Abstract
During Fall 2005, Woodlot Alternatives, Inc. (Woodlot) conducted field surveys of bird and bat migration activity at the Deerfield Wind Project in Searsburg and Readsboro, Vermont. The surveys are part of the planning process by Deerfield Wind, LLC for a proposed wind project, which will include the erection of up to 20 to 30 wind turbines on mountain tops and ridge lines within the Green Mountain National Forest. Surveys included nighttime surveys of birds and bats using radar and bat echolocation detectors. The studies represent the third season of migration surveys undertaken by Deerfield Wind, LLC at this site.
The results of the field surveys provide useful information about site-specific migration activity and patterns in the vicinity of the Deerfield Wind Project, especially when reviewed along with results of surveys conducted in Spring 2005 and Fall 2004 in the same vicinity. This analysis is a valuable tool for the assessment of risk to birds and bats during migration through the area.