Bat Detector Surveys

Suncor retained Golder Associates Ltd. to conduct wildlife monitoring surveys on Leases 86/17 and the Steepbank/Millennium Mine reclamation areas over the past five years. The project report summarizes monitoring data collected in 2009, including coarse woody debris (CWD) applications, bat detector surveys, and incidental observations, collected in order to help evaluate whether reclaimed lands are returning to equivalent capability for wildlife habitat. Specific objectives of this 2009 report were to compare wildlife distribution, abundance and habitat use of reclaimed areas to natural areas of similar age and determine if these variables have changed over time, if possible. This was the first year of bat surveys.

In the CWD study areas, deer mice, meadow voles and red-backed voles were captured in most survey areas. Microtines follow cyclical populations, as possibly indicated by lower deer mice numbers in 2009 compared to 2007; monitoring should continue to detect any significant relationship between CWD and microtine abundance. Seven species or species groups of bats were detected, including big brown/silver haired bats, hoary/big brown/silver haired bats, red bats, hoary bats, little brown bats, northern long-eared bats and high frequency bats including northern long-eared, little brown and red bats were all detected during back detector surveys. All species/species groups were recorded near at least one of the tailings ponds. In general, wetland areas had higher amounts of foraging activity (represented by feeding buzzes) than forested areas. All bat species previously detected in the oil sands region were detected on the reclaimed lands.