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Attachment 8 - Edmonds Marsh Survey Project, Scott MarkowitzVi, cr+ucK vian ���,itat, 5e March 25, 2021 Community Science at The Edmonds March Survey PrOlect Overview: lchuck The Edmonds Marsh Survey is a community science survey project oweredaphe avian spelc es n the Audubon volunteers that is evaluating the richness nd evenness of marsh's micro -habitats. This study has been actively surveying the marsh since December of 2018, and will continue through 2028. The data collected during this time will allow the researchers to look at the relative diversity in the marsh, and will give us a baseline by which to evaluate the impact of the upcoming changes to the marsh on its avian residents and visitors. The primary objectives of the study are: • to understand which avian species are using the various habitats within and associated with Edmonds Marsh. • to assess how different avian species are interacting with microhabitats within the Edmonds Marsh. • To establish baseline richness (abundance) (S), diversity (Hmax=ln(S)), and evenness (E= H/Hmax) of the avifauna in the different microhabitats in the Marsh. • to document trend data for analysis against changes/impacts and for developing best management practices that support a diverse bird population in an urban marsh setting. • to provide community engagement through opportunities to participate in citizen science How we're collecting the data: The Edmonds Marsh Survey is entirely dependent on a team of excellent volunteers. Our surveyors are making time in their schedules to help with this community science research. Survey teams go out to the marsh twice per month to record all the birds they encounter, recording the observed behavior and the microhabitat within the marsh the birds are using when recorded. Beginning fifteen minutes before sunrise, observers visit each of seven observation points. At each point, surveyors document every bird they detect within a 10 minute window, using data codes to mark down behavior and location of the birds detected. Because of the early morning start, and the access to non-public areas deep within the marsh, our observers get to experience so many interesting animal interactions right in the middle of the City of Edmonds. So far, we have recorded over 70 unique species with more than 14, 000 data points, I Attachment 8 ©2021 Scott Markowitz, Pilchuck Audubon Society, Snohomish, WA The Survey Area: The proposed vegetation management is covered by the following survey circles: ED.002 — Unocal ED.003 — Condo Overlook The habitat linked to and likely affected by the proposed vegetation work adds the following survey circles: ED.004 Hatchery West ED.005 Hatchery East This forest buffer and the forest buffer on the bank to the Southwest of the marsh is an important wildlife corridor, breeding and foraging area for both resident and migrant birds, and provides cover for birds and animals approaching Willow and Shellabarger Creeks. 9)2021 Scott Markowitz, Pilchuck Audubon ffi S )men" A Species Richness in the Edmonds Marsh: As of March 2021, 75 unique species have been detected in the Marsh by the surveyors. Birds highlighted in yellow are likely to breed in the marsh and the surrounding buffer. Greater White -fronted Great Blue Heron Song Sparrow Goose American Crow Mew Gull Red -breasted Sapsucker Orange -crowned Warbler Unidentified Chickadee Bewick's Wren Cooper's Hawk Spotted Towhee Canada Goose Northern Rough -winged Herring Gull Downy Woodpecker Swallow Bushtit Golden -crowned Kinglet Common Yellowthroat Red -winged Blackbird Tundra Swan Bald Eagle Glaucous -winged Gull Hairy Woodpecker Purple Martin Red -breasted Nuthatch Ruby -crowned Kinglet Yellow-rumped Audubon's Brewer's Blackbird Gadwall Warbler Western x Glaucous -winged Red -shafted Northern Flicker Red-tailed Hawk Gull Hybrid Swainson's Thrush Tree Swallow Brown Creeper American Widgeon Townsend's Warbler House Finch Pileated Woodpecker Unidentified Accipter Hawk Unidentified Larus Gull Hermit Thrush Violet -green Swallow Tree Swallow Mallard Dark -eyed Oregon Junco Purple Finch Western Wood Peewee Virginia Rail Caspian Tern American Robin Barn Swallow Violet -green Swallow Green -winged Teal White -crowned Sparrow Pine Siskin Willow Flycatcher Killdeer Rock Pigeon Varied Thrush Unidentified Swallow Barn Swallow Unidentified Teal Golden -crowned Sparrow American Goldfinch Pacific Slope Flycatcher Western Sandpiper Anna's Hummingbird European Starling Black -capped Chicadee Pacific Wren Unidentified Duck Savannah Sparrow Belted Kingfisher Stellar's Jay Wilson's Snipe Marsh Wren Cedar Waxwing Chestnut -backed Chickadee The breeding season in the marsh begins in early March and continues through the end of August. This is the most sensitive time for birds and is critical to their nesting and reproductive success. ©2021 Scott Markowitz, Pilchuck Audubon Society, Snohomish, WA Attachment 8 Soecies Richness in the Zone of Proposed Vegetation Management and Surrounding Linked Habitat: The following list is an aggregation of lists compiled by our survey, eBird, and Bill Anderson which covers the area where the vegetation management is being proposed. Over the last two years, 66 unique species have been documented. Many of the birds that breed in this region forage throughout the zone, and are dependent upon the resources provided by the mixed forest once they've established their nests in the zone. Bill Anderson photos from 2013 to 2016 in the Point Edwards Walkway, Pilchuck Audubon Marsh Study area E-Bird sightings listed for the "Point Edwards Community Trail, Edmonds"Sightings hotspot Condos. Unocal area. American Crow American Crow American Crow American Goldfinch American Goldfinch American Goldfinch American Kestrel American Pipit American Robin American Robin American Robin Anna's Hummingbird Anna's Hummingbird Anna's Hummingbird Bald Eagle Bald Eagle Bald Eagle Barn Swallow Barn Swallow Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Belted Kingfisher Bewick's Wren Bewick's Wren Bewick's Wren Black -capped Chickadee Black -capped Chickadee Brown Creeper Brown -headed Cowbird Bushtit Bushtit Bushtit California Quail California Quail Canada Goose Canada Goose Canada Goose Cedar Waxwing Cedar Waxwing Cedar Waxwing Chestnut -backed Chickadee Chestnut -backed Chickadee Common Yellowthroat Cooper's Hawk Cooper's Hawk Dark -eyed Junco Dark -eyed Junco Dark -eyed Junco European Starling Fox Sparrow Gadwall Gadwall Glaucous -winged Gull Glaucous -winged Gull Golden -crowned Kinglet Golden -crowned Kinglet Golden -crowned Sparrow Golden -crowned Sparrow Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron Great Horned Owl Greater White -fronted Goose Green Heron House Finch House Finch House Sparrow Killdeer Mallard Mallard Mallard ©2021 Scott Markowitz, Pilchuck Audubon Society, Snohomish, WA Attachment 8 Marsh Wren Northern Shoveler Orange -crowned Warbler Orange -crowned Warbler Pacific Slope Flycatcher Marsh Wren Pacific Wren Pileated Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Pine Siskin Pine Siskin Purple Finch Redhead Red -breasted Nuthatch Red -breasted Nuthatch Northern Flicker Red -shafted Northern Flicker Northern Flicker Red-tailed Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Red -winged Blackbird Red -winged Blackbird Red -winged Blackbird Ring-necked Duck Rock Pigeon Ruby -crowned Kinglet Ruby -crowned Kinglet Ruby -crowned Kinglet Rufous Hummingbird Savannah Sparrow Sharp -shinned Hawk Sharp -shinned Hawk Song Sparrow Song Sparrow Song Sparrow Spotted Towhee Spotted Towhee Steller's Jay Steller's Jay Steller's Jay Swainson's Thrush Tundra Swan Varied Thrush Varied Thrush Violet -green Swallow Violet -green Swallow Virginia Rail Western Tanager White -crowned Sparrow White -crowned Sparrow Yellow-rumped Audubon's Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Critical Marsh Buffer Habitat: The map on the left shows the critical buffer zone habitat surrounding the marsh. The area indicated in green is the healthiest portion of the Edmonds Marsh Buffer. Consequently, this area holds the highest diversity and population of all the marsh's habitat. This is a critical area for breeding and foraging species, avian and otherwise. ©2021 Scott Markowitz, Pilchuck Audubon Society, Snohomish, WA Attachment 8 ;;o CD CD :3 CD I The graph below shows the relative abundance by individual survey circle. The graph can be misleading, but there are a few important things to take away from it. First, ED.001 has the highest relative diversity because it has the best and clearest view, and many of our volunteer surveyors are primarily sight birders. Next, the circle with the highest diversity is ED.005, which is in the hatchery forest. The forest there is the healthiest habitat in the survey, with multiple canopies to the forest cover, snags, water, dense ground cover and foraging area, and a native plant garden. 9)2021 Scott Markowitz, Pilchuck Audubon Society, Snohomish, WA Attachment 8 Microhabitat Use of the Forest by Canopy Level: Location 1 T Aw. T:—'n WA(Ifin(n Count of Species 17°;1 (_ hosinut-ba(ked C hi(kadee % Red-tailei 3`i Golden -crowned Kingl 3% Yeltov, rumped Aoduh Warbler 3% ()at k-oyod Oregon Jun 3r Green winged Teal 3% Bewick's Wren 40,E Great Blue t 4!0 Anna', Microhabitat Forest - All Canopy Levels Mellar", lay Gadwall )' , 2° 3L3(:. ap1p..l ,n:.ul: ` .hutted Nrrnhem flr�... ,1(n.•u,.;.•l i (.,;. Sparrow 11 This graph shows all species at all levels of the forest including emergent, canopy, understory and forest floor on one graph. The chart only includes the top 20 species present and doesn't include the full range of species in the forest. Most of the migrant breeding warblers and flycatchers are underrepresented by birders who are not birding by ear. ©2021 Scott Markowitz, Pilchuck Audubon Society, Snohomish, WA Attachment 8 The cart to the right represents species detected in the understory above 6 feet and below the canopy. These three graphs represent the species present at each level of the forest structure. The interesting thing to notice is that some species depend on all three levels of habitat, while others are specialists The chart to the left represents species detected in the top layer of the forest. Micrchabrtat Forest forest Mia•Cinopy The chart to the left represents the lower level of the forest structure, from the forest floor up to six feet. Notice the sudden increase in Song Sparrow in this habitat, where they are the dominant habitat specialist here. They and Spotted Towhee make up over half of the birds at this level. 02021 Scott Markowitz, Pilchuck Audubon Society, Snohomish, WA Attachment 8 Count of Behavior 1 BEHAVIORS BY SURVEY CIRCLE 140 R 120 :n 100 80 0 y s_ 3 60 Z 40 giXT. usx;.4 20 ■ 0 ED.001 ED.002 ED.003 ED.004 ED.005 ED.006 ED.007 ED.003 OLD BNSF UNKNOWN 7 2 5 1 10 4 TERRITORIAL 3 2 1 4 1 SWIMMING 5 5 1 IF SONG/COURTSHIP 17 13 22 15 21 18 12 ■ SLEEPING/ROOSTING 1 VESTING 29 3 10 6 8 11 16 7 2 ■ PREY ABATEMENT 1 4 6 2 3 1 1 ■ PREENING 2 1 1 1 ■OTHER 2 8 2 3 ■ HARASSING/MOBBING 2 3 4 3 1 ■FLYOVER 24 4 5 10 5 8 9 ■FLY IN 10 4 8 2 5 5 2 FLY OUT 5 2 7 3 2 - 2 FORAGING 28 8 24 22 35 28 ■ CONTACT CALLING 13 28 26 28 50 29 14 ■ BREEDING CONE 1 i 1 1 Obs. Circle ©2021 Scott Markowitz, Pilchuck Audubon Society, Snohomish, WA Attachment 8