Project April 2006