7:Vf4i rmmnv i DOCUM^ = lielsfts, U crs'tsna 5§601 NTS COLLECTION Tochnical Report No. 2 ^^-^'\ MONTANA DEPAHTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES A CONSERVATION ENERGY DIVISION OCTOBER 1978 DNRC ^0v m ^' % Circle West Wildlife Baseline Study Final Report Principal Investigator: Larry S. Thompson Biological Sciences Coordinator Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Circle West Technical Report No. 2 Energy Division Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation 32 South Ewing Helena, Montana 59601 October 1978 TABLE OF CONTENTS iii LIST OF FIGURES ... vii LIST OF MAPS . . viii LIST OF TABLES 1 INTRODUCTION 1 Background _ 1 Circle West Project 2 Overall Study Scope and Objectives • • ^ Objectives and Approach'of the Wiidlife'saseline Study 4 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CIRCLE WEST STUDY AREA ^ 9 Climate and Weather 1q Geology and Soils 10 Vegetation and Habitat Categories 23 METHODS . 23 Habitat Description • • • • • 23 General Ground and Aerial Surveys and Analysis ^s Roadside Wildlife Survey and Analysis • ^4 Breeding Bird Census ' ' 34 Insect Studies ' ' 34 Small Mammal Trapping . . . 39 Lagomorph Survey ... 41 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 41 Wildlife Species Parameters 1^2 Bird Community Parameters 173 Small Mammal Community Parameters ^^^ Furbearers : .: : A 1 lAfi Summary of Wildlife Communities by Habitai: Category SPECIAL CONCERNS ^^^ 191 Habitats of Special Concern ^g^ Species of Special Concern 194 ASSESSMENT OF DATA ADEQUACY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE MONITORING „ ,. , 195 Rationale ig^ Plan of Study ; A " ■/•4. los Significance of Impact and the Problem of Causality '^o i Table of Contents (continued) a SUMMARY 201 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 204 LITERATURE CITED 205 APPENDICES 215 A. Common and scientific names of plant species mentioned in the text . . 216 B. Circle West baseline study wildlife observation data sheet: instructions for use 217 C. Circle West baseline study waterfowl observation data sheet: instructions for use 221 D. Nest record card 227 E. Summary of breeding bird survey results, Circle Route, 1968-1977 . . . 228 F. Breeding bird census reports 229 G. Field data sheet - vertibrate trapping 241 H. Summary of roadside wildlife survey (birds only), January- ( December, 1977 242 I. Mammals observed on roadside wildlife survey routes, January- December, 1977 253 J. Summary of Fort Peck Christmas bird count data, 1975-1977 259 K. Habitat use figures 261 L. Summary of deer harvest estimates for hunting district 650, 1973-1977 303 M. Summary of Montana Department of Fish and Game pronghorn antelope census data, 1960-1976 304 N. Summary of pronghorn antelope harvest estimates for hunting district 650, 1956-1977 305 n LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Timing of field work of personnel involved in the Circle West baseline wildlife study Figure 2. Topography classification scheme used in the Circle West baseline wildlife study Figure 3. A ferruginous hawk nest located near the northern boundary of the Circle West proposed mining area Figure 4. A golden eagle nest located within the Circle West proposed ^^ mining area ... Figure 5. Diurnal use of habitat categories by sharp-tailed grouse, Decembor 1976-February 1978 Figure 6. Monthly sample abundances of sharp-tailed grouse along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 Figure 7. Diurnal use of habitat categories by ring-necked pheasant, December 1976-February 1978 Figure 8. Monthly sample abundances of ring-necked pheasants along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 Figure 9. Monthly sample abundances of killdeer along five roadside ^^ wildlife survey routes, 1977 Figure 10. Monthly sample abundances of mourning dove along five road- side wildlife survey routes, 1977 Figure 11. Monthly sample abundances of eastern kingbird along five road- side wildlife survey routes, 1977 Figure 12. Monthly sample abundances of horned lark along five roadside ^ wildlife survey routes, 1977 Figure 13. Monthly sample abundances of black-billed magpie along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 Figure 14. Monthly sample abundances of rock wren along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 Figure 15. Monthly sample abundances of loggerhead shrike along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 Figure 16. Monthly sample abundances of house sparrow along five roadside ^^ wildlife survey routes, 1977 m List of Figures (continued) I Figure 17. Monthly sample abundances of western meadowlark along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 84 Figure 18. Monthly sample abundances of red-winged blackbird along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 84 Figure 19. Monthly sample abundances of rufous-sided towhee along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 86 Figure 20. Monthly sample abundances of lark bunting along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 86 Figure 21. Monthly sample abundances of vesper sparrow along five road- side wildlife survey routes, 1977 87 Figure 22. Monthly sample abundances of Brewer's sparrow along five road- side wildlife survey routes, 1977 87 Figure 23. Monthly sample abundances of field sparrow along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 89 Figure 24. Monthly sample abundances of chestnut-collared longspur along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 89 Figure 25. Location of the Circle West mine study area prairie dog town . . 90 Figure 26. Monthly changes in average group sizes of mule deer, white- tailed deer, and pronghorn antelope, January 1977-January 1978. . 103 Figure 27. Diurnal use of habitat categories by mule deer, December 1976-February 1978 105 Figure 28. Diurnal use of topography by mule deer, December 1976- February 1978 105 Figure 29. Monthly sample abundances of mule deer along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 108 Figure 30. Diurnal use of habitat categories by white-tailed deer, December 1976-February 1978 118 Figure 31. Diurnal use of topography by white-tailed deer, December 1976-February 1978 118 Figure 32. Monthly sample abundances of white-tailed deer along five roadside wildlife survey routes, January-December 1977 119 Figure 33. Diurnal use of habitat categories by pronghorn antelope, December 1976-February 1978 137 Figure 34. Diurnal use of topography by pronghorn antelope, December 1975-February 1978 '37 TV List of Figures (continued) Figure 35. Monthly sample abundances of pronghorn antelope along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 Figure 36. Percent species composition of all 1977 waterfowl obser- ^^^ vations. Circle West study area Figure 37. Monthly changes in resident status composition of bird communities sampled by four standard roadside wildlife ^^^ survey routes, 1977 Figure 38. Monthly changes in trophic composition of bird communities (based on major food source) sampled by four wildlife sur- vey routes, 1977 Figure 39. Monthly changes in representation of feeding guilds among bird communities sampled by four roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977 '^^ Figure 40. Monthly changes in bird species number (S) for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes Figure 41. Monthly changes in total numbers of individual birds (N) for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes Figure 42. Monthly changes in bird species diversity (H), for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes Figure 43. Monthly changes in bird species richness (D), for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes Figure 44. Monthly changes in bird species evenness (E), for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes Figure 45. Monthly changes in single-species dominance for bird com- munities sampled by 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes Figure 46. Monthly changes in two-species dominance for bird communities sampled by 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes .... Id4 Figure 47. A dendrogram showing the percentage of similarity for the five June 1977 runs of the roadside wildlife survey routes (birds only) , '°^ Figure 48. Similarity in percent for 1968-1977 June runs of the Circle roadside wildlife survey route Figure 49. Species curves for breeding-season (May-July) runs of (a) all five roadside wildlife survey routes, and (b) four standard roadside wildlife survey routes (excluding the Dreyer Ranch route) ''" List of Figures (continued) Figure 50. Two dimensional ordination of species along the principal component axes 172 Figure 51. Monthly changes in numbers of individual rodents captured in live-trap grids 178 Figure 52. Monthly changes in small mammal biomass in live-trapped grids.. 180 Figure 53. Hypothetical long-term changes in wildlife parameters sampled by roadside survey techniques 197 VI I LIST OF MAPS Map 1. Study areas and roadside survey routes. Map 2. Locations of major water areas, Circle West mine study area. ^^ 35 Map 3. Locations of bird and mammal study sites. 59 Map 4. Prairie dog towns and water bird colonies 65 Map 5. Sage and sharp-tailed grouse leks ■ Q O Map 6. Mule deer observations, winter 1976-1977 95 Map 7. Mule deer observations, spring 1977 97 Map 8. Mule deer observations, summer 1977 99 Map 9. Mule deer observations, autumn, 1977. Map 10. Mule deer observations, winter 1977-1978. 101 Map 11. White-tailed deer observations, spring and autumn 1977. HI Map 12. White-tailed deer observations, summer 1977 113 Map 13. White-tailed deer observations, winter 1977-1978 115 Map 14. Pronghorn antelope observations, winter 1976-1977 121 Map 15. Pronghorn antelope observations, spring 1977 (reconnaissance study area) .123 Map 16. Pronghorn antelope observations, spring 1977 (mine study area) 125 Map 17. Pronghorn antelope observations, summer 1977 (reconnaissance study area). .127 Map 18. Pronghorn antelope observations, summer 1977 (mine study area) 129 Map 19. Pronghorn antelope observations, autumn 1977 131 Map 20. Pronghorn antelope observations, winter 1977-1978 133 vn LIST OF TABLES ■ Table 1. Wildlife habitat categories. Circle West baseline wildlife study ... 13 Table 2. Correlation between vegetation community types and wildlife habitat categories Table 3. Characteristics of major stockponds found in the Circle West mine study area Table 4. Schedule of aerial surveys. Circle West baseline wildlife study ^^ Table 5. Summary of the percentages of representation by the various habitat categories with each area sampled by a roadside wildlife survey route Table 6. Percentage of habitat composition of the breeding bird census plots Table 7. Summary of inventory data for reptiles and amphibians 42 Table 8. Summary of inventory data for bird species 44 Table 9. Summary of inventory data for mammal species 52 Table 10. Summary of data collected for bird nests located in 1977, Circle West study area Table 11. Summary of data for heron and cormorant rookeries 58 Table 12. Classification summary for sharp-tailed grouse 63 Table 13. Attendance at sharp-tailed grouse dancing grounds 64 Table 14. Classification summary for sage grouse 7° Table 15. Attendance at sage grouse strutting grounds 71 Table 16. Classification summary for ring-necked pheasant 73 Table 17. Classification summary for grey partridge 76 Table 18. Results of lagomorph survey no Table 19. Classification summary for mule deer Table 20. Use of slopes by mule deer Table 21. Production ratios for some mule deer populations in eastern Montana V i i i List of Tables (continued) ^^ Table 22. Classification summary for white-tailed deer 110 Table 23. Production data from white-tailed deer studies 119 Table 24. Classification summary for pronghorn antelope 135 Table 25. Sex and age ratios of pronghorn antelope for hunting unit 650 . . . .139 Table 26. Slope at observation locations of pronghorn antelope 139 Table 27. Species composition of all recorded waterfowl observations made during 1977 143 Table 28. Breeding waterfowl populations in northern Great Plains 145 Table 29. Monthly species composition of all recorded mining area observations 146 Table 30. Use of major stockponds in and near the Circle West proposed mining area by waterfowl and other large birds 148 Table 31. Waterfowl breeding pair census data for certain stockponds in the Circle West mine study area, 1977 149 Table 32. Average sizes of waterfowl broods recorded during 1977 14^^^ Table 33. Summary of breeding bird census results for five census plots . . . .151 Table 34. Indicator species for the five roadside wildlife survey routes . . . .154 Table 35. Beta diversity for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes 167 Table 36. Summary of all small mammal captures, April through October, 1977 174 Table 37. Summary of small mammal snap-trap data by habitat category 176 Table 38. Standardized habitat niche breadths of snap-trapped small mammals . . .182 Table 39. Habitat niche overlap of snap-trapped rodents, June through October, 1977, McCone County, Montana lo2 Table 40. Mean home range area and length for live-trapped rodents, April through October, 1977 '83 Table 41. Estimates of fur harvest by licensed trappers in Fish and Game Region 6, 1973-1977 185 IX INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND In 1974, Dreyer Brothers, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Burlington Northern, Inc., notified the state of Montana that it proposed to develop a coal processing facility in McCone County. Governor Thomas L. Judge subse- quently designated the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) as the lead agency in any state actions taken on the proposal. Since that time, DNRC has coordinated its activities on the proposal with all state agencies involved and developed an overall study plan that would acquire in- formation sufficient for all state agencies. In the event that Dreyer Brothers, Inc. decides to proceed with the Circle West project, DNRC would continue to coordinate state agency action in developing a joint environmental impact statement. At the time this study was made, Dreyer Brothers, Inc. had not applied to DNRC for a certificate under the Major Facility Siting Act. However, in accor- dance with the act, the company chose to contract with DNRC to initiate the portions of the studies which would ultimately be required by law if the pro- ject proceeds. In general, the contract called for a baseline study and the coordination of DNRC with all levels of government as well as other interested parties. Consequently, DNRC conducted baseline studies resulting in information that will be available for preparation of any environmental impact statements. Also, since the contract called for DNRC to consult all levels of government, DNRC contacted the affected federal, state and local agencies and sought their continued involvement in developing the study plan and in conducting the studies. CIRCLE WEST PROJECT Although an application for the project nad not been submitted at the time this study was made, long-range plans which Dreyer Brothers, Inc. provided to DNRC (pursuant to provisions of the Montana Major Facility Siting Act) outlined the scope of the proposed action. The long-range plans for the Circle West Project, as submitted by Dreyer Brothers, Inc. (1973) include: 1. The manufacture of up to 27,216 metric tons/day (3,000 tons/day) of ammonia, requiring up to 81,630 metric tons/day (9,000 tons/day) of lignite and up to 1.1 X 10' m^/yr (9,000 acre-feet/yr) of water; 2. The manufacture of up to 46,350 metric tons/day (5,000 tons/day) of methanol -methyl fuel, requiring up to 90,700 metric tons/day (10,000 tons/day) of lignite and up to 9.9 X 10^ m /yr (8,000 acre-feet/yr) of water; 3. Tne manufacture of up to 30,000 barrels/day of synthetic diesel fuel oil, requiring up to 149,655 metric tons/day (16,500 tons/day of lignite and up to 1.8 X 10' m^/yr (15,000 acre-feet/yr) of water; 4. The development of mining operations to provide the lignite require- ments; 5. The development of an irrigation system for both mine reclamation and general agricultural and livestock operations on the Dreyer Ranch requiring up to 4.3 X 10/ m-^/yr (35,000 acre-feet/yr) of water; 6. The construction of a water supply sustem, based on Missouri River waters, to pump and pipeline up to 8.2 X 10^ nr/yr (67,000 acre-feet/yr) of water to the plant site and to the reclamation, agricultural, and livestock points of use; 7. The construction of the following ancillary transportation, access and utility facilities: a. A rai1v;ay spur from the plant site to some point on an existing ra i 1 way ; b. A road connecting the plant site to some point on a highway; c. An electrical service line connecting the plant site with some point on the existing power grid; d. A captive power plant (if the required electrical power cannot be otherwise obtained at a feasible cost). 8. To the extent that housing is not otherwise available, the construction of a townsite to meet the housing needs of the construction work force. (Dreyer Brothers, Inc. 1978) OVERALL STUDY SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES Dreyer Brothers, Inc., has submitted long-range plans, preliminary en- gineering studies, and a conceptual plant design for the Circle West project. Although this material provides substantial guidance, the project and process information are not yet fully defined. Consequently, DNRC has determined that a baseline study is the limit of evaluation that can be made at this time and this study is not of the scope one might expect if Dreyer Brothers, Inc. had applied for a siting certificate. Since the specific nature and scope of the project has not been established, the studies are based on the assumption that the first application will involve only one processing facility, manufacturing either ammonia or methanol. Nevertheless, as the planning process for the pro- ject evolves, the scope of the baseline study can be expected to concomitantly evolve. In the event that Dreyer Brothers, Inc. decides to proceed with the proposal, the baseline studies will be integrated into the complete evaluation required by the Major Facility Siting Act, and Montana Environmental Policy Act and other applicable statutes. It should be noted that, at this time, only the vegetation, wildlife, and a portion of the aquatic resources studies have been completed. In order to meet the statutory mandates and fulfill the contract with Dreyer Brothers, Inc., DNRC designed the overall baseline study to: 1. Develop and conduct a cross-disciplinary baseline study comprised of various study components, which is harmonious with the Montana Major Facility Siting Act and the Montana Environmental Policy Act, and which will permit initiation of impact evaluations of a facility application is received; and 2. Obtain baseline data that are suitable for assessment of the action under applicable statutes, and acceptable to those local, state, and federal agencies involved in the proposed project. STUDY AREA Initially, the study area -- which is properly the focus of impact studies — was defined as the area encompassing the biotic, abiotic, and cultural char- acteristics that a mine and coal-conversion facility located in McCone County near either the Fort Peck Reservior of the Missouri River may influence. Once Dreyer Brothers, Inc. provides a better description of plant design and DNRC understands the area's meteorligical characteristics better, the location of the study area can be refined. If Dreyer Brothers, Inc. changes the location of the proposed conversion facility indicated in the current long range plan, DNRC will make the necessary adjustments in the definition of the study area. Three different study areas, corresponding to three levels of study in- tensity, were recognized for the wildlife evaluation. These study areas are shown in Map 1 and described below. Proposed Mining Area In March of 1977, Dreyer Brothers, Inc. defined a 29.8 km (an eleven and one half square mile ) area encompassing the anticipated twenty-year strip mining activity. This area, termed the proposed mining area, became the primary focus of field study after its definition and contains all experimental study plots for the wildlife study. At the time the remaining study components are initiated, much of the monitoring equipment and study plots involved will likewise be sited in this area. Mine Study Area The mine study area, which surrounds the proposed mining area, was studied in nearly as much detail detail as the proposed mining area. It encompasses a 174.3 km^ (99 square mile) area as shown in Map 1. The vegetation evaluation was focused upon a 132.0 km^ (75 square mile) area, also shown in Map 1. The mine study area contains all control study plots, and most aerial surveys cov- ered this area; it corresponds to the 7.5' field maps used to record data. Reconnaissance Study Area The reconnaissance study area, which corresponds roughly with the boundaries of McCone County and Montana Department of Fish and Game hunting district (H.D.) 550 is the largest of the study areas. As implied by the name, this area was studied in less detail than the others. Data gathering in this area was directed toward: 1. Defining critical sites, primary use areas, or major biota in the area such that any later changes in study area boundaries would not make the general baseline results inappropriate; 2. Setting the context for study of the areas more intensively studied; and 3. Providing a baseline for plant siting and assessment of impacts asso- ciated with the coal conversion facility or transportation related to coal min- ing and coal conversion. Throughout this report, the term "study area" refers to the reconnaissance study area. OBJECTIVES AND APPROACH OF THE WILDLIFE BASELINE STUDY The overall objectives of the wildlife baseline study were to: 1. Describe the wildlife resource as it exists in and around the project area prior to mining, with special emphasis on certain "key" species; 2. Determine the distribution and quality of habitats and their relation to terrestrial vertebrate communities over a twelve-month period; 3. Obtain detailed baseline information on certain parameters describing the ecology of species or communities which are most likely to change measur- ably as a result of the proposed facility or are of relatively greatest con- cern for use in predicting and monitoring impacts; and 4. Establish a program for long-term monitoring of these parameters in order to document short-term and long-term impacts which may result from the proposed facility. This study has been designed to meet these objectives as well as to gather the data required by all agencies concerned with the proposed facility, and especially those data required by the DNRC as specified in the Major Facility Siting Act and the Department of State Lands (DSL) pursuant to the Strip Mine Siting and Strip Mine Reclamation Acts. The information required by DNRC is related primarily to plant siting and to assessment of impacts to the wildlife resource resulting from construction and operation of the conversion facility. The information required by DSL, however, is related to the impacts of strip- mining of coal, which requires a much more intensive twelve-month study of a substantially smaller area. For this reason, several levels of intensity of study were incorporated into the study design, as described earlier. A holistic approach was taken in designing this study in an effort to describe terrestrial ecosystem and community relations to the fullest extent possible. As a consequence, much of the field effort was expended in study of non-game species, by far the most diverse and abundant group overall, and CO UJ d. 1- 3 o E o «> UJ tr ^ <* > c o IE UJ > » a: o 3 (A CO O UJ o (Jj Q E o Q 5 UJ ID — 1- e (T CO • UJ Q- 1- o < z UJ S to t K UJ cvi communities dominated by non-game species. This represents an apparent shift awav from game species, which have traditionally been the emphasis of wildlife study anS fhe end product of management. Because small mammals such as mice and ground squirrels are considered by some individuals as pests of little val- t m nkind some may question the expense of money and effort to ^ ^ Y t creatures These species, however, are vitally important to the integrity of ecosystems w ich are of direct value to man. Small mammals, for examp e, play mjr environmental role by providing food for almost every ver ebrate pr d- ator and by significantly altering vegetation (Korchgen 1952). Also popula tions of individual species are subject to drastic cyclical or random fluct- ns which confound attempts to correlate land-use ^h^"?f,.^f, P°P^ ^J ° rhanaes Community structure exhibits greater long-term stability than does population structure and community changes may thus be more effectively meas- ured ani delated to disruptive impacts which f ^^^^ -"^.^.r^f.^f^ll^^^iSo- single-species population changes (Wiens and Dyer 1975:163) Thus, no compo nents of vertebrate communities were overlooked in this study, as all are acknowledged to be essential to ecosystem structure and function, /his is not ?o say that game or other "featured" species such as raptors or endangered sSecies were given short shrift; on the contrary, these species were subject to intensive autecological study in addition to determining their syneco ogical roles This dual approach should more clearly explain the role or ^niportance of each species in the grassland ecosystem far better than a piecemeal single- species approach, or an approach studying game species only. A major consideration in study design was to provide data which would allow both a priori prediction of impacts and a posteriori monitoring to measure actual impacts. The approach employed in predicting impacts began by sampling an array of habitats including habitats similar to those likely to be produced by re- 1 tn, to determine the species present and their population Parameters^ Once these parameters are known for each habitat, then given the type of hab- itat produced by reclamation the characteristics of ^""l^^f °,^,^f,^l 9/" the reclaimed area can be predicted. For example, assume that the initial sampling finds that habitat A contains species x,y, and z in a ^^tio ot 1^- 1 -^ and habitat B contains species x,y, and z in a ratio of 2.20.1. It Jtter re clamation habitat A is replaced by habitat B, then the P':f„^.^tion fo lows t^^^^^ the ratio of species x,y, and z will go from 12:1:2 to 2:20 0. The assumption underlying the validity of this approach is that the parameters measured in each habUat are always characteristic of that habitat. This assumption will be discussed later. A further refinement of impact prediction involves use °J/P^^j^^^-'PfJ.^^^3 habitat requirements. If the relationship is known between the type of habitats produced by reclamation and the habitat requirements oteacn species, then the species most likely to occupy a habitat produced by reclamation can be predicted. In order to monitor mine-related impacts, the use of an approach which enables the observers to distinguish between naturally occurring changes and h es related to mining or reclamation is mandatory. Mere y Jocumen ing changes on the mine site over a period of time is not adequate to ^ jtingu sh between changes relating to mining activity and tnose which ^^^j^ have occurred even in the absence of mining activity. To determine the impact of mining and communities dominated by non-game species. This represents an apparent shift away from ame species/ which have traditionally been the emp asis of wild ife study and the end product of management. Because sma 1 mammals such as mice and ground squirrels are considered by some individuals as pests of J^tle val- ue to mankind, some may question the expense of money and effort to study these creatures These species, however, are vitally important to the integrity of ecosystems which are of direct value to man. Small mammals, for example, play a major environmental role by providing food for almost every vertebrate pred- ator and by significantly altering vegetation (Korchgen 1952). Also, popula- tions of individual species are subject to drastic cyclical or -^^"dom f uct- uations which confound attempts to correlate land-use changes and POP^I^J^O" changes. Community structure exhibits greater long-term stability than does population structure,and community changes may thus be more effectively meas- ured and related to disruptive impacts which affect many species than would single-species population changes (Wiens and Dyer 1975:163) Thus, no compo- nents of vertebrate communities were overlooked in this study, as a'' are acknowledged to be essential to ecosystem structure and function. This is not ?o say that game or other "featured" species such as raptors or endangered species were given short shrift; on the contrary, these species were subject to intensive autecological study in addition to determining their synecological roles This dual approach should more clearly explain the role or importance of each species in the grassland ecosystem far better than a piecemeal single- species approach, or an approach studying game species only. A major consideration in study design was to provide data which would allow both a priori prediction of impacts and a posteriori monitoring to measure actual impacts. The approach employed in predicting impacts began by sampling an array of habitats, including habitats similar to those likely to be produced by re- clamation, to determine the species present and their population Parameters^ Once these parameters are known for each habitat, then given the type of hab- itat produced by reclamation the characteristics of communities occurring in the reclaimed area can be predicted. For example, assume that the initial sampling finds that habitat A contains species x,y, and z in a '^^^lo of l^-i-^ and habitat B contains species x,y, and z in a ratio of 2:20.1. I J after re clamation habitat A is replaced by habitat B, then the P^ed^c,t^°I,lJ° °^^,^,f,J the ratio of species x,y, and z will go from 12:1:2 to 2:20:0. The assumption underlying the validity of this approach is that the parameters measured in each habitat are always characteristic of that habitat. This assumption will be discussed later. A further refinement of impact prediction involves use of species-specific habitat requirements. If the relationship is known between the type of habitats produced by reclamation and the habitat requirements o^ each species, then the species most likely to occupy a habitat produced by reclamation can be predicted. In order to monitor mine-related impacts, the use of an approach which enables the observers to distinguish between naturally occurring changes and changes related to mining or reclamation is mandatory. Merely documenting changes on the mine site over a period of time is not adequate to distinguish between changes relating to mining activity and tnose which would have occurred even in the absence of mining activity. To determine the impact of mining and reclamation on wildlife, comparisons can be made on the mine site between var- ious parameters measured before and after mining and during reclamation to determine if they have changed. Control (undisturbed off-mine site) areas can be sampled concurrently to determine if the observed changes actually resulted from mining activity or are simply due to natural variation. Assuming natural variation to be equal between control and experimental areas, any differences between the two areas after mining and reclamation will be attributable to mining-related activities. The baseline study was organized into a number of research segments as described in the study plan for the terrestrial fauna component of the Circle West Baseline Study (November 12, 1975). The primary responsibility for de- signing, organizing, and coordinating these studies rested with DNRC, which was also involved in certain aspects of the field work and data analysis. Four contracts were let by DNRC to accomplish remaining segments of the baseline '.•^iiuo, vjv.iiv_iui ^luuiiu ouiY tjr , uiiu v^uiicv.i,iuii, aua I y :y I :> , uiic vvi luucii r epOf i, i big game data; 2) one with Thomas Dahmer, a graduate student, who was prim- arily responsible for small mannal trapping but also assisted with many other research segments; 3) one with Richard Douglass, a consultant, who designed and set up the small mammal study; and 4) one with Renewable Resources Consul- ting Services, Ltd., for computer analysis of small mammal trapping data. In fall of 1976^when the wildlife inventory work began, field work on the vegetation baseline study was well under way, and provided invaluable habitat information. Other components of the baseline study, however, were in the planning stages and had not yet been initiated. On June 20, 1977, DNRC was informed by Dreyer Brothers, Inc. that the company wished to indefinately post- pone the initiation of any new studies planned by DNRC. At that time, only the vegetation, terrestrial fauna, and tributary stream studies were underway. This action had several important consequences regarding the terrestrial fauna study. First, quantitative information on several important habitat parameters -- meteorology, soils, physiography, aquatic ecosystems -- were not available for inclusion in this study. Second, some portions of the vegetation mapping were not completed. Third, studies of terrestrial arthropods, expecially grass- hoppers, which were originally planned to be made in conjunction with tne veg- etation studies, could not be made during the 1977 field season. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CIRCLE WEST STUDY AREA CLIMATE AND WEATHER The study area has a typical continental climate having hot summers, cold winters, and rapid seasonal transitions. At Circle, January temperatures aver- age -10.5°C (13.1°F) with a mean minimum temperature of -16.7°C (2°F). Temper- atures in July average 21.1°C (70°F) with a mean maximum temperature of 31.1 C (88 F). The frost-free season lasts about 99 days (Cordell 1971). Precipitation for the area is variable and unevenly distributed and drought strongly influences vegetation. The fifty-year precipitation average at Circle is 31.65 cm (12.46 inches). Between 1952 and 1977, the average was 32.8 cm (12.9 inches) with a standard deviation of 9.1 cm (3.6 inches). At Fort Peck, the average precipitation between 1955 and 1975 was 28.7 cm (11.3 inches) with a standard deviation of 8.6 cm (3.4 inches). The annual precipitation of the study areas averages between 30 cm - 40 cm (12 and 16 inches). The proposed mine area has an average annual precipitation of about 35.6 cm (14 inches) (USDA-DNRC 1977). On the average, 82% of the annual precipitation falls between April and September, and 55% falls between May and July (Cordell 1971). Of the two winters included in the baseline period, the first (1976-77) was "moderate" while the second (1977-78) was "severe"; therefore, data for each winter were treated separately. The National Weather Service station at Glas- gow, 48 km (thirty mi les) northwest of the study area, recorded eight days with at least 13 cm (5 inches) of snow on the ground during December and January of 1976-77 compared to fifty such days during December and January of 1977-78. 20 cm (eight inches) of precipitation were recorded for these two months the first winter compared to 43 cm (17 inches) the second winter. The average temp- erature in January, 1977 was -16°C (3°F), which is 3C0 (6F0) below the norm, while the average in January, 1973 was -19°C (-2°F), 60° (IIFO) below the norm. The spring and summer of 1977 were unusually hot and dry. A single storm on June 14 and 15 produced most the precipitation for the two seasons. GEOLOGY AiJD SOILS The Circle West study area is underlain by nearly horizontal beds of sedi- mentary rock which are poorly exposed except in local badlands in the western half of the area. The oldest exposed formation, the Bearpaw Shale, of Late Cretaceous age, is exposed in bluffs along the Missouri River and near Fort Peck. Overlying the Bearpaw are the Fox Hills Sandstone (Cretaceous), the Hell Creek formation (sandstone and claystone, some lignite; Late Cretaceous age), and the Fort Union formation (shale, sandstone, and lignite; Paleocene age). The Fox Hills and Hell Creek formations have outcrops along the Big Dry Arm of Fort Peck Reservior and along the breaks of the Missouri River. The Fort Union formation occupies the central and southern parts of the Circle West study area. and is divided into three members, tlie Tullock, Lebo and Tongue River. The Tongue River member contains the coal beds of the proposed Circle West strip mine. During Pleistoceno continental glaciation, glaciers deposited till through- out the northern half of the study area. Erosion has removed most of the till along all the main streams and rivers and little remains south of the Missouri River. Alluvium, consisting of silt, sand, and gravel, underl ies the bottom lands of most of the major streams and rivers in the study area. Saline soils, which result from a combination of poor subsurface drainage and a nearby source of salts, are widespread on poorly drained alluvial terraces, especially in the southern half of the study area. Salts are derived from the leaching of shale beds in the Tongue River member of the Fort Union formation and from the Bear- paw Shale. Other formations also have saline shales which may locally contri- bute to salinity buildup. Leaching of salts may be accelerated where permeable zones have been formed by the burning of coal beds within saline shale sequences. Badlands topography is common in areas underlain by the Fox Hills, Hell Creek and Tullock units, primarily in the western third of the area. Silt deposits, probably wind-blown loess (Colliver and Knechtel 1939), mantle many parts of the area and may have influenced the present topography. Several major kinds of soils are found in the study area. These are Erti- sols and Aridisols (Lithosols and Brown soils), e.g. Bainville silt loam; Mollisols (Chestnut and Chernozem soils), e.g. Bearpaw clay loam, Sprole loam, Vida loam; Ertisols and bedrock outcrops (badlands); Aridisols and some ar- gids and natrargids (glaciated Brown and Solodized-Solenetz soils), e.g. Phillips loam, Scobey clay loam, Thony loam; and Fluvents (allivial soils), e.g. Bowdoin clay, Lohmiller clay loam (after Southard 1973). Elevations range from 604 m (1980 feet) where the Missouri River leaves the study area to a high of 878 m (2882 feet) near Weldon Junction. Drainage heads near the center of the study area are often characterized by steep dendri- tic coulees which may cut 10 m (33 feet) or more beneath the plane of the sur- rounding uplands. VEGETATION AND HABITAT CATEGORIES The Importance of Vegetation Wildlife populations cannot exist without suitable habitat; hence, know- ledge of existing habitats and their quality and distribution is fundamental to wildlife inventory and impact analysis. Vegetation, topography, slope, soils, and local climate are among the most important components of wildlife habitat, and can often be correlated with the diversity, productivity, biomass, and dis- tribution of terrestrial animals. Such correlation was a primary objective of this study. Vegetation was identified as the single most important component of wild- life habitat in the study area, as it not only reflects such site factors as 10 soils, slope, aspect, and topography, but directly provides food, cover, shade, nest sites, and other wildlife requisites. Also DNRC's vegetation baseline study (Prodgers 1978) was in progress concurrently with the wildlife study, and provided the opportunity for constant interaction between these two study components. Methods used in vegetation sampling, classification, analysis, and mapping have been presented in DNRC's final report on the vegetation baseline study. Vegetation of the Study Area The study area is primarily a temperate grassland, or more precisely a mixed grass prairie (Weaver and Albertson 1956). A second major vegetation type in the area is the sagebrush-dominated cool semi-desert of Whittaker (1975). Other less abundant vegetation types occur in atypical sites. Several authors have mapped the vegetation of the area on rather small scales, largely using existing data and some new samples or listing species. Kuchler (1964) has indicated that the area is potentially the blue grama- needle-and-thread-western wheatgrass vegetation type.* Certainly these are the three major species of the area. Ross and Hunter (1976) have identified three principal range sites for the area: the silty range site having 25 cm - 35 cm (ten to fourteen inches) of precipitation; the silty-clayey range site complex having 25 cm - 35 cm (ten to fourteen inches) of precipitation; and to a lesser extent the badlands. The three major climax dominants for the first two range sites dre western wheat- grass (and thick spike w[ieatgrass) , little bluestem, and needle-and-thread. The three principal increasers for these sites are blue grama, needle-and-thread and thread-leaved sedge. Payne (1973) has indicated three major rangeland types for the area. The southern portion of the study area is the Prairie County grassland, dominated by needle-and-thread, thread-leaved sedge, and blue grama. The northwest por- tion of the area is the central grassland, characterized by scattered sagebrush and blue grama, needle-and-thread, and western wheatgrass. The northeastern part of the study area is the northeastern grassland, distinguished by little bluestem and also blue grama, needle-and-thread, and western wheatgrass. Habitat Categories On December 9, 1976, a preliminary classification of wildlife habitat categories was prepared for use in the field, based upon the field experience of DNRC personnel and several published classification schemes (U.S. D.I. 1976, Stewart 1975, Mueggler and Handl 1974). Although the results of the DNRC veg- etation community type classification did not become available until March, 1977, they were found to agree very closely with the preliminary habitat categories. Only eight categories were added to the December 9, 1976 list as a result of this cluster analysis and three month's field experience with the habitat * Scientific names of plant species mentioned in the text are listed in Appendix A. n categories; none were deleted. The list of habitat categories used after March 18, 1977, is presented as table 1. The correlations between the vege- tative community types identified by Prodgers (DNRC 1978) and these wildlife habitat categories are given in table 2. Many community types whicli are very similar in physiognomy and general aspect, or which merely reflect reversal of dominants, were combined into the more general habitat categories. A preliminary vegetation map for the proposed mining area (scale:l :12,000) was prepared by R. Prodgers, DNRC plant ecologist, and became available March 17, 1977. A similar map for the 75-section vegetation study area became avail- able in July of 1977, but vegetation mapping for the reconnaissance level study area was not completed during the study period. Woodland Series Cottonwood Forest (CF). The cottonwood forest (CF), corresponding to the Plains Cottonwood/Western Snowberry-Prairie Rose c.t. and to the western river floodplain forest of Stewart (1975), is characterized by dense stands of riparian plains cottonwood, 20 m (65 feet) or more in height with a well -developed shrubby understory of western snowberry, prairie rose, willow, western serviceberry, choke- cherry, and/or red osier dogwood. The CF h.c. is restricted to the floodplain of the Missouri River and the lower reaches of Sand Creek and Prairie Elk Creek. Cottonwood Groves (CG). Open, scattered stands of plains cottonwood 20 m (65 feet) or more in height lacking the well -developed shrub understory of the CF h.c.'s characterize the CG h.c, found bordering stockponds and reservoirs in more mesic coulees scattered along the upper reaches of major streams. i Farm Groves and Shelter Belts (FG). The FG h.c. consists of areas of dense, isolated stands of introducted tall shrub or tree species (white elm, lombardy poplar, Russian olive, Douglas fir, Englemann spruce, ponderosa pine) usually 4-10 m (13 feet to 33 feet) in height. This habitat category is some- times interspersed with plains cottonwood, and usually surrounds farmsteads. The FG h.c. is similar to the shelter belts and tree claims described by Stewart (1975) in North Dakota. Box Elder-Ash (BX). Corresponding to the Green Ash/Prairie Rose-Western Snowberry c.t., the BX h.c. is characterized by dense stands of riparian box elder, green ash, chokecherry, western serviceberry, western snowberry, prairie rose, and other tall shrubs and trees having an overstory usually 4-10 m (13 to 33 feet) in height. It sometimes includes scattered plains cottonwood trees 15 m (bO feet) or more in height, and is found along the upper reaches of major streams, notably Prairie Elk Creek, and in very moist coulees. Shrubland Series Rocky Mountain Juniper (RJ). Corresponding to the Rocky Mountain Juniper/ Bluebunch Wheatgrass c.t., characterized by scattered individuals of Rocky Mountain juniper usually under 3 m (10 feet) in height. Largely restricted to the northwestern portion of the study area near the Fort Peck Reservoir, this habitat category is usually associated with badlands and dry coulees. 12 o E -o ■o -o -a O- l/l "O 1/1 ZJ E c = 3 O 3 c — • o (/> . -r- ■ ID o O cn >> S_ .c 03 1— en CLOi S , — 3 i*- c JD O in JD ro ■o <— =3 u- — >> 4-> fO •1- ro UO Ll_ <3: 3 3: t— < _j ^ oo U- T) O) *J O U 0) O 1- tn S- (_) C3 - — -M O >> Q. I— o c U u --« as ^ in CVJ OJ 13 >» *-^ ■* H- o O t_ 1 ID cn ^ o <— ■— o : I/) OJ . — -:z u i/i >— J3 u C c3 dj OJ c 3 3 =J 3 -— -Q .— ca C3 OJ O : ^ n l/l s- >^ = 3 4-> ^ 13 uo 3 =^ j^ •<- ■•- 1) 14 Tall Coulee Shrub (TC). The TC h.c. corresponds to the Silver Buffajoberry/ Western Snowberry-Praine Rose c.t. and is dominated by taller shrubs 3 m (10 feet) in height, particularly silver buffaloberry, western serviceberry, chokecnerry and, in coiler Sore mesic situations, red-osier dogwood. Often it supports a diverse and well-developed understory including such low snrubs as western showberry, prairie rose, skunkbrush sumac and silver sagebrush. It is usually associated with deeply cut coulee heads, but is often found along low, shallow coulees or along the edge of dissected benches. Low Coulee Shrub (LC). The LC h.c. is dominated by low shrubs 1 m (3 feet) or lower in height, usually western snowberry, prairie rose, silver sagebrush, and skunkbush sumac. Always found on the floor of steep - to shallow-walled coulees it of?en is associated with the TC h.c. but lacks the tall shrub overstory. Snowberrv-Rose (SR). The SR h.c. corresponds to the Western Snowberry- Prairie Rose c.t. and is similar in vegetation composition to the LC h.c, out is found in gentle mesic swales, shallow drainages, and along major streams rather than bottoms of steep-walled coulees. Big Sagebrush (BS). The BS h.c. corresponds to the black sage prairie of Stewart (1975) and to the Big Sagebrush/Western Wheatgrass-Blue Grama c.t but includes only stands with greater than twenty-five percent canopy cover of big sagebrush. It is found mainly on uplands, most frequently along and west of Highway 24. Big Sagebrush Grassland (BG). Similar to the BS h.c, but BG h.c is lim- ited to stands having less than twenty-five percent canopy cover of big sagebrush. Silver Sagebrush (SS). The SS h.c. corresponds to the Silver Sagebrush/ Western Wheatgrass-Blue Grama and Silver Sagebrush/Green Needlegrass - Western Wheatgrass ct.'s, but includes only stands having greater than twenty-five per- cent canopy cover of silver sagebrush. It is found mainly in drainage bottoms in more mesic situations than the big sagebrush h.c.'s. Silver Sagebrush/Grassland (SG). The SG h.c. is similar to the SS h.t. but includes only stands having less than twenty-five percent canopy cover of silver sagebrush. Riparian Shrubbery (RS). Similar to the understory of the CF h c , the RS h c is dominated by tall riparian shrubs up to 3 m (10 feet) in height and in- cludes chokecherry, red-osier dogwood, willow, western serviceberry, western snow- berry, and prairie rose. This h.c. is found only along the Missouri River and major streams. Willow (WI). Dominated by willow usually less than 2 m (6 ft) in height, the WI h.c is restricted to the edges of larger stockponds and creeks. Yucca (YU). Corresponding to the Yucca c.t., the YU h.c is characterized by scattered plants usually less than one meter (3 feet) in height with a grassy understory dominated by prairie sand reedgrass, little bluestem, thread-leaved sedge, and needle-and-thread. Typically it is found on uplands of moderate slope. 15 Grassland Series Grassland (GR). This category includes several distinct c.t.'s which are ' similar in physiognomy, difficult to separate at a distance, and which in many cases are distinguished only by a reversal of dominants. These are the c.t.'s dominated by blue grama, needle -and-thread, thread-leaved sedge, green needle- grass, and prairie sand reedgrass. It is by far the predominant grassland hab- itat category in the study area and corresponds to the western mixed-grass prairie of Stewart (1975). Western Wheatgrass (WW). Corresponding to the Western Wheatgrass/Blue Grama and Blue Grama/Western Wheatgrass c.t.'Sjthe WW h.c. is typically found on low to mid slope positions, often on shrubless drainage bottoms, and is fairly easily distinguishable from the GR h.c. at a distance. Bluebunch Wheatgrass (BW). The BW h.c. corresponds to the Bluebunch Wheatgrass/Blue Grama-Thread-leaved Sedge and Plains Muhly-Bluebunch Wheatgrass c.t.'s and is usually found on ridgetops and upper slopes of cool aspect. Little Bluestem (LB). The LB h.c, corresponding to the Little Bluestem and Little Bluestem/Prairie Sand Reedgrass c.t.'s, is dominated by little blue- stem which is very conspicuous and which stands out clearly from the GR h.c. at all seasons. This h.c. is usually found on the downwind side of ridgetops, but occurs on a wide variety of sites from coulee walls to floodplains. Saltgrass (SA). Corresponding to the Saltgrass c.t., the SA h.c. is dom- inated almost exclusively by saltgrass less than 5 cm (2 inches) in height and is usually found on saline flats, floodplains, and alkaline wetlands. < Horizontal Juniper (HJ). Corresponding to the Horizontal Juniper/Little Bluestem-Bluebunch Wheatgrass c.t., the HJ h.c. is dominated by horizontal jun- iper, but is included within the grassland rather than the shrubland series because the juniper is less than 15 cm (6 inches) in height, which is short compared to the subdominant grasses. Usually found on scoria slopes and bad- lands, this h.c. also occurs on steeper coulee walls and coulee bottoms. Wetland Series Wet Meadow (WM). The WM h.c, similar to the wet-meadow swales described by Stewart (1975) in North Dakota, is dominated by mesic grasses (bluegrass, tim- othy) in cool, moist drainage bottoms and floodplains. Curl dock is often con- spicuous in moister sites. This h.c. is generally restricted to floodplains of the Missouri River and large perennial streams such as the Redwater River. Cattail Marsh (CM). The CM h.c. includes all wetlands dominated by cattail and is most abundant in the Missouri River floodplain. Scirpus Marsh (SM). Corresponding to the Western Bulrush c.t., the SM h.c includes all wetlands dominated by bulrush and is usually found along stock- ponds, larger reservoirs, and perennial streams. 16 Water Habitats Lotic habitats in the study areas are limited to the Missouri River and smaller rivers and streams, which were classified as flowing water (FW). L£ntic habitats are exclusively man-made impoundments, the largest of which by far is the Big Dry arm of Fort Peck Reservior. Scattered throughout the study areas are hundreds of smaller stockponds and reservoirs, nearly all of which are smaller than 8 ha (20 acres) at full pool, and correspond to type 5 stock- watering ponds of Stoudt 1971 and the type 5 inland fresh areas (inland open fresh water) of the "Circular 39" classification system (Shaw and Fredine 1956; see also Stewart and Kantrud 1971 and Cowardin et al. 1976). The open water of Fort Peck Reservior and the largest of the stockponds were classified as (SW); other lentic habitats were classified as stockponds and reserviors (SR). In some cases, stockponds and reservoirs could be broken down further according to the nature of the principal vegetation bordering their banks: grass (PG), marsh (PM), shrub (PS), or woodland (PW) bordered. Saturated soil bare of vegetation along the borders of water areas was classified as shore (SH). A few small ephemeral oxbow lakes occur along the Nelson Creek flood plain within the proposed mining area. Locations of major water areas in the mine study area are shown in map 2 and their sizes and shoreline characteristics are listed on table 3. Agricultural Land Series Cultivated land was classified as fallow (FA), sprouting grain (GS), inter- mediate grain (GI), mature grain (GM), stubble (ST), alfalfa (AL), or undif- ferentiated (CU). Since the condition of a given cultivated field changes throughout the year, all cultivated land was treated as undifferentiated (CU) in the analysis. Wild hayland, or native grasses which are regularly mown for hay, were classified separately (WH). Rights-of-Way Series Certain linear habitats of special importance to particular wildlife species were recognized in this study. These include fence rows (FR), which were fre- quently used as perches by raptors and often provided the only available cover in heavily cultivated areas; paved highway (HI) and unpaved county road (RD) surfaces and embankments; and transmission or telephone line rights-of-way (TL) which often prodide hunting perches for raptors. Towns and Communities Series Towns (TO). The TO h.c. consists of townsites. The only towns in the study area were Circle, Broadway, Vida, Wolf Point, Oswego, and Frazer. Occupied Farmstead (OF). The OF h.c. includes rural residences as well as nearby barns and other outbuildings, farm machinery storage areas, and grain storage silos. 17 Table 3. O laracteristics of Major Stock ponds Found in the Circle West Mine Study Area. Water Area 17 Wetland Type Approximate Acres Area 2J Hectares 1/ Dominant Shoreline Vegetation (Full Pool, MAOl S 0.8 0.3 Grassland MA02 MA03 s s 0.6 0.1 0.2 <0.1 Grassland (70%), Silver Sage (20%), Bare Earth (10%) Grassland MA04 s 0.7 0.3 Grassland MA05 s 0.4 0.2 Grassland MA06 s 0.2 0.1 Grassland MA07 s 3.2 1.3 Grassland MA08 E 0.7 0.3 Grassland MA09 s 0.5 0.2 Grassland MAIO E 0.3 0.1 Grassland MC05 MC06 S s 6.0 2.0 2.4 0.8 Grassland (70%), Silver Buffaloberry (20%), Bare Earth (10%) Grassland MC07 s 3.3 1.3 Grassland (90%), Silver Buffaloberry (10%) Grassland MC09 s 0.3 0.1 NCOl NC02 s s 3.2 1.0 1.3 0.4 Grassland (45%), Silver Sage (45%), Grassland (10%) Grassland NCOS s 0.6 0.2 Grassland NC04 s 1.0 0.4 Grassland NC05 s 0.7 0.3 Grassland NC06 s 10.0 4.1 Grassland NC07 s 3.1 1.3 Grassland NC08 s 2.0 0.8 Grassland NC09 s 7.5 3.0 Grassland NC10 s 0.8 0.3 Grassland NCll s 0.3 0.1 Grassland NCI 2 s 0.2 0.1 Grassland NCI 3 s 0.7 0.3 Grassland NC14 s 0.4 0.2 Grassland IMC15 s 0.2 0.1 Grassland ;JC16 s 0.8 0.3 Grassland (80%), Silver Sagebrush (20%) 1/ S = Stockpond, E = Ephemeral Oxbow Lakes in Ilelson Creek Floodplain. 2/ Based on June 10, 1976, aerial photography. 18 7v^ ^'7 J-? r ''■^,'^- MAP 2. STOCKPONDS AND RESERVOIRS LEGEND • < 1.0 ha ^ > 1.0 ha Abandoned Farmstead (AF). The A.F. h.c. is similar to the OF h.c. but is presently unoccupied by humans. Badlands Series Badlands Comples (BA). Corresponding to the Big Sagebrush Scabland c.t., the BA h.c. is actually a complex mosaic of many types associated with deeply eroded shale and mudstone badlands and the resultant highly variable topography. Bare earth and weathered shale and mudstone devoid of vegetation generally pre- dominate, but patches of big and silver sagebrush, grassland, little bluestem, tall coulee shrubbery, and, in drainage bottoms, various wetland types are inter- spersed in a manner not readily mapped at the scale used in the vegetation base- line study. Bare Earth (BE). The BE h.c. consists of bare soil (rather than rock) having less than ten percent canopy coverage of vegetation. Scoria (SC). The SC h.c. includes all scoria outcrops having less than ten percent canopy coverage of vegetation. 21 METHODS HABITAT DESCRIPTION Special descriptive techniques were employed for the breeding bird census, the small mammal study, and the roadside wildlife survey which all required more detailed habitat description. Vegetation was mapped on breeding bird cen- sus grids using aerial photographs to delineate boundaries^and inspection from ground level to determine vegetation type. Several 34.5 m (371 ft ) sample plots were located in characteristic community types within these grids and sampled as described in the DNRC vegetation report. Vegetation on small mammal live-trap grids was mapped by investigators who inspected each grid on foot and recorded the vegetation at each station. Snap-trap lines were located in stands representative of plant community types with the aid of the DNRC plant ecologist. Representation of certain habitat categories by percent within each of two hun- dred and fifty circles of 0.40 km (0.25 mi) radius centered on the stopping sta- tions on the roadside wildlife survey routes was visually estimated by examin- ation of aerial photographs and inspection from ground level. GENERAL GROUND AND AERIAL SURVEYS AND ANALYSES The bulk of information on vertebrate species composition, and on habitat use, distribution, season of use, group size, sex and age structure, and other parameters for selected species was obtained by recording data on vertebrates observed while investigators were flying, driving, walking, or (rarely) skiing or snowshoeing through the study area. The formal baseline study period extended from December 6, 1976 to February 20, 1978, and thus included two winters. Five biologists worked at various times in the study area during the study period; the dates during which each recorded field data are shown in figure 1. In addition, supplemental wildlife observations were recorded by R. Prodgers, DNRC plant ecologist, during the summer of 1976 as shown in this same figure. The schedule of aerial surveys during the study is given in table 4. The north-south flight lines were one mile apart. An attempt was made to cover the reconnaissance study area seasonally and the mine study area monthly, although it was not possible to follow this schedule precisely. All observations of wild mammals, raptors, and upland game birds made during ground and aerial surveys were recorded on standard data sheets (Appendix B). Data recorded for each observation included: level (reconnaissance, mine study area, or proposed mining area), date, observers, vehicle, time, species, number of animals (by sex and age), activity, habitat category (classified as in table 1), and topography (classified as in figure 2). Where applicable, additional information recorded on these forms included: type and rate of precipitation, temperature, wind speed, slope, aspect, snow cover, and comments. Since soil maps were not available, data were not recorded on soil types at observation sites. 23 L.THOMPSON - R. PRODGERS - J. WAMBAUGH - T. DAHMER P. MARTIN B. BLANCHARD - - - - -1 - - - i 1 w JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB 1978 Figure 1. Timing of field work of personnel involved in the Circle West baseline wildlife study. Gaps indicate periods greater than 5 days during which field data were not gathered. Notes on food field journal given in Appendix B habits, behavior, etc. were recorded for each species in a separate A more detailed discussion of the categories of data recorded is Two sets of field maps were used for recording ground and aerial routes, and the locations of animals observed. Maps of the reconnaissance level study area (scale 1:125,000) were available throughout the report period. Observations made in the mine study area were recorded on topographic maps (scale 1:12,000) after March of 1977. At the end of each month, locations of observations were trans- ferred by hand to base maps by species or groups of species for analysis of dis- tribution patterns. All observations of waterfowl were recorded on a similar data sheet (Appen- dix C). Data recorded for each observation included level (as above), date, observers, time, location and description of water area, species of waterfowl, activity, number of birds by sex and age, number of obvious pairs, brood size, and number of nests. It was also indicated on these sheets whether or not a cen- sus of the water area was taken, and whether or not an active search for nests was made. The methods of Ellig (1955) were applied, with modification, to nest searches, and Stewart and Kantrud's (1973) modification of the criteria used by Hammond (1969:247-248) were used to determine the indicated number of breeding^^ pairs present based on segregated pairs, lone males, mixed groups, "excess" lone females, and certain male groups. These data provide information useful 24 Table 4. Schedule of Aerial Surveys, Circle West Baseline Wildlife Study Date Observer Winter 1977 January 3, 17 February 1,15 Spring 1977 March 9, 18 April 1 May 23, 24, 26-28, 30, 31 Summer 1977 June 1, 10 July 20 August 23, 26, 29, 30 September 2-6 Fall 1977 November 14-17, 22 Winter 1978 January 20-23 February 2 J. Wambaugh J. Wambaugh J. Wambaugh J. Wambaugh J. Wambaugh J. Wambaugh J. Wambaugh J. Wambaugh J. Wambaugh B. Blanchard B. Blanchard B. Blanchard 25 -luo^og iSAi^ iD|J -9P.ISIIIH -uiDidpooij >1 -a 3 4-> D. o o 3 CO I— en to c - +-> O) cni — to > "O >— r— •!- -1- o Q- q: d; q: II II II II I— o o — I <: cQ h- _) — I >-i >— I o Q. Di q; Di ■noetDid (oO£<) aP!S|l!H poeH aainoQ i=j— < — oiouog •)\daiO toij -aP!S|l!H h-<- ■*D|d ■||DM aainoo- i-^ ■iDId -{oO£>) Buiiioy H^ -spuDipog ■UjD|dpOO| J SP!S|I!H ! -doi a6p!y i ■9Una ^n=s| l|D/v\ aeinoQ— r ZI}— <— uiouog aeinoQ [- ■aainoQ s CD C •f— 1 — 0) CO n3 -Q -l-> m 0) 3 j__ E O Ol r— +-> c ,-~ fO +-> • 1 — u 3 o fo cu s_ CQ r— TD •r— O) Q-'i- c_) O) .:^ "O CO 1 — 0) +-) O r— >> +-> E "5. ro O rO +-> -a S- > ^-> ro cn 1 — ( — 1 — •o +j 3 3 3 > ro 3 o O O O-J CQ CO tJ <_) <_) cu II II II II II s- 13 — 1 h- o Q .-I CD a h- CQ in o =a: :z5 O o o U_ CQ CQ CJ CJ O 26 in assessing the importance of waters in the study area as nesting, resting, or feeding habitat, size of breeding populations, nesting habitat requirements, dates of nesting, clutch and brood sizes, productivity, dates of earliest arrival, peak of migration, and end of migration for waterfowl found in the study areas. A more detailed discussion of the categories of data recorded is given in Appendix C. The locations of waterfowl observed were not mapped, as the lo- cations were coded into the data sheets. Computer programs were developed to summarize and analyze raw data recor- ded on these two types of data sheets. For both types, programs were prepared to: code data from data sheets; print the data in expanded form with column titles; edit the data; and list the data chronologically or alphabetically by species. Additional programs were developed for the general wildlife observa- tion data sheets to: summarize sex and age classifications by species; analyze the data in terms of vegetation, topography, slope, aspect, activity, and time of day for each species; and sort these analyses by month or season, study area level, observer, vehicle, and by completeness of classification (that is, whether or not all individuals in a group were classified by sex and age). This allows speedy retrieval and analysis of data; for example, one can quickly obtain a printout which shows the sex and age classification of pronghorn antelope groups (fully classified groups only) observed by Blanchard during November and December aerial flights over the study area. This same printout will show the numbers and percent of individuals in each sex and age class which were seen in each habitat category. This method of ground and aerial surveys has the advantage that a relativ- ely large number of observations can be recorded over a large area with a min- imum of effort and special equipment, and characteristics of the animals obser- ved (e.g., percentage use of habitat categories, sex ratios) can be statistic- ally determined for species with a fairly large sample size. However, neither aerial nor ground surveys provide a random sampling technique, as both are biased toward large, conspicuous animals or groups and toward open habitats where the animals are most visible. Also, both aerial and ground surveys are restricted to daylight hours, with few exceptions, and as such sample only diurnal habitat use, animal activity, distribution, and group characteristics, which may be quite different from the nocturnal situation. While aerial sur- veys provide an essentially random sample of habitats, ground surveys are heav- ily biased toward roadside habitats, especially those which happen to occur along major roads. Aerial surveys give the most reliable picture of general distribution patterns, and also the minimum total numbers of large vertebrates, as each individual is observed and recorded only once. Ground surveys, however sample the same individuals many times, and observations cluster heavilv along main-traveled routes. Ground surveys, in essence, sample the population, return the sample to the population, and sample again. Thus, while 500 ground observations of pronghorn antelope may be made in one week, the actual number of pronghorn antelope present may by only one hundred, even though every effort was made to avoid recording observations for the same group twice on the same day. The results obtained by thus pooling samples are by no means a census, but rather provide a description of the group sampled. If we assume that the character- istics of the sample apply also to the entire population, we can theoretically extrapolate descriptive statistics to areas and individuals not sampled. For 27 example, if eighty percent of a thousand observations of species A were made in habitat B, we can make such interpretations as: eighty percent of species A i occurs in habitat B; species A uses habitat B eighty percent of daylight hours, even though the actual number of species A present was two hundred and only one hundred of these were actually observed. Such extrapolations and interpretations, however, must be viewed with caution, with full knowledge of the sample bias noted above, especially in cases where sample size is small. As the study progressed, attention was focused upon certain species or groups of species of special concern, and a special effort was made to locate and describe critical sites which are used from year to year such as leks, nest sites, winter concentration areas, rookeries, and prairie dog towns. Owl pellets, red fox and coyote scats, and crops of road-killed or hunter-killed gallinaceous birds were collected when encountered and stored by DNRC, but no special effort was made to determine food habits, as the literature provides adequate infor- mation. Standard study skins were prepared of all bird and mammal specimens ob- tained during the study; amphibians were preserved in a five percent formalin solution. Data on all bird nests located during the study were recorded on standard next-record cards (Appendix D) prepared by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. ROADSIDE WILDLIFE SURVEY AND ANALYSIS In addition to the general ground surveys, which were certainly not system- atic and which do not provide information on relative or absolute abundances, a method was sought which would provide quantitive information as well as sample . a wide range of habitats without consuming great amounts of field time. The ' standard nationwide Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) was chosen as the ideal method to meet these goals. This method has been described and critiqued by Peterson (1975), Robbins and Van Velzen (1967, 1969), Van Velzen and Robbins (1971), and Weber and Theberge (1977); Lewis et al. (1978) and Swenson (1978) have also ap- plied the method to baseline study. The BBS has been underway nationwide since 1968, and in 1977 over 1700 such surveys were run in 48 states. The opportunity is thus provided to tie in to a vast amount of data obtained by standardized methods. While the technique was originally designed to sample breeding season bird populations, it was easily applied as a roadside wildlife survey without modification for all seasons of the year. Each roadside wildlife survey route consisted of 50 roadside stopping points separated by 0.80 km (0.5 mi) as indicated by odometer readings, for a total route length of 39.4 km (24.5 mi). Beginning 0.5 hr before local sun- rise at the first stopping point of each route, the observer stood quietly outside the vehicle and recorded the species and numbers of all vertebrates seen or heard during a 3.0 minute counting period. All reptiles, am- phibians, and mammals were recorded regardless of distance; birds were only counted within an estimated 0.40 km (0.25 mi) radius. During winter and early spring, most locations were made visually and the observer often walked as far as 30 m (100 ft) from the vehicle while scanning the area for animals. Since very few observations were made at each stop during this period, no difficulty was encountered by the observer in timing stops or recording observations while scanning. During the breeding season, however, most observations were based on 28 songs or calls, and the observer generally stood at one point near the vehicle, and listened and scanned. An assistant was necessary to time stops and record data during this period. Upon finishing a 3-minute stop, the observer returned to the vehicle and proceeded quickly to the next stop, where a similar 3-minute count was made. This process was repeated for each of the remaining stops on the route. Approximately 4.0 hr were required to complete each route. On all routes seven power binoculars and a twenty power spotting scope were used to facilitate location and identification of animals. Although odometer readings varied from vehicle to vehicle, landmarks useful in precisely locating each stop were noted, and the observer soon learned to recognize each of the stopping points from month to month. Stops were also plotted on aerial photos at a scale of 1:40,000. Five such routes, named the Circle, Dreyer Ranch, Flowing Well, Missouri, and Prairie Elk routes, were established in the study areas (map 1). The Dreyer Ranch route was run monthly May through July, while the remaining four routes were run monthly throughout 1977 except during November. Two runs of the Circle route were made in June, as discussed below. Starting points on all runs were as shown in map 1 except that the Missouri River route was run west to east in January, and the Dreyer Ranch route was run north to south in May. L. Thompson was the observer during all months except January and December, when the routes were run by J. Wambaugh and B. Blanchard, respectively. These five routes were chosen on the basis of yearlong accessibility of roads, variety of habitat, probability of disruption, and location of any pre- viously-run routes in the area. The Dreyer Ranch route traversed the proposed mining area as well as part of the 75 section vegetation study area. It sampled habitats typical of the rolling, coulee-dissected upland grassland and the Nelson Creek floodplain. Unfortunately, the poor quality of roads along this route did not allow the route to be run when the roads were wet or snow-covered. The Flowing Well route, following Highway 24, which is easily accessible year-round, sampled typical badland and big sagebrush-scabland habitats along a road which could become a major transportation corridor should the project be developed. The Missouri River route, sampling the Missouri River floodplain (which includes much cropland and the only riparian cottonwood forests in the study area) and adjacent uplands, was also accessible year-round. Possible sites for the pro- posed conversion facility have been identified near this route. The Prairie Elk route sampled the saline floodplain of Prairie Elk Creek and adjacent uplands, and was accessible most of the year. A spur railroad line running parallel to this route is among the potential access corridors to the proposed mining area. The Circle route sampled primarily agricultural and grassland habitats; it was not accessible during part of the winter, but it was the only route in the area which had been run in the past, as discussed below. A BBS route almost identical to the Circle route had been run several times since 1968. (See Appendix E for a summary of data obtained during these runs.) It was hoped that this route could have been followed precisely during the pre- sent study, however, it soon became evident that a portion of this route was impassable most or all months of the year. By making a small change in this portion of the route (as shown in map 1), a route was obtained which followed well-maintained gravel or paved roads over its entire length and, with the_ exception of mid-winter, was passable during every season of the year. This new route differed from the former route only in the locations of eight of the fifty stops. For convenience, the former route will be referred to as Circle 29 route A and the new route as Circle route B. In order to test the significance of this change on the sample results, the following breeding season runs of the | Circle routes were made. On June 15, Circle route B was run as it had been since January. Immediately upon completing the 50th stop, stops 38 through 45 of Circle route A were run in reverse sequence. By substituting these for the correspond- ing stops on Circle route B, a complete run of Circle route A was approximated. Circle route B was run again on June 22 for comparison with the June 16 runs. For each month, data were summarized for each route and for the four routes combined. In e\jery case, S (the total number of species seen), H (the total number of registrations or individuals seen), n^- (the total number of registra- tions or individuals seen of the i species), and fj (the frequency or number of stops at which the i^ species was seen), were calculated from the raw data. Birds and mammals were analyzed separately. Single-species dominance (the pro- portion of individuals belonging to the most abundant species) and two-species dominance (the proportion of individuals belonging to the two most abundant species) vjere also calculated. Table 5 summarizes the percentage of representation of the various habitat categories within each area sampled by a roadside wildlife survey route. Since these routes were set up to sample representative habitats of the reconnaissance level study area, the percent habitat representation of the five routes combined can be considered to approximate that of the entire reconnaissance study area. Thus, it was assumed that these percentages represented the relative availabil- ity of habitats to vertebrates sampled by ground and aerial surveys, and these percentages were used in determining habitat preferences of certain vertebrates (see the section entitled Species Narratives). Prominence values for each bird species were calculated using the method of Beals (1960): Prominence value = P- = (n^)(f.'2) Percent similarity was calculated among three groups of counts including: the six June runs of the Circle route conducted since 1968; the three runs of the Circle route conducted in June of 1977; and the five different routes run in June of 1977. The coefficient of similarity described by Bray and Curtis (1957) was used: c = 2w a+b where a = E prominence values P. for route a, b = I prominence values P^ for route b, and \i = Z of the lower of the prominence values for each species which the two routes have in common. A great many different alpha and gamma diversity indices have been applied to ecological data (Pielou 1966; Peet 1974), the most simple and perhaps the most meaningful of which is simply the number of species in the sample (S). 30 CD 13 S-- — • (O ■— O) -C OJ C O) c > -t- S_ ro <:• Q Qi u D L • LI (U i +-> o D Qi If =*> U O) Ti > O 1- 3 oo u J O) -o LI r— ^- Ol >, 1/1 — 0) x: S- o >l u 01 X 0) c > cu S- 03 cC--' Q d: Ol o o CO vo CTv cn CTl , — LO C\J o oo 1 — 00 "* O CO o 1 — "* 1 o r^ oo in o oo CM O O I— .— .— o CM CM 00 CO o CO LO I — CM 00 I — CO I— cy\ ID t— 00 o O •— o I— CM I— o Ol s- O 01 (/) > (O LlJ S- Q. 3 ■— O 01 CM CO o 00 o CO CM UD o o 00 CO o L£> CM O o o CO 00 o o o o o CM en O Ln "* -- o O ^ o ^ O o o o o o o o o OJ LO CM Ln LO en CM CM O LO CO o o IT) o oo LO o o CM o ^ m o o CM CO CO o^ I— o LO CD CM CM LO CO LO o o CM CM (Tl CM o o CM o en O CM CM CM t— O >— O CD O o CM ^ •* o O O o o o O I— CO o CO CO CM o CTv o o CM o LO CM O O O LO CM CM O o o CM co CM LO CM o CM LO in LO CO f— o o o o •— CM o o CD LO LO CM cn o o o o LO CM «* o CM o o o CO LO >* o i — = o E Qi 3 ^ O ^^ .c*^ OO oc ^^-^ 3 •V ^ — " CO ^^ CQ < 00 ■-3 v_^ CO &- + . — . IC ^— V n 01 00 t— 1 — ^ CO to LU CD. oo 3 .. — ^ CO cn l/J CQ ''—^ •r— CO s- _1 r. ro '- — ^ oc c , . oo o OJ - — ^ OO s- ^ — >^ — ■ Ll. ■^ ^ >, ,. — .^ 3 CO X •r— E ■ — ^ ■*-> 3 01 =1 3 +-> S- 3) + 3 •_> CO C Ol - — ^ ro V r— 01 ** C U- n3 o C_) OH s- I— #» 3 -(-> -C cn (J3 ^ CO ■"D to to oo '~ s: -o E o O " — ^ ro 3 •r- Ol Ol Ll_ OJ 3 ^^ ^ 3 oo c O Qi _l +J 00 JD -!-> T3 cn -Q t— 3 S- •« ro CD 1 l to ■ — ' 3 d; IE O +-> C oo S_ L_> +-> CO 01 to u tJ '>. to s_ cn o Q. re ro -C c cn ro c *- — ' ro T3 s_ c ro 2: ■ — ' > S- OO o 01 ro t- 3 in C 01 •I— ci- 1 s- -t-> 1/5 > 1 — 01 •f— +-> 4-> 01 CO -o 1 — 3 r^ ro .^ 01 f— ro ,— OJ s- +-> cr> r— 3 1_ f— -a O •»— M- 0 ■(-> 3 s- • f ro S- o • r— ro r^ ro •1— ro c 3 f— 0 ro C_) CO oo 1— (— 3: _l CQ to □3 s: 3 QQ OO CQ c s- 1/1 fO OJ 1/1 E -(-> fO fO 1/1 s_ s- Ol 0) cne) s_ ■3 +-> ■z (O Ol ■>-> OJ =3 (/■ ■ -C 1— re tn 3 CO a. o LO 1— o o CO s- ID CD CD 00 (Nl O O o 1 s- s_ s_ QJ 0) JZ > -O to •— o 3 •1- .— S- S- QJ 00 (O >1 s- s_ s_ (U OJ s_ > -Q Ol r— O •>- TD ■r- 1 1/1 O QJ 00 fo o O QJ 4- S'- 4- -O cn 3 . rs 0) o o CM CO d: Q <_) CO 13 en n rt! I — I/O Ll_ Lfl o CO r- oo Ln o ID ro ro , — ^ CJ3 CQ 3 OO ^ — ' 3 o3 "-^ oo 00 ca CO (/I ,-, CO ^_^ —1 , N» to cn CO CD i. oo 13 -C CO en *■ — " S- CO ^ — ^ E % ^ +-> .^ — ^ .. — ^ cn 3 OJ QJ ^^ N fO 0) r5 q; +-> s_ 1— +-> -C i >, C 00 S- o D3 QJ CO o S- ■t-> c QJ (T3 c *:~ — ■' O) (O c s_ m o s- s- OO QJ ttJ s_ 3 QJ +-> en Ll_ CO QJ QJ 1/1 1 — 00 O) ^ J3 •.- QJ CO +J > 1 — QJ -!-> +-> QJ ^ ja ■!-> T3 (O CO r^ r^ QJ •♦-> CD 1^ 3 o <0 (0 S- OJ •r- fO s_ •1— •r— ro 1 — c :e o O C3 2 oo I— y— _l CQ oo cn 00 o V o 4-> 37 clipping and released at the point of capture. Species, physical condition, number, sex, breeding condition, weight, age and location of capture were re- corded for all captured animals. (See appendix G for an example of data sheets used to record these data.) Snap-Trapping Twenty-four snap trap lines were trapped in 24 vegetation associations (maps 1 and 3), Each line consisted of 25 stations having two museum special traps each at 15 m (49 ft) intervals. Lines were located in stands closely representative of the various community types with the aid of the DNRC plant ecologist. Whenever a habitat type was not sufficiently expansive to accomo- date a straight trap line, the line was split into two parallel lines separated by at least 60 m (196 ft). Traps were baited with peanut butter and rolled oats. Each snap-trap transect was sampled for two separate three-night periods. The second sampling occurred from one to four weeks after the first. All of these areas were not sampled concurrently but rather in an overlapping series begin- ning in June and lasting through October. Standard body measurements (Hall 1962) and reproductive data were collected from snap-trapped specimens, and representative study skins were prepared and deposited with DNRC. Pitfall Trapping Seven grids, each consisting of eight pitfall trapping stations placed in two rows of four were placed in representative vegetation types (see map 3). A metal can 17.5 cm (6.89 inches) high and 15.5 cm (6.10 inches) in diameter was set flush with the ground at each station and half filled with water. Traps were checked periodically through October 1977, and specimens captured identified to species. Analysis Population Indices. Population indices for a-11 snap-trap lines are repre- sented by the number of individuals captured per hundred trap nights (TN), and for live-trap grids by the minimum number of individuals captured per four-day trapping period per plot divided by plot area. As recommended by Krebs (1966), no attempt was made to compute absolute population density estimates from cap- ture-recapture data because of the non-random nature of the sampling technique. Biomass Estimates. Monthly biomass estimates were computed for live-trap grids by dividing the total weight of individuals captured by the grid area, which yielded a figure in grams per hectare. For comparisons among all stations, the statistic grams per one hundred trap nights (gm/100 TN) was calculated. Niche Breadth and Niche Overlap. Habitat niche breadth was computed by Mac Arthur's Formula (Pianka 1973): 38 1 B = r. 2 where P,- = proportion of species total density in habitat i niche breadth values can range from 1.0 to the total number of habitats sam- pled. All niche breadth values were standardized by dividing the total number of habitats sampled to yield a statistic with a range of 0.0 to 1.0 for com- parative use. Niche overlap was calculated by Pianka's (1973) formula to quantify the degree to which species share habitat types: Oij =Oji -JiTJ^^ where 0-- = G-,-^ = niche overlap between species; and species x]j^ = proportion of species i numbers in habitat k, Xjk = proportion of species i numbers in habitat k. Home Range Calculation. Home range dimensions were calculated using the convex polygon index (Jenerich and Turner 1969) for each animal captured three or more times and for which no captures occurred on the periphery of the live- trap grid. The maximum lengths of home ranges were also calculated by measuring the distance between the two most distant capture points for each individual captured three or more times. Computer Sorting. Data were sorted by computer using programs written and modified from a program by Renewable Resources Consulting Services (RRCS). The major portion of the population data were compiled using modified version of a package developed by Krebs (1967). Home range calculations were performed by a program available from the IBP at Colorado State University. LAGOMORPH SURVEY Hares and rabbits were sampled along two roadside routes, one of which was 18.7 km (11.6 miles) in length and located entirely within the proposed mining area, the other of which was 27.5 km (17.1 miles) in length and located entirely outside the proposed mining area (map 3). Methods were modified from those of Flinders and Hansen (1973, 1975) and Lord (1963). The two routes were run consecutively on each of three days from October 21, to October 29, beginning with the mining area route at 4:00 A.M. and ending be- fore 6:30 A.M. The observer drove the routes at a fairly constant speed, not exceeding 25 km/hr (16 mi/hr), using higli-beam headlights to locate animals. A spotlight was used only when animals could not be identified by headlights alone. An assistant recorded the species and location of all hares and rabbits observed. No attempt was made to calculate density as described by Flinders and Hansen (1973) due to small sampling size and few sampling repetitions; results were intended for use only as an index for later comparisons. 39 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION WILDLIFE SPECIES PARAMETERS Tabular Summary Data obtained for the 17C species of vertebrates observed during this study (4 species of amphibians, 7 of reptiles, 139 of birds, and 26 of mammals) are summarized in tables 7, 8 and 9. The types of data included and the abbreviations used in these tables are as follows: Habitat in which Observed. Abbreviations correspond to habitat categories defined in table 1. The major habitats which animals were seen to use during this study are listed in approximate order of decreasing intensity of use or indica- ted preference. Habitats merely crossed by flying birds or transient mammals are not listed. "Various" indicates use of many different habitats without clear preference. An asterisk in this column indicated that quantitative habitat information is presented in the section entitled Species Narratives. Distribution. Numbers correspond to the three study areas described in the text (1 indicates the proposed mining area; 2, mine study area; 3, recon- naissance level study area). Presence of numbers in this column indicates occur- rence in the corresponding study area. Classification. The U.S. D.I. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, in its 1973 "Red Book," has identified certain species of animals as endangered (E), threatened (T), or status-undetermined (U). Although the classifications reported in the Red Book have been supplanted by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, they still provide a good relative index of vulnerability to extinction and are listed here. In addition, the Montana Department of Fish and Game (1977) has classified wildlife species as game species (G), nongame species (N), fur- bearers (F), and migratory game birds (M), and the National Audobon Society has listed in its "Blue List" (Arbib 1977) certain species of birds which are giving evidence of region-wide or continent-wide non-cyclic population declines (B). Classifications under each system are indicated by the appropriate letter abbreviations. Evidence. Acceptable evidence for inclusion of a species in this table, in order of decreasing reliability, is as follows: S indicates specimen(s) taken (number of specimens or "P" if partial specimen given in parentheses); P, photograph taken; V, visual (sight) record; A, auditory (sound) record; B, reported by biologist(s) other than those directly involved in this study; R, reported by local residents. Only the most reliable evidence is listed in the table. Guild (Birds Only). Breeding-season guilds (or non-breeding season guilds for winter residents and migrants) are indicated by a four-digit code. The 41 Table 7. Summary of Inventory Data for Reptiles and Amphibians Seen in the Circle West Study Area, June 1976 - February 1978. Jy Species Habitats In Which Observed Distribution Major Food Sources Classifi- cation Evidence Amphibians Tiger Salamander RD, AF (Amby stoma tigrinum) Great Plains Toad SR, GR (Bufo cognatus) Leopard Frog SM, PG (Rana pi pi ens) Boreal Chorus Frog PG (Pseudacris triseriata) , 2, - Worms, slugs, insects , 2, - 1, 2, 3 1, 2, 3 Insects Insects Insects S(l) S(l) S(l) Reptiles Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma douglassi) Western Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus) Racer (Coluber constrictor) Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer) Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix) Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) PG, SM, PM RD 1, 2, 3 Aquatic plants & invertebrates BA 1, -, - Insects GR -, 2, - Rodents, frogs, young birds, insects GR 1, -, - Rodents, frogs, young birds, insects SA, AF BA 1, 2, 3 Rodents, rabbits, birds, eggs SM 1, 2, 3 Frogs, insects, mice, earth- worms GR, SG 1, 2, 3 Rodents, frogs, birds 1/ See text for explanation of abbreviations. 42 t/1 on 00 on X X uo uo lyi lo t-O LO i/i I I oo t/i UO (-0 LO CsJ CSJ I t 1 on .— "^ I I on oo un on I I i/> oo 1 I I I I I I I t I u o QJ -r- a. ■»-> ■I- c > oi oo CO 1-/^ on s >1 f/i o O) ■a -r- a; V *-» — I -O -a = 1 ^ lb I "SJ ^ m t/>[ 'o (/I »- r: — cj ^-' a.—' o --^ co--' ^ l/> I t/> I/) I ly^ to 1 I t/) I I I I lilt n CO n CO ro ' CO CO m CO CO CO CO CO CO fO \1 C\J CM n >> r; ai t) c Ol u I ^ o ■^ 4-> t) fn or ^ ■a ■M */i -J ^ n r I — en fai O Ol TJ U . — ■♦-» CD —1 c s- UJ en OJ m fO to CT> r— OO I I I 1 1 01 .a Z3 t/i O TJ O Q. O Ul s- o 4-» ift c- n -n LJ U1 TJ QJ U :- n o o ^ ,— O) xl OJ in -^ -3 ' J C OJ TJ c I tJ r ^— o <\i n 13 o O trt -) ^ C flJ TS U ^ n ^ t_) CU T3 fO ■r-\ C •— l/> c 'O oo £ Tl -o I- c 4-» O 2= 4-> u o o u ?^ o >1 J= s- ■M o c na -4-> o-i 1 c to o trt 1 -r- m -i- ■»-» ^ 4- fO O •.- U "O 3 C3 •-- C i^ o +-» •'- (/> 4-J ■.- 3 O JD T3 OJ S- fO qj +j 4- -^ 1_ fO o, n: i/> 0 C3 t/1 en CO I CO I I I t CO I ---^ I— CM ro ro tr> i — o^ CD ^-^ r— CM m CO .— ( I OO I I I OJ r— O CJ U. en l/i OJ C[) n « o > ^— 113 ■u 4- U i- .— - .— o ■*-> . — I — cr» •3 t- -f 1-, •= 'O j 1-' Q E r— -i^ I o o o o o >, C 3 I — c 3 3 O u 3 -w o o I o r t/1 en ^ O O 1- <— Q. o| o o1 o o ^£! >.-o ■^ OJ, ^ OJ ■ l/ll . 47 U QJ Q > CI +J u o a> i} Q c Q) ffi ^n X) £- -I n <3- U ~i QJ < a H fo t/i =J •-) ■n c "3 (I) c- U 3 c- O) u !- Z) > t J (.J ^ o >1 -C S- ■4-> a c cT o ^ S^ n a; u. c m ■^ dJ 1 o ■>- c > OJ UJ "O LO 3 +J fO ■M i/l C o ■>— -*-> 4- rt3 •^ U ■a o 1 ■r- c: (- o ■u -.- (/) ■!-> ■.- =3 Q JD -a 01 o QJ CI i/^l dJ -r- o. s^ Q.-M ^1 l/l c 0) QJ ■M U I > T jKf o. u o ■0 n3| CI) 1/) -C CU I/) ^-> TJ n, i- o .c '_> i/i o 0) (1) fT i- 13 O 1 n CIJ JZ CJ o ca to -i- 48 CO C4 00 CO r— C\i *:3- I— ■-- 3 .— .— ^ ID P^ CO CD CD .— .— cr> Ul O-^ (^ CD LD lO CSJ .— CM I I :> > uj o r— I > 3 fl TJ 4-> 13 O) a; c u I - O T I — c ail ^01 e oj ry ' — 3 - — O - — :^ t_ TJ OJ 13 t/1 Q. ■ TS t/i C C o o to tn ■— _■« >1 ' 1- flJ OJ .— O I I INJ .— I I I I O O I— I— I— 3 O j3 -^ ^1 Oh -*-■ -kT' U C f— ■ — >J 'J CO Ul 03 t/»l - ^ f o i- O , ^- J3 U, <_»■-- 23 - 01 a; O D-, OV O c E ■>- -tdI < — l/l o ■»- C!3 i- o c, — 1/1 3 £ 'n (1) £- CI) 4-J c- r ■K a. o o — L. 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CL \A O J-i . ■•- 'J^ '— c n. o 1 v X I C/l CO I/) I I t/) t/1 I I LO l/l 00 I I Csj <— I I I t I I I > ce: CNJ »— CD 1/1 iTJ i/l " -Q ^ r— (/I t- e :3 ^ U i/l CL O t/l -r- HJ tn CJ *-» i/l (IJ t/l t/> I/) 1T3 fO TS TJ in (J i/i 'i J t/) QJ t/l OJ fn t/l rX3 t/l u C C3 C3 ■^ t/l u t/l tu fO t/l CQ ■»-' EI O 1 -^ t) -o ■TJ aj — "-> 3 ^ 1- ^ c ^ ^ ■<- o -o yi 1- 4-> 1/1 OJ u 1^3 tn a; J -a t3 ?: X tr > '- V QJ — 1- 3 O >t ■u^ C; ^ -= ^— ' (0 3 4-) ; c ii -^ SJ ^' 'n v> — ^- 52 8 I Ln in CO I I I/) CO Ul t/1 I uo p QJ JD O) Ul n *-> s^ "O -Q i/i en n c «n O 'O C en fO OJ E q: i- .— . qj q: "O •> O) " (1) :l.. --■ u ^ CO -O .— X — -^ ZJl ^ = ^1 i_ (U ..- 4J =J 0)^ fT3 <— S-! 4-> -r- *-» ^ o 1 o o (1) u a o -)-> o — ~D •r- -O r o ^ o TS 53 m ■ (/) cn OJ QJ C zr 13 O ^ Q >- ■— 4-> OJ (/I m Q) ^ :— ■^ ^ u c: a> ^8 o- "O en— 0) c Q C •— f— ^ **- c C^ o 13 >- -o ? D
  • ; *j at n o o -Q *-> QJ fcrt ' — oi in ' ■— TS D E ■-- ■— o o >— .— iX> c 13 ■o TD i- QJ i/i --D E'-' lyi on c C T3 ^ > (D — - C 1- OJ -o O) > .— U) Ifl D. QJ T3 */> * > •— T3 fO «o O 3'— . a^ c -n-^ o .- (O t. 1- 1- o m (D TJ 1- CNJ I- 00 CD o o (_) o -^ «1 "^ CI- — - CT> "O fD-^ ^ t^ IT to t/1 C -M l>0 CNJ O— ' l/> — C 4_) 3 C — < o 3 O QJ U c x: ^ CO S_ (J QJ JI o o c: u 1/1 O^ to > Irt ■*-> c tu c t: >> ■•-jr- 3 +J tU OI TJ c fD- C T3 .- 1^ o u U 1- ro .— CM O TJ l/l J3 LJ -Q (J3 JD LO LJ--' U >— O CNJ cn i/> u CM U M C C 0) c O ^ ._^ Q^ 4_. ,— i^ t— i_j3aji/>0' — - .- 3 CU-.-fNI Q.^'— O l/l CQ ^ lO ■ — - t/l LJ ■ — ■ J ■ — X CQ ■ — c (XI ■— c .— ■X) >-, 1/-. - ft> Irt CJ s- o ^ ^ O 1/1 a W1 !3 ■— 13 2 - T3 > 3 1> o — C o ^ c — "T) :- (_> l/l lT) -_' ^— on (J c ^ — • fO i- — ^ - -- TJ CO Ifl tj — o O ITS .— ^ ■, ,— fo •— rn •o OJ — i/i O) 3 ^ en 3 fO'-^ cr. fO -^ O - "3 O 1- <^ ^ i- '^ l_) l/l 1/1 t_) C3 ^ ^t/1 o -— ■ O CI o •— Ol cr^ ■O XJ o a, ■ ^ i- - V. 0) on U 0) <-> CO OJ jD ^ OJ -Q > O - (/> > O -XJ - n3 m 5_ — — TJ UD O CM ' — O fO :z t/i jd (J3 JD Ol C o^ 3 > 3 yn O ■— O TJ <— o =o _J ;^K: 55 first digit indicates major food source: 1 indicates seeds and vegetation (> 75% of diet); 2, invertebrates; 3, omnivorous (25-75% plant material); 4, verte- i brates; 5, carrion. The second digit indicate: foraging stratum: 1 indicates ' bark or bole; 2, ground, grass, and low shrubs; 3, tall shrubs or low forest canopy; 4, mid-to-high forest canopy or tall trees; 5, air; 6, water. The third digit indicates foraging strategy: 1 indicates bark or bole drilling; 2, bark/bole gleaning; 3, ground and brush foraging; 4, tree foliage foraging; 5, sallying; 6, raptorial; 7, dabbling or stalking in water; 8, diving in water; 9, mud probing; 0, soaring or swooping. The fourth digit indicates preferred nest site: 1 indicates cattails or bulrush; 2, shore, marsh, or water; 3, cliffs, caves, rims, badlands, buildings; 4, ground, grassland; 5, low shrub (less than 1 m or 3 ft); 6, tall shrub ( 1 m - 3 m or3ft-10 ft); 7, tree branch (greater than 3 m or 10 ft); 8, tree cavity; 9, underground burrow; 0, non- breeding in study area. Status (Birds Only). First letter denotes indicated status in the study area: M indicates spring and fall migrant only; R, permanent resident; S, summer resident; V, summer visitor (nonbreeding) ; W, winter resident. For per- manent and summer residents, evidence for breeding is given in parentheses using a modification of Binford's (1973) categories, which are, in order of decreasing conclusiveness: PJ .ndicates prejuvenal young observed; NY, nest with young; NE, nest with eggs; AN, active nest completed, contents unknown; NC, active nest completed but empty; UC, nest under construction; UN, active nest, condition unknown; AF, adult carrying food; AC, adult carrying nest material; CO, copu- lation observed; CD, courtship display observed; TO, territoriality observed; RH, range, habitat, and dates; SS, observed in area outside breeding season (for sedentary or permanent resident species only). Only the most conclusive evidence encountered during this study is listed in the table. An asterisk in ( this column indicates additional nesting data are presented in table 10, which summarized data obtained for nests located during this study. Monthly Sample Abundance. Numbers indicate total individuals/numbir of stops that were recorded each month for the four standard roadside wildlife survey routes (Circle, Missouri River, Prairie Elk, and Flowing Well) combined. Where no records were made during these counts, other records made during the month are indicated by the following symbols, listed in order of decreasing pre- ference: X indicates encountered on one or more of the four regular routes but between stops or outside the counting radius; D, recorded on the Dreyer Ranch route but not encountered on the four regular routes; B, encountered only be- tween stops on the Dreyer Ranch route but not encountered on the four regular routes; S, seen during month but not on roadside counts; T, seen during month but seen during a year other than 1977. Only the highest ranking symbol is listed in the table. (NOTE: Roadside wildlife routes were not run during November 1977.) Additional data on wintering birds near Fort Peck have been collected as part of the Fort Peck Christmas Bird count and are summarized in Appendix J. Narrative Accounts for Selected Species Data in addition to that presented in tables 7 through 9 were obtained for selected species (indicated by an asterisk before the common name in these tab- les) and are summarized in the following narrative species accounts. Where i 56 available, data are presented on: habitat quality and use, distribution and movements, density and abundance and productivity and population dynamics. In general, information presented here is limited to that relevant to assessing the importance to wildlife of habitats within the study area, and does not contain information on general characteristics of the species (such as life history, physical characteristics, behavior, etc.) which are well -known and discussed in other literature. All distribution maps prepared are on file with Df^RC in Helena. Double-crested Coromorant. This colonial water bird is found in the study area primarily in the Big Dry Arm of Fort Peck Reservoir, where four recently- active rookeries are located (map 4, table 11). Two of these rookeries were shared by Great Blue Herons in 1976. Flocks of up to 35 birds were seen in larger stock- ponds in the mine study area (NC06 and :JC09) and along the northern end of the Dreyer Ranch roadside wildlife survey route from April 14 through mid-July 1977. Smaller flocks were also seen in 1977 flying over the proposed mining area, and using a stockpond (MAOl) in the proposed mining area in June of 1976. However, no evidence of nesting in these areas was observed, and these birds are believed to be non-breeding summer visitors or feeding visitors from the Bio Dry Arm rookeries. Great Blue Heron. Rookeries of this species are found along Big Dry Arm of Fort Peck Reservoir (map 4, table 11). However, although birds were seen throughout the reconnaissance study area in spring and summer, no other rookeries were located during an aerial search of riparian cottonwoods along the Missouri River. A rookery on the Milk River just northwest of the study area has been abandoned since 1977 (Carlson p.c). Red-tailed Hawk. This was the most common breeding buteo in the study area. Five nests were located during this study (table 10) including one on the proposed mining area and another within the mine study area. Preferred nesting habitat consisted of open groves or isolated trees of cottonwood or green ash surrounded by grassland and sagebrush or snowberry-rose shrubland. Swainson's Hawk. Swainson's Hawk appears to be less common than the red- tailed hawk. No nests were found although several breeding-season observations were made near the Waller Ranch. Ferruginous Hawk. This species was relatively rare in 1977. Two nests were located near the northern boundary of the proposed mining area (table 10). The nests were situated on the tops of clay-sandstone buttes (figure 3) in a heavily dissected grassland-coulee and badlands complex area. One successfully fledged four young in 1977; the remains of two dead young were found near the other, which is believed to be an unsuccessful 1976 nest. No other indications of breeding were noted for this species in the study area. Golden Eagle. Golden eagles were a rare but frequently seen yearlong resident in the study area. They were observed most frequently in the western half of the study area, especially in badland and big sagebrush scabland habitats in the southwest quarter. One active golden eagle nest was located in the pro- posed mining area, and fledged two young in 1977 (figure 4, table 10), and eagles were frequently observed throughout the area. Two other active nests were found 57 (U S- ro >> -o 3 4-> to ■(-> «/> (U o i/i oi t- CJ I - X +-> o O) :z •1— ^— X 3 re -a s: <=t o c cu E iy-> E ai| •r- C X 3 n3 O +-> ro S- o 00 z OJ '^^ f= •n QJ E > f— •f^ X ■!-> to O 5: •^ f^ X :3 ft3 -o ^ <: ■* 1 O 1 csj "* "=1- CO OJ . — cn CTl ^ o o o CM ^ n CM ■* Ln 1 — OJ o .— CM ^cmI ^ojI ^cmI ^oj[ E s- re c LJ s_ S- ■—1 2: 0 cu »— 1 0) H- 1 CO Q. J3 J3 >i ■— >> re >, e >i E >> s- re Q) CL 0 F s_ 0 3 0 0 c 00 t — t CVJl 58 £. O o q: 1- ■z. < cr O S cc o o a Ul 1- co 111 Q cr ^ o UJ (D 1 O T' UJ UJ ^ _i _l O cu 1- o CD Q O o UJ < tr z < o cr cr Q. UJ T u UJ UJ _i 3 < _J 1- dJ Y 1- O < < Ul _l cr m o < • IT UJ ^^ fO z UJ o rr _l UJ o ^ III o o o r^ tr ^ a IE q: 1- z m < ir o UJ cc 1- o < <_) 10 ^ UJ (E Q 1- 7^ () tr O o z < o n u 7' ^ 111 UJ 1- CO o h- 3 UJ 3 O 1 tr cc H o cn Q UJ UJ CO 1 -) o < 1- O Q. UJ tr o < < I CO CO < • CO Q z 3 o CO Q IT ta Z o CD rr o o z < Q to Q ^ 111 LU 1- in C-J 1- :o LJ 3 O _l (E (E )- CO tf) Q UJ UJ to -1 -) o ^ t3 0. 111 cc ts < < I CO to •4 • during all seasons except winter when they appeared to move to lower elevation habitats with less snow cover. According to Brown (19G7, 1971), the most secure habitat for sharp-tailed grouse is upland mixed prairie rangeland, intermixed with trees and shrubs, where despite heavy grazing or cultivation, residual herbage (chiefly grasses) remains from fall to spring. Especially important to sharp-tailed grouse pop- ulations are the areas where grassland, trees, and shrubs border one another (Yde, 1977). This was generally found to be the case in the study area. Seasonal use of various habitat categories is shown in figure 5. (A more detailed account of habitat use is given in Appendix K.) Grassland and sagebrush were the most important habitat categories yearlong, and together accounted for over 50% of all recorded observations. The high observability of grouse gathering grit and feeding on road and highway embankments probably resulted in over-estimation of the importance of these roadside habitats, which accounted for over 12% of all observations. Low coulee shrub, which provided both food and shelter from the weather, and snowberry-rose were important habitats during the relatively mild winter of 1976-77. Grouse also apparently sought spilled grain in farm yar ce a O n> s- S- (J 0) > •^ 73 ^ WINTER yr.-long Figure 7. Diurnal use of habitat categories by ring-necked pheasant, December 1976-February 1978 300 250 200 ;i50 100 50- , » . . -■ — 1 o--- Circle •»•■• ••■• Flowing Well A — — Missouri River D Proirie Elk — — . — Dreyer Ranch JAN FEB MAr JUNE JUL AUG SEPT OCT DEC Figure 8. Monthly sample abundances of ring-necked pheasants. 74 contain these elements and should be considered marginal pheasant habitat. As noted by Wiegand and Janson (1976), the degree of interspersion of crop- land and shrubland cover is of prime importance in determining pheasant habitat quality. Optimum habitat consists of small grainfields surrounded by abundant shrub cover, a situation found along the Missouri River floodplain and Prairie Elk Creek. Figure 6 shows monthly sample abundances for the five roadside routes. Superimposed on, but not drawn on the same scale as, the sample abundance curve is a curve showing theoretical changes in population size throughout the year as reported by Wiegand and Janson (1976). This allows comparison of expected phea- sant numbers with observed sample abundances. It is noteworthy that samp e abun- dances are high during April and early May, and time of expected low population density. While populations are low at that time, the spring peak in i^ooster crowing activity increased to a maxiumum the number of pheasants recorded Most of the April and May pheasants recorded were crowing roosters which were heard but not seen. Sample abundances dropped off more sharply than expected abun- dances as crowing declined and hens and broods became more secretive over the summer. An increase in crowing activity was noted in October, and several large flocks accounted for most winter observations. Sample abundances of pheasants for all months were found to be significantly and positively correlated witn: cultivated land, trees and tall shrubs, and marshes (p< 001), and with snowberry-rose (p<.01). They were significantly and negatively correlated with time, grassland, little bluestem, big sagebrush, and badlands (p<.001). Sample abundances were consistently greatest along the Prairie Elk and Missouri River routes, which apparently provided an optimum interspersion of cropland and riparian shrub and tree habitats. Likewise, the Flowing Well route consistently had lowest sample abundances, and traverses an area of poor pheasant habitat. Fish and Game Department hunting records show an average of approximately 1950 pheasants harvested annually from 1973 through 1976 in McCone County, representing 2-3% of state harvest. Gray Partridge. Data were recorded for 413 gray partridge observations during the study period (table 17). The average group size was six, and groups increased in size from an average of two during spring to seven during winter. The largest group encountered was fifteen during August. Optimum gray partridge habitat contains both cultivated and non-cultivated land (Trueblood and Weigand 1971). Most observations were made in the Redwater River, Horse Creek and Prairie Elk Creek drainages and along the Missouri River bottoms where agricultural land is abundant. Although gray partridge were ob- served year-round on the Waller Ranch, they were seen on the proposed. mining area only rarely. These sightings were restricted to the vicinity of cultivated fields on the eastern edge of the proposed mining area. The majority of observations each season was on road embankments where the partridge were easily visible feeding on waste grain and picking up grit. Waste 75 Table 17. Classification Summary for Gray Partridge observed in the Circle West study area, June 1976 - February 1978. Total Number Observed Total Number of Groups Av Group Size Season erage Range Winter '76-77 129 17 8 1 - 4 Spring 1977 8 4 2 2 Summer 1977 59 13 5 1 -15 Fall 1976 23 3 7 6 -10 Fall 1977 56 10 6 1 - 9 Winter '77-78 138 20 7 2 -13 Total 413 67 6 1-15 grain can be a major food item during fall and v/inter (Trueblood and Weigand " 1971). Partridge were observed in farm yards during winter months feeding on spilled grain. Cultivated fields were used during all seasons except spring. Partridge were observed on grasslands during e^ery season with greatest use during spring and fall. Weigand (1977) found cereal grains were a major food source during all seasons for partridge in north central Hontana. Grasses and forbs reached their highest use during spring in Weigand 's study. Because gray partridge are widely dispersed and difficult to observe, lit- tle data were obtained on production. Data gathered by the F & G at the Fort Peck Dam hunter check station show a 17-year average of 257 juveniles/100 adults (Trueblood 1973). Approximately 1030 partridge were harvested each year by hunters in McCone County from 1969 through 1976 (Trueblood 1977). Wing col- lections from the county and Region Six in 1976 indicated ratios of 7 and 4 juveniles/adult, respectively. Kill deer. Killdeer arrive in fair numbers in late March and early April (Figure 9), and peak numbers were recorded in July as young were recruited into the population. The Dreyer Ranch, Missouri River, and Prairie Elk routes apparently traversed more of the wet grassland and shore habitats preferred by this species than the other two routes, which were quite similar in terms of sample abundances. Killdeers are believed to breed along the shores of .Melson Creek in the proposed mining area, although no nests were located. Host were gone from the study area by mid -September. Sample abundances were significantly and positively correlated 76 70- 60- 50- c40- E30- 20- 10- • — --- Circle ■»••■• •••■ Flowing Well A — — Missouri River Proirie Elk — — .— — Oreyer Ranch JAN FEB ' MAR ' APR MAY JUNE JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC Figure 9. Monthly sample abundances of killdeer along five roadside w ildlife survey routes, 1977. 600- 500- 400- : 300- 200- 100 YOUNG fLEOGEOI YOUNG SEEN IN NEST ■ EGGS SEEN IN NEST Tofol Circle Flowing Well — Missouri River Prairie Elh — Dreyer Ranch -I 1 — ~" 1 r JAN FEB MAR APR MAY SEPT Figure 10. Monthly sample abundances of mourning doves along five road- side wildlife survey routes, 1977. 77 with saltgrass, silver sagebrush (p<.001), and water (p<.01), and were signif- icantly and negatively correlated with time (p<.OOT). | Mourning Dove. Sample abundances of mourning doves for the five roadside routes are plotted in figure 10. Spring arrival occurs in early April, and the peak of breeding activity occurred in late June and July, as confirmed by nesting data (table 10), and extended from mid May through early August. Scattered clumps of silver buffaloberry in open coulee bottoms wer? the preferred nesting habitat in the proposed mining area, although a variety of other trees and shrub were also using for nesting. Highest numbers per route were seen along the Prairie Elk route in April and May and along the Missouri River in July and August. Sample abundances were similar for the Circle and Flowing Well routes, and were lowest for the Dreyer Ranch route, although high densities were recor- ded on tne silver buffaloberry-silver sagebrush breeding bird census grid loca- ted adjacient to this latter route. Sample abundances were found to be signif- icantly and positively correlated with trees and tall shrubs (p<.001), culti- vated land, silver sagebrush, and horizontal juniper (p<.01), and were signif- icantly and negatively correlated with time and grassland (p<.01). Most mourn- ing doves had left the area by mid-September, 1977, although a few individuals were seen in October of 1975 and November of 1977. Baskett et al . (1978) noted that call frequencies for unmated males are 6-13 times greater than those of mated males; this may partly explain the July peak in sample abundances, al- though the present study included both calling and silent individuals in counts. Data^gathered during the nationwide mourning dove call-count survey revealed a significant decline in breeding population (p<.10) within the Missouri Plateau unglaciated stratum (in which the proposed mining area is located) over the per- iod 1965-1976 (Ruos 1974; Dolton 1976). ^ Great Horned Owl . Great horned owls occurred yearlong in relatively low densities throughout the study area, and were most frequently encountered in the vicinity of farm groves and cottonwood groves. Individuals were observed on the proposed mining area, but no active nests were found. Preliminary analy- sis of pellets collected during this study indicate a reliance on desert cotton- tails, deer mice, and voles as prey items; the pellets have been stored by DNRC awaiting more complete analysis. Burrowing Owl . Burrowing owls were rare and local in rolling grassland habitats. Two active nests were located during this study (table 10), one near the edge of a prairie dog town along the Missouri River roadside survey route, and one near the start of the Circle roadside route. A group of fledged young were seen several miles northwest of Circle, in a prairie dog town near the head of Hungry Creek, but the nest site could not be found. A single breeding- season observation was made within the proposed mining area. Another owl was seen at the entrance to a burrow about 300 m (1000 feet) southeast of the pro- posed mining area, but was not seen on subsequent visits to the site. Eastern Kingbird. Spring arrival of the eastern kingbird on the study occurred in early May, with the peak of breeding in late June and early July (figure 11). The July peak in sample abundances probably represents the in- fluence of newly fledged young. The Dreyer Ranch and Missouri River routes apparently traversed the most suitable breeding habitat of this species, as sample abundances were highest for these two routes. Sample abundances (May- 78 YOUNG SEEN IN NEST I EGGS SEEN IN NEST ■■ ■ Total • Circle ■«• Flowing Well A Missouri River 0 Prolrie Elk • Oreyer Ranch Figure 11. Monthly sample abundances of eastern kingbird along five road- side wildlife survey routes, 1977. 800 700- -■ Total -• Circle ■<► Flowing Well -▲ — — Missouri River -a Prairie Elk _» — Dreyer Ranch Figure 12. Monthly sample abundances of horned lark along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. 79 August) were significantly and positively correlated with trees and tall shrubs, snowberry-rose and silver sagebrush (p<.001), and were significantly and nega- g tively correlated with big sagebrush badlands (p<.001) and grassland (p<.01). f Dense clumps of silver buffaloberry along the heads or edges of deep coulees v;ere preferred as nest sites; 8 of 10 nests located in this study were thus situated (table 10). Clutch size averaged 3.1 for seven nests. Most birds had left the study area by mid-September. Horned Lark. The horned lark was abundant yearlong throughout the study area and was the most characteristic resident bird in grassland and cropland habitats. Sample abundances for all routes combined reached a low in February, peaked in March as the spring movement was under way and singing activity in- creased, then showed a general decline throughout the summer (figure 12). A September peak coincides with the beginning of the fall movement and a fall increase in singing activity as the length of day becomes similar to that of March. Breeding season sample abundances (April -June) were significantly and positively correlated with both grassland and cultivated habitats (p<.001), which predominate on the Circle West route (table 5). Significant negative correlations were noted for silver sagebrush, trees and tall shrubs, big sage- brush badlands, horizontal juniper, and bluebunch wheatgrass (p<.001). The Circle route provided the highest sample abundances of all routes during all but three of the monthly replicates, and this species was dominant in all runs of this route. This is consistent with the findings of Owens and Myers (1973) that horned lark abundances are highest on heavily overgrazed grasslands, which were abundant along this route. Sample abundances were lowest for the Missouri River and Flowing Well routes and intermediate for the Dreyer Ranch and Prairie Elk routes. Three late nests were observed during this study (table 10). Breeding densities for the five census plots averaged 22 pairs/km^ (9 pairs per ^ square mile.) Black-billed Magpie. The black-billed magpie showed a strong association yearlong with trees and tall shrubs, which were also preferred nesting habitat; sample abundances were significantly and positively correlated with trees and tall shrubs and with snowberry-rose (p<.001) and significantly and negatively correlated with grassland (p<.001). It is not surprising, then, that sample abundances were greatest for routes having highest representation of tree and tall shrub habitats, i.e. the Dreyer Ranch, Missouri River and Prairie Elk routes (figure 13). Sample abundances for the four standard routes combined peaked in March, declined drastically during the nesting season as the birds became more secretive, and increased to a peak in October as conspicuous flocks of adults and young were seen frequently. The Circle route apparently traversed poor yearlong habitat, as only a few individuals were observed in fall and winter. Rock Wren. The rock wren was restricted to rocky badlands, scoria, steep coulee walls, and eroded mudstone and shale slopes. These habitats were most abundant in the western and southwestern portions of the study area and most rock wrens were encountered on the Flowing Well route, which traversed the edge of these rocky badlands (figure 14). In fact, this route accounted for more than 80% of all observations recorded for this species on the four standard routes at all seasons. Sample abundances were significantly and positively cor- related with big sagebrush badlands, little bluestem, and rocky mountain juniper habitats (p<.001) which were most abundant on the Flowing Well route (table 5). 80 60- 50- c 40- E 30- 20- 10- 1 1 1 "-1 1 1 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JUL <►' --- i 1 AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC Figure 13. Monthly sample abundances of black-billed magpie along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977, 60- 50- 40- 30- 20- 10- Total Circle •- — ■••<►•■•• Flowing Well — — A — Missouri River| — Q Proine Elk — ■ . Dreyer Ranch JAN / FEB MAR APR 1 r MAY JUNE JUL 1 1 1 1 1 AUG StftJ OCT NOV DEC Figure 14. Monthly sample abundances of rock wren along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. Sample abundances were significantly and negatively correlated with cultivated land (p<.001) and trees and tall shrubs (p<.01). The species arrives in the study area in early April, and reaches peak sample abundances in June, July, and August. Sample abundances drop quickly in late August and early September, and most birds are gone by October. Loggerhead Shrike. The loggerhead shrike is a fairly common summer resi- dent, preferring dense clumps of silver buffaloberry, especially at the heads of coulees, as nesting habitat. Birds arrive in the study area in early April and nesting reaches a peak in June and early July (figure 15). Sample abundances, however, peaked in mid-July as noisy flocks of newly-fledged young appeared. Of eight nests located during the study, six were located in silver buffalo- berry and two in cottonwoods (table 10). Most birds are gone by September. This species is replaced by its congener, the northern shrike, during the per- iod from October through February (table 7). The Dreyer Ranch and Missouri River routes showed highest sample abundances, corresponding to high repre- sentation of tall shrubs (table 5). House Sparrow. Sample abundances of house sparrows were closely related to the presence of buildings and farmsteads in the sample radius (figure 16, table 5), and were thus greatest on the Circle and Missouri River routes year- long. Lowest sample abundances were recorded during the period from December through February. Western Meadowlark. The western meadowlark, the Montana state bird, was one of the most abundant and widespread of all breeding bird species throughout the study area. Although none were encountered on March runs of the roadside routes, large flocks had arrived by the end of March, and peak sample abundances were attained in April with the arrival of migrant flocks and the onset of ter- ritory establishment (figure 17). Sample abundances showed a general decline throughout the summer. A minor peak in September coincided with the fall move- ment, and a fall increase in singing activity. Most birds were gone by mid- October. It is interesting that monthly sample abundances, while consistently somewhat lower for the Circle route and higner for the Prairie Elk route, were very similar for all routes and followed the same pattern of summer-long decline. This confirms the general observation that the species is very widespread, wery eurytopic, and very common in grassland habitats throughout the study area. Surprisingly, sample abundances of this grassland bird were not significantly correlated with grassland, but were significantly and positively correlated with silver sagebrush and saltgrass (p<.001). Red-winged Blackbird. Figure 18 shows sample abundance curves for the red- winged blackbird. Peak sample abundances occurred during the nesting months from April through June, and were greatest along the Missouri River route, which tra- versed extensive cattail marshes in the Missouri River floodplain. Curves for this route shows a unique pattern, in that autumn concentrations of migratory flocks and winter residents occurred only in the extensive cattail habitats found along this route. Most birds are gone from the upland habitats of the study area by August. Sample abundances were significantly and positively correlated with marshes, alfalfa, and trees and tall shrubs (p<.001), and were significantly and negatively correlated with time and grassland (p<.001). 82 YOUNG FLEOGEO YOUNG SEEN IN NEST EGGS SEEN IN NEST| ■ Totol • Circle ♦ Flowing Well ▲ — Missouri River □ Prairie Elk • — Oreyer Ranch JAN FEB MAR MAY JUNE JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC Figure 15. Monthly sample abundances of loggerhead shrike along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. - Total -• - Circle ■<► • Flowing A - Missouri River □ - Proirie Elk — ■ — • - Oreyer Ranch Figure 16. Monthly sample abundances of house sparrow along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. 83 Total Circle -- • — ♦• ■• "" Flowing Well ▲ — — Missouri River Q Prairie Elli « — Dreyer Ronch Figure 17. Monthly sample abundances of western meadowlark along five road- side wildlife survey routes, 1977. 300 200 100- ■ Total • — ---• Circle ■«■■■■■ — Flowing Well A — — Missouri River a — Prairie EU — .. — « — — Dreyer Ranch Figure 18. Monthly sample abundances of red-winged blackbird along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. 84 Rufous-sided Towhee. The rufous-sided towhee is indicative of relatively moist, lush shrub habitats, particularly those found in silver buffaloberry coulees, riparian shrubbery, and the understory of riparian Cottonwood forests. Sample abundances were thus greatest in the two routes having the highest repre- sentation of those habitats -- the Missouri River and Prairie Elk routes -- and the species was virtually absent from the habitats sampled by the Circle and Flowing Well routes (figure 19). Sample abundances for each route were highest in July, which probably corresponds to recruitment of young into the population. Rufous-sided towhees are apparently present only during the period May through September. The separation among routes is particularly clear for this species, as is evident in figure 19. It is noteworthy that this species bred in a fair- ly high density of 40 pairs/km^ (104 pairs per ten square miles) on the rela- tively mesic silver buffaloberry-red osier dogwood census grid but not on the drier, more open silver buffaloberry-silver sagebrush grid. Sample abundances were significantly and positively correlated with trees and tall shrubs, horizon- tal juniper (p<.001) and silver sagebrush (p<.01) and were significantly and negatively correlated with grassland (p<.001). Lark Bunting. Large flocks of this species arrived in the study area in May, and concentrated in the grassland and cultivated habitats found along the Circle route (figure 20). Of particular interest was the observance of a male in full breeding plumage near the Dreyer Ranch by two observers on March 10, nearly two months before the normal arrival date. By June, the species had shifted to its preferred breeding habitat -- grassland with scattered big or silver sagebrush plants -- and was much more evenly distributed among the five routes. Sample abundances declined gradually until September, by which time the birds had left the study area. Vesper Sparrow. Sample abundance curves for the vesper sparrow are shown in figure 21. Individuals of this common breeding species were most common in big sagebrush shrubland habitats found along the Flowing Well and Prairie Elk routes. They were surprisingly scarce on the silver sagebrush bird census grid. The separation among the five routes is particularly clear for this species. Most birds arrive in early April, and most are gone by August, but a few were encountered on September runs. Sample abundances were significantly and pos- itively correlated with big sagebrush badlands, little bluestem, and bluebunch wheatgrass (p<.001), and were significantly and negatively correlated with cul- tivation (p<.001), and tall shrubs and trees (p<.01). Brewer's Sparrow. The pattern of sample abundances for the Brewer's Sparrow (figure 22) is remarkably similar to that of the lark bunting (figure 20), except that the relative positions of the Circle and Flowing Well routes appear reversed. Large numbers of Brewer's sparrows arrive in April and May, concen- trating in the extensive big sagebrush scablands and shrublands found along the Flowing Well route. Breeding activity reached a peak in May, and by June the species had dispersed into the big sagebrush habitats along Prairie Elk Creek. Singing activity was significantly and negatively correlated with time relative to the start of the routes (p<.001); thus, low May species abundance values for the Dreyer Ranch route are misleading, since the sagebrush habitats occurred near the end of the route in May and near tiie beginning in June. Most birds were gone by August. Two nests were found in silver sagebrush plants (table 10). 85 ■ Totol • Circle O- Flowing Well — — ▲ — — Missouri Rtver a Prairie EIK — — • — Dreyer Ranch Figure 19. Monthly sample abundances of rufous- sided towhee along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. 300 200- 100- , ^..., 1 • -- circle •♦■ •■ Flowing Well A — Missouri River o — Prairie Elk — — •— ■ ■ — Oreyer Ronch Figure 20. Monthly sample abundances of lark bunting along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. 86 160 -•-■ Totol Circle Flowing Well ▲ — Missouri River o Proirie Elk — • — Dreyer Ranch SEPT Figure 21. Monthly sample abundances of vesper sparrow along five roadside wildlife survey routes. , ^..., 1 --• -- Circle <" " Flowing Well A — Missouri River 0 — Prairie Elk « — Oreyer Ronch Figure 22. Monthly sample abundances of Brewer's sparrow along five road- side wildlife survey routes. 87 Sample abundances were significantly and positively correlated with big sage- brush badlands (p<.001), and were significantly and negatively correlated with cultivation (p<.001). | Field Sparrow. The field sparrow reaches the western edge of its range in this part of Montana (Skaar 1976). This eastern species was typically observed in fairly steep grassland habitats with scattered sagebrush plants along the edges of the Missouri River and lower Prairie Elk floodplains; this is reflected in its sample abundances curves (figure 23), which show it to be most common along these two routes. A few were heard along the Circle route in July; none were encountered along the Flowing Well or Dreyer Ranch routes. Sample abun- dances were significantly and positively correlated with horizontal juniper and bluebunch wheatgrass, silver sagebrush, and tall shrubs and trees (p<.001), and were significantly and negatively correlated with time and big sagebrush bad- lands (p<.01). Chestnut-Collared Longspur. The chestnut-collared longspur was a close associate of the horned lark, with which this common breeding species shared a similar habitat characterized by rolling upland blue grama-needle-and-thread grassland, heavily grazed and often with scattered patches of little bluestem. Owens and Myers (1973) also found this species to be closely associated with overgrazed grasslands. Flocks arrived in the study area in early April and re- mained through September. Highest sample abundances by far were found for the Circle route during all months and this species may be considered an indicator for grassland habitats along the Circle route (figure 24). Intermediate numbers were encountered along the Dreyer Ranch route, and very few were encountered along the remaining routes. A breeding density of 20 pairs/km^ (twenty-six pairs per square mile) was determined for the needle-and-thread-blue grama grassland cen- i sus plot, which appeared to represent optimal habitat in the study area. Sample abundances were significantly and positively correlated with grassland (p<.001) and significantly and negatively correlated with sagebrush, badlands (p<.001), horizontal juniper, and trees and tall shrubs (p<.01). Merriam's Shrew. A single specimen of Merriam's shrew -- the only soricid taken during this study -- was taken in a pitfall trap in a dry, rocky horizontal juniper habitat within the proposed mining area. While the study area is within the reported range of this species, this capture is noteworthy, since very few specimens have been taken in Montana. The apparent rarity of this shrew is likely an artifact of inadequate pitfall trapping efforts in Montana. Desert Cottontail. The desert cottontail was most abundant in winter in coulee and badland habitats, and in summer in sagebrush flats, sagebrush-grass- lands, and snowberry-rose. Numbers of cottontails seen during three runs of the lagomorph survey routes (map 3) are presented in table 18. Numerous local res- idents noted that lagomorph abundance was particularly low during the summer of 1977; therefore, the numbers seen probably represent a minimal abundance index. White-tailed Jackrabbit. The white-tail jackrabbit was far more abundant on the lagomorph survey routes than the desert cottontail (table 18), and at- tained moderate to high densities on and near the proposed mining area. However, more cottontails than jackrabbits were generally seen along the roadside wild- life survey routes (table 9). Preferred habitat was open grassland, silver sage- brush flats, and sagebrush-grassland. 88 70- 60- 50- c40- 130- 20- 10- Tolol Circle Flowing Well A Missouri River o Prairie Elk « — — Dreyer Ronch JAN FEB MAR APR JUNE JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC Figure 23. Monthly sample abundances of field sparrow along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. 180-1 160- ■ Total --• Circle ^ Flowing Well A Missouri River o Proirie Elk — • Dreyer Ranch -1 1 -T r APR MAY JUNE JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC — 1 Figure 24. Monthly sample abundances of chestnut-collared longspur along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. 89 Table 18. Results of lagomorph survey. Circle West study area, Desert Cottontail Date Control Route Experimental Route White-tailed Jackrabbit Control Route Experimental Route October 27, 1977 0 October 28, 1977 0 October 29, 1977 1 Mean 0.33 0 1 2 1.00 14 13 12 9 9 9 11.7 10.33 R44E 'k^'mi^. DENSITY OF BURROWS DENSITY OF BURROWST^ R45E Figure 25. Location of the Circle West mine study area prairie dog town. 90 Black-Tailed Pra1r1e Dog. Locations of black-tailed prairie dog towns identified in the study area are shown in map 4. These include towns located during this study as well as those reported by the U.S. D.I. Bureau of Land Management, the Montana Department of Livestock, and McEneaney and Jensen (1974). The greatest densities were found along the southern end of Big Dry Arm and along Big Dry Creek while relatively few towns were located in the uplands of central McCone County. One prairie dog town was identified on the proposed mine study area (figure 25). This town contained 364 active burrows over an area of approx- imately 6.2 km2 (2.4 mi^). While a badger burrow was found near the colony, there was no evidence for use of the colony by burrowing owls, mountain plovers or black-footed ferrets. The colony was grazed frequently by a herd of about 40 horses and up to 37 pronghorn antelope. Local residents are aware of the loca- tion of the colony, and an unknown proportion of prairie dog mortality is attributable to their shooting. Mule Deer. Data were recorded for 3486 mule deer observations representing 791 groups during the study period (table 19). Seasonal changes in group size are shown in Figure 26. Groups were largest in winter and early spring, and averaged seven deer during December and January. Average group size decreased from seven in March to three in May as winter herds disbanded during the spring green-up; average group size was lowest during the three summer months, and increased grad- ually throughout the fall months to the winter maximum. The average yearlong group size was four, and the largest group observed was a herd of 26 at the Waller Ranch. The distribution of mule deer observations by season is shown in Maps 6-10. During the winter of 1976-1977, aerial flights were completed only over the mine study area; mule deer were occasionally observed within the proposed mining area, but did not appear consistently or in large numbers (map 6). Many sightings were made along Highway 24 west of the proposed mining area during this season, but use is exaggerated by the ease of vehicle observations here. One group of 24 mule deer wintered at the Waller Ranch, where they were fed daily. During spring cf 1977, three aerial surveys of the mine study area and one of the reconnaissance area revealed mule deer to be generally distributed over the entire reconnaissance area, with relatively lower densities in the eastern half (map 7). Although biased by area accessibility via vehicles, spring ground observations indicated high den- sities of mule deer along Highway 24 between Timber Creek and the South Fork of Rock Creek in an area of badlands and coulees. Mule deer were observed more fre- quently on the proposed mining area in spring than during the previous winter, and were usually associated with the coulee breaks area in the northern half of th'j proposed mining area. During the summer of 1977, limited aerial observations of mule deer did not indicate any distribution trends on the reconnaissance area; summer ground observations again indicated greater densities of mule deer in the concentration areas used during the previous season (map 8). In summer, mule deer were ob- served frequently in the vicinity of the proposed mining area, especially in or near coulees in the northern half of the proposed mining area. Fall, 1977 aerial observations indicated that mule deer were generally distributed throughout the reconnaissance area with greater densities occurring in the southwest quarter of this area (map 9). During fall, mule deer were observed frequently in an area of grassy hills and coulees in the northwest quarter of the proposed mining area, where use was more intense than noted in previous seasons. Fall distri- bution over the remainder of the proposed mining area and vicinity appeared to 91 Ol 1 — 3 O O C >- r— L o 00 =5 O o o -a >- ^ 1/1 CM ro 1^ O JD h- O mr^CTio^ Kt r<^ ^ I — I — n. — a\ -^ OCMO^c\jco CMCM tn ■ — . — t — r-^ ) — r-^ i_ Tt r^ 'T> 0) ,_ , J^ ,— ^ 1J >t I- "5 ol = *T3 13 ^ ■p-, 0) 3 I- 13 CM CM CM CsJ CM f*l CM in O 00 lD v£> CO O CM OU CNJ 3 3 3 o o CM <:d- -^ «:3- '^ CM <::*' *:}■ O CT» CM lD • — CT» CT* i-IJ "-D UD r-*^ CO CT> 13 O *^ O ir) m .— »— CM . c^ en r»^ CO u w C7^ r^ 0) oj en -M -i-j ■— c c -D -3 <: <— t— E -3 ^ ^ — OJ 3 ra TS 13 OJ tJ o o ^ t— ^— Q -J >— h 92 LlI ff> UJ CO 1^ q: C/) z o i UJ iij ^ y> O) (r m o CO cr. iij UJ tr Q Ul UJ 1- If) UJ K _l > UJ IE (0 Q. < ro UJ CVJ o o CD CD 5 2 >- > CO CO Q z in o o 1 UJ 1 GEND ION -SOI Q. O z o • ill cvi CO ■ + ISI UJ 1- 1— a: CO Q. 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V s; T^ viS"--'' . jKx'x-r- E: •,t, 1- %<; ^i ..^ z z z 10 CJ CM K »- t- (fi z o i cr UJ CO CD N o I- 05 Si UJ Q. < o o CD CQ >- >- (O CO .n b:^ O o S - ~ ^ - z ■ Z • ^ • + UI S O UJ o 9 - isj llJ I— tJ — ^g ^ CO tt 0= Q- s Jii = (O J" O m s ^ O O C3 q: o UJ (E < CO CO z o H % iLl CD f-- o S; UJ -5 UJ 3 00 Q. < CO 05 tn O g - CM «> '^ I - z 4 z • -< ■ + ^ g ° i^ o Si r isj a "^ Q- DO g - CO o OQ >- 05 ^. o cr UJ UJ Q 0) z 3 1- Q Z UJ cs u _) 1 z o > 1 z o IT • Ul N CO n < ■ + in IE UJ 3 < UJ UJ CO :3 o _l 3 QD O o CO S < o z o 0> UJ < q: Q. < z o _, _J 1- s V o ID S V a. to cc UJ Ul M III UJ H _l < > cr III Crt CL 3 _l 3 z CD O CQ O O S -J < Q Z 3 b UJ < O o < 30 kj 20 o (£ tD Ul < kJ < 10 1 I JAN FEB 1977 MAR APR MAY JUN JUL — I — AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN 1978 Figure 26. Monthly changes in average group sizes of mule deer, white-tailed deer, and pronghorn antelope, January 1977-January 1978. remain similar to that during spring and summer. During the winter of 1977- 1978, concentrations of mule deer occurred in a hilly region between the North Fork of McGuire Creek and Prairie Elk Creek, and in an area of coulees and bad- lands south of Fort Peck Reservoir. Mule deer were not observed on the proposed mining area after December 20, 1977, and winter groups observed in the vicinity remained in rough breaks areas north and south of the proposed mining area. Mule deer density estimates were based on winter 1977-1978 aerial survey data. These were the best data available, since snow cover of 95-100%, cold temperatures, and clear skies contributed to good aerial visibility of mule deer during this survey. Minimum population counts of 532 mule deer on the reconnaissance area and 55 on the mine study area were obtained, giving minimum density estimates of 0.10 mule deer/km2 (0.25/mi2) and 0.22 mule deer/km-^ (0.56/ mi2) for the two areas, respectively. Scattered groups were observed in the northern half of the reconnaissance area, giving a minimum density estimate of 0.03 mule deer/km^ (0.08/mi2) for this area; the southern half supported more mule deer with a minimum density estimate of 0.16/km2 (0.42/mi ). 103 Vegetation types (habitat categories) and topography types were recorded for 89% of all mule deer sighting locations. Mule deer were observed feeding in 39% of sightings. A wide variety of habitats were used by mule deer yearlong (figure 27, see also Appendix K). The most important habitats during eyery season were grasslands and sagebrush habitats. Tall coulee shrub habitats became more important during summer and fall, stubble fields were most heavily utilized during the fall, and sagebrush habitats became most important during winter. Little bluestem stands were important for a short period in early spring. Figure 28 shows monthly changes in topography use by mule deer; it can be seen that coulees, hills, and ridgetops were important yearlong. During the winter of 1975-1977, mule deer were observed most frequently in silver sagebrush/grassland (22%) and badlands (17%) habitats (figure 27). These two habitats also accounted for the majority of feeding observations. Substantial numbers of mule deer were observed in silver sagebrush/grassland habitats throughout this winter, while they first appeared in badlands during February. Badlands probably provided shelter from winter winds and snow. Mule deer were observed on a wide range of topographic features during this winter (figure 28). Observations during December occurred largely on flat areas, ridges, and rolling terrain. Coulees, hills, and ridges were more frequently used during January and February. Mule deer were most often seen feeding on hillsides, in coulees, on ridgetops, and on rolling terrain. In spring of 1977, mule deer use of grasslands (23%) and little bluestem stands (18%) showed an increase (figure 27). Sagebrush habitats remained im- portant, reflecting the general spring green-up of vegetation and dispersal of deer; remaining observations were distributed among several habitats. Feeding observations were mainly in grassland, little bluestem, and big sagebrush habitats Topography use during the spring reflected habitat use, with the highest propor- tion of all sightings (33%) and feeding observations occurring on rolling topo- graphy (figure 28). A variety of topography accounted for the remaining spring observations. During the summer of 1977, mule deer were most frequently observed on grass- land (19%) and silver sagebrush/grassland (19%) habitats (figure 27). Tall cou- lee shrub habitats, providing more shaded cover, accounted for 21% of the summer observations. Use of grasslands appeared to decrease from June to August, while the use of coulees increased, possibly in response to the desiccation of open grasslands. Locations of feeding observations did not differ suostantially from all observations combined. Topography of observation locations also ap- peared to vary from June to August. Rolling topography, hillsides, and ridges contributed 52% of the June observations, decreasing to 38% in July and 37% in August (figure 28). At the same time, mule deer were observed more frequently in coulees, which accounted for 20% of the observations during June, 36% during July, and 47% during August. Topography at summer feeding observations did not differ from these results. In the fall of 1977, grasslands (27%) and stubble fields (16%) provided the most observations, with substantial use also occurring in big sage and coulee shrub habitats (figure 27). A wide variety of vegetation types accounted for the remaining observations. Mule deer were observed feeding primarily in grasslands and stubble fields. Over 30% of mule deer observations occurred in coulees each month during the fall. Rolling topography and hillsides were also 104 Figure 27. Uiurnal use of habitat categories by mule deer, December 1976- February 1978. JAN yr-long ave. Figure 28. Diurnal use of topography by mule deer, December 1975-February 1978. 105 used (figure 28). Fall feeding observations did not differ from these results. During the winter of 1977-1978, sagebrush habitats appeared to become more important to mule deer than during fall. Use of silver sagebrush/grassland and ' silver sage habitats increased from 13% in December to 42% in January (figure 27). Grasslands accounted for nearly 20% of the observations each winter month. In addition to these three habitats, feeding was observed in stubble fields and low shrub coulees. Topography use also varied sharply between December and January (figure 28). In December, 2% of the observations were of deer on ridge tops. In January, the observations of deer on ridge tops had increased to 21% of all observations, possibly because wind kept snow cover reduced in these areas. Rolling terrain accounted for 54% of the observations in December and decreased to 6% in January, while deer observed in coulees increased from 20% to 48%. These shifts were probably related to worsening weather conditions. Data were obtained during this study on use of different slopes and aspects by mule deer. Seventy-eight percent of spring observations and 83% of summer for which slope was recorded were on slopes of 0-15% (table 20). Steeper slopes were utilized more during fall and winter, when 30% or more of each season's deer were observed on terrain of greater than 15% slope. No mule deer were observed on slopes over 45%. During the spring and summer, respectively, 23% and 37% of the 382 observations for which aspect was recorded occurred on east-facing slopes. All southern aspects accounted for 44% of spring observations, while only 20% of the summer observations occurred on these slopes. Limited data for fall and winter revealed no trends. Mule deer were observed primarily between 5:00 A.M. and 9:00 A.M. during the spring and summer. The deer were increasingly observable during afternoon hours through fall and winter. Food habits of mule deer in eastern Montana have been well documented by a number of studies (Egan 1971, Dusek 1976, Mackie et al.l977, Dusek 1977), and observed seasonal habitat use on the study area reflected general known food habits. Mule deer were mainly observed in sagebrush habitats, badlands, cou- lees, and creek bottoms during winter when browse constitutes the bulk of their diets. Deer were observed feeding on silver sagebrush, big sagebrush, horizontal juniper. Rocky Mountain juniper, green rabbitbrush, prairie rose, dogwood, and hawthorne. Use of succulent forbs and sprouting grass during spring is reflected in the occurrence of most deer on grasslands. Mule deer moved from grasslands to coulees during summer, probably as they sought succulent forbs. Mule deer increasingly feed on browse during fall, and also use forbs and winter wheat during periods of vegetational florishing. Accordingly, most mule deer were seen on grasslands, stubble fields, and shrub habitats during fall months. Seasonal sex and age ratios calculated from classified observations of mule deer are shown in Table 19. Fall data were used to calculate the best ratio estimates, since only 20% of the winter 1977-1978 observations were class- ified, and the observability of fawns was low during spring and early summer. During the fall, 97 fawns: 100 females and 75 fawns: 100 adults were observed. Production of 80-99 fawns: 100 females is rated "good" by Fish and Game Depart- ment standards. Classified counts of mule deer by Fish and Game Department personnel on McCone County trend units during 1972 and 1977 gave fawn: female ratios of 117:100 and 133:100 respectively (Trueblood, 1976). Productivity 106 Table 20. Use of slopes by Mule Deer Percent Slope Spring 1977 Summer 1976 & 1977 Fall 1976 & 1977 Winter 1976 & 1977 Total 0-5 in (30) 1/ 65 (27) 110 (21) 210 (27) 496 (26) 5-10 88 (24) 81 (34) 182 (34) 182 (23) 533 (28) 10-15 91 (24) 52 (22) 24 (5) 76 (10) 243 (13) 15-25 82 (22) 39 (16) 108 (20) 202 (26) 431 (22) 25-35 - 1 (tr) 31 (6) 74 (9) 106 (6) 35-45 - 73 (14) 39 (5) 112 (5) Total Classified 372 (100) 38 (100) 528 (100) 783 (100) 1,921 (100) —'Number of mule deer observations (The number in parentheses indicate the per- centage of observations for which slope was recorded). Table 21. Production ratios for some Mule Deer populations in Eastern Montana, Study Area Census Date Fawns: 100 Females Bud 100 ks Females Circle West (this study) Fall 1977 87 20 Terry Area (Hamlin 1977) December 1975 52 Sarpy Basin (Martin 1975) Fall 1973-1975 71, 77, 86 38, 30, - Long Pines (Dusek 1977) Late summer 1977 55 87 Winter 1976 58 38 Bull Mountains (Dusek 1976) Fall 1975 38 33 Birney-Decker, 4 lease areas (Knapp 1975) Fall 1974 & 1975 Fall 1975 & 1976 55, 36 62, - 25, 12, 21 33 Winter 1975 & 1976 61, 71 26, 23 Fall 1974 52 17 Missouri River Breaks (MT F & G 1977) January 1977 38 ■ 107 of mule deer on the Circle West study area compares favorably with recent mule deer studies in eastern Montana (table 21). The ratio of 20 bucks: 100 females lies within the range observed in these studies. During 1975 and 1976, hunter harvests in hunting unit 650 yielded approximately 390 and 325 mule deer, re- spectively. This represents 1.1% and 1.5% of the total state mule deer harvest during those years, respectively. Harvest statistics for hunting district 650 are presented in Appendix L. An outbreak of epizootic hemmorage disease apparently affected deer pop- ulations in the study area during the study period, although white-tailed deer were probably more affected than mule deer. Large numbers of deaths were re- ported by local residents in fall of 1976 but were not confirmed. The outbreak of this disease was evident in other areas in Montana (Swenson 1978) and it may have been region-wide. Figure 29 shows monthly changes in sample abundance of mule deer for the five roadside wildlife survey routes. It can be seen that mule deer were seen most consistently and in largest numbers along the Flowing Well route, which provided a mosaic of diverse coulee, big sagebrush, and badlands comples habitats. The relatively large numbers seen along this route in winter indicate winter concentration in this area, which was also indicated by the general ground and aerial survey (maps 6 and 10). Few mule deer were observed along the other road- side routes (Appendix I). Total Circle • ♦ Flowing Well A Missouri River □ Prairie Elk , Dreyer Ronch JAN FEB MAR Figure 29. Monthly sample abundances of mule deer along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. 108 In summary, mule deer in the study area are largely found in association with rough breaks and coulees. The overall minimum density estimates can be misleading since habitat quality if not uniform over the entire area. During all seasons the mule deer population was densest in the southwest quarter of the reconnaissance area, where more broken topography was dominant. During spring, summer, and fall, the proposed mining area apparently pro- vides good habitat for mule deer, especially in the heavily dissected northern half. With the onset of winter, however, the deer move to lower elevation cou- lees and creek bottoms to the north, west, and south of the proposed mining area. White- tailed Deer. Data were recorded for 938 white-tailed deer obser- vations representing 218 groups during the study period (table 22). Average group sizes decreased steadily from 10 during January 1977, to a low of two during July (figure 26). Throughout fall and winter, the deer tended to gather in larger groups, having an average size of six during January 1978. The yearlong average group size was four, and the largest group encountered numbered 51 during the winter of 1977-1978. Although during the study period only 938 whitetails were observed, while 3486 mule deer were observed, records of hunter harvest in the reconnaissance area show that approximately half of the annual deer kill is white-tailed deer (Trueblood 1976). This indicates that although white-tailed deer are not as observable as mule deer, they probably occur in substantial numbers on the re- connaissance area. Limited data were obtained for white-tailed deer, largely because of their nocturnal habits and preference for wooded or shrubby habitats where observ- ability is low. Observations indicated these deer were most numerous along the Missouri River, Prairie Elk Creek, and Horse Creek (maps 11-13). White-tailed deer occurred where cultivated fields were located near brushy coulees, creek bottoms, and cottonwood groves which provided cover. The deer population ap- peared to be densest in the southeast quarter of the reconnaissance area during the winter aerial census of 1977-1978. General distribution appeared to remain fairly constant throughout the year. No white-tailed deer were seen on the proposed mining area during winter or fall, and only one sighting during spring and two during summer were made within its boundaries. Scattered observations were made during summer and fall within five miles of the proposed mining area near the Dreyer Ranch and the head of Horse Creek. A total of 334 white-tailed deer was observed in the reconnaissance area during the winter of 1977-1978 aerial survey, giving a minimum density estimate of 0.1 deer/km2 (0.2/mi^). Vegetation types and topography were recorded at 94% of the white-tailed deer observation locations. Forty percent of the observations were of feeding deer. Due to the limited number of sightings, vegetation and topography were analyzed for seasonal rather than monthly trends. Flat to rolling cultivated and grassland habitats accounted for the majority of observations during all seasons. The importance of trees yearlong is underestimated by the data due to low observability in this habitat (figure 30; see also Appendix K) . 109 i/> --^ 0) \n ni 1- m 0' t/) c- J n o o (1) >- U' ■M c ' — O 1 — vO LO CO C3^ CM r-^ CNj <— t- 1 — CM in CO +-> tft O JD f— O > r-^c\jrsji— c\i •— ir> CT\ <^ C) rn zo LT) O CO r^ rn CNJ IX) < — CO m LTi CO I t t I O C7^ <^ r^ ^:J- CM Lf) cr> lo r-^ . — r-^ lO 1X3 r^ r-. o r--» ko CSJ CXI CM CNJ O f^ ^ r^^ "X) f~^ 'd' o-> ro Ln .— CM CM CO vo LD f^ r^ r^ ro CO o r-^ vo CM CM f^ CM CM r^ CO CO 1 r-^ 1 1 i£> »>.. f^ r-* r^ 1X5 r^ p^ r^ 1 r^ r^ a> (3% CTt r-v VJD en en r^ P^ ^o ^^ 1 — r^ CTt CT> r^ r-» r^ 1-^ 1- CT t. (T> r^ r-v. r-v 00 J- ;- o^ r^ o^ C r-<. cr> en r^ QJ 0) ,— en i— -M r^ r-. r^ en en -M -M — c r^ r-N. 1- r^ r^ ,r- cr^ or. r^ □. r^ r^ • — 5 a> i- re re s- 0) >^ ^ rs r^ ■yi CTt a\ LO J3 S- OJ u. Ll. OJ >>3 3 jD s- «a Oi -— -jj E OJ ^ JD i? E 'TJ :3 •— ^ (/I , 3 re -t-J O O) re re O) 3 re re U C JD -M '— ^ >>•»-' c r— cr.-M CL*J > 4-> +J u c ■*-» ^-J Qj re dJ o re Q. re o 3 13 3 o 0 O 1— h- Q ■-3 t— '- no CO o I- § UJ 0> CD O LiJ S LlJ 3 ^ ^ Q < UJ Q _l z ?i iiJ 5 I- Q- — CO X Q. < o o OD CD S 5 >- >- (/) CO Q Z ^ 0|: - W (i) ^ « 2 o < ■* UJ UJ o 2 i^ M > > '^ ^ (T Q. UJ h^ => CO ^ O m OD (t O O CD < 5 tr o UJ cr < CD (0 z o l- < > 01 UJ CO h- m r^ o o tn z UJ 2 UJ 3 n 1- 3 Q < UJ a 1 z < < 1- Q> 1 Z UJ rr 1- Q. cn T S Q. < 2 o o m CD 5 2 V >■ 9 g u,2 o d^ - c^i - §1 i. • •< ■ + UJ § O u w 2 r N LlI H S — _,< 5 CO ^ Q: Q. S iii => W ^ o CD °° "^ o o o - o CD S >■ to cr LU UI Q -J o z UJ Q. O _ 1 o 1 to o a o UI 0> Q z llJ o LlJ 1 z o 1- 1 z o • Ul N •4 ■ + _j S _l 1 cr UJ CO m o ^ to UJ in < 1- 1 UJ ID CO tr UI to o Q- o cr C3 1- _j o z < X 3 (£ o * UJ < a: cJ (E Q. < 2 _^ A/vtl. mm \'ti: ^i-MZ-.--::^ u-.z^/ti \i. A^ hM Mm Vj;. /f v%^' :._4 TT? '„ ■'i^v i "S--- ■^ ^ f^ "'^J'^ 3 ':ijjn. -M ^ 1 > a1 Ul -V •...|..,^ .... . j^,..4l..J J * I., . ^ (k • i - T A \^\ -ft^w-l-ti---.. ' ^-i- ii*w r^ ■^^• <■ — ^ f -r-v^-^ y. ... vl.J...... ^^v- £- vl ^ '■it V^ P|M:> z:^ 5H 5i ^-^-^;^ ^x^ ts" VOl» -^ -4=— ' l^ Jll. A :-K. '^ Y ^\ m ■-':-"'h-i iii r^ f ,v-^' •-ipi *»-!-- ui ro '^/ \h r^ o o OD CQ >- >- CO Q z — UJ 9 g >o2 o o 3; - c^ o oQ S o: o o « (E o UJ cr < UJ During the v/inter of 1976-1977, the majority (48%) of white-tailed deer were observed in cultivated fields (figure 30). Low coulee shrub (18%) and wild haylands (10%) were also used. The deer were observed feeding in low coulee shrub, wild haylands, and cottonwood forests. Rolling terrain (40%) and flat areas, including creek and river bottoms (49%), were the major top- ography types used during this winter (figure 31). Feeding was observed in creek bottoms and on flat areas. In spring of 1977, cultivated land remained the most important habitat category, providing 54% of all observations and the majority of the feeding observations. A variety of habitats, including low coulee shrub, wild hay- lands, sagebrush and tree groves accounted for the remaining spring obser- vations. Feeding was also observed in farm groves and wild haylands. White- tailed deer were observed on rolling terrain (40%), flat areas (41%), and coulees (16%) in spring. During summer of 1977, white-tailed deer continued to use cultivated fields (36%). Shrubby habitats reached their highest use. Tall and low coulee shrub and snowberry-rose and sagebrush accounted for one third of the observations. The deer were seen feeding on stubble fields, cultivated land, and in coulee shrub habitat. Summer topography use reflected habitat use, with 38% of the observations occurring on flat and rolling terrain and 14% in coulees. Feeding was observed on all three topography types. During fall of 1977, cultivated land received its lowest use (28%), while grasslands reached a peak in use (37%). Tree groves and tall coulee shrub were also important. White-tailed deer were observed feeding mainly on cultivated fields and grasslands. As during previous seasons, rolling and flat topography accounted for the majority of fall observations. Use of coulees declined. Rolling terrain provided the most feeding observations, and creek and river bottoms and hillsides were also used. During the winter of 1977-1978, use of cultivated land reached its peak, with grasslands and shrubby habitats providing the bulk of the remaining ob- servations. Most feeding white-tailed deer were seen on cultivated fields. A group of 51 was observed feeding on grain piles and haystacks at a ranch. Winter topography use was largely limited to rolling and flat terrain. Feeding observations occurred mainly on rolling land and creek bottoms. The majority of white tailed deer occurred on terrain of 10% slope or less, especially during spring and summer. There was a slight tendency for increased observations on moderate slopes (10-35%) during fall and winter. The majority of white-tailed deer were observed between 5:00 A.M. and 9:00 A.M. during spring and summer. Throughout the fall and winter the deer became increasingly observable during midday and afternoon hours. General food habits of white-tailed deer in eastern Montana have been documented in several studies (Allen 1971, Dusek 1977, Mackie et al. 1977). The seasonal diets of white-tailed deer in this study area should be comparable. Browse comprises the bulk of white-tailed deer food during all seasons except late spring and early summer when forbs become important. Cultivated crops were important during all seasons except the winter of 1977-1978, when deep snow accumulation reduced accessibility of browse in coulees and creek bottoms. 117 600 n _juj 400 H O- IS] WINTER SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER yr-long ave. Figure 30. Diurnal use of habitat categories by white-tailed deer, December 1976- February 1978. a: Ui V) m o z UJ o q: UJ 0. 100 FLATdNCL. FLOODPLAIN, CREEK BOTTOM, RIVER BOTTOM) °o°o°o°o°o°o°o°o°oOo°o°o°o 1§°§°SS:)'PLLING^goggo§ogo§o °o°o° °o°o° °o°o° ill °o°o°o °o°o°o o o o o o o oSo°o o°§g§3 ogg S o°o°o° So5o2o °o°o°o WINTER SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER yr-long ave. Figure 31. Diurnal use of topograpliy by white-tailed deer, December 1976- February 1978. 118 Table 23. Production data from White-tailed Deer studies, Study Area Census Date Fawns: Fawns: Bucks: 100 Females 100 Adults 100 Females Terry Area (Hamlin 1977) Long Pines (Dusek 1977) Middle Missouri River (MT F & G 1977) Lower Missouri River (MT F & G 1977) July 1976 1976 - 1977 140 56 43, 68, 62 Fall 1976 89 65 36 Spring 1977 114.3 88.9 28.6 Winter 1975 - 1977 105 72 36 20-1 10- ■^ ..-■■■■■ •••• Flowing Well A— — Missouri River Q Proirie Elk ,^. Dreyer Ronch )\ ;<.\ •.. • — ^ / 1 1 1 1 — I 1 JUNE JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY FiRure 32, Monthly sample abundances of white-tailed deer alonp f roadside wildlife survey routes, January-December, 1977 ive 119 Seasonal sex and age ratios calculated from classified observations of white-tailed deer are shown in table 23. Classified observations of 82 deer during the fall of 1977 gave production ratios of 74 fawns: 100 females, 64 fawns :i 100 adults, and 20 bucks: 100 females. Ratios of 117 fawns:100 females, 109 fawns:100 adults, and 10 bucks:100 females were calculated from 78 observations during the winter of 1977-1978. Comparable production data from studies of white- tailed deer in eastern Montana are shown in table 23. Recent white-tailed deer harvest estimates are summarized in Appendix L. Sample abundances of white-tailed deer for the roadside wildlife survey routes are shown in figure 32. Note that the largest number of white-tailed deer were seen along the Circle route, especially in fall and early winter. These represented several resident herds frequenting an area of cropland, snow- berry-rose drainages, and nearby cottonwood groves near the beginning of the route. Fair numbers were seen in the river-bottom cottonwood forest and ri- parian shrubbery of the Missouri River route, but the number of observations here was likely biased downward due to dense cover. Few white-tailed deer were seen on the other routes; none were seen on the Dreyer Ranch route. Pronghorn Antelope. Data were recorded for 9296 observations of pronghorn antelope in 1167 groups during the study period (table 24). Seasonal changes in pronghorn group size are shown in figure 26. Groups were largest in winter, when the animals gathered in large herds on winter ranges, and smallest in late spring and early summer, when herds are small and widely dispersed. This seasonal change in group size is consistent with the findings of other studies (Bayless 1969, Kitchen 1974, Martin 1977). The average yearlong group size was 8, and the largest group encountered numbered 130 during the severe winter of 1977-1978. I The distribution of pronghorn observations by season is shown in maps 14- 20. During the winter of 1977-1978, aerial surveys were confined to the vicinity of the proposed mining area; therefore, distribution throughout the reconnais- sance area were not obtained. Winter concentrations of pronghorn antelope were indicated along Highway 24 and in the southwest corner of the reconnaissance area (map 14). Pronghorn antelope did not appear to winter on the proposed mining area; only one winter sighting of a group of 30 pronghorn antelope was recorded there (near the southern boundary). The spring 1977 aerial survey revealed that pronghorn antelope were dispersed over the entire reconnaissance area, with relatively larger numbers in the southern half (map 15 and 16). Pronghorn antelope occurred regularly on the proposed mining area during spring, concentrating on the southern sections and in the vicinity of the Waller Ranch. The distribution of antelope on the reconnaissance area and proposed mining area remained similar to the spring distribution during the summer and fall of 1977 (maps 17-19). The 1977-1978 winter aerial survey in late January revealed that pronghorn antelope were located mainly in the southwest quarter of the reconnais- sance area (map 20). No pronghorn antelope were sighted on the proposed mining area during the winter. General observations indicated that some pronghorn antelope on the reconnaissance area prof^ably moved southward out of this area during the severe winter of 1977-1978, leaving reduced density in comparison to the moderate wintere of 1976-1977. Minimum antelope density estimates obtained for each season (based on aerial surveys of the reconnanssance study area) are as follows: spring, 0.2/ km2 (0.4/mi2), summer, 0.2/km2 (o.5/mi2); fall, 0.3/km^ (0.7/mi^); winter I 120 CO I iij en m o UJ h- o 2? -I I llJ CD I- 1^ z ^ < q: o z o q: CL < CO CD >- > CO c/) Q Z — UJ CO Y 9 I 1 - C\J CO -^ UJ § O UJ CS S£ - N UJ I- U — _,< < CO tt "^ Q. S ^ ^ CO ^ O CD °° tr o ° en - \- < > a: ijj w m o _l o m 2 -1 § S 10 UJ n o z lO ^ o o _i 1 _i o CO 1 UJ Q. O — 1 UJ ^ Q 1 • A - + HI t a: z < z a: UJ UJ Ul _l o i or o N a. o I Z V) m o UJ (/> m o 3 o CO o o z < UJ z o cr: 3 o Q. < O tij t •* '*• o: Q. < u m w z o I- % Ul CO m o LJ 3 •- UJ oJ 1- - Z CD < ? a: V) o I cr> z o Q. in Q. < o o m m 5 5 to tn o g - w <0 - g , ^ • 4 ■ + W g O tij ^ 5 r isi uj h- 5 — _,< < CO K Q: Q- S tii => to 5" o m °° q: O o o a: o UJ (E < to ^mm U ]rc:a. MAP 16. PRONGHORN ANTELOPE OBSERVATIONS SPRING 1977 LEGEND AERIAL OBSERVATION-SOLID SYMBOL GROUND OBSERVATION-OPEN SYMBOL GROUP SIZE: • I A 2-5 ■ 6-20 ^ > 20 ( ■% r-y-t^^^^y^ :t^-' ■i^ w (^ \- t < ir > cr UJ CD o _l o CD > _i o CD > CO u t LU o UJ O) a 9 o CO 1 z Ul Q. O 1 • in 1 CM < o 1 CD ■ O cvj < a: UJ z UJ o UJ o 1- z o > UJ M ^ _l rr UJ z ? q: Q. UJ If) o CO UJ CO m UJ CO CD 3 O or tr. X o < Q CD 2 Z O O tr q: Ul cr Q. < CD UJ 1- h- 1- ir CL < UJ ro f tr. CO z o < > q: UJ 1 _l CO o O m OD CO o >- >- Ixl o 9 _i o tn z UJ Q- O _ in o CO 1 to o UJ Q 1 • 4 ■ + h- z < UJ Z UJ o z o 1- z o 1- < UJ M ^ _J rr CO z 2 CE a. on o 3 CO UJ tn m Ul w CO o X o o to o < o z z o o (T tr. UJ (E a. < O < ^^^^'^WW^^ MAP 18. PRONGHORN ANTELOPE OBSERVATIONS SUMMER 1977 LEGEND AERIAL OBSERVATION-SOLID SYMBOL GROUND OBSERVATION-OPEN SYMBOL GROUP SIZE: • I A 2-5 ■ 6-20 ^ > 20 w^ MAP 18. PRONGHORN ANTELOPE OBSERVATIONS SUMMER 1977 LEGEND AERIAL OBSERVATION-SOLID SYMBOL GROUND OBSERVATION-OPEN SYMBOL GROUP SIZE- • I ▲ 2-5 ■ 6-20 4* > 20 o o m ffl >- >- CO CO o ?i; — tt "^ Q. CO ^ O o o tr C3 < S a: o UJ cr < o ^ I ■ 7'1 ' ■ ■ ■ ' ,^?^-- I ^ ^^ r— / .' y — ip— 1 r — -" 'I f ■ — :' -' ■ 4M| >^&l:'/ ^k,) w z o I UJ CO m o UJ Q. 3 t: iiJ 55 < 2 Z I- a: =) o < I CD Z o cr Q. IE Q. < 111 o o S 5 >- V Q Z ° O "5 . Z W K S? — a p^ Q- UJ Hi = O O CD < i ir o UJ ir < C3 CM CO z o i a: w; o o m CQ CD o s V >- UJ 00 (o U) o (0 Q. t^ Q z in 1 o o 0> -I o UJ Q- n 1 (0 C\J UJ 1- Q 1 1 • •4 ■ + UJ IT) z < z cr o cn a. UJ 1- z UJ UJ o 1- % (E UJ o 1- < > a: UJ to 00 o UJ N a. o K X 5 CD (1 to z _l o < 3 (r q: o a. UJ < IT O o CM a. < (I 3 o o o C r— 3 O 13 O O 13 :^ ■— < . — CXJ . — CM cNj ld cn --o r-^ r-* ^a- »JD u") »^ ro CT» CM lO Lfi csj -^ "-o Ln CD cr> r-^ U3 MD ^ , — r-^ CO t^ r- — <^ ^ ir> c\j i — 'n- <* ■ o '^ ^£3 CO -cr o r-^ -^ o -^ CO CM 'd' -— o ^d" c\J r^ o .— ro c\j ro csj CO cn CM ■ — '^ Ka KO cn LT) ^d- LD l-O CD ro LD CNJ "Xi Ln ID LD ^ «d- ^d- 'd- <^ LD ID "^ ^ VD ^O LD i — CTi o m td- csj o^ r-' -"d- cn o -— (3 O O O -^d- LD O LD LO . — CM CO eg LT) CO LO cn ^ o^ ^£) CO CO r-* cr> ID LD r-^ 1 — ^ LD r— ,— r— Ol UD m 1 — .— .— CM CO CO — r-- o r^ C7> ro .— r- cn CO r— CM CD CO LO LO r^ r^ ^ r-v. ,— CO rtj O ■— f— 5- rt3 dj ■X) CO C3 cn ^-J Ul LD CO O CO O -Q CM ro LD t- O s- o J3 CD COLD'd-CM CnCOCM-^LD . — »— CMLD LDr^LDCOcn CMr--CTi corona-.— ^ •^ LO LD LO LD ro >^ LD ro CD CO .— o ^ CO O CO LO CO CO ro CO CO UD ro 1 — , — OCO CsjLD'd'i — LD i — r^r--LDO ■— r->-00co COCOlDCM I — < — rOLOLD I — uOLOror-. lDlDCD^S" LO«d"f*^cri 'd-'d-Loroco O"^- — ldct^ lDi — i — id .— ,_.— ,— ,— CMCM .— .— ro P^ -rj- >— LO LD ' — CM O I — LD ro LD . — r^ . — «d- r-. ro LD LDCnrocO rooOCOOCn 'M ro 1 — ro CO r~^ CO LO CTi cn CM CM < — LD CD 'd- LD r^ LO O .— C^J ro vO r^ r^ LO r«. r-- >o 1^ r-* r-~ r^ r-* cn cn a» T> r«^ LO crv cn r^ r^ r-* o r^ r-^ r-. m ri\ r-» r-- r-. r- l_ CD ^- CT> r-^ r^ r^ CO S- 1- m f^ rTi 0) c: r-^ Oj a> 1 — r-^ cr* m r^ 0) ,-.- rTi cn r-. o. -1 ^ i- :r r^ Kj-i m ^ LTt t/i ^ U TJ U- Li- (I) >i"S "^ j2 S- Ti cn . 4_> = 1) ^ XI j^ >— (/I . — rj JD -= rj ■— ^- J "— >. 13 <13 ra ij ^ ^ *j **. '*. — nn <-» 4~> CL-u. > != *-> 4_> 11 -r -iJ o T) C 3 r r o O" -J O T) n 0) ra o o ^ < ^ ^— ~r. ^ < — \— (— -3 1— K- 135 1977-1978, 0.2/km2 (0.5/nii2). The spring and summer estimates are probably the least accurate, due to the wide dispersal of groups and how observability of fawns during these two seasons. These figures compare to minimum density estimates based on 1967 and 1973 MF&G censuses in H.D. 650 of 0. 3/km2(0.7/mi2) and 0.6/km2 (l.S/mi^), respectively. Although some studies have obtained larger pronghorn density estimates than the present study, Knapp (1977) considered a density of 0.2/km^ (O.S/mi^) to be characteristic of a "good" population in the Birney-Decker area of southeastern Montana. Seasonal use of habitat categories (vegetation types) and topography types are shown in figures 33 and 34. Grasslands and sagebrush types appeared to have the highest importance yearlong for antelope (figure 33). Sagebrush habitats were most important during winter; grasslands, sagebrush habitats, and agricul- tural land during spring and summer; and grasslands and agricultural land dur- ing the fall. These findings do not differ greatly from results of pronghorn antelope studies in central Montana (Bayless 1969, Cole and Wilkins 1958) and southeastern Montana (Martin 1976). Although vegetation types were recorded for 94% of all sightings, pronghorn antelope were actually observed feeding in only 31% of the sightings. Topography was recorded at 93% of the sighting locations. (See Appendix K for a detailed account of seasonal habitat use.) During the winter months, sagebrush habitats (especially big sagebrush) were important to pronghorn antelope, providing 67% of the observations for the first winter (1976-77) and 50% the second winter (1977-78) (figure 33). The majority of feeding pronghorn antelope were also observed in sagebrush habitats during winter. Other studies have documented the importance of sage- brush in the winter diet of pronghorn antelope (Bayless 1969, Cole and Wilkins 1958). Pronghorn antelope were also observed feeding in cultivated and stubble fields during the second winter. Pronghorn antelope were most frequently ob- served on rolling topography during both winters, especially during December (figure 34). During January and February of the first winter, use of coulees and hillsides appeared to increase, while during January of the second winter creek bottoms and badlands became more important. Both shifts in winter topo- graphy use were probably responses to worsening winter weather conditions. Pronghorn antelope were frequently observed feeding on rolling terrain; however, broken topography (including creek bottoms, coulees, and badlands) accounted for the majority of feeding observations during both winters. As vegetation greened up in spring, pronghorn antelope were observed on a wide variety of habitat types (figure 33). However, the majority of prong- horn antelope appeared in similar frequencies on grasslands (27%), sagebrush habitats (28%), and cultivated fields (25%) during spring 1977. Feeding was observed on grasslands, sagebrush habitats, and in cultivated fields, including fields of sprouting grain. Reflecting habitat use, the topography of the majority (69%) of spring observation locations was rolling or flat (figure 34). Most feeding observations were also on flat to rolling terrain. During the summer of 1977, pronghorn antelope were observed most frequently on grasslands (38%) (figure 33). However, sagebrush habitats (22%) and cul- tivated fields (20%) received substantial use also. Use of grasslands appeared to decrease from June to August while use of cultivated lands increased. Ob- servations of feeding pronghorn antelope were most frequent on grasslands dur- ing June and July, and on silver sagebrush/grasslands during August. Rolling 136 1000 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN -TO. yr -long Qve. Figure 33. Diurnal use of habitat categories by pronghorn antelope, December 1975- February 1978. JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN yr-long ove. Figure 34. Uiurnal use of topograpliy by pronghorn antelope, December 1976- February 1978. 137 terrain, hillsides, and flat areas provided 55% of the observations for which topography was recorded (figure 34). Pronghorn antelope appeared to use coulees and creek bottoms more frequently than during spring, possibly in response to desiccation of grassland habitats. In fall of 1977, pronghorn antelope appeared in a variety of habitat types; however, the majority were observed on grasslands (48%) and cultivated fields (31%) (figure 33). Habitat use did not appear to vary greatly from September to November. Feeding pronghorn antelope were most frequently observed on grass- lands (43%). Stubble, fallow fields, and big sagebrush habitat also appeared to be important during fall. Rolling terrain accounted to the majority of both total and feeding observations during the fall of 1977 (figure 34); flat areas and hillsides received moderate use. Over 90% of all pronghorn antelope observed were located on slopes of less than 15% (table 26). No major seasonal differences were apparent. Pronghorn antelope on the Birney-Decker area of southeastern Montana were also observed mainly on gently sloping terrain (Knapp 1977). The majority (75%) of all pronghorn antelope were observed between 5:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. During spring and summer 70% and 68% respectively, were seen from 5:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M. Pronghorn antelope were observed more fre- quently during afternoon hours in the fall, with nearly half seen between 9:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. Nearly half of all pronghorn antelope were seen between 1:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. during the winter. Seasonal food habits have been well documented in studies of pronghorn antelope east of the Rocky Mountains in Montana (Knapp 1977, Becker 1972, Freeman 1971, Campbell 1979, Bayless 1969, Wentland 1968, Cole and Wilkins 1958, Cole 1956, Couey 1945). Food habits of pronghorn antelope in McCone County should not differ greatly from the findings of these studies. Prong- _ horn antelope on the study area were observed feeding on silver sagebrush, big sagebrush, horizontal juniper, and yucca during the winter. Concurrent with the spring green-up, antelope moved into grasslands and cultivated lands, pro- bably feeding on forbs and sprouting crops. Use of cultivated fields during fall suggests use of waste and sprouting grain in addition to use of range browse. Seasonal sex and age ratios calculated from classified observations of antelope are shown in table 24 (see also Appendix M). Reduced observability of fawns during spring and early summer and the low percentage of classified observations during winter dictated the use of fall data for estimating the most realistic age ratios. During the fall, ratios of 57 fawns:100 adults and 81 fawns: 100 females were obtained. A production estimate of 80 fawns per 100 females is rated "good" by Fish and Game Department standards. Comparison with census data compiled by the Fish and Game Department for several years in Mc- Cone County indicate these ratios may be low (table 25); Aerial census data from 1960 through 1976 gave ratios of 90-100 fawns per 100 females for hunting unit 650. Most studies of pronghorn antelope productivity use summer census data, and using the 452 classified observations made during August, 1977, a ratio of 90 fawns:100 females is obtained. Sex ratios calculated from winter and spring data may be inaccurate due to low numbers of classified observations during winter and the reduced observ- 138 Table 25. Sex and age ratios of Proghorn Antelope for hunting unit 550 (McCone County).* Year Fawns/ 100 Femal es Mai es/Female Antelope/ Square Mile Fawns/ 100 Adults 1976 90 .48 _ 1975 55 .57 - (1974 ** 69 .53) - 1973 101 .37 1.5 74 1970 91 .55 - 59 1967 111 .80 0.7 62 1960 106 .48 - * Trueblood, R. Compiled from Annual Reports. Fish and Game Dept., D-6. ** Spot check only. Table 26. Slope at observation locations of Proghorn Antelope Percent Spring Slope '77 Summer Summer Fall Fall Winter '77 '76 & '77 '77 '76 & '77 '77 Winter '76 & 77 Total 0-5 458 * 197 455 388 600 457 533 2,045 5-10 537 336 383 690 758 264 479 2,153 10-15 331 233 233 198 208 33 171 943 15-25 70 106 106 175 175 86 88 439 25-35 5 0 0 49 49 22 22 75 35-45 0 0 0 16 16 0 0 16 45-60 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 Unknown 519 489 678 1,119 1,164 1,250 1,250 3,611 1^ umber of Proghorn Antelope. 139 ability of does with fawns during spring. Sex ratios of six and four males per ten females were calculated using classified observations from summer and fall, respectively. Using classified data from all seasons, a ratio of five males per ten females was calculated. These ratios are comparable to data ob- tained by the Fish and Game Department from 1960-1976 for McCone County (table 25; see also Appendix M). Harvest data are summarized in Appendix N. Sample abundances for pronghorn antelope seen on the roadside wildlife sur- vey routes are shown in Figure 35. It is clear that the Flowing Well Route pro- vided the bulk of the observations, particularly in the late fall and winter; this route transects a heavily-used wintering area along Timber Creek. The Circle and Flowing Well routes also provided relatively large numbers of ob- servations in spring and fall. Sample abundances were lowest in midsummer (when groups were small and widely dispersed) and in midwinter (when wintering herds had presumably moved beyond the areas sampled by the routes). In summary, the quality of the reconnaissance area and proposed mining area as pronghorn antelope habitat appeared to vary with the seasons and weather conditions. During spring and summer, pronghorn antelope were found on the en- tire reconnaissance area, with greater densities in the southern half. General observations indicated that this portion of the study area had good interspersion of cultivated fields with grasslands and sagebrush habitats. During late fall and winter, pronghorn antelope concentrated in the areas of more dense sagebrush cover and broken topography which are found in the Timber Creek, McGuire Creek, and Nelson Creek drainages of the southwest quarter of the reconnaissance area. The proposed mining area itself did not appear to provide good habitat for pronghorn antelope, as few sightings occurred in the main portion during any season. Dissected coulees and scoria hills characterized the northern half of the proposed mining area where few pronghorn antelope were observed. How- ever, during spring, summer, and fall, pronghorn antelope appeared to use the extreme southern section of the proposed mining area and an area adjacent to the southwestern boundary. This area in the Nelson Creek drainage was characterized by gently sloping grasslands and interspersed with sagebrush flats. Pronghorn antelope were also frequently seen in the vicinity of the Waller Ranch, adjacent to the eastern boundary of the proposed mining area. Rolling grasslands and cultivated fields dominated this area. Pronghorn antelope were not observed in winter on the proposed mining area or within three miles of its boundaries, probably because this area characteristically had extensive snow cover, v;as exposed to winds and subjected to extensive drifting, and offered little pro- tection from the weather. 140 ■ Total a Circle ^ Flowing Well ▲ Missouri Riuer □ Proirie Elk • Dreyer Ranch 160-1 = 100 JAN FEB APR MAY JUNE JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC Figure 35. Monthly sample abundances of pronghorn antelope along five roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. 141 BIRD COMMUNITY PARAMETERS Waterfowl Communities Ha River, small s marshes River p Shupe p work wa Within Nelson bitat. Wetland habitats in the study areas are limited to the Missouri the Big Dry Arm of Fort Peck Reservoir, streams and stream pools, numerous tockponds, and, along the Missouri River floodplain, a few cattail-bulrush Glacial potholes are lacking. Fort Peck Reservoir and the Missouri rovide the most heavily-used waterfowl habitat in the area (Carlson p.c, c.)- These two areas, however, were not studied intensively, and field s concentrated on stockponds on and near the proposed mining area, the mine study area, the only important wetland habitat was provided by Creek and its tributaries, and by the larger, older stockponds. Populations. Seventeen species of waterfowl were observed in the study areas during 1977 (table 8). Table 27 shows monthly species composition of all recorded waterfowl observations made during 1977; these same data are pre- sented graphically as percent species composition in figure 36. Also shown is the species composition of breeding (May-July) populations. It is evident from these data that the mallard is the predominant waterfowl species during most of the year, and that the mallard, American wigeon, and blue-winged teal are the principal breeding species. The Canada goose, gadwall, pintail, and green- winged teal were most frequently encountered during migration. MAR APR AUG SEP OCT MONTH yr-long ave. breeding season oily Figure 36. Percent species composition of all recorded 1977 waterfowl observations. Circle West study area. 142 C 3 „ — ^ , — ^ ^ — ^ ^ — -^ — ■ — ^ T3 1 —1 ko Ln c\i oo ^ •— •* LD S- 1- ""^^ CO OJ >f=C • — ■' — " ~^ — ^ — ^ ~- — " ' — ■ o CM o O) roi— o <^ c~o t^ 00 , — 1 — ^ ' 1 '~~ ' — cri '■^ 1 1 s_2:o •^ "* •— •— CM r^ CTi CO ^~ CQ— '1— ro C/1 1 <* CM '-^^-^ 1 — ^1- liD CO ^ oo kD ^ ■— +J CM CM to r~- =£ ^ ^ — ^ — ■'■ — ^ > — ^-. — ^ — " --N .^ "* — ^ ^ — ^ 00 r^ t— P~~ C\J C\J '^ , — CM X) r-- r^ CM O iJD CO oo r— ^ CM IS CM cno ■— h- CO 1 — UD ■ — r— .— CNJ o CO un C3-1 CM ^ tn "" ^ ' — ,— , ^-^^-^o O r^ Ln ''"^ ••■ ^ . r— CM LD lO ' — > •* — ^ ■ — ' o r-- "^ en 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 o , 1 , 1 1 1 •"" z .— ^ CO *^ o 0) :3 Cl. <;r CM CM ro CO oo o r^ r-^ (j3 Ln LD ^ en un CM U3 i£> C7> O 00 C/1 00 CO I— o I 1 — oo CM CTl IJD CM CO \o CO 00 OO OO 00 ---co — o CO r-- CO ( — C\J ^_^^— ^ % - ■- -- in CM >* m CO r- 00 r— CO LD o cn-^ s- , — , CM CO 0) ,— ^ ^ +j 1 — r— ^— c * ,-v. ^^ ^ N " ^^-- ^-^ 3 LO tr. CM r— <^ ■^ en •-3 CO r-, r— "^ «* oo CO S- I — I "* „_, ^—^ * IT) o ^ ^--r-. s_ CO .—^ -^^ CO -^ 4-> t— r— r— "^ CM >=a- o CO CTl "* '^ r— UD LT) O CO V£> CM cn r— c\j tn +-> +-> 00 00 -I -£= o en •^ 1 — ^^ , — .-— , C I— -o C fO fO (U T- -o 0) c T3 0) cn c: <_> O CL C3 C -— I I— O) ro QJ fO Ol Ol s- CQ s- c s- r— -o o O) o) to QJ .C > CU cn 4-> o -C O) O) -r- S C "O +J S 3 O oo O) o -o CD u CL .:^ (ts O O (t3 OO l/l s- c CO T3 (U OJ "O ^^ i- -l-> >, fO O CU 1/) CU CD 3 (/) ro C -C CD CO) O) CD C rO 1- Qi Qi I Jiiro)0 cnjD C710>l/>Er-'+--aeS- 1 cuciyi EO't-'OE CUTS r-Qr0, +- OJ S- > 01 s- 4-> 3 to (/) s to o o s_ +-> CD +-) 4- ro O 3 C O (U O +-> S- S- O) to a. Q. (/I (/) to c O 4-> •I- O ro > -(-> S- =3 CU J3 (/) j3 x: o +-> -a o - cu -o S- o o O) s- Ln CD . c o •I- A S_ o c (U S- OJ OJ lO -Q CU O s_ t/1 ■!-> ^cmIotI Table 28 compares the percent species composition of breeding waterfowl observations made during this study with that of breeding-pair estimates made during other studies in Montana, Saskatchewan, and North Dakota. Breeding waterfowl populations in the study area compare most favorably with those studies by Lokemoen (1973) in the southwest slope region of North Dakota. Lokemoen's study area is very similar to the Circle West study area in top- ography and vegetation, and is also characterized by small, scattered stock- ponds and reservoirs rather than the natural potholes characteristic of Stoudt's (1971) and Stewart and Kantrud's (1974) study areas, and by relatively low waterfowl densities compared to other parts of North Dakota (Stewart and Kantrud 1973). It can be seen in table 28 that the relative abundance of breeding pintails was apparently much lower in the present study than the others listed. Smith (1953) also listed the mallard, pintail and blue-winged teal as the three most important breeders in his eastern Montana study. Pin- tails are early nesters, adapted to capitalize on early, temporary water areas created in May and early June by runoff or spring rains, and are prone to shift to more favorable breeding grounds in years when drought reduces the avail- ability of such habitats (Krapu 1974, 1977, Stout 1971, Stewart and Kantrud 1973), as was the case in the study area in 1977. Monthly species composition of all recorded waterfowl observations made within the proposed mining area (20% of the total number) during 1977 is shown in table 29. For most species, percent species composition is similar to that of all recorded observations (table 27); exceptions are the gadwall, which com- prises a considerably larger percentage of the mining area observations, and the pintail, which comprises a somewhat lower percentage. Observed waterfowl use of major stockponds in the mine study area is shown in table 30, and breed- ing-pair census data for four of the larger stock-ponds are shown in table 31. It can be seen that waterfowl in 1977 tended to concentrate on the larger stockponds year-round. This is consistent with the findings of Smith (1953) that size is more important than vegetation in determining overall waterfowl use. Breeding populations were small, and were restricted to the vicinity of larger stockponds and creeks having suitable nesting cover. The mallard and American wigeon appeared to be the predominant breeding species in the mine study area, and were the only species of which broods were observed. Except for the apparent breeding of two diving duck species (lesser scaup ana ruddy duck) which were unconfirmed by broods, dabbling ducks were the only breeding species encountered in the mine study area. Data on broods observed is sum- marized in tables 30 and 32, and indicate that breeding was not successful for all censused pairs reported in table 31. Suboptimal breeding-season moisture conditions and resultant small sample sizes precluded estimation of breeding density in the study area. However, densities during more favorable years will probably be found to be comparable to estimates of 1.2-3.0 pairs/km^ (3.1-7.8 pairs/mi^) obtained in similar stockpond-dominated habitats in North and South Dakota (Bue et al. 1952, Brewster et al.l976, Lokemoen 1973). One would not expect this region to sup- port the high densities reported by Rundquist (1973) and Stewart and Kantrud (1974) for the glaciated pothole regions of Montana and North Dakota. Berg (1956Kin a study of fenced and unfenced stockponds in the southeastern cor- ner of the reconnaissance study area, encountered only 5 mallard and 2 pintail broods in 12 stockponds averaging 1 ha (3 surface acres) in size; breeding populations of certain stockponds in the mine study area were apparently 144 ea • — 4-i C71-i^ tjO (U fO c 5 9 il QJ -C E 4_» Q.-t-> — I— <^ ;^ < S- -^ O ( r- O) 03 3 CTi a, cr Q CO -— Q. rn 13 -'- ■r- C S- 13 -c o "TJ 3 cr» Q_ :^ LO cc: .— . fi3 'O ■'- ^D 1/1 cr- +J (/I "O f^ ■ c fO c r-- o s- 3 cr> ^ o q: — CO . — --o -^ , — . — CM Q — C r:: — 5 145 I — > S- O) -Q O +-> 2 rtJ s- CJ) CD T3 i- cu O c: o 13 QJ ■-3 t- ■l-> o en CM J3 n3 O dJ -Q E > o S- O) JD O ■4-) U o s- -Q E 0) -!-> Q. Ol >5 c S- o Q- 1 — OJ "^ CU -i<; S- •-- O c CT) j^ o o to CD •(— c c u 03 Irt TD , — 1 — 2 • f— 03 QJ -Q C IB ro S- 1 — ■r— 5 O C CO 3 .— X) fO (O ITS c •r— 1 03 o o n3 ( — 3 +-> c c C , — -o c OJ =! cu c C ^ r) ro ra fO •1— S- 1 — != •1— 03 c <_> s CD Q. CD CO ca: q: O ZD 14fi greater in 1977 than those indicated by this study, although the two studies are not strictly comparable due to differing methods and objectives. Large water birds other than waterfowl which used stockponds within the mine study area are indicated in table 30. Groups of up to 25 double-crested cormorants were seen repeatedly on NC09 in April, May, and June. These pro- bably represent feeding flights from large nesting colonies in Big Dry Arm or possibly non-breeding summer visitors. Overwintering of waterfowl was not observed in and near the mine study area, as stockponds and most streams freeze over in winter (tables 27 and 29). Fort Peck Reservoir also freezes over completely during most winters, but serves as an important fall staging area for large numbers of grebes, double-crested cormorants, and waterfowl (Shupe, p.c). Large wintering populations of water- fowl concentrate on ice-free stretches of the Missouri River, especially just below Fort Peck Dam (Appendix J). Climatic Factors Influencing Waterfowl Use. Waterfowl habitats and pop- ulations of the northern Great Plains are characterized by wide fluctuation, due to wide annual variations in climatic conditions. Thus, one seldom en- counters a year having conditions which could be termed normal or typical. The relatively low waterfowl breeding populations encountered during this study should not be interpreted to represent the typical or average situation, as weather conditions during 1977 were unusually dry and otherwise suboptimal for waterfowl. Winter snowfall and spring rain were exceptionally low, and by mid- June most streams and stockponds contained little water and many were completely dry. The major rainstorm of June 14 and 15, 1977, filled most stockponds to capacity overnight, but by that time many potential breeders -- especially such early nesters as pintails -- had left the area, and the optimum breeding season for most species had passed. Therefore, the results presented here are by no means typical, and waterfowl use and production will likely be much higher during years having more suitable weather and moisture conditions. A primary goal of the proposed monitoring program presented later in this report is to determine waterfowl use and density on the mine study area during typical and optimum years. During normal to wet springs, roadside ditches and dugouts probably pro- vide additional nesting and feeding habitat for waterfowl, but such habitat was largely absent in 1977. This is indicated by the fact that up to four species of waterfowl and/or coots were seen on all runs of the Circle roadside survey route prior to 1976, but none were seen in June of 1977 (Appendix E). Stockpond Characteristics. Several studies have shown that breeding sea- son waterfowl use generally increases with reservoir size, reservoir age, and with the amount of tall grass and shrubbery along the shoreline (Berg 1956, Gjersing 1971, Lokemoen 1973, Smith 1953). This was observed to be the case within the mine study area, where waterfowl use was highest along Nelson Creek and its tributaries wnore bordered by bulrush marshes or silver sagebrush flats, and along the larger, older stockponds which are bordered by marshes or shrub- bery. Most smaller stockponds in the mine study area are bordered by bare earth or heavily grazed and trampled grassland, and thus lack nesting cover necessary for most waterfowl species (table 3). Emergent vegetation was lacking or scarce even in the largest stockponds, which accounts in part for low breeding 147 I— (NJ CO , "^ ^ ^ CO CM rO r— OJ I ( t t I l*3-CM"^l i^"*l I I I ■ CO •— Ka •■ •^ ■— \ i CO I I 1 I I I I I ■ I I I I I U-) CM *" LO-^i-nLn CTiOOCM ' — f^' ^ "X^to^ I O^CNJ CM I I '— I ro .— I I LO tn I 1 I CM OJ «^ C\J ^ I — *d- I CM I "* CM I 1 I I I I I LO I I I I I en Ln I ^ ) I I .— I I I I I I I I mi. — fNj I I 1 I I I ,CMVO.ItCnilCM..i.iI'"^ ^ 1 ro I I I I I I ' ' ' ' ' ' I I I I r^ CM rt3 I— a; O) '^ c . — 4-> QJ o QJ +J en > -o QJ o Q> T3 -I- ^ CTl a* 3 CO C CD O) t/1 z: ' J 3 J ■- 3 — ^ 4-> x: en > t/i %~ -o zz -= ^ _ ^- _ ^ OJ — J) ~2 < - =: Ti z) -o en Ts ^ "3 j; ^ _t ^ a o -o o OJ IJ TS OO O OJ 3 -i- OJ ^ -= ^ a. ^ '" '=i '^ ~ cj o ^ >i 9 ;_j _i o -o -rr: tvJ ci r* -»-» O O 13 It/1 O > -C "O 1 QJ O ^t O- OJ . — 1- ' OJ o tJ ^ -O I— olQ <: •=£ 75 ci:: OJ "O n o = o 148 Table 31. Waterfowl breeding pair census data for certain stockponds in the Circle West mine study area, 1977. Water Area NCOl^ NC02 NC04 rJC09 Dates Censused Ma 1 1 a rd Gadwall Pintail Green-winged Teal Blue-winged Teal American Wigeon Northern Shoveler Canvasback Lesser Scaup Ruddy Duck 6/20 5/16, 6/6, 6/12 1^ 4 - 1 - 1 «. 2 5/16 5/21, 5/24 2 3 2 -J See text for explanation of codes ^ Number of indiLdted pairs Table 32, Average sizes of waterfowl broods recorded during 1977 Canada Goose Mallard Blue-winged Teal American Wigeon 5.17 (2-6, n=6) 6.10 (2-10, n=10; 2 (n=l) 6 (n=l) 149 numbers of most diving ducks, which require emergent vegetation as nesting cover. Of stockponds in the mine study area, MA07, MC05, MC06, MC07, NCOl , M NC02, NC04, NC06, and NC09 appear to have characteristics most favorable to ^ waterfowl (table 3). Breeding Bird Census Table 33 summarizes results for the five breeding bird census plots, as well as species diversity (H'), total density, total biomass, single-species dominance, and two-species dominance for each plot and for the five plots com- bined (a more complete account is given in Appendix F). An adjusted number of species is also presented for comparison with other studies. Table 6 summarizes the percentage of representation by the various habitat categories within each plot. Two grassland bird species, the western meadowlark and horned lark, were the dominant species of the five combined plots; both were present in fair numbers on the grassland and coulee plots, but only one pair of horned larks was en- countered on the sagebrush plot. Western meadowlark densities were considerably greater than tnose reported by Feist (1968). Four shrub-nesting species, the mourning dove, eastern kingbird, brown thrasher, and loggerhead shrike, were closely associated with dense slumps of tall shrubbery, especially silver buf- faloberry, and were absent from the two grassland plots where shrubs were lack- ing. The yellow warbler, yellow-breasted chat, and rufous-sided towhee were found only on the silver buffaloberry-red osier dogwood coulee grid. Their occurrence and that of red osier dogwood and other dense coulee shrubbery both g appear to be related to the relatively cool, shady, and moist conditions af- " forded by the steep-walled coulee dissecting this plot. Say's phoebe and rock wren territories were also found only on this plot, which provided suitable nest sites in the high, steeply eroded sandstone walls of the coulee. Brewer's sparrow and common yellowthroat territories were found only on the sagebrush plot. The nesting habitat preferences of the Brewer's sparrow, which are met by dense stands of silver sagebrush in this area, are well known (Best 1972). The indicated density of this species in the third of the sagebrush plot which actually is dominated by sagebrush was 114 territories/km^ (45/100 acres, which compares favorably to densities of 74-124/km (30-50/100 acres) reported by Best (1972), Feist (1968), and Schroeder and Sturges (1975) in several other unsprayed sagebrush flats in eastern Montana. The common yellowthroat was restricted to dense clumps of snowberry and rose along the stream channel bisecting the sage- brush plot. Chestnut-collared longspur density was greatest on the needle-and- thread-blue grama grassland plot, which apparently provided the most suitable habitat for the species. Lark bunting colonies were closely associated with fairly open stands of silver sagebrush, and were largest on the sagebrush plot. Vesper sparrow densities were surprisingly low, especially on the sagebrush plot; similar sagebrush habitats in central Montana were found by Best (1972) and Feist (1968) to harbor much greater densities of this species than the plot studied here. Species composition of the needle-and-thread--blue grama grassland plot was similar to that reported by Randall (197b) for a plot in Richland County, Montana. Using the plot numbers indicated in table 33, the five plots may be generally, ranked in order of decreasing number of species, total number of territories, f 150 en < H I O Eh I C in Id ij in S Q) rB 13 -u n u in cno 3 n] (1) • J3 .H 2 I -a • c IT) IB C u m w 11) m 3 ta r-l 1-1 0) XI o HI (1) IM > 3 •^^ in 3 V4 lU XI 0) a) .-I CP 3 HI O cn u ■H r-t W O dJ Ul m O O d) 3 -I Cn 3 O O Q U ^ T3 ' 3 " £2 d: u x; o m > 3 ^ >-l -P •H X) n3 U) (1) ^ • lO -H CO 0 a) a CO VJ ^ .^ ^ ^ ^~, m ^~ ^, ^^ ^^ u •- --^ m ^ -^ ^^ ^^ ^^ .-^ iii+l+iil<»liliiil'^+iiiii+i^ I I + I + I I I I I I CO o I I I I VO IN r-i ,H ICT»rn|r3-|^|rsl| I |COlr-t|rv)|+| rsj CN in in CO CM CN o I I I -I- r I ^^ o iromogmroin+^in i^cD+rj.H I I I ; a; 3 1 -H = 1 "3 C I 4J 0) x: I I 73 in 0) o '^ o u 0) 01 OJ •-I c CJ U I T3 ■H a^i—l 10 c ^ u SKUSD^lXMS 0) XI > cn II) O C X! X Q ■^^ a) ^ « o m c cp x: J 0) c c Q. IJ ■H S-l -OS c 0) in m u -u - c ^ 3 in >• ij o O 13 ID O O W W = CK m ^J H in Vj (1) ax: 0) ^ H t/i r-l WD. XI H! 'a u u in f3 iTj X - OS E-" 0) x: 3 w 3 E CP 1) O 3 13 tJ^^H O U rp^ ^0,0 0) ca CO i-i >< 4J n3 13 x: , o u u x: T . o in r-H 13 r-H O 1J U >- XI I C 3 o o O 1) ■a 1-1 ID 1 -H a) I X! ^ ' 3 3 1 O O : u &H I I 13 T3 I O) 111 I n -a I 0) in I I m i C 3 : 3 O I O u-i U 3 3 o 1-1 m as CO o Di ti 3 C Vj ij O ■-I 0) U Ij ■M a a vj C DiCO 13 3 0 O. m x: 1-1 cn in (u U (Jl U1 u 11 Vj O 13 I-; u > fJ 3 a in tp c o ij -0 3 a) o u U 13 U rH U M a o in u I M 4J - 3 Ij C HI 4J 3 in o a) u X H U rH ^ 03 r^ ^i^ CO o ooor^ •oioacoro CMINrHCM CMrHrHm 00 -^ 'J- IN (N • O IN r^ CN ^r • o IN vi) r^ r^LOCMrH INOl^^^ ^ CO r- CO m ijD o Csi rn CN in CN o^ CO f-t -^ ^' n •^ ro CO • •-* i-i ■rT C^ O O O CM .H CO •^ fN (N rn vD ^ m ^ VD CO CT\ CM O TT r-l J^ •:7' : m 4-1 in •H 13 in B c o a) -rH Q m 13 13 ■P 4-1 O 0 Eh E^ 6 in o 0) Q ■H 0 in a) a) a-H CO o a) a) a rH CO 01 I c o ■H 3 CO Eh a) 1: 01 in u ai 0) •H 4-1 ^^ O rH 4-1 13 a; V4 13 rH 3 o o z I 13 ' a ■ >i XJ I -a , a) I 4-1 I c o • in in 0) 0) ^ -H a o a) o iH a CO ' in aj <4H ■H O o a) iH a ai in XI e O Tj 4-1 ai o a c • I o 01 13 4J UH O O 4-1 13 X x: IM -^ — tji II rs ro >i • - 4J -cr o\^ ■H o in in ^ • o 4J ■H M 0) O TJ C 13 a) 0 o u Q Uh a CO — •a 01 f-i ■o 1' 13 3 13 rH 44 O o c O rl 13 4-1 iH U 4J IB a 11 II 151 and total density of birds as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. This is also the approx- imate order of decreasing habitat heterogeneity and vegetation foliage height diversity (subjectively estimated) which other studies have indicated are important factors determining species numbers and abundances of breeding birds (Karr and Roth 1971, Roth 1976). The mosaic of grassland, low shrub, and tall shrub habitats found on the silver sagebrush plot apparently provides optimal conditions for bird species number and abundance of the plots studied. With respect to species diversity and one-and two-species dominance, however, the silver buffaloberry-red osier dogwood coulee plot assumes first rank, re- flecting a more equitable distribution of individuals among species in this highly diverse habitat, with fewer species represented by only one pair than the silver sagebrush plot. It is interesting to note that a vegetation sampling plot in the tall coulee shrubbery of this plot showed the highest plant species diversity of all quadrats sampled (Prodgers 1978), and that a small mammal trap- line in this same coulee had the highest biomass of all sampled. Total biomass of breeding birds was greatest in the silver buffaloberry-silver sagebrush coulee plot. Over 30% of the biomass of this plot was accounted for by a single ring- necked pheasant pair; however, even if this pair is excluded from biomass cal- culation, this plot ranks highest. Much of the remaining biomass in this plot is attributable to the large number of nesting mourning doves found in the clumps of silver buffaloberry within the coulee; the extent of re-nesting by this species is unknown. The western wheatgrass-blue grama pasture ranked lowest of the five plots with respect to all the above parameters; grassland develop- ment was so poor on this plot in 1977 that little grass cover existed, and shrubbery was limited to a few scattered big sagebrush plants very near the edge of the plot. Adjusted number of species, total density, and total biomass of the grass- land plots studied here are well within the range reported for censuses con- ducted in shortgrass prairie and shrub-steppe habitats as part of the IBP Grassland Biomass program (Weins 1973, 1974, Weins and Dyer 1975), although estimates of total density and total biomass are somewhat less than the averages for shortgrass prairie reported by Wiens and Dyer (1975). Adjusted species number, total den- sity, and total biomass of the silver sagebrush plot, however, were much higher than averages reported by Wiens and Dyer (1975) for various shrub-steppe hab- itats (including sagebrush) or by Best (1972) and Feist (1968) for sagebrush habitats in central Montana. This is probably due to the presence of scattered clumps of buffaloberry and the high degree of interspersion of grassland and various shrubland types in the present study. Data for comparison with the coulee plots are not available. Roadside Wildlife Survey Data on bird species observed on the eleven monthly replicates of the four standard roadside wildlife survey routes (excluding the Dreyer Ranch route) have been summarized in table 8, and raw data for all 47 runs (four routes, eleven months, plus one route, three months) are on file at DNRC, Energy Division, Helena, Montana. Species Composition. Of the 139 bird species recorded during this study, 103 (74%) were recorded at some time on one or more of the four regular road- side wildlife survey routes. An additional five species were recorded only on 152 the Dreyer Ranch route, bringing the number of species recorded on all runs of all routes to 108, or 78% of the total. The Dreyer Ranch route sampled more water habitats, and also larger reservoirs, than the four standard routes combined (table 5); thus, it is not surprising that the five species recorded only on this route are all aquatic or semi-aquatic. Of the 36 species "missed" by the four regular roadside routes, 25 (59%) are aquatic or semi-aquatic and 20 (56%) are migrants or summer visitors. Many of these were seen only on or near Fort Peck Reservoir, the Missouri River, or other large bodies of water not sampled by the four standard routes. Had moisture conditions been more favorable in 1977, it is likely that more aquatic species, especially migrants, would have been recorded, as most water areas along these routes were dry at the time of peak spring migrations. Excluding aquatic or semi-aquatic species, the four standard roadside counts sampled 91 of 114 remaining species, or 80%. It thus appears that the technique is quite effective in sampling those species which occupy habitats available along the routes. Seasonal Changes in Sample Abundances. As discussed earlier, the sample abundances (a) obtained for each species by no means represent actual abundances, but are related to the actual abundances (x) by some unknown function f(x)=a which incorporates various species-, area-, and season-specific variables such as conspicuousness, local habitat, timing in relation to the reproductive cycle, group size, and animal size. While it would certainly be interesting to define tiie functions f(x) for each species and for each month, this is not possible without exhaustive effort far beyond the scope of this study. Further, defin- ition of f(x) is not necessary to draw ecological conclusions about individual species based on a, as long as one realizes that a is merely a species-specific abundance index, and comparisons between species or between monthly replicates are made with due caution. It may be argued that the samples obtained by this technique are quite dif- ferent in terms of relative abundances and diversity than the actual community being sampled, and hence synecological interpretations are unwarranted. However, the same may be said of virtually every cofimunity sampling technique, from small mammal trapping (where some species are more trappable than others) to plankton sampling (where smaller-bodied members of the community are not sampled at all); while the sample abundances differ from actual relative abundances in all cases, many valid statements about community ecology have been made based upon such data. We will thus treat the samples as communities in the following discussion, while being fully aware of sample bias. These data allow comparisons of relative abundances between routes, if, for example, the values ofa for ring-necked pheasant are consistently greater on route A than route B, we can conclude that abundances within habitats sam- pled are greater for route A than for route B, and that route A provides more suitable habitat overall than route B. These kind of conclusions have been drawn in the species Narratives. Plots showing monthly changes in a for each of the five routes for the four standard routes combined have been shown for selected species. These plots may be grouped into four broad categories, with respect to their ability to clearly separate May-June runs of the five routes. (1) Some plots show no 153 clear differences among routes in terms of sample abundances, as the relative ranking of routes changes radically from month to month (killdeer, figure 9; white-tailed deer, figure 32; pronghorn antelope, figure 35). (2) Others show relatively slight differences among routes, with the monthly changes in sample abundances closely parallel for all routes (e.g. western meadowlark, fig- ure 17). (3) Certain species show a rather clear separation of five routes with the relative ranking of the routes changing slightly or not at all through- out the period. The species having this pattern of sample abundance curves may be called "separator species" and include the sharp-tailed grouse (figure 6), ring-necked pheasant (figure 7), mourning dove (figure 10), eastern kingbird (figure 11), horned lark (figure 12), loggerhead shrike (figure 15), house sparrow (figure 16), red-winged blackbird (figure 18), rufous-sided towhee ifigure 19), lark bunting (figure 20), vesper sparrow (figure 21), Brewer's sparrow (figure 22), field sparrow (figure 23), chestnut-collared longspur (figure 24), and mule deer (figure 29). Of these species, those consistently attaining maximal sample abundance on one of the five routes may be considered indicators for that route. Such indicators are listed in table 34 for each of the five routes. (4) Certain of these indicator species were recorded almost exclusively on a single route, and were seldom recorded for the other four routes. These are the primary indicator species, and are identified by an asterisk in table 34. Table 34. List of Indicator species for the five roadside wildlife survey routes. Circle Flowing Well Missouri River Prairie Elk Dreyer Ranch *Chestnut-co Longspur Horned Lark 11 ared *Rock Wren *6rewer's Sparrow *Mule Deer *Vesper Sparrow *Field Sparrow Eastern Kingbird Rufous-sided Towhee Morning Dove Red -winged Blackbird Sharp-tailed Grouse Ring-necked Pheasant Black-billed Magpie Loggerhead Shrike * Primary indicator species, 154 Seasonal Changes in Community Composition. In order to clarify ecological differences among bird species sampled by the roadside wildlife survey routes, each species was assigned a feeding/nesting guild and a resident status (table 8). Examination of seasonal changes in the relative composition of the samples with respect to these two parameters should well describe the ecological makeup of these grassland bird communities. Seasonal changes in species numbers of yearlong residents (R), summer res- idents (S), winter residents (W), and migrants (M) are shown in figure 37, along with seasonal changes in the percentages of composition among these same cate- gories of the total number of individual birds observed each month. These and other data indicate that the peaks of spring and fall migration occur from mid- April to mid-May and from early September to mid-October, respectively. Yearlong residents predominate outside the breeding season, both in terms of number of species and the percentage of individual birds. Migrants and winter residents are a relatively small component of the community even during winter, spring, and fall. During the months of April through August, summer residents were the predom- inant species, both In terms of species numbers and percentage of individual birds. During June, the heiglit of the breeding season, they accounted for 80% of all spe- cies and 71% of all individuals. The number of yearlong resident species remains fairly constant throughout the year, as expected; slight decreases in winter are likely related to winter decreases in abundance and/or conspicuousness of these species. Seasonal changes in trophic composition of bird community samples are shown in figure 38. The four trophic categories shown correspond to the major food source categories listed in table 8 as part of species guild assignments. It Is evident that the number of species relying on vertebrates or on seeds and vege- tation are relatively constant yearlong, and that the great Increase in species number during the breeding season is due primarily to the addition of omnivorous and, especially, invertebrate-feeding species. The influx of Invertebrate feeders, which is especially evident in terms of percent of total Individuals, is related to the drastic summer increase in prey availability. Species relying on vertebrates as a major food source (all of which are raptors) represent the highest trophic level, and, while comprising a relatively large percentage of the total number of species (especially in winter), comprise a small but constant proportion of the total number of individuals, never accounting for more than 3% of the total. The percentage of contribution of these relatively large-bodied species to the total sample biomass would be considerably greater; however, their high observability tends to bias sample abundances upward, and it is doubtful that they comprise even one percent of the total biomass of bird communities sampled. Only breeding-sea- son trophic levels were used for analysis; non-breeding season dietary shifts undoubtedly resulted in greater representation of herbivorous birds and lower representations of insectivorous and omnivorous birds than are shown in figure 38 for the winter months. Figure 39 shows seasonal changes in representation of feeding guilds (feeding strategy as defined in table 8) among the communities sampled. As would be ex- pected in this predominantly grassland habitat, the ground and brush foraging guild predominates at all seasons, both in terms of number of species and per- centage of total individuals. The extreme rarity of trees within the areas sampled drastically reduced the structural diversity of habitats available to birds, and accounts for the rarity of bird species adapted to tree foliage 155 4000n 70n o UJ a. cr UJ CD O-* r 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 «" JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Figure 37. Monthly changes in resident status composition of bird communities sampled by four roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. R indicates yearlong residents; S, summer residents; W, winter residents; and M, migrants. 156 4000 n JAN FEB MAR ?DS AND VEGETATION (1)/ s 1' ' APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Figure 38. Monthly changes in trophic composition of bird communities (based on major food source) sampled by four wildlife survey routes, 1977. 157 4000n 3000- 2000- (o 1000- < Q > O z o UJ o UJ a. 50- 100 8O*RllW/SV»O0PINe (0) n GROUND AND BRUSH FORAGING (3) SOARING/SWOOPING(0) SALLYING (5) TREE FOLIAGE FORAGING (4) BARK/BOLE DRILLING (I) JAN FEB MAR APR T 1 1 r MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT T r NOV DEC Figure 39. Monthly changes in representation of feeding guilds among bird communities sampled by four roadside wildlife survey routes, 1977. The numbers in parentheses correspond to the third digit of the guild code and represent foraging strategy. 158 foraging and bark/bole drilling and gleaning. Species adapted to aerial capture of insects (the sallying and soaring/swooping guilds) are present only during spring and summer, when insects are abundant. The soaring/swooping guild, re- presented largely by swallows and nighthawks, comprised 11% of all individuals recorded during July. These birds were commonly seen in large, noisy flocks around bridges and water areas, and are probably over-represented in the samples due to their high detectabil ity. The number of aquatic species, which were pre- dominantly migratory in the areas sampled, was greatest in spring and early sum- mer; diving and mud-probing species were each represented by a single April or May record. Seasonal Changes in Other Community Parameters. A number of descriptive parameters were calculated for the bird communities sampled by the roadside sur- vey technique. These parameters included, for each run and for the pooled monthly totals of the four standard routes, bird species number, total number of individ- ual birds, bird species diversity, bird species richness, bird species evenness, single-species dominance, and two-species dominance. The values obtained are shown graphically in figures 40 through 46. Bird species number for the four standard routes combined increased from a low of 12 in January to a high of 66 in May (figure 40). The greatest increase in species number occurred between the March and May runs. Species number re- mained fairly constant throughout the breeding season (May through July), then declined dramatically between the July and September runs. Much of the variation in species number can be attributed to the arrival and departure of long-distance migrants; however, breeding-season birds were not only more detectable but more easily identifiable because of songs and displays. This undoubtedly tends to exaggerate differences in species number between breeding season runs and the April and August runs, when many breeding species were probably present but not singing. The individual routes followed the same general pattern as that of the pooled sample, except that peak species numbers were attained in June or July rather than May. Note that, in nearly all months, the routes fall in the fol- lowing sequence from lowest to highest species number: Flowing Well, Circle, Dreyer Ranch, Prairie Elk, and Missouri River. The Missouri River route had the highest species numbers of any route during all but the March and April runs, when strong winds hampered detection of many species. Total numbers of individual birds recorded on the four standard routes com- bined increased from a low of 379 in February to a high of 4143 in June (figure 37). Bird numbers apparently increased rapidly between the February and May runs, but decreased more gradually between the June and December runs. Individual routes also show a sharp breeding-season increase in bird numbers, again due partly to increased singing activity (figure 41). The curve for the Circle route shows a pronounced peak in September, largely attributable to a fall increase in horned lark singing activity. The Flowing Well route had the fewest individual birds recorded during most monthly runs. The sequence for the other routes is not clear. Seasonal changes in diversity (H') of the bird community samples are shown in figure 42. This diversity index is determined in part by species number, so it is not surprising that ttie curves in figure 40 are generally similar to those in figure 42. Indeed, plots of the species richness component of the diversity index (figure 43) are nearly identical in form to those of species number (figure 40). 159 60 50 £40- 30 20 10 ■ Total • Circle «■ Flowing Well A Missouri River □ Prairie Elk * Dreyer Ranch JAN FFB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY ADG iEPT DEC Figure 40. Monthly changes in bird species number (S) for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes. 1400- 1300- 1200- 1100- 1000- „ 900- z •S 800- 1 700 ■o '> - 600- O o *" 500 400 300 200 100 • Circle ■»• Flowing Well A Missouri River Q Prairie Elk • Dreyer Ranch / / /' / ,'' ' */ y^. / ; •■. X-. \ \ / : \\ %\ • \ ^ \ r. : \ >• ^ / \ ■-. \ \\ / \ ■••A '^v / \ \\ A V \ / \ \ \ v.. \\ ' \ ^v-^_\\ / \ ^--., A. -n \ "-. \ ^-A>r- \ ^\ ^... /// -,_.\--D /•/ • a' ' .» ■«•■■' \ \.\ -♦• JAN FEB MAR APR 1 1 1 1 JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT DEC Figure 41. Monthly changes in total numbers of individual birds (N) for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes. 160 30-1 2.5- X 2.0- LO- OS ■ lotol ( Circle > Fio«in<5 Well ▲ Missouri River 0 Proir •! Elk ♦ Dreyer Ranch 1 1 1 1 1 1 \ \ I I I JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC Figur'e 42. Monthly changes in bird species diversity (H) for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes. ■ Total • Circle <► Flowing Well A Missouri River — o Proirie Elk • Oreyer Ronch 9- 8- 5- 1 1 1 1 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY 1 1 i 1 1 T- JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC Figure 43. Monthly changes in bird species richness (D) for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes. 161 1.00 ,90- .80 .70- c .60 .5 .50- .40- .30 .20 .10 — — -• — — Total • Circle ♦ Flowing Well — — A Missouri River a Prairi» EIK • Dryer Ranch ^' 1 1 1 1 1 1 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JUL 1 1 1 1 1 AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC Figure 44. Monthly changes in bird species evenness (E) for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes. 162 The diversity curves, however, differ from the species number and species rich- ness plots in several respects. First, a sharp decrease in diversity is evident for most routes between February and March. Second, diversities obtained for the early post-breeding season (August) runs are comparable to those of breeding sea- son (May-July) runs, although species number is much lower in August. Third, diversity increases for most runs between September and October, while species number decreases. These differences may be elucidated by examination of the evenness component of diversity (figure 44), which provides a measure of the equitability of distribution of individuals among species in the samples. It is apparent from figure 44 that evenness is fairly constant and similar for May through August runs of all routes, and that variability is highest--and also the lowest evenness values are found--in spring, fall, and winter. A drop in evenness is evident for March and September runs of most routes; this is re- flected by a corresponding decrease in diversity for these months. This low equitability is due primarily to large migrating flocks of a few species (par- ticularly horned larks) appearing in March and September at a time when sample abundances of most other species (both summer, winter, and yearlong residents) are low (see also figure 12). It is noteworthy that, while species number drops sharply between July and August runs, evenness values rise. In fact, a general increase in evenness is evident from May through August. This is probably re- lated to a decline in singing activity--and hence detectibility--of horned larks, as well as an increase in sample abundance of moderately common species, through- out the same period. While most species which viere present in July were probably also present in August, singing activity and detectibility of many species drop- ped sharply between July and August. In fact, species such as the grasshopper, sparrow and the rufous-sided towhee were primarily detected by sound rather than by sight in July. Thus, fewer species were encountered in August, although the number of species present and the relative abundances of most species--and hence the evenness of the community--was likely very similar to the July data. High evenness values for the Missouri River route are related to the relatively low numbers of horned larks encountered on this route (figure 12); the horned lark was the most abundant species on most runs of the other routes. Note that the pattern of single-and two-species dominance (figures 45 and 46) is wery similar to that of evenness. Samples showing a high degree of dominance by one or two species (and hence a low equitability) show correspondingly low evenness values. All five routes run in this study fall within the Missouri-plateau-Unglaciated stratum described by Peterson (1975) in his summary of the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) in the United States. The data collected during this study followed the same method as the BBS data discussed by Peterson; hence, direct comparisons are possible. June species numbers for the five routes ranged from 31 on the Flowing Well route to 47 on the Missouri River route. The average for the five routes was 39.2. This figure is somewhat lower than the average value of 41 species per route reported by Peterson for the 33 routes run in this stratum in 1973; however, it is higner than average value of 37.8 reported for 1968-1973 runs of routes in this stratum. These values, in turn, are somewhat lower th,T:i the 6-year contin- ental average of 45.6 species per route reported by Peterson after analyzing 1670 routes. The average total cumulative number of species reported per year for all 1968-1973 runs of all routes in this stratum is 141.8, which is considerably higher than the 105 summer species recorded in the study area. This may be 163 Tola! Circle Flowing Well Missouri River Prairie Elk Dreyer Ronch 1.00-1 .900- .800- £ .700 - ° .600- .500 ,^ .<»00 ■ .300- .200 .100 1 1 1 FEB MAR APR MAY 1 SEPT OCT JAN JUNE JUL AUG NOV DEC Figure 45. Monthly changes in single-species dominance for bird comnunities sampled by 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes. ■ Total • Circle ■♦■ Flowing Well — A- Missouri River o Proirie Elk « Dreyer Ranch 1.00 .900 .800- " 700- c 600- 400 300 .200- .100' «■.'. \ "^.^ I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC Figure 46. Monthly changes in two-species dominance for bird communities sampled by 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes. ^ ^ 164 thought of as the breeding species pool for this area, and the total cumulative number of species recorded on McCone County routes during monitoring should approach this figure over time. In this study, 105 breeding species or summer visitors were recorded during 1977. The cumulative species number for this stratum, however, is higher than the continental average of 115.5, indicating a relatively diverse bird species pool. June species diversity for the five routes ranged from 2.218 on the Flowing Well route to 2.945 on the Prairie Elk route. The average for the five routes was 2.630. This is higher than either the 1973 average for the 33 routes in the stratum (2.530) or the 6-year averages for the stratum (2.383). It is, however, lower than the six-year continental average of 2.950. Species diversity for the five June runs combined is 2.902, which is virtually identical to the figure of 2.901 reported for the pooled 1968-1973 runs of all routes in the stratum. It is considerably lower, however, than both the value of 3.02 for pooled 1973 runs within the stratum, and the value of 3.456 for pooled 1968-1973 continental data. The five routes differed considerably in species composition of the two dominant species and seasonal differences in dominance were also evident. The horned lark was the dominant or second dominant species in 30 of the 44 standard route runs, and was first in rank for 23 runs. However, this dominance was prim- arily during non-breeding months; it was dominant or second dominant in only 7 of the 15 breeding season runs, including the Dreyer Ranch route. The western meadowlark, which was dominant in ten yearlong and second dominant in 11 of the 44 runs, was dominant or second dominant in 13 of these 15 breeding season runs. For the four standard routes combined, the horned lark was dominant only during September through March; dominance was assumed by the western meadowlark or, in July, by the mourning dove during remaining months. The horned lark was dominant in all 11 runs of the Circle route, but never dominant on more than 6 of 11 monthly samples of each of the other routes. This route was characterized by more cropland and low grassland than the other routes (table 5), and appeared to provide optimal horned lark habitat yearlong. Other species which were among the two most abundant for this route only were the rock dove, which uses bridges near cropland as nest support structures and is dependent on waste grain, and hence is abundant near cropland along this route; the chestnut- collared longspur, a grassland species closely associated with the horned lark; and the starling, ohe house sparrow, and lark bunting. The Flowing Well route was the only route having the cliff swallow as a dominant. This species and the western meadowlark were the two dominants for all three breeding-season runs. The rock wren, common in badland and scoria habitats along this route, was among the two dominant species only during the August run of this route. The black-billed magpie was second dominant during December through March runs. The ring-necked pheasant and the Bohemian waxwing were dominant only on certain runs of the Prairie Elk route where the mourning dove was dominant during July. The Missouri River route was distinguished by co-dominance by red-winged black- birds during May and July runs. This route contained the most extensive habitat for this species of all routes. The black-billed magpie, a fairly common and conspicious yearlong resident of the cottonwood forests and tall shrub habitats of the Missouri River floodplain, was dominant only on the February run of this route. The Dreyer Ranch route was dominanted by the horned lark and co-dominated by the western meadowlark in May. Dominance was reversed during the remaining two runs. This route is characterized by typical upland grassland habitat favored by these two species. 165 In summary, breeding season runs of the bird communities sampled by the roadside routes showed higher species number, more total individuals, higher species diversity and richness, higher evenness values having less variability, and lower one- or two-species dominance than the winter runs, with spring and fall values generally showing a fairly smooth transition between summer and winter. The five routes may be generally ranked from highest to lowest species number, number of individuals, species diversity, species richness, and evenness, and from lowest to highest single-species and two-species dominance as follows: 1) Missouri River route; 2) Prairie Elk route; 3) Dreyer Ranch route; 4) Circle route; and 5) Flowing Well route. This is also approximately the order of decreasing structural diversity of habitat, as indicated by the availability of tree and tall shrub vertical layering; decreas- ing presence of western snowberry-prairie rose, wild hayland and marsh habitats; and increasing presence of badland and big sagebrush-scabland habitats (table 5). The separation among the five routes is most clearly evident in breeding-season plots of species number and species richness (figure 40 and 43). It is interesting that the Dreyer Ranch route is almost exactly intermediate between the Missouri River and Flowing Well routes in these figures. This property will be especially valuable in long-term monitoring, as mine- or plant-related changes in community parameters of the Dreyer Ranch route will be reflected in a shift of the relative positions of plots for this route with respect to the four standard routes, which serve as controls. Beta Diversity. As mentioned above, the ranking of the five routes with re- spect to several community parameters seems related to habitat characteristics of areas sampled by routes. The question arises as to whether the differences in bird community parameters (including such gamma diversity measures as S and H'; are related more closely to differences in beta diversity (that is, differences in the variety of habitats sampled by each route) than to differences in alpha diversity (that is, diversity of each roadside stop sampled). Stated in another way, is bird species number greater on the Missouri River route than the Flowing Well route because the habitats sampled at each stop on the former are more diverse than those sampled at each stop on the latter (differences in alpha diversity), or because the former route simply cuts across a greater number of different types of habitats than the later (differences in beta diversity)? The observed pattern of beta diversity among the five routes is quite var- iable over the breeding season (table 35). When breeding-season averages are considered, it is evident that the ranking of the five routes differs from that discussed above. The relative positions of the Missouri River and the Prairie Elk routes are reversed, as are those of the Circle and Flowing Well routes. The Dreyer Ranch route remains intermediate. While the methods of the roadside count do not sample a true coenocline (one of the conditions mentioned by Whittaker 1972), three conclusions may be drawn from these data. First, the 166 Table 35. Beta diversity for 1977 runs of five roadside wildlife survey routes, Route May June July May- -July average Circle 5.72 5.76^ 6.82 6.01 Flowing Well 5.53 5.64 7.14 6.10 Prairie Elk 7.02 5.57 8.33 6.97 Missouri River 6.77 6.46 6.82 6.68 Dreyer Ranch 5.86 5.91 7.32 6.36 y Average value for June 15 and June 22 runs, high ranking of the Prairie Elk route in terms of bird diversity is due largely to beta (between-stop) diversity, or to the wide range of habitats sampled along the length of the route, rather than to richness of the habitats themselves. Second, the high ranking of the Missouri River route is due largely to alpha (within-stop) diversity, that is, to the high species richness of the cottonwood, tall shrub, and marsh habitats sampled, rather than to the variety of different habitats sampled by the route. Third, the principal habitats sampled by the Flowing Well route are very species-poor, and much of the gamma diversity of this route would be even lower in relation to the other routes than it was observed to be. Similarity of Routes. A similarity dendrogram for the five June runs of the five roadside routes is shown in figure 47. The Prairie Elk and Dreyer Ranch routes are seen to be most similar (0.692), although the Circle and Dreyer Ranch routes have nearly as high a similarity value (0.691). The Circle and Flowing Well routes were most dissimilar (0.40). Between-year similarities for 1968-1977 runs of the Circle route A ranged from 0.32 to 0.89. This wide variation may reflect ecological differences in breeding bird populations, but is more likely due to changes in observers and observer bias. Figure 48 shows an increase in similarity between 1968 and 1970 and between 1972 and 1975 runs, as the observers became more familiar with the route. A sharp drop in similarity is evident between 1970 and 1972 runs and between 1975 and 1977 runs, corresponding to a change in observers. This demon- strates the importance of maintaining the same observer for the route for as many consecutive years as possible during monitoring of the roadside routes, in order to minimize differences due to observer bias. 167 40 -p u rt 50 60 • CO +-> c O U 0 CM 70 80 90 • 100 D M Route Figure 47. A dendrogram showing the percentages of similarity for the five June 1977 runs of the roadside wildlife survey routes (birds only). P=Prairie Elk; D=Dreyer Ranch; C=Circle; F=Flowing Well; M=Missouri River. 20t 30 40 >» 50 k. o E OT 60 <- C a> u k. 70 « Q- SO- SO 00 968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 Figure 48. Similarity in percent for 1968-1977 June runs of the Circle roadside wildlife survey route. 168 The June 16 runs of Circle routes A and B were found to have a similarity of 0.96, indicating that these two routes sample essentially the same avifauna. The two June runs of route A (June 16 and June 22 had a similarity of 0.83. Thus, we may consider any routes having a similarity greaterthan approximately 0.80 to be essentially identical. Differences resulting from a change from route A to route B were minor. This change should not interfere with comparisons of future runs of route B with 1968-1977 data obtained for route A. The Species-abundance relation and sampling adequacy. Species-abundance plots (the species curves of Preston 1948) for pooled breeding season (May-July) runs are shown in figure 49 for all five roadside wildlife survey routes, and the four standard routes which do not include the Dreyer Ranch route. Also shown in this figure are the closest-fitting lognormal curves for each case. An excel- lent fit is obtained for the five routes {l^= 6.94 10 d.f.) where S=10.99 and a=0.2075. The corresponding value of S^ (that is, the theoretical total number of species in the universe defined by the technique and the sample areas) was found to be 91.6. Since the total number of species actually observed on these runs was 36, sampling appeared to be 91.6% complete. This value of S^ (91.6) is reasonably close to the actual number of summer resident, permanent resident, and summer visitor bird species observed in the field during 1977, that is, 105. Thus, the technique appears to be quite effective in estimating total species number. Indeed, various autnors (Edden 1971, Longuet-Higgins 1971) have suggested that S^ may be one of the most meaningful community parameters in describing community diversity, as it is largely independent of sample size. Year-to-year changes in S^ obtained during monitoring should provide a reliable description of changes in community structure during the monitoring period. For the four standard routes (figure 49), a fairly good fit (X^=9.57, 10 d.f.) IS obtained where S =10.29 and a = 0.2075. S. may then be calculated for this smaller universe as 87.9. This compares to 81 species actually observed on these runs. Sampling in this case appears to be 92.2% complete. The values of S^ for individual routes (followed in parentheses by the indicated precentage of sampling effectiveness) were found to be as follows: Circle, 71.7 (68.3%); Flowing Well, 49.2 (85.4%); Prairie Elk, 63.5 (89.8%); Missouri River, 70.0 (90.0%); and Dreyer Ranch, 53.0 (98.1%). The estimate of S^for the Circle Route is believed to be high due to the relatively large number of singletons (species providing only one observation). We can thus conclude that the roadside survey technique is effective in sampling roughly 90% of the total number of species in the sample area which are capable of being detected by the technique. Habitat Relations. Pearson product-movement correlation coefficients re- vealed significant correlations between habitat variables and sample abundances of certain species sampled by the four standard roadside wildlife survey routes (Species Narratives). In nearly all cases, these correlations agreed with the subjective impression of the observer regarding habitat selection by these species. An attempt to further elucidate habitat requirements of individual species by stepwise multiple regression using the same data was not as successful as had been hoped; the twelve habitat variables used in the regression analysis accounted for only 5% to 43% of the variation in sample abundances for those species analyzed. Multiple regression equations for those species showing the clearest habitat rela- tions are given below. The coefficient of multiple determination (r2), which equals the amount of variation in the dependent variables, is given as a percen- tage in parentheses after each equation, and significance is indicated by aster- isks (*0.01. ro o "--. <^ <— o 00 r^ CO O CO <^ <— o ---^ i— O O CTt CD ■^ O "^ rn o [^ O ■— O ^ — >— O CO I 00 . <— O I — ro O O CO n 00 Ln o >» -o Lrt C O CLO 3 OJ Ol o -*: > (u 1_ O !- QJ "— o fo ' — di o Q_ 31 o wi :=» .— O) . (_J OJ Ol c O 0) O tn "fl O) -O >^ a> a> 0^ ^ 3 :s E Q a. ■>- O 1/1 0) •— 01 'U TJ O 3 ^- -tj 176 O^ TD CT* ^3- .— CD ^-^ '^ ■«:* O "O Cvj tNJ CD CT> VO <~o O "^-- fo ro CO r— c^ M3 . tj r^ ys> ai o o> o f^ o ^^ oj C3 CO u*> CNJ o ^^ CNJ -^ O (T> (Ti fO o ^-^ c^J fO 00 r^ o CO "^ <— o -~^ >— ro j^ 1^ . — r U5 O CO ^ v 3 B iJ c c u J3 ■■- OJ trt t/1 CD 3 LO 3 ■U C rr ri O ^ -r- t-O o s CT Q. E ■^ OJ CL ■a ^-> ^ — ta j^ c 4-> CL-o f— 1— 3 O -^ > OJ ^ Ta D i= i- f_J S- OJ = t. ^ c o 0.0 O 'TJ ^ 01 o tJ )— O OJ o — c_ — o '/I > ^ lyi OJ ^ -o > 3 u_ 3 ---^ t_) o en c o qj C O CT^-u* oO c c: s- 2 S — O c i; UJ ■»-»-— -^ dj o u - s^ -r- -a o:: ^ Oj o GJ '- O ^ fO >. — 1 — 12 3: s: CD Q. O 3 L. -3 < O ^ O I/) (— (U O) — o lyi l/l u o -O OJ OJ ^ 0) i- l/l l/l O) iTJ Tl j3 E = S o o 3 ■<- -^ .-r -23 cQ 177 to ■o XJ c -Q OTHER SPECIES Psromyscus Adults P»romyscus Subadults Ptromyscus Juvaniles B. SAGEBRUSH EXPERIMENTAL Oct • Apr May Aug Sep Oct A. GRASSLAND CONTROL OTHER SPECIES Oct B. GRASSLAND EXPERIMENTAL Oct Figure 51. Monthly changes in numbers of individual rodents captured in live-trap grids. 178 Habitat effects on small mammal biomass were also evident from the data (figure 52 )• Biomass per grid was greater on the sagebrush than the grassland grids during most months; this difference increased near the end of the trapping period significantly and both biomass per one hundred trap nights and captures per one hundred trap nights were positively correlated with the percentage of absolute litter cover in each habitat category. However, no significant results are evident when biomass and captures regressed on mean total live plant cover or the percentage of absolute bare soil and rock cover. Biomass increase was calculated as the change in biomass between the two 150 trap night sample periods at each site (table 33). The statistic was standardized by dividing by the time elapsed between sample periods as this was not constant for all sites. Of twenty-one sample sites for which biomass increase was measurable, only five showed positive increase. Negative increase, or a loss of biomass be- tween sample periods may be due to the relationship of the timing of sampling to habitat destruction due to localized livestock grazing, vegetative dessication due to prolonged drought during mid-summer 1977, intensive habitat destruction by grasshopper infestation during the same period, the effect of harvesting with snap- traps, or late-season population declines. Strongly positive biomass increases were recorded at transects #23 and #33. Both were sagebrush-dominated sites with relatively high percent absolute litter cover. Both were sampled first during early breeding season and last during mid to late breeding season. Consequently they both reveal the trend displayed in figure 4 for sagebrush grids where captures increased sharply over the same period. It is evident that the highest biomass and species number of small mammals was found in shrub habitats: tall coulee, western snowberry-prairie rose and silver sagebrush. A trap line in tall coulee shrub showed by far the highest biomass of all habitats sampled. Trap lines in western wheatgrass and saltgrass habitats showed the lowest biomass of all sampled. Highest species number and biomass values were recorded for habitats with high live plant cover; these were characteristically diverse, complex vegetative communities, and most were of limited coverage in the study area (riparian bulrush, silver sagebrush/western wheatgrass-blue grama, western snowberry-prairie rose, and silver buffaloberry/western siiowberry-prairie rose). Excepting the sagebrush habitat, these types were confined to locations of topographic irregularity such as coulees, stream banks, and ephemeral stream bottoms. Such vegetative-top- ographic complexes may be particularly sensitive to disturbance and difficult to re-establish, indicating that an important portion of the small mammal diversity on the study site may resist restoration following mining. Habitat types of broadest distribution over the study area support small mammal communities dominated almost entirely by one species, the deer mouse. This reveals a restricted prey base with limited flexibility for species replace- ment if reclaimed habitats are unsuited to habitation by deer mice. 179 r350 600n 500- 400- 300- < a: 200- 100- O " Grasslond Control ^-Grassland Experimental (Excluding 13- Lined Ground Squirrel) □ "Grassland Experimental (Including 13- Lined Ground Squirrel) # - Sagebrush Control A - Sagebrush Experimental April T 1 1 r July August September October -300 -250 -200 Z < q: -150 -100 Figure 52. Monthly changes in total small mammal biomass on live-trapped grids. 180 Niche Breadth and Niche Overlap Standardized niche breadth (table 38) reflects the portion of sampled hab- itats occupied by a given species and the relative proportion of its total cap- tures contained in each habitat. Its usefulness lies in predicting which species will be most affected by development covering many habitat types. Those species with most narrow niches are most likely to suffer proportionally greater impact as a consequence of their limited distribution. Species with broad niches are likely to suffer proportionally less impact. The deer mouse, which was the dominant species, showed the broadest niche. The western harvest mouse and Wyoming pocket mouse were very similar in niche breadth. The two voles and two sciurids had the most narrow niches. Under- representation of the thirteen-! ined ground squirrel in snap-trap data discussed earlier may have negatively biased its niche breadth estimate. The species with most narrow niches are confined to habitats of limited distribution-, therefore, they stand to suffer proportionally greater impact than the deer mouse. As noted by Krebs and Wingate (1973), species may "occupy different habitats or may overlap each other" in the same habitat. From table 38 the occurrence of niche overlap is obvious. The quantify the degree of overlap, Pianka's (1973) formula for niche overlap was used. Results are shown in table 39. All species combinations showed low overlap, the most significant of which were: 1) the wes- tern harvest mouse with the meadow vole, and; 2) the deer mouse with the Wyoming pocket mouse. Twelve of the species combinations showed no overlap. Home Range Size Home range dimensions were calculated to describe movements of individuals. They assist in estimating rodent density for live-trapped habitats. They are useful in impact prediction in that they provide a scale against which that of the proposed development can be judged. For example, if the movements of a species are confined to a measured area within a given habitat, the impact of destroying any amount of that habitat can be predicted for that species. Subsequently, interspecific comparisons and predictions can be made. As described under Methods, restrictive conditions were applied to data used in calculating home range dimensions. Consequently, sample sizes are frequently too small to permit generalizations on data collected from grids as small as 1.82 ha (4.6 acres). From a group of captures of one individual all of which fall on a line, home range length may be calculated whereas area may not. Table 40 shows home range area and length for cricetid rodents live-trapped at Circle West. Dur- ing April and June capture data were inadequate for home range calculations. July through October data showed a generally decreasing trend over time in both home range and length. This relationship is expected in light of increasing density over the same period as seen in figures 51 and 52. Exceptions were the western harvest mouse on grid #2 (area and length) and the deer mouse on grid #2 (length) where increased home range dimensions were recorded from September to October. Data are inadequate for interspecific comparison and no general trends are apparent other than gross similarity between deer mouse and western harvest mouse home ranges. Averaged home range dimensions indicate that mean home range area decreases tc 300 m^ (3240 square feet) in September and is constant at least through October. I'lean 181 Table 38. Standardized habitat niche breadths of snap-trapped small mammals. Standardized Species Niche Breadth Deer Mouse 0.39 Western Harvest Mouse 0.10 Wyoming Pocket Mouse 0.09 Prairie Vole 0.06 Least Chipmunk 0.05 Meadow Vole 0.05 13-Lined Ground Squirrel 0.05 Table 39. Habitat niche overlap of snap-trapped rodents, June through October 1977. Species Code ,iy 1. Least Chipmunk - 0 0 0 0.11 0 0 2. Prairie Vole - 0.08 0 0.11 0.03 0 3. Meadow Vole - 0 0.02 0.26 0 4. Wyoming Pocket Mouse - 0.21 0 0 5. Deer Mouse - 0.10 0.05 6. Western Harvest Mouse " 0 7. 3-Lined Ground Squirrel ^ Number codes correspond to species in "species code" column. 182 s- O o I >1 Z3 ■o o 1- -o o. Q- ns s_ 4-> > o en c O) cn e S- 01 E o o J3 no OJ +-> Q. cn| OJ O) O) en OJ CD C fO q: (U E o Q. 0) cn| O CO 00 o ro en r— ro CM IX) CNl C\J CM CM CM CTl I o Ln ^ CD LO O I O O c: c S- S- s- fO -l-> ■!-> 0) o c c Q. o o o X _J o C_) LU -o ■a JZ -C c o (/) -O -Q OJ s: to 0) (U •n- n3 01 CD o s- i- ro c Q. to o X tu C_) LU > S- ^ .c (O to to 3: 3 3 S- S- c -Q -Q s_ CU (U n3 rO to OO OO 0) to (U in (U s O Q — 1 _ 00 _ ll LI c S e UJ 1 0 U _ « 1 _ Z "^ S > 2 MONS% 103dS» „ 3dOns « 1 — — — » — 1 -1 — ' — i 1 1 I 03 Lil — 1 — — 1 — i — \ — \ — ^ \ ! — ^-i — r- 1 — : 3 ^'2'- snnav — i — 1 — 1 1 — \ — ^ — 1 I 1 — ^ [CLE WEST B« lildlife Obssrvat ENERGY PLANNI artment of Natural < 4-^-4- 1 \ i i J — 1 1 * — — S ONnOA !;! 1 1 1 1 ! ^^ «> S3nvW3i 1 1 1 1 — ' 1 _i 1 1 1 1 z tr S319W) 1 i i J ! i — i ' ' 1 ! - 5 1 : 1 ! . ; 1 , 1 i 1 i ! ' ' 1 1 ! i ] ' 1 j 1 1 — " Q a (0 i- — 1 — t — 1 — -J — 1 i ' 1 j 1 S3t33d =h — ^ — r-i — r- i — 1 — 1 — ' — j_i i fill; i ■ -1 — — 3»ll 1 1 1 — 1 — i — ' — ! — 1 \ — i T — o ^jj — 1 — ^-1 ^ — t -^^l" _ — -r 1 1 1 1 1 i ! -i h- — ON 580^7 a33dS ONI* - 1 1 ^ 1 1 1 ' i ■ . ' \ 1 1 t 1 1 ; 1 ! — " n : ; 1 1 <""' ' ■ 1 ; : i 3Mniva3dW3ii 1 1 1 ' i ' • — ■ * -T— -i 1 i '. ^^^^ ■o QJ C c o o y- 1 211 e3AC ano" ni ■• ' ' 1 ' . 1 1 ; — i 1 1 .J — I — .- — \ — : — \ — \ — ' — ' ' ■ ' ! ! -^^ — ' ■ ' 1 ' Stl3AU3S — ^- ' — : : i 1 ' , ■ , , ■ ' ■ ■ 'ill -l -":r=^i , : -^— ^-^ —4- 4-^^ — o . ,^. _ . „- —- . _ . — , — \ — 1 — ^ — 1 — h X H ^ t- MiNOn^— ■ ' *■ — —'':'') S - < ° — j 35 •* J . . . — . — - — ' 220 Appendix C. Circle West Baseline Study Waterfowl Observation Data Sheet: Instructions for Use. OBJECTIVES OF STUDY: (1) For Al 1 Species. To determine dates of earliest arrival, peak of movement, and end of movement for spring and fall migrations. (2) For Breeding Species. To determine: the importance of waters in the study area as nesting nabitat; size of breeding populations in the study area; nesting habitat requirements; dates of nesting; clutch and brood sizes, pro- ductivity. (3) For Migrants. To determine the importance of waters in the study area as resting or feeding nabitat. CATEGORIES OF DATA: (1) Level . Indicate in this column the general location of the observation, as follows: 0 - Within CMR Wildlife Range 1 - Within ll'a-section proposed mining area 1 - Within 75-section study area but outside proposed mining area 3 - All other areas in the reconnaissance level study area ilote: Tliis column was deleted for tlie monitoring study after Marcn, 1973. (2) Date: List only for the first observation of the day, o>" at the top of a new data sheet. (3) Observers. (4) lime. Military (e.g., 0535, 1721) (o) Area Code. Locations of waterfowl observations will be coded in the "Area Code" column. This will eliminate the need for plotting waterfowl obser- vations on base maps. The first two digits in the area code column identify tiie general area in which the waterfowl were seen. The reconnaissance level study area has been divided into 24 "drainages", each of which is identified by a unique two-letter abbreviation (see attached map and table). Note that in some cases roads are used to approximate drainage boundaries, or several minor drainages are lumped together. Also, the mining area, Nelson Creek Say and the north, middle, and south sections of Fort Peck Reservoir are treated as individual "drainages". Tne second two digits in the area code column identify the habitat in which the birds were seen. In all cases, birds seen flying overhead which do not appear to be orienting to a specific water area d.TQ. denoted by a "00". For birds seen using specific wetland areas, use the two-letter wetland habitat 221 code (see general instructions for wildlife observation sheets) which best describes the water area, with the following exceptions. In tiie mine study area, individual ponds are given a unique, two-digit code number, as shown in text map 2. Since these important habitats are described separately, the code number is sufficient and the habitat code need not be recorded, although details of grazing, ice cover, plant phenology, etc. may be recorded under "Location and Description of Water Area". For major reservoirs in other drainages, you may wish to give the exact location and describe the area in more detail under "Location and Description ..." if nests are found or if a large or unusual waterfowl population is using the area. Several examples or area code" designations are: Birds seen in center of Nelson Creek Bay NCSW Birds seen in pond #03, Mining Area MA03 Birds flying over Dreyer Ranch MCOO Birds using Nelson Creek in Mining Area MAFW Birds in small shrub-bordered reservoir on Sand Creek SCPS "Drainage" Codes BC - Stony Butte Creek Drainage BD - Big Dry Creek Drainage BL - Badlands Area CC - Cow Creek Drainage HC - Horse Creek Drainage HU - Hungry Creek Drainage JC - Jack Creek Drainage LC - Lost Creek Drainage MA - Mining Area MC - HcGuire Creek Drainage MP - Middle Fort Peck MR - Missouri River Drainage [JB 'AC m NP PN PS RC RR SB SC SP TC rjelson Cree Nelson Cree ilorth Mis so North Fort Prairie Elk Prairie Elk Rock Creek Red water Ri Stony Butte Sand Creek South Fort Timber Cree k Bay k Drainage uri Area Peck Drainage North Drainage South Drainage ver Drainage Creek Drainage Drainage Peck k Drainage (6) Species. Use four-letter abbreviations of common names as listed by Skaar (1975)^ IT common names consists of one word, list first four letters (e.g., Pintail=PINT) . If two words, list first two letters of each v;ord (e.g., Canada Goose=CAGO). If three or more vjords, list first letter of first two words and first two letters of last word (e.g.. Ring-necked Juck=RiJDU; Blue- winged Teal=BWTE, Great Blue Heron=GBHE; etc.) Identify birds to species if possible; if this cannot be done, indicate UNDU (=L)nident. Ducks."); UNGE( = "Unident. Geese,"); UNKN(="Unknown") ; etc. Where several species occupy a given water area, it may be necessary to use several rows to record the data, or even several rows for one species. (7) Census. An X in this column indicates the water area in question were recorded; this includes that all wajter birds occupying shorebirds. kingfishers, herons, etc. censused regularly. waterfowl Stockponds in the proposed mining area should be 222 (8) Activity: List first two letters of word; for example: FL = Flying CO = Courtship SW = Swimming flA = Mating FE = Feeding NE = Nesting ST = Standing PE = Perched (9) ijumber of Birds. Indicate number of individuals of each sex and age class observed. If sex and age cannot be determined, leave these columns blank. (10) ('lumber of Pairs. Of the birds listed under "number of birds", how many obvious pairs were seen? (11) Drood Size. Up to two broods per species can be listed under "A" and "3", if more than two broods per species are seen in the same water area, another row must be used. (12) Nests. An X under "Search?" indicates an active search for nests was made. Indicate the number of nests located whether or not a search was made. For eacii nest recorded, additional data (location, construction, number of eggs, vegetation, exposure, evidence of predation, etc.) should be recorded in the field journal . GENERAL. Several days' data may be recorded on tfie same page, but one page should not have data from different months. 223 o 3 10 (/) fC c: c u c c JT c c $- -6 CM t- td::a't-yi ill ft +i,'f Mz^-^' '^ c. C 225 rrr Ok a: in SUlVd dO d39nnN H I c/> «2 z; ? ^« 2 fl '-'2 o 2 H c/2 ^ >-^ e K G ^ 2 y C9 a> wt; OB ca o. C3 3 ID p < UJ LU O CE O < O -I ^ -^ (- -I 1 h- 226 Appendix D. Nest Record Card. 1 1 NEST-RECORD CARD PROGRAM YEAR S haded Boie 9 not to be zompl eted b y obe erver Species: 1 9 i 9 u Obgerver (two InltUla, last name) In squares In space opposite V IS 17 Locality (In relation to nearest town) Elevation (In feet above sea level) Fill In If known Latitude County 29 1^' u Longitude 34 36 State or Province 41 r HABITAT (circle where appropriate) 1. Woods 2. Swamp 3 Marsh 4 Field 5 Grassland 6 Desert 7. Tundra 8. Suburban 9 Urban 0. Other (specify) 01. Coniferous 02. Deciduous 03. Mixed 04 Orchard 05. Cultivated 06 Fallow 07. No Veget. 08. Hedgerow 09. Shrub 10. Salt 11. Brackish 12. Fresh 13. Sandy Beach 14. Gravel Beach 15. Other (specify) DOMINANT PLANT(S) IN HABITAT (list one or twa) 49 S5 TT TT NEST SITE (circle where appropriate) 01 Bare ground 02 On ground in vegetation 03 Floating 04 Low vegetation 05 Shrub 06 Palm 07 Deciduous tree branch 08 Deciduous tree cavity 09 Conifer branch 10 Conifer cavity 11 Nest bo« 12 Other structure 13 Cliff or bonk Igj 14 Other (specify) | PRINCIPAL PLANT OR STRUCTURE SUPPORTING NEST 76 U paras Ited by Cowblrd check here i — i If same pair had other nesUngs this year, Indicate which this Is (1, 2, 3) ^ Jee Instructions. ' — ' (use separate card for each nesting) 77 ^3||^4.71 PLEASE COMPLETE BOTH SIDES OF THE CARD '* " 80 1 KM. 2-14. At* ^ If used for colonial nesting check here and see InstructlODs DATE Eggs Young Edit Build- ing Adult On Stage of building. If eggs warm, age of young, if banded, etc Month Day /■-' • . ■'' . '.■• r:':'V (> 02 Young seen leaving nest 03 Parent(a) excited near nest 04 Parenl(s) with young near nest 05 Nest empty. Intact Oft Nest empty, damaged OUTCOME INCLUDING CASES WHERE OUTCOME UNKNOWN (circle where appropriate) 07 Nest deserted 12 Failure due to competition with other species 08 Failure due to weather 13 Failure due to human activities 09 Failure due to predatlon 14 Failure due to pesticides (give details separately) 10 Failure due to inverteorate parasites 15 Other (descrll>e alMve) 11 Failure due to cowblrds Please complete both aides and return at end of season to your Regional Center or to Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850. We thank you for contributing your time and efforts to this program. rn 76 79 n 77 227 Appendix E. Summary of Breeding Bi rd Survey Results, Circ le Route, 1968 - 1977 SPECIES 6/29/68* 6/14/69* 6/27/70* 5/17/72** 6/30/73** 7/10/75** 6/22/77*** d Mallard 10/1 18/4 3/1 2/1 1/1 - Gadwall _ - - 2/1 - - ~ Bl ue-winged Teal 11/1 1/1 - 2/1 1/1 6/1 ~ American Wigeon - 3/1 - - " ~ - Lesser Scaup - 2/1 - ~ ~ " Swainson's Hawk - 1/1 - 1/1 ~ ~ 1/1 1/1 Ferruginous Hawk Harsh Hawk - 1/1 1/1 2/2 7/7 5/5 Prarie Falcon - - - - 1/1 ~ 1/1 American Kestvel - - ~ ~ " Sharp-tailed Grouse Sage Grouse Ring-necked Pheasant Gray Partridge American Coot Kill deer 25/13 3/3 1/1 13/11 2/1 38/17 5/2 1/1 20/13 1/1 1/1 13/2 32/15 7/1 2/1 14/5 19/10 6/1 2/1 12/6 4/1 36/14 1/1 11/7 Common Snipe Rock Oove Mourning Dove 15/8 8/2 16/7 1/1 24/1 40/18 25/3 35/13 21/1 53/11 15/3 48/16 40/3 55/23 Great Horned Owl 1/1 - * - Short-eared Owl Eastern Kingbird ^Jestern Kingbird 4/3 1/1 3/2 4/3 9/4 2/1 4/3 8/5 8/4 7/5 7/3 16/7 2/2 6/4 4/4 Say's Phoebe Horned Lark Tree Swallow 55/14 195/42 188/45 723/50 791/50 1/1 2/1 804/50 3/1 10/1 302/47 1/1 Bank Swallow Barn Swallow Cliff Swallow Black-billed Magpie - 1/1 2/1 1/1 4/1 10/2 7/2 1/1 1/1 11/1 1/1 5/3 45/5 Common Crow ~ ~ ' 1/1 House Wren Gray Catbird - - - - 2/2 2/1 2/2 2/1 1/1 2/1 : i Brown Thrasher American Robin 2/1 2/1 - 2/2 1/1 4/3 Mountain Bluebird - - ~ Sprague's Pipit - - 1/1 ~ ' Cedar Waxwing Loggerhead Shrike Starling 4/2 2/2 2/1 2/1 1/1 3/3 3/2 2/1 1/1 1/1 Warbling Viveo Yel low Warbler 1/1 - - - - - 5/3 2/2 Common Yellowthroat House Sparrow - 5/1 10/1 1/1 - 2/1 41/6 Bobolink Western Meadowlark 33/14 1/1 107/39 93/40 230/46 120/31 164/42 175/50 Yellow-headed Blackbird Red-winged Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird American Goldfinch 12/4 1/1 25/11 2/1 32/11 9/2 3/1 53/14 12/3 7/2 7/3 2/2 51/8 9/3 2/1 50/4 2/1 36/10 28/5 24/3 8/1 60/22 1/1 15/7 2/1 Lazuli Bunting Lark Bunting 41/12 110/32 227/42 248/36 375/36 8/5 598/43 7/5 103/28 10/6 Savannah Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow 5/2 5/5 17/10 1/1 2/2 5/3 31/16 Baird's Sparrow 3/2 2/1 5/4 10/4 Vesper Sparrow Lark Sparrow - - 6/3 30/11 2/1 42/10 2/1 ~ Chipping Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow Song Sparrow McCown's Longspur Chestnut-collared Longspur 2/1 2/1 3/1 2/1 73/27 1/1 2/1 99/24 2/2 65/25 2/2 7/3 279/44 2/1 3/1 285/43 1/1 102/27 TOTAL SPECIES 17 30 24 30 38 35 36 ( * J. ihompson, observer ** R. Shupe, observer ♦** L. Thompson, observer 1) lumbers are: total number of biras obse rved/number of stops at which observed 228 Appendix F. IJreedinp IJird Census Reports. SILVERSAGEBRUSH FLAT. — Location: Montana; HcCone County; SE quarter of Section 31, T20N, n45E; 47°25' N, 106 1 W, AMS , Jordan (NL 13-1). Continuity: New. Size: 24 ha = 59.3 acres (rectangular, 30 X SO m, paced). Description of Plot: Silver Sagebrush (Artemisia cana) flat following an ephemeral tributary of Nelson Creek, bordered on either side by grassland (see Figure 1). The longer axis of the plot follows the tributary, and the sagebrush flat covers the central 100-200 m along this a.xis. Grassland accounts for approximately 60fo of the plot, and is dominated by Needle-and-thread (Stipa comata) , Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) , Thread-leaved Sedge (Carex f ilifolia) , and Western Wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii) . Several patches of Little Bluestem (Andropogon scoparius) are found near the SW corner of the plot. Saltgrass (Distichlis stricta) is dominant in the northwestern corner of the plot. Gentle banks up to 1.5 m in height separate the upland grassland from the sagebrush. Silver Sagebrush forms a dense shrub layer about 1.0 m in height, and patches of V/estern Snowberry ( Symphoricarpos occidentalis) and Arkansas Rose (Rosa arkansana) of similar height are interspersed throughout. Canopy coverage estimates for a quadrat in the Silver Sagebrush are: Litter, 5; Silver Sagebrush, 5; Western Wheatgrass, 5; Prairie Sandgrass (Calamovilfa longifolia) , 1; Bare Soil, T; Blue Flax (Linum perenne) , T; Crested Wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) , T; Green Needlegrass (Stipa viridula) , T; Kentucky T; Bluegrass (Poa pratensis ),». Plains .Muhly (Muhlonhergia cuspidata) , T; Saltgrass, T; Western Snowberry, T; Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) . T. Estimates for a quadrat located in Western Snowberry are: Litter, 5; Western Snowberry, 4; Awned Wheatgrass 229 ( A^rnpyron can inum) , 3; Slunvy Milkwoud ( A.sclr'pias speciosa) , 1; Dull Thistle (Clrsi'im vulsare ) , 1; Gr(.>en Noedlesrass , 1; Sandberp's Blue'^rass (Poa sandbergii ) , 1; Bare Soil, T; Maximilian's ^P Sunflower (Hel ianthus maxlmilianii ) , T; Silver Sagebrush, T. Three isolated clumps of Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea) to 3 m in height occur near the downstream (NE) end of the plot, and on.e clump of Common Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is found near the center of the plot. Edge: Similar grassland along the E and W borders; similar Silver Sagebrush flats to S; sagebrush gives way to Saltgrass flats immediately downstream of the plot. Elevation: 2470-2500 ft. Coverage: May 26; June 17, 18, 27, 28; July 6, 7, 9;8 trips, 0520-2100. Total man-hours: IS. Census: Lark Bunting, 16 (67, 27); Brewer's Sparrow, 9 (38, 15); Common Yellowthroat , 8 (33, 13); Western Meadowlark, 7 (2P, 12); Grasshopper Sparrow, 5 (21, 8); Eastern Kingbird, 3 (13, 5); Sorague's Pipit, 3 (13, 5); Mourning Dove, 2; Horned Lark, 1; Brown Thrasher, 1; ^ Loggerhead Shrike, 1; Brown-headed Cowbird, 1; Vesper Sparrow, 1; Chestnut-collared Longspur, 1; Mallard, +; Marsh Hawk, +; Prairie Falcon, +. Total: 17 species; 59 territorial males or females (246/km , 99 per 100 acres). Visitors: Gadwall, American Kestrel, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Ring-necked Pheasant, Short-eared Owl, Common Nighthawk, Common Flicker, Western Kingbird, Say's Phoebe, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallov;, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Oriole, Brewer ' s. Blackbird, Savannah Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Chestnut-collared Longspur. Remarks: nine nests were found within the plot: Eastern Kingbird, 2 ( 1 with 2 eggs later destroyed by weather, 1 with 4 young); Brewer's Sparrow , 2 (1 with 3 eggs and 1 with 4); Mallard, 1 (empty); Marsh Havk , 1(6 young); ^ Brown Thrasher, 1 (contents not examined); Loggerhead Shrike, 1 230 (6 youn-); Chestnut-collared Lonc^spur, 1 (4 eg-s). A pair of prairie falcons nested several miles from this and the other plots: much of the area was used by the pair for hunting. Other vertebrates encountered on the plot during census runs: Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis), White-tailed Jackrabbit C Leous tov.-nsendi ) , Pi-'-^-^^rhorn (Antilocapra americana) . 231 SILVER BUFFALOBERRY--RED_qS^IER DOG'VOOD COULEE . --Locat ion : Montana; McCone County; overlaps boundary of Sections ?> and 10, T20N, R-15E; 4T°31' N, 105^58' W; AMS , Glendive (XL 13-2). Continuity: New. Size: 25 ha = 61.8 acres (square, paced). Description of Plot: Drainage head in rolling grassland, E aspect, dissected by dendritic coulee (see Figure 2). Grassland covers about 60"o of plot and is dominated by low mats of Blue Grama, Needle-and- thread, and Thread-leaved Sedge of relatively short stature (2-15 cm) with scattered island-like clumps of Little Bluestem and Bluebunch V/heatgrass ( Agropyron spicatum) up to 30 cm in height. Canopy coverage estimates for a quadrat located in typical grassland within the plot are: Blue Grama, 3; Needle-and-thread, 3; Litter, 2; Thread-leaved Sedge, 2; Bare Soil, 1; Saltsage (Atriplex nuttallii ) , 1; Winterfat (Eurotia lanata) , 1; Bare Rock, T; Broom Snakeweed (Gut ierrezia sarothrae) , T; Fringed Sagewort (Artemisia f rigida) , T; Indian-wheat (Plantago potagonica) , T; Lichens, T; Mosses, T; Scarlet Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) , T; Silver Sagebrush, T. Coulee has 5 major arms within plot. Local relief is great; main trunk cuts as deeply as 6 m below plane of grassland. Coulee walls are very steep, some nearly vertical. Long, narrow peninsulas of grassland extend between coulee arms. North-facing coulee walls and coulee heads support dense shrubbery up to 3 m in height, dominated by Silver Buf f aloberry , Chokecherry, Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) , and Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) . Canopy coverage estimates for a quadrat located in one of the coulee heads are: Litter, 5; Silver Sagebrush, 5; Red-osier Dogwood, 3; Serviceberry, 2; Western Snowberry, 2; Common Chokecherry, 1; Green Needlegrass, 1; Mosses, 1; Poison Ivy (Rhus radicans) , _ 1; Rose (Rosa sp . ) , 1; Silver Bu f f aloberry , 1; Skunkhush Sumac 232 ( F.iuis iri l(3bat a) . 1; Bare Soil, T; Fringed Sagewort , T; Lichens, T; Mountain Gooseberry ( R i b e s mon t igenum) , T; Stiff Golden rod (Solida'.^o r i g i d a ) . T; Yarrow, T; Yellow Salsify (Tragopoeon dub i us) , T. Other coulee walls consist of steep clay banks nearly devoid of vegetation. The bottom of the coulee trunk is relatively flat and supports a low shrub layer (less than 1 m in height) dominated by Rose, Silver Sagebrush, Skunkbush Sumac, and '.Vestern Snowberry, as well as a few isolated Great Plains Cottonwood trees (Populus deltoides ) up to 5 m in height. Other coulee shrubs include Common Juniper ( Juniperus communis ) , Horizontal Juniper (J. horizontalis ) , Rocky Mountain Juniper (J. scoDulorum) , and Rubber Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus ) . Edge: Similar grassland continues upslope from coulee; coulee trunk widens downstream and supports somewhat less tall shrubbery. Elevation: 2620-2760 ft. Coverage: May 25, 26; June 19, 21, 28; July 4, 5, 9; 8 trips, 0520-2115. Total man-hours: 19.2.. Census: Rufous-sided Towhee, 10 (40, 16); V.'estern Meadowlark, 8 (32, 13); Brown Thrasher, 5 (20, S) ; Yellow '"arbler, 5 (20, 8); Mourning Dove, 3 (12, 5); Eastern Kingbird, 3 (12, 5); Horned Lark, 3 (12, 5); Rock Wren, 3 (12, 5); Say's Phoebe, 2; Brown- headed Cowbird, 2; Lark Sparrow, 2; Loggerhead Shrike, 1;. Marsh A Hawk, + ; Sprague's Pipit, +; Brewer's Blackbird, +. Total: species, territorial males or females 091 -/km", 78 per 100 acres). Visitors: Mallard, Ring-necked Pheasant, Gray Partridge. Great Horned Owl, Common Nighthawl:, Rough-winged S\vallow, Black- Billed Magpie, Mountain Bluebird, American Goldfinch, Lark Bunting. Remarks: Four nests were located on the plot: Eastern Kingbird, 1 (4 eggs); Say's Phoebe, 1 (5 young); Western Meadowlark, 1 (4 eggs, includin;; 3 Brown-headed Cowbird eggs); Lark Sparrow. 1 233 (4 es^s). A Marsh Hawk nest located in the bottom of the main coulee trunk jusr 5 m outside the plot contained 6 es^j^s on May 25, but was destroyed by a flash flood following the June 14 rainstorm. Other vertebrates observed on the plot during census runs: Great Plains Toad (Rufo cognatus ) . Prairie Rattlesnake, Cottontail (Sy Ivi l:i'zus sp.), White-tailed Jackrabbit , Porcupine (Erethi zon dors at um) , Least Chipmunk (Eutamias minimus) , Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus ) . 234 SILVER BLTFALODERRY--S I LVER SAGEBRrSH COULEE . --Location : Montana; McCono county; overlaps border of Section: 10 and 20, 720", R45E; 47°2S' N, lOe'^l' W, AMS, Jordan (IIL 13-1). Continuity: New. Size: 25 ha = 61. S acres ( square , paced) . Description of Plot: Most of the plot (75%) is rolling grassland, E aspect, dominated by Blue Grama and Needle-and-thread , and containing patches of Little Bluestem. A broad, shallow coulee cuts across the NE corner of the plot, and an east-west ridge separates two narrower coulees whose heads lie within the plot. Coulee walls are relatively shallow, and local relief does not exceed 3 m. Bottoms are dominated by Western Wheatgrass , mats of Hori:^.ontal Juniper, and patches of Silver Sagebrush, Skunkbush Sumac, Western Snowberry , and Rose. Clumps of Silver Buffaloberry to 3 m in height are scattered along the coulee walls and bottoms. Other shrubs of the coulees are closely associated with Silver Buffaloberry, and include Common Chokecherry, Serviceberry , and Rocky ^^ountain Juniper. A 0.5-ha portion of an abandoned field now dominated by Cheat Grass (Bromus tec to rum) and Russian Thistle (Salsola kali) extends into the NW corner of the plot, and a barbed wire fence and dirt road run parallel to and 100 m east of the western boundary of the plot. Other major shrubs found in the plot are Broom Snakeweed, Fringed Sagewort , and Yucca (Yucca glanca) . Edge: Similar grassland surrounds the plot except where the coulees (to the E and NV/jand abandoned cropland continue. Elevation: ;» 2550-2G80 ft. Coverage: May 2G , June 18, 22, 30; July 1. 6, 19; August 17; 8 trips, 0600-2045. Total man-hours: 17.8. Census: Mourning Dove, 9 (36, 15); Western Meadowlark, 8 (32, 13); Horned Lark, 4 (16, 6); Brown Thrasher, 4 (16, 6); Eastern Kingbird, 3 (12. 5); Loggerhead Shrike, 2; Lark Bunting, 2; Ring-necked ' 235 Pheasant, 1; Brown-headed Cov.i:)ird, 1; Red-tailed Uawk . +; Prairie Falcon, +; Vesper Sii.irrow, +. Total: 12 species, 34 territorial 2 males or females (136/km"", 5.5 per 100 acres). Visitors: American Kestrel, Sliarp- tailed Grouse, Killdeer, Common Nip:hthawk , Common Flicker, Bank Swallow, Rough-winched Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Black-billed Magpie, Rock V/ren, Sprague's Pipit, Yellow '.Varbler. Brewer's Blackbird, Rufous-sided Towhee , Lark Sparrow, Chestnut- collared Longspur. Remarks: 17 nests were located on the plot: Mourning Dove, 8 (all with 2 eggs or young); Eastern Kingbird, 3 (1 with 4 eggs, 2 empty); Brown Thrasher, 2 (Nests vacant, young nearby); Loggerhead Shrike, 2 (nests vacant, young nearby); Vrestern Meadowlark, 2 (one with 4, 1 with 3 eggs). A pair of Red-tailed Hawks nested 0.5 miles from the study plot. Mammals observed on the plot during census runs: V/hite-tailed Jackrabbit, Cottontail, Least Chipmunk, Porcupine, Pronghbrn, Mule Deer. A 236 >:r:r.r)I.r:-A:;D-T!!READ--nLi;E grama grassland.-- Locatic,n: Montana: McCone County; borders con tor of E l:)oundary of Section 25, T20\', R41E; 4T°2T' N. 10G"2' v; ; A^'S , Jordan (ML 13-1). Continuity: New. Size: 25 ha = 61. S acres (square, surveyed). Description of Plot: Rolling grassland, S aspect, dominated by Blue Grama, Needle-and- tliread, and Thread-leaved Sed.c^e with patches of bare earth and Little Bluesten scattered throughout. Grazing pressure was heavy during the summer. Canopy cover estimates for a quadrat located within the plot are: Needle-and-thread , 5; Litter, 3; Blue Grama, 2; Thread-leaved Sedge, 2; Bare Soil, 1; Vi'estern V/heatgrass, T; Rush- like Skeletonweed (Lygodesma juncea) , T; Plains Pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) , T; Scarlet Globemallow, T. A wide north-south coulee i relief up to 3 m on downstream end) transects the plot near its V/ boundary. The bottom of this coulee is dominated by Needle-and-thread, Green Needlegrass, Blue Grama, Western V/heatgrass, and Little Bluestem; banks are largely bare earth. A few clumps of Horizontal Juniper and a single low (less than 1.5 m in height) Silver Bufflaoberry clump are found, in this coulee. A barbed wire fence forms the eastern boundary of the plot. Edge: Similar grassland on all sides. Rocky scoria outcrops are found 100 m to S of plot, and the Saltgrass floodplain of Nelson Creole begins 200 m to S of plot. Elevation: 2460-2560 ft. Coverage: April 28; May 23; June 18, 19, 27, 29; July 8, August 14; 8 trips, 0500-2120. Total man-hours: 15.7. Census: Horned Lark, 11 (44, IS); V/estern Meadowlark, 5 (20, 8); Chestnut-collared Longspur, 5 (20, S), Vesper Sparrow, 2; Grasshopper Sparrow, 1; Golden Eagle, +; Prairie Falcon, +. Total: 7 species, 24 n territorial males or females (06/km", 39 per 100 acres). 237 Visitors: Marsh Hawk, American Kestrel, Killdeer, Upland Sandpiper, Coramon Xii^hthawk, V.'estern Kinr^bird, Rough-winded Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Sprague's Pipit, Loggerhead Shrike, Brewer's Blackbird, Lark Bunting, Lark Sparrow. Remarks: The Grasshopper and Vesper Sparrow territories were associated with the coulee. One Horned Lark nest was found within the plot. A pair of Golden Eagles nested 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from tlie plot, which was included in their territory. Mammals seen on plot during census runs: White-tailed Jackrabbit, Striped Skunk (Mephitis men h i t i s ) . 238 wester:; WHEATGRASS — blue grama pasture. — Location: Montana; McCone County; Section 23, T20N, R44E ; 47°23' X, 106^3' W; AMS. Jordan (XL 13-1). Continuity: New. Size: 25 ha = 61.8 acres (square, paced). Description of Plot: Flat to rolling grassland, S aspect, dominated by Western V.'heatgrass , Blue Grama, and Needle-and-thread. Very heavily grazed by sheep and cattle; by the end of the season nearly all grasses were cropped nearly to ground level. Clumps of Plains Pricklypear are scattered throughout the grid. Canopy coverage estimates for two quadrats located within the plot follow. Quadrat A: Bare soil, 3; Blue Grama, 3; Western Wheatgrass, 3; Litter, 1; Thread-leaved Sedge, 1; Cushion Cactus (Coryphantha vivipara) , T; Lichens, T; Needle-and- thread, T; Scarlet Glo^-emallow, T; Plains Pricklypear, T. Quadrat B: Blue Grama, 4; Western Wheatgrass, 3; Litter, 2; Bare Soil, 1; Needle-and-thread, 1; Thread-leaved Sedge, 1; Cushion Cactus, T; Fringed Sagewort, T; Indian-wheat, T; Lichens, T; Plains Pricklypear, T; Prairie Pepperweed (Lepidium densif lorum) , T; White Milkwort (Polygala alba) . T. The N end of the plot rises to rolling hills with scattered Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) . Some standing water was present in the S portion during June censuses. A barbed wire fence forms the E boundary, and another runs just beyond the S boundary. Two old corrals are found at the SE and SVJ corners of the plot and are surrounded by wood debris and weedy annuals. An old wooden outhouse stands near the SW corner. A fenced vegetation exclosure lies in the SE portion of the plot. Edge: similar grassland to S and E, although less heavily grazed. The runs plot is bordered to the W by a steep bank below which Nelson Creek, supporting a dense growth of American Bulrush (Scirpus americanus) 239 Elevation: 2430-2480 ft. Coverage: May 24, June 17, 25, 26; July 3, 4, 10, 31; 8 runs, 0500-2100. Total man-hours: 16. ^ Census: Horned Lark, 8 (32, 13); Western Meadowlark "^(12 , 5); 'A Chestnut-collared Longspur, 1; Prairie Falcon, +; Killdeer, +; Brewer's Blackbird, +; Lark Sparrow, +. Total: 7 species, 12 2 territorial males or females (48/km , 19 per 100 acres). Visitors: Mallard, Gadwall, American Kestrel, Long-billed Curlew, Mourning Dove, Common Nighthawk, Eastern Kingbird, V/estern Kingbird, Rough- winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Loggerhead Shrike, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Brov/n-headed Cowbird, Lark Bunting, Vesper Sparrow. Remarks: Western Meadowlark territories appeared to be abandoned early, probably due to adequate grass coverage. 240 H Ijpena ix J . FIELD DATA SHEET - VERTEBRATE TRAPPING ( ■ UJ Q. > 1 z O < 1- z 1 I O < LLi > z UJ UJ UJ s UJ cr z UJ O UJ O UJ Q. 1/5 1- O z o o < cr UJ OQ Z UJ < UJ -I < UJ U. UJ ROW OR TRAP NO z 3 8 UJ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 33 34 35 37 38 39 40 47 DATA TYPE TIME 1-Trap Grid 1-Morning 2-Live Trapline 2-Afternoon 3-Snap Trapline v^ 7^4 TREATMENT ^ n 1-Control toSAj LV>1 2-Experiment ^ ^ - .. : : :-:-:.,:: CONDITION TOO 0-Normal ^'^— ^ r: '^ »^>«)0 1-Escaped "^T^?^ ~^ ^2-Torpid ^ \ g P 3-Dead ^ F 4-Injured \ MARK TRAP NUMBER 0-Normal 00 to 100 1-Unmarked 2-Ear Tag 3-Toe Clip 4-2 & 3 5-Nat. Amp. MALE FEMALE 0-Ad. Non-Breed 0-Ad. Non-Breed 1-SAd. Non-Breed 1-SAd. Non-Breed 2-J. Non-Breed 2-J. Non-Breed 3-Ad. Breed? 3-Ad. Breed? 4-SAd. Breed? 4-SAd. Breed? 5-J. Breed? 5-J. Breed? 6-Ad. Breed 6-Ad. Breed 7-SAd. Breed 7-SAd. Breed 8- J. Breed 8- J. Breed 9-Undeterm. 9-Undeterm. iW;> 2± Appendix H. Summary of results of roadside wildlife survey (birds only), Jan - Dec, 1977. TANUPiHX l' i/i 1 ) M Va. 'V3 s/l \1 7 v» '°Vt n3 <0 '/i 5-/1 v^ n , Form 3-6(1975) Appendix H. continued 243 iv\ft(icH im7 (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (88) Species AOU ROUTE 1 Total Indiv. Stops per Spec. c F p M PIED-BILLED GREBE. . 006 DBL-CR. CORMORANT 120 GREAT BLUE HERON . 194 BUC-CR. NIGHT HERON 202 AM. BITTERN 190 MALLARD 132 Vi 3 / GADWAU, 135 PINTAIL 143 32/^ ?i z. GREEN-WINGED TEAL 139 BLUE-WINGED TEAL . 140 AM. WIGEON .... 137 N. SHOVELER 142 WOOD DUCK 144 REDHEAD 146 CANVASBACK .... 147 LESSER SCAUP .... 149 RUDDY DUCK .... 167 ROU&I-I - L. HAWK . l/l / 1 SWAINSON'S HAWK . 342 FERRUGINOUS HAWK . 348 MARSH HAWK .... 331 AM. KESTREL .... 360 SHARP-TAIL. GROUSE 308 3'/h 3/, 3i s BOBWHITE 289 RING-NECK PHEASANT 3091 '% "//6 'V'^ ,->,? 3H GRAY PARTRIDGE. . . 2881 SORA 214 AM. COOT 221 KILLDEER 273 Vi ; 1 COMMON SNIPE ... 230 LONG-BILLED CURLEW 264 UPLAND SANDPIPER . 261 SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 263 WILLET 258 MARBLED GODWIT . . 249 AM. AVOCET .... 225 WILSON'S I'HALAROPE 224 RING-BILLED GULL. . 054 FRANKUN'S GULL . . 069 BLACK TERN 077 ROCK DOVF 3131 3// "S I MOURNING DOVE. . . 316 YELLOW-BIL, CUCKOO 387 BLACK-BILL CUCKOO 388 GREAT HORNED OWL 375 '/, 'f/H .T .5" 5N0WY OWL. . . Vi / 1 SHORT-EARED OWL . 367 COMMON NIGHTHAWK 420 CHIMNEY SWIFT ... 423 BELTED KINGFISHER . 390 YEL-SHAFT FUCKER . 412 RED-SHAFT FUCKER . 413 RED-HD. WOODPECKER 406 HAIRY WOODPECKER 393 DOWNY WOODPECKER 394 E. KINGMRD 444 W. KINGBIRD 447 GT.CREST FLYCATCHR 452 E. PHOEBE 456 SAY'S PHOEBE .... 457 WILLOW FLYCATCHER 4664 LEAST FLYCATCHER . 467 E. WOOD PEWEE ... 461 W. WOOD ItWEE . . 462 HORNED LARK .... 474 n^ '-y^ >2^/„ '% 731 /v;? TREE SWALLOW ... 614 BANK SWALLOW ... 616 ROUGH- WG. SWALLOW 617 (65, (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (88) Species AOU Route 1 Total ndiv Stops per ■Spec c. F P M BARN SWALLOW ... 613 CUFF SWALLOW ... 612 PURPLE MARTIN ... 611 il BLUE JAY 477 M BLK-BILLED MAGPIE . 475 ^ 3?- COMMON CROW ... 488 BLK-CAP.CHICKADEE 735 Wi (d y WHITE-BR. NUTHATCH 727 HOUSE WREN ..... 721 LONG-BIL MARSH WREN 725 SHORT-B. MARSH WREN 724 ROCK WREN 715 GRAY CATBIRD. ... 704 BROWN THRASHER . . 705 SAGE THRASHER ... 702 AM. ROBIN 761 VEERY 756 766 E. BLUEBIRD MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD 768 SPRAGUE'S PIPIT ... 700 60 H . WAXWING . . •Vl >l / LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. 622 STARUNG 493 3/S '// H Y RED-EYED VIREO ... 624 WARBUNG VIREO. . . 627 YELLOW WARBLER . . 652 COM. YELLOWTHROAT 681 YELLOW-BR. CHAT. . 683 AM. REDSTART. ... 687 HOUSE SPARROW . . . 6882 ''^/ff 3.//^ 3fc^, lOf 17 BOBOUNK 494 W. MEADOWLARK . . 5011 YEL-HD. BLACKBIRD. 497 RED-WG. BLACKBIRD. 498 A\ ORCHARD ORIOLE . . 506 1 BALTIMORE ORIOLE . 507 BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. . 508 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. 510 COMMON CRACKLE . 511 BROWN-HD. COWBIRD 495 ROSE-BR. GROSBEAK . 595 BLACK-HD. GROSBEAK 596 BLUE GROSBEAK ... 597 INDIGO BUNTING . . 598 LAZUU BUNTING . . 599 DICKCISSEL 604 AM. GOLDHNCH. . . 529 RUFOUS -SIDE TOWHEE 587 LARK BUNTING. ... 605 SAVANNAH SPARROW 542 GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 546 DAIRD'S SPARROW. . . 545 VESPER SPARROW ... 540 LARK SPARROW .... 552 CHIPPING SPARROW. . 560 CLAY-COL. SPARROW 561 BREWER'S SPARROW. . 562 FIELD SPARROW. . . . 563 SWAMP SPARROW. . . 584 SONG SPARROW. ... 581 MCCOWN'S LONGS HJR 539 CH-COL. LONGSPUR . 538 COKM«IJ«J. .'^•^OPOl^'- V5 Vl Vl n 4- c»~^o^ 6-ooJt Vi 7.0/S 11 i> GoLiiE/J th(s\J£. Vl 3 ^i JWE£ 5P^^^oW_ lO/i xo/j 70 tI .R.»>w> . .h\(>^ . >; x; 1 Form 3-6 (1975) Appendix H. continued 244 APR.1L \'\'n (65) (fi9) 02) (75) (78) (81) (84) (88) Species AOU (ioufE Total Indiv. Slops per Spec. c p 1 p r^ PIED-BILLED GREBE. . 006 DBL-CR. CORMORANT 120 GREAT BLUE HERON . 194 BLK-CR. NIGHT HERON 202 AM. BITTERN 190 MALURD 132 V/a ^/f^ V/ ^/z (Z 7 GADWAa 135 PINTAIL 143 GREEN-WINGED TEAL 139 BLUE-WINGED TEAL . 140 2// V' V Z- AM. WIGEON .... 137 =/( 3 1 N. SHOVELER 142 WOOD DUCK 144 REDHEAD 146 CANVASBACK .... 147 LESSER SCAUP .... 149 RUDDY DUCK .... 167 RED-TAILED HAWK . 337 '// h V/ H 3 SWAINSON'S HAWK . 342 z/^ /( ^ ^ FERRUGINOUS HAWK . 348 MARSH HAWK .... 331 '/ RED-HD. WOODPECKER 406 HAIRY WOODPECKER 393 DOWMY WOODPECKER 394 E. KINGBIRD 444 W. KINGBIRD 447 GT. CREST FLYCATCHR 452 SAY'S PHOEBE .... 457 V;^ '%() '■^h 19 IS' WILLOW FLYCATCHER 4664 LEAST FLYCATCHER. 467 E. WOOD PEWEE ... 461 W. WOOD ItWEE . . 462 HORNED LARK .... 474 ^"4 'iw 'V^ ^% WS3 I0(r TREE SWALLOW ... 614 BANK SWALLOW ... 616 ROUGH-WG. SWALLOW 617 (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (88) Species AOU Rov.'TE. Total Indiv Stops per Spec. Q- P p r-7 BARN SWALLOW ... 613 CUFF SWALLOW ... 612 PURPLE MARTIN ... 611 BLUE JAY 477 BLK-BILLED MAGPIE . 475 y^ "/fi Z^ li COMMON CROW ... 488 '/l Vi Vv 1 h BLK-CAP.CHICKADEE 735 WHITE- BR. NUTFWTCH 727 HOUSE WREN 721 LONG-BIL MARSH WREN 725 SHORT-B. MARSH WREN 724 ROCK WREN 715 11/^ il H GRAY CATBIRD. ... 704 BROWN THRASHER . . 706 SAGE THRASHER ... 702 AM. ROBIN 761 3/3 '// 2/1- 'V

    >'/n '**/? 2^,:f "fi^ X50 5fo ORCHARD ORIOLE . . 506 BALTIMORE ORIOLE . 507 BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. . 508 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. 510 H/2 zo/^ Vi "U 50 /¥ COMMON CRACKLE . 511 ''/l /y/;z. ?/3 10/^ Tik 3 i-z CftNAift^ &O0St Vl Vi JZl l£i 5^/2g m^Ti i/i ^^31 ViT '/l 3k ^ V^ A Ib^ IK iA A •n^ ROUGH-WG. SWALLOW 617 t; W^ '/i '3/,^ !A. A £&^ s/. s- K 2// ^'IS YL 1^ //5/ '3.1 'A^ m XT m: l/3_ Zl/ ^i£ Vf 75^ A. m w. iSy^fSW^ ir/^ lA S 2/, 87^ BARN SWALLOW ... 613 CUFF SWALLOW ... 612 PURPLE MARTIN ... 611 BLUE JAY 477 BLK-BILLED MAGPIE . 475 COMMON CROW ... 488 BLK-CA P. CHICKADEE 735 WHITE-BR. NUTHATCH 727 HOUSE WREN ..... 721 LONG-BIL MARSH WREN 725 SHORT-B. MARSH WREN 724 ROCK WREN 715 GRAY CATBIRD. ... 704 BROWN THRASHER . . 705 SAGE THRASHER ... 702 AM. ROBIN 761 VEERY 756 E. BLUEBIRD 766 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD 768 SPRAGUE'S PIPIT ... 700 CEDAR WAXWING . . 619 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. 622 STARUNG 493 RED-EYED VIREO ... 624 WARBUNG VIREO. . . 627 YELLOW WARBLER . . 652 COM. YELLOWTHROAT 681 YELLOW-BR. CFIAT. . 683 AM. REDSTART. ... 687 HOUSE SPARROW . . . 6882 BOBOUNK 494 W. MEADOWLARK . . 5011 YEL-HD. BLACKBIRD. 497 RED-WG. BLACKBIRD. 498 ORCHARD ORIOLE . . 506 ORIOLE . BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. . 508 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. 510 COMMON CRACKLE . 511 BROWN-HD. COW BIRD 495 ROSE-BR. GROSBEAK . 595 BLACK-FID. GROSBEAK 596 BLUE GROSBEAK ... 597 INDIGO BUNTING . . 598 LAZUU BUNTING . . 599 DICKCISSEL 604 AM. GOLDFINCH. . . 529 RUFOUS-SIDE TOWHEE 587 LARK BUNTING. ... 605 SAVANNAH SPARROW 542 GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 546 '"Z? \V^ '2/S Wh !I±. 537 2^ yfc ifl. W '». A W': '^ lO, 'A i^ m A A s M ^'?/ ^ 2/2 2A K %''j TOT»L V Wi7 'Vs |7ot;(l 338/,. Wi3 10 M ^K m %! w, ii 'A3. 3'i m. yz m lA ^2 ^ 2/3 Ai BAIRD'S SPARROW. . . VESPER SPARROW . . . LARK SPARROW. . . . CFnPPING SPARROW. . CLAY -COL. SPARROW BREWER'S SPARROW. . FIELD SPARROW. . . . SWAMP SPARROW. . . SONG SPARROW. . . . MCCOWN'S LONGSPUR CH-COL. LO.NGSHUR . ^iHlli-CROwNEO SP- . SMjE. 6R.O0Sf- 545 540 552 560 561 562 563 584 581 539 538 A 'JA Ul 577 ^ £ik ^A m. A m n ^M. ^ wn lA. IE. lA 1 -El A 21iL ^ ^ IE. lA. 23/, ik. ^ ^h '123. Wx n ^ 1C V> 1^3 'A. ^ 'M % E^ S S f; m 23; Z2. 112. '2A ms. n A A. I HA W^ 0/2 1^ m :a ^ A±. WL iA. ^ ISL A. liS, 0,0' nZ TJU/ '/l± A 'jk ill. 2^ lA 'Ji^ sy^ Wu lU/, ^12 ?', lA 3k m 12. ^ 1^ !% ^^M 2^ ESI -^ M ii YL v> ii/iz 4' A '/Z± ms. % IQ. A ^ ,'/; ^ M 9/3 m 'S2. E ^ TA i^s. '(.I ^ A- 2A- »/i 112^ 0/r '/\ '^13 v> 0/fc 2^ lA ^ ^ 321 ■^ $ ^ IZL 'ik •/z± - lO/fc °/6 Form 3-6 (1975) Appendix H. continued 246 JUNt »T I ' (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (88) Species AOU ROvTE- roTAU TOTnL c. F p r^ c PIED-BILLED GREBE. . 006 DBL-CR. CORMORANT 120 V( 2/1 GREAT BLUE HERON . 194 BLK-CR. NIGHT HERON 202 AM. BITTERN 190 MALLARD 132 '/| H v^ 2// ^/'Z GADWALL 135 PINTAIL 143 GREEN-WINGED TEAL 139 ^// 2// y\ BLUE-WINGED TEAL . 140 y/ ^// ^i\ AM. WIGEON .... 137 5/^ ^/^ N. SHOVELER 142 WOOD DUCK 144 REDHEAD 146 CANVASBACK .... 147 V^ Vi LESSER SCAUP .... 149 RUDDY DUCK .... 167 RED-TAILED HAWK . 337 ^h 2/1 ^IS ^A SWAINSON'S HAWK . 342 PERfiUGINOUS HAWK . 348 'A Ai v^ V;^ 'A 'A A '/( V?- ^h ^/l« AM. KESTREL .... 360 '/i 2/? ^/T, 3/2 Wi„ Vf\ SHARP-TAIL. GROUSE 308 3/3 5/z V/ ''A 13/i, BOBWHITE 289 RING -NECK PHEASANT 3091 ^ii =/2 '^■i/iP «0/„ Vfi ^'^,0 ";^ GRAY PARTRIDGE. . . 2881 '/i A '/I SORA 214 '/i A '/' AM. COOT 221 KILLDEER 273 "/7 "A n-'a '2/7 ■'%^ ^^^ m\ COMMON SNIPE ... 230 LONG-BILLED CURLEW 264 UPLAND SANDPIPER . 261 ^A V/ Vi, V^ SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 263 WILLET 258 MARBLED GODWIT . . 249 AM. AVOCET .... 225 WILSON'S I'HALAROPE 224 Vi Vl RING-BILLED GULL. . 054 '// Y\ FRANKUN'SGULL . . 059 BLACK TERN 077 ROCK DOVE 3131 io/^ ''% v^^ MOURNING DOVE. . . 316 ^^4^ <^/2l '"'Ai 'Vm %? ^'V,7^ '^'^/iHl YELLOW-BIU CUCKOO 387 BLACK-BILL CUCKOO 388 y? 3/x 3/x GREAT HORNED OWL 375 BURROWING OWL. . . 378 '// Vi Vi SHORT-EARED OWL . 367 COMMON NIGHT HAWK 420 v^ ^3/,^ Vv '^0 3«/2? 5/A^ CHIMNEY SWIFT . . . 423 BELTED KINGFISHER . 390 YEL-SHAFT FUCKER . 412 RED-SHAFT FUCKER . 413 v^ Vy '°/(r 'V/2 '7/* RED-HD. WOODPECKER 406 HAIRY WOODPECKER 393 DOWNY WOODPECKER 3D4 E. KINGBIRD 444 '■/% it)/^ 'fil 'Hi 3^3^ ^y? W. KINGBIRD 447 Wf ^/2 y*- % GT. CREST FLYCATCHR 452 SAY'S PHOEBE .... 457 V/V yr V'^ '*/'? WILLOW FLYCATCHER 4664 LEAST FLYCATCHER . 467 A '// ! i E. WOOD PV;WEE ... 46) W. WOOD ItWEE . . 462 '/'. '/'. V\ HORNED LARK .... 474 "H '^h '^?^ 'r<7 "^'17 '''^4 "^fs TREE SWALLOW ... 614 BANK SWALLOW ... 616 'A Ai A ROUGH-WC. SWALLOW 617 "^z? V2 V/3 Vs (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (8S) Species AOU ^o^T%5 GRAY CATBIRD. ... 704 BROWN THRASHER . . 705 3/2 Vt ^A Ws 'I'/a ^^17 SAGE THRASHER ... 702 AM. ROBIN 761 A, 3/^ Vv y^ % VEERY 756 766 E. BLUEBIRD MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD 768 y/-, v?> ^/? SPRAGUE'S PIPIT ... 700 V? '"/n V?, 'Yii CEDAR WAXWING . . 619 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. 622 v. '/| ^3 f3 'As "/ff ^'/n STARUNG 493 '/i A, '/( ?/z RED-EYED VIREO ... 624 WARBUNG VIREO. . . 627 Ai '// V^ -^h Vy YELLOW WARBLER . . 652 V^ 1/6 '7/^ 3/2 ^A\h ^V/s COM. YELLOWTHROAT 681 Vi Vy ^b 3/| Vf '^n YELLOW-BR. CHAT. . 683 AM. REDSTART. ... 687 HOUSE SPARROW . . . 6882 ^^ '^2 y, 'V\ S2/c^ '^/^(.' BOBOUNK 494 W. MEADOWLARK . . 5011 '-^ ^'^^ ^^-^ '% "^. '^^f^^ ":^ YEL-HD. BLACKBIRD. 497 "/i Vv Vy RED-WG. BLACKBIRD. 498 ^"/m r=> ^yfz '^A, -^'/l-i ''>^/s3 »^> ORCHARD ORIOLE . . 506 NORTHt(!.f/ ORIOLE . Y\ y\ ^. BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. . 508 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. 510 V\ i'A V^ 3^/^ Zlfy sy^^ T^ COMMON GRACKLE . 511 V\ Ai "-/b 'V? 'Vff BROWN- HD. COWBIRD 495 Vy '3/« '''In ^Ai. ^Yin ^'/yy ?^,, ROSE-BR. GROSBEAK . 595 BLACK-HD. GROSBEAK 596 BLUE GROSBEAK ... 597 INDIGO BUNTING . . 598 LAZUU BUNTING . . 599 =A y- y. DICKCISSEL 604 AM. GOLDFINCH. . . 529 =/' A yz yy Vv RUFOUS-SIDE TOWHEE 587 "/s «//V ^/^ ^A- Y;;5 LARK BUNTING .... 605 '"M 'Vi T^ 'Vi ^A^ ^/V ^f* SAVANNAH SPARROW 542 l0/(. m "'A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 546 '% Ai "/A Ai ^^a '^/r? '^M BAIRD'S SPARROW. . . 545 VESPER SPARROW ... 540 iOli. ^fii- ^^/7 ^Yn 'VtZ '-^/Sf "^/ll LARK SPARROW .... 552 '"/ '// RING-BILLED GULL. . 054 2/2 Va FRANKLIN'S GULL . . 059 BLACK TERN 077 ROCK DOVE 3131 3V, 3y2 S'/a MOURNING DOVE. . . 316 •*^=n ^%5 "-ii^ ^Tw ^,i "f>;v 5i^ YELLOW-BIL. CUCKOO 387 BLACK-BILL CUCKOO 388 GREAT HORNED OWL 375 '// '/. '/^ BURROWING OWL. . . 378 '// -^A v^ 5/2. SHORT-EARED OWL . 367 COMMON NIGHTHAWK 420 Vy Vy 8/v y? ^/i^ =V^ CHIMNEY SWIFT ... 423 BELTED KINGFISHER . 390 YEL-SHAFT FUCKER . 412 RED-SHAFT FUCKER . 413 y? Vr '»A /( "^/a *y'» RED-HD. WOODPECKER 406 7/3 y? 7/7 HAIRY WOODPECKER 393 DOWNY WOOOreCKER 394 E. KINGBIRD 444 y/Y y^ 't/p ^*^^V "■%<. "^Ao '^v^. W. KINGBIRD 447 '"/V '// y/2. 'l/T /^/7 GT.CREST FLYCATCHR 452 E. PHOEBE 456 SAY'S PHOEBE .... 457 ''({c '/l 'A ya V-* '','/^^ WILLOW FLYCATCHER 4664 LEAST FLYCATCHER . 467 E. WOOD PEWEE ... 461 W. WOOD reWEE . . 462 HORNED LARK .... 474 ^^ '^9^70 ^% ='/,;. '"-/^r *//^^ 5^,^. TREE SWALLOW ... 614 BANK SWALLOW ... 616 1 ROUGH-WG. SWALLOW 617 V= 1 2/a yi (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (8S) Species AOU ROUTtf D c P P M D BARN SWALLOW . . . CUFF SWALLOW . . . 613 "/n iA '7? % A "/2Z9 612 J7A ^1 y/ so/^ ^^y^ "^ PURPLE MARTIN ... 611 BLUE JAY 477 BLK-BILLED MAGWE . 475 y^ Vy "/-«-/f ''Vx^ *Vfl SWAMP SPARROW. . . 584 SONG SPARROW. ... 581 MCCOWN'S LONGSFUR 539 ^i\ 3/1 f>' CH-CQL. DONGS PUH . 538 ^/ji H y^ 'A 6f2r ^y33 '% P(».MR.It.F»il.00V. . '/i '/l '/( ya SAOE c>B.OiJ!t SA '// ^' Vr 3*(. »?- TREE SWALLOW ... 614 BANK SWALLOW ... 616 ROUGH-WG. SWALLOW 617 •yl 1 1 / (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (8S) Species AOU P.oort Total Indiv Stops per Spec. c F P M BARN SWALLOW ... 613 ^'/ip v% '"/t Vi 5X 13 CUFF SWALLOW ... 612 ■^Vx Vt ^-fc 3 PURPLE MARTIN ... 611 BLUE JAY 477 BLK-BILLED MAGHE . 475 'V^ "/.^ 'V7 H' If COMMON CROW ... 488 xrfy Ifc /f> SWAMP SPARROW. . . 584 SONG SPARROW. ... 581 f/i f 1 MCCOWN'S LONGS HJR 539 Vi t- r CH-COL. LONGS PUR . 538 "Af V(. Vi- 1 J 1 Jt V» 1 X lAtR-HN '^( '/. T. X SO&E. GRouit X -/I '^ / r_NA»S>t^ f-y^L^OrJ V? yi. 5 f 1 Form 3-6(1975) Appendix H. continued 249 stntfAR^x n?-; (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (88) Species AOU R.OOT L Total Stops per Spec. <_ r- p M Indiv. PliD- BILLED GREBE. . 006 DBL-CR. CORMORANT 120 GREAT BLUE HERON . 194 •/, 1 I BLK-CR. NIGHT HERON 202 AM. BITTE.W 190 MALLARD 132 GADWALL 136 PINTAIL 143 GREEN-WINGED TEAL 139 BLUE-WINGED TEAL . 140 AM. WIGEON .... 137 N. SHOVELER 142 WOOD DUCK 144 REDHEAD 146 CANVASBACK .... 147 LESSER SCAUP .... 149 RUDDY DUCK .... 167 RED-TAILED HAWK . 337 SWAINSON'S HAWK . 342 FERRUGINOUS HAWK . 348 MARSH HAWK .... 331 '/, '/• -t "i- AM. KESTREL .... 360 '/l •/I -7_ ->- SHARP-TAIL. GROUSE 308 Vi 1 :l BOBWHITE 289 RING-NECK PHEASANT 3091 Vte V,- W i| GRAY PARTRIDGE. . . 2881 •/i "A 13- ? SORA 214 AM. COOT 221 KILLDEER 273 COMMON SNIPE ... 230 LONG-BILLED CURLEW 264 UPLAND SANDPIPER . 261 SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 263 WILLET 258 MARBLED GODWIT . . 249 AM. AVOCET .... 225 WILSON'S PHALAROPE 224 RING-BILLED GULL . . 054 FRANKLIN'S GULL . . 059 BLACK TERN 077 ROCK DOVE 3131 ''h 55- ^ MOURNING DOVE. . . 316 YELLOW-BIL. CUCKOO 387 BLACK-BILL CUCKOO 388 GREAT HORNED OWL 375 '/i ( \ HURROWING OWL. . . 378 SHORT-EARED OWL . 367 COMMON NIGHTHAWK 420 CHIMNEY SWIFT ... 423 BELTED KINGFISHER . 390 YEL-SHAFT FUCKER . 412 RED-SHAFT FUCKER . 413 •/. '/( X- 2- RED-HD. WOODPECKER 406 HAIRY WOODPECKER 393 DOWNY WOODPECKER 394 E. KINGBIRD 444 W. KINGBIRD 447 GT. CREST FLYCATCHK 452 E. PHOEBE 456 SAY'S PHOEBE .... 457 WILLOW FLYCATCHER 4664 LEAST FLYCATCHER . 467 E. WOOD PEWEE ... 461 W. WOOD PEWEE . . 462 HORNED LARK .... 474 •""^b 'Vio '»-'/?o •"■-/s- (oft (03 TREE SWALLOW ... 614 BANK SWALLOW ... 616 ROUGH-WG. SWALLOW 617 (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (8S) Species AOU fiou Tt, Total Itidiv Stop? per Spec. c r- P ^ BARN SWALLOW ... 613 CUFF SWALLOW ... 612 PURPLE MARTIN ... 611 BLUE JAY 477 BLK-BILLED MAGHE . 475 ^/.' '/i 'Vy '^"Jl}' tf -50 COMMON CROW ... 488 X '/, 1 1 BLK-CAP.CHICKADEE 735 Viu ? 7- WFQTE-BR. NUTHATCH 727 HOUSE WREN 721 LONG-BIL MARSH WREN 725 SHORT-B. MARSH WREN 724 ROCK WREN 715 +/^ '/i 5- h GRAY CATBIRD. ... 704 BROWN THRASHER . . 705 SAGE THRASHER ... 702 AM. ROBIN 761 '7-+ V2 'V(, if \% VEERY 756 E. BLUEBIRD 766 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD 768 X x: SPRAGUE'S PIPIT ... 700 CEDAR WAXWING . . 619 ^-/l 13 RED-EYED VIREO ... 624 WARBUNG VIREO. . . 627 YELLOW WARBLER . . 652 COM. YELLOWTHROAT 681 YELLOW-BR. CHAT. . 683 AM. REDSTART. ... 687 HOUSE SPARROW . . . 6882 'JA- ,0/i 43 -a BOBOUNK 494 W. MEADOWLARK . . 5011 'isy-.s- Vfo "%3 "V5., SMT in YEL-HD. BLACKBIRD. 497 II RED-WG. BLACKBIRD. 498 i'/t 31 H 1 ORCHARD ORIOLE . . 506 BALTIMORE ORIOLE . 507 BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. . 508 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. 510 COMMON CRACKLE . 511 BROWN- HD. COW BIRD 495 ROSE-BR. GROSBEAK . 595 BLACK-HD. GROSBEAK 596 BLUE GROSBEAK ... 597 INDIGO BUNTING . . 598 LAZUU BUNTING . . 599 DICKCISSEL 604 AM. GOLDHNCH. . . 529 V. 'Vi 7-1 H RUFOUS -SIDE TOW HEE 587 '/i 1 I LARK BUNTING. ... 605 SAVANNAH SPARROW 542 '/l Vi 3 I GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 546 BAIRD'S SPARROW. . . 545 VESPER SPARROW ... 540 •^-/i Vi v^ S y LARK SPARROW .... 552 CHIPPING SPARROW. . 560 Vi '/, 7 1 CLAY -COL. SPARROW 561 BREWER'S SPARROW. . 562 FIELD SPARROW. ... 563 SWAMP SPARROW. . . 584 SONG SPARROW. ... 581 MCCOWN'S LONGSPUR 539 CH-COL. LONGSPUR . 538 'V'-'f '/' Vi ^1 7.0 v>H\Te -eft >Pl0^a.v».' V, i 1 Va X ^1 Vi 7 '1 •A Vi -\ X 1 •/. \ ' '/, "A 1 1 f •/, ■/, Form 3-6(1975) 250 m-IOQI-JC n'/ (65) (69) (72) (75) (T8) (81) (84) (8H) Species AOU PIED- BILLED GREBE. . 006 DBL-CR. CORMORANT 120 GREAT BLUE HERON . 194 BLK-CR. NIGHT HERON 202 AM. BITTERN 190 MALLARD 132 GADWALL 135 PINTAIL 143 GREEN-WINGED TEAL 139 BLUE-WINGED TEAL . 140 AM. WIGEON .... 137 N. SHOVELER 142 WOOD DUCK 144 REDHEAD 146 CANVASBACK .... 147 LESSER SCAUP .... 149 RUDDY DUCK .... 167 RED-TAILED HAWK . 337 SWAINSON'S HAWK . 342 FERRUGINOUS HAWK. 348 MARSH HAWK .... 331 AM. KESTREL .... 360 SHARP-TAIL. GROUSE 308 BOBWHITE 289 RING-NECK PHEASANT 3091 GRAY PARTRIDGE. . . 2881 SORA 214 AM. COOl 221 KILLDEER 273 COMMON SNIPE ... 230 LONG-BILLED CURLEW 264 UPLAND SANDPIPER . 261 SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 263 WILLET 258 MARBLED GODWIT . . 249 AM. AVOCET .... 225 WILSON'S PHALAROPE 224 RING-BILLED GULL. . 054 FRANKUN'S GULL . . 059 BLACK TERN 077 ROCK DOVE 3131 MOURNING DOVE. . . 316 YELLOW-BIL. CUCKOO 387 BLACK-UILL CUCKOO 388 GREAT HORNED OWL 375 BURROWING OWL. . . 378 SHORT-EARED OWL . 367 COMMON NIGHTHAWK 420 CHIMNEY SWUT ... 423 BELTED KINGFISHER . 390 YEL-SHAFT FUCKER . 412 RED-SHAFT FUCKER . 413 RED-HD. WOODPECKER 406 HAIRY WOODPECKER 393 DOWNY WOODPECKER 394 E. KINGBIRD 444 W. KINGBIRD 447 GT. CREST FLYCATCHR 452 E. PHOEBE 456 SAY'S PHOEBE .... 457 WILLOW FLYCATCIER 4664 LEAST FLYCATCHER . 467 E. WOOD PEWEE ... 461 W. WOOD rewEE . . 462 HORNED LARK .... 474 I TREE SWALLOW ... 614 BANK SWALLOW ... 616 ROUGH-WG. SWALLOW 617 Page Total; X A <-/(» V3- -'hl- ll. /I '•/( ^n h '/A. T^Tx Vc Total Indiv 2Sl stops per Spec. ^ Vw ^Zl 34/, '•'■Al TWl T~l ^^ 11- TTJ I m I 01. Form 3-6(1975) Appendix H. continued (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (88) Species AOU Page Totals | Total ndiv stops per Spec. L. F- F ft^ BARN SWALLOW ... 613 CUFF SWALLOW ... 612 PURPLE MARTIN ... 611 BLUE JAY 477 BLK-BIL1£D MAGPIE . 475 ""h ^A, ^••/zi (,7 ^■\ COMMON CROW ... 488 BLK-CAP.CHICKADEE 735 V< 2- 1 WHITE-BR. NUTHATCH 727 HOUSE WREN 721 LONG-BIL MARSH WREN 725 SHORT-B.MARSH WREN 724 ROCK WREN 715 GRAY CATBIRD. ... 704 BROWN THRASHER . . 705 SAGE THRASHER ... 702 AM. ROBIN 761 Vt- 3 2. VEERY 756 766 E. BLUEBIRD MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD 768 SPRAGUE'S PIPIT ... 700 CEDAR WAXWING . . 619 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. 622 STARUNG 493 '/( '/i 'M II (? RED-EYED VIREO ... 624 WARBUNG VIREO. . . 627 YELLOW WARBLER . . 652 COM. YELLOWTHROAT 681 YELLOW-BR. CHAT. . 683 AM. REDSTART. ... 687 HOUSE SPARROW . . . 6882 t'/;^ 'Vt 7V4 l^ If BOBOUNK 494 W. MEADOWLARK . . 5011 ^/c V\ 'V^ I'-A 1) \k> YEL-HD. BLACKBIRD. 497 RED-WG. BLACKBIRD. 498 8V4 S4 4 ORCHARD ORIOLE . . 506 BALTIMORE ORIOLE . 507 BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. . 508 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. 510 Vt ■*'/! IV r COMMON GRACKLE . 511 BROWN-HD. COWBIRD 495 ROSE-BR. GROSBEAK . 595 BLACK-HD. GROSBEAK 596 BLUE GROSBEAK ... 597 INDIGO BUNTING . . 598 LAZUU BUNTING . . 599 DICKCISSEL 604 AM. GOLDFINCH. . . 529 RU FOUS -SIDE TOW HEE 587 LARK BUNTING. ... 605 SAVANNAH SPARROW 542 GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 546 BAIRD'S SPARROW. . . 545 VESPER SPARROW ... 540 LARK SPARROW .... 552 CHIPPING SPARROW. . 560 CUY-COL. SPARROW 561 BREWER'S SPARROW. . 562 FIELD SPARROW. ... 563 SWAMP SPARROW. . . 584 SONG SPARROW. ... 581 MCCOWN'S LONGSPUR 539 CH-COL. LONGSPUR . 538 'Vif Wt. '77 V(p 101 ^4 '/( I 1 '/, ■/. z. L Vi V4- >»/(, j^y^o io7 1 1 X X VI V) H z 251 tto-^r-A m 7 (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (88) Species AOU C F P WN Page Totals Total Indiv Stops per Spec. 1 2 3 4 5 PIED-BILLED GREBE. . 006 DBL-CR. CORMORANT 120 GREAT BLUE HERON . 194 BLK-CR. NIGHT HERON 202 AM. BITTERN 190 MALLARD 132 GADWALL 135 PINTAIL 143 GREEN-WINGED TEAL 139 BLUE-WINGED TEAL . 140 AM. WIGEON .... 137 N. SHOVELER 142 WOOD DUCK 144 REDHEAD 146 CANVASBACK .... 14V LESSER SCAUP .... 149 RUDDY DUCK .... 167 RED-TAILED HAWK . 337 SWAINSON'S HAWK . 342 FERRUGINOUS HAWK . 348 AM. KESTREL .... 360 SHARP-TAIL. GROUSE 308 '/, '°/t 1 1 ^ BOBWHITE 289 RING-NECK PHEASANT 3091 '/' :y, ■-v^ I'U, (o GRAY PARTRIDGE. . . 2881 Vi '' ^\ 1 M 1 SORA 214 AM. COOT 221 KILLDEER 273 COMMON SNIPE ... 230 LONG-BILLED CURLEW 264 UPLAND SANDPIPER . 261 SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 263 WILLET 258 MARBLED GODWIT . . 249 AM. AVOCET .... 225 WILSON'S PHALAROre 224 RING-BILLED GULL. . 054 FRANKUN'S GULL . . 059 BLACK TERN 077 ROCK DOVE 3131 MOURNING DOVE. . . 316 YELLOW -BIL. CUCKOO 367 BLACK-BILL CUCKOO 388 GREAT HORNED OWL 375 BURROWING OWL. . . 378 SHORT-EARED OWL . 367 COMMON NIGHT HAWK 420 CHIMNEY SWIFT ... 423 BELTED KINGFISHER . 390 YEL-SHAFT FUCKER . 412 RED-SHAFT FUCKER . 413 RED-HD. WOODPECKER 406 HAIRY WOODPECKER 393 DOWNY WOODPECKER 394 E. KINGBIRD 444 W. KINGBIRD 447 GT. CREST FLYCATCHR 452 E. PHOEBE 456 SAY'S PHOEBE .... 457 WILLOW FLYCATCHER 4664 LEAST FLYCATCHER . 467 W. WOOD reWEE . . 462 HORNED LARK .... 474 '^V(, 3'75r "/^ ''Vs- 1 10 Z-\ TREE SWALLOW ... 614 BANK SWALLOW ... 616 ROUGH-WG. SWALLOW 617 Form 3-6 (1975) Appendix H. continued 252 (65) (69) (72) (75) (78) (81) (84) (8R) Species AOU 1 Page Totals | Total Itidjv StOp^ per Spec. 1 2 3 4 5 BARN SWALLOW ... 613 CUFF SWALLOW ... 612 PURPLE MARTIN ... 611 BLUE JAY 477 BLK-BILLED MAGPIE . 475 Vi '/•; Vi ^V'-f ?•? ->f COMMON CROW ... 488 BLK-CAP.CHICKADEE 735 u/. M ■z. WHITE-BR. NUTHATCH 727 HOUSE WREN 721 LONG-BIL MARSH WREN 725 SHORT-B. MARSH WREN 724 ROCK WREN 715 GRAY CATBIRD. ... 704 BROWN THRASHER . . 705 SAGE THRASHER ... 702 AM. ROBIN 761 VEERY 756 766 E. BLUEBIRD MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD 768 SPRAGUE'S PIPIT ... 700 CEDAR WAXWING . . 619 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. 622 STARUNG 493 -A_ ^7 ~ RED-EYED VIREO ... 624 WARBUNG VIREO. . . 627 YELLOW WARBLER . . 652 COM. YELLOWTHROAT 681 YELLOW-BR. CHAT. . 683 AM. REDSTART. ... 687 HOUSE SPARROW . . . 6882 'V. "•/l Vz. ^■'f 1 BOBOUNK 494 W. MEADOWLARK . . 5011 YEL-HD. BLACKBIRD. 497 RED-WG. BLACKBIRD. 498 ORCHARD ORIOLE . . 506 BALTIMORE ORIOLE . 507 BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. . 508 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. 510 COMMON GRACKLE . 511 BROWN-HD. COWBIRD 495 ROSE-BR. GROSBEAK . 595 BLACK- HD. GROSBEAK 596 BLUE GROSBEAK ... 597 INDIGO BUNTING . . 598 LAZUU BUNTING . . 599 DICKCISSEL 604 AM. GOLDHNCH. . . 529 RUFOUS-SIDE TOWHEE 587 LARK BUNTING .... 605 SAVANNAH SPARROW 542 GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 546 BAIRD'S SPARROW. . . 545 VESPER SPARROW ... 540 LARK SPARROW .... 552 CHIPPING SPARROW. . 560 CLAY -COL. SPARROW 561 BREWER'S SPARROW. . 562 FIELD SPARROW. ... 563 SWAMP SPARROW. . . 584 SONG SPARROW. ... 581 MCCOWN'S LONGSPUR 539 CH-COL. LONGSPUR . 538 •n^tJlirJri < _ j^UTMri; '/I 1 1 Wus>E, .Of/A .... 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CD CO CM CM T3 J J c 3 o o o or X -o ■■- <: Q. 3 'O s- Q. 0) 1 — CM >— CM CM I — CO I— CM CO CM CM X LO CM CM CM CO r~- CM en , — +J o o O) s- o •1 — fO t/1 1) ro n3 s- ■a n3 O) •-0 Q- c 3 ^a: QJ 3 -r^ ~0 o XJ o c "O O) +J CD i- 3 TD O) ' +-> ^— C3 \^ O) •f~ o 0) ■r- 00 c: .f_ s_ •f" -;-> 0) +J C X •o (T3 o +-> CD 1 +J Q_ 1 c (O o o O) s- CD +-> -C 1 o OJ ^ =J -^ •1— s_ o U- +j 0) CL r en CD +J O) O u 1 — -i^ o o en en c 4-> 0) *'~ t/> s_ fd 1 lo u -o >, T3 il c o sz (1) o 1 — CO 13 fO QJ o 03 ■!-> o s_ t- rs 3 Q ex. ca 1 — ^t; q: q: o o oi •r— CD -o c c ■1 — 0) 3 Q. o Q. ?c Ll_ CU o Cl. 00 en 13 ■-3 CO M3 «=»• CSJ CO CM CM oo 00 "* CTl CM O CO ro ■=!■ r^ CO LO Crt r-^. eg CM CM CM CTl CO CM CM CO en oo MP CM CD CM CM 00 o CM CO uo CM CO CO CO ^^ +-> O Q. c: :3 -ii CU 3 o -a o T3 o C -a CU -!-> CU s- 3 -o CU +J C3 js<; CU r— • r— O (1) ■ r- 00 n— f^ *f— i- m o cr ro -a •r- 1- 113 • r— +-> CU 4-> c X T3 rt3 o 4-> CU 1 +-) a. 1 c ro o o (U s_ CU -!-> -C 1 a 0) s- 3 .^ S_ o u_ +-> 0) Q. 1 cn (U +-> cu (J o , — jk; o o CD •r— cn c ->-> CU •f— (/) S_ n3 1 to o -a >:, -o S- c o •f— 1 — J= (U o oo Z3 fO CU O ns ■!-> o s- -C 3 3 Q Q. 5 . 1 — e: o: oc t_) 03 00 1 Cl. 3 s: 256 ■o QJ OJ 3 ■!-> C 3 • 1— O 4-> ai C o s- '_> OJ ^^ — * > •r- I — 1 Oi X .^ •r— s- -a 3 c o cu t/) Q. t/l kO- •»— o O) O O Q. 3 ai oo CO CO X CM cn , — +J o O) •r— o S- -Q S- ja cu ■f— rO 'r— 3 s- S- CT _ .:^ 1— •f— OO CL 3 .^ CU 3 Q -o o T3 o c T3 X T3 t3 o 4-> Q. 1 c i« C o 0) s_ OJ +-> x: 1 o O) S- 3 -^ •r— s- o U- 4-> O) U O 1 j^ o o C71 cn c +J OJ ■r— > -o s_ c: o _CI O) o ^— ro 3 03 OJ o 03 +J o i. JZ. 3 3 Q Q- CQ ■ — S q: on <_> CO oo _J Q. 257 -a 0} 3 C r-^ •r— r-^ +-> CTl c r^ o o #> V — " x: o »— 4 c lO X oc •r- •o i- c — CNJ C\J cn , — ■!-> o QJ •r— Q s- -O i. a 01 • r— e (TJ ■a •r— s_ ro cu ■(-> •r- 4-> QJ +J c X "O rtJ o -(-> cu 1 4-> CL 1 c ro o o OJ S- (U +J 1 Q aj t- 3 -^ •r— S- o LL. ■(-> 0) n. 1 CD CU 4-> 0) U O 1 — _:«: o o cn •(— CD c 4-> QJ •f— CO S- (O I (/) CJ ■a >> ■o J- C o •p- 1 — -C 1) o 1 — M 3 (O cu o fO -IJ o S- -C Zl 3 Q Q. CO 1 — S d: QC o oa CO _J Q. 3 s: 258 Appendix J. Summary of Fort Peck Christmas Bird Count data, 1975-1977 12/27/1975 12/18/1976 12/ /1977 Common Loon — Pied-billed Grebe - Canada Goose — Mallard 1100 Teal sp. ■ - American Wigeon — Redhead — Common Goldeneye 50 Barrow's Goldeneye — Old squaw — Common Merganser 25 Red-tailed Hawk - Rough-legged Hawk 1 Golden Eagle + Bald Eagle 2 Prairie Falcon 1 Peregrine Falcon - Sharp-tailed Grouse 61 Ring-necked Pheasant 16 Gray Partridge 51 Glaucous Gull — Herring Gull — California Gull 53 Ring-billed Gull 1 Gull sp. - • Great Horned Owl - Snowy Owl — Common Flicker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 2 Horned Lark 246 Blue Jay + Black-billed Magpie 38 Black-capped Chickadee 24 Red-breasted Nuthatch - American Robin + Mountain Bluebird - Townsend's Solitaire 3 Bohemian Waxwing 50 Northern Shrike 1 Starling - House Sparrow 2 Western Meadowlark - Red-winged Blackbird - Rusty Blackbird — Evening Grosbeak 14 Purple Finch - 1 11 7400 1 :+ + 71 + 23 + 4 3 2 37 28 16 29 1 107 1 2 6 4 3 7 36 23 25 2 7 65 1 27 4 10 5000 25 1 18 1 3 1 + 9 7 3 + 15 1 5 4 220 1 28 16 1 5 1 + 25 1 26 105 15 259 Appendix J. continued 12/27/1965 12/18/1976 12/ /1977 Common Redpoll 151 62 300 Pine Siskin - - 2 Tree Sparrow 2 - - Snow Bunting 2 - 1500 Total Species 25 30 30 Total Birds 1898 8010 7385 No. of Observers 5 8 4 Party-hours 16.5 27 Party-miles 222 224 +=present in area during week of count 260 Appendix K. Habitat Use Figures GRAY PARTRIDGE DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 100- ALL OBSERVATIONS n = 4ll 50- I 1 I 1 I 1 I > ■ I ' ■ ' ' ' ' RD UNK CU GR HI SG ST OF SS LB BS GM JC z o CQ O Ll. o DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE o IT 100- ALL OBSERVATIONS n = 4ll so- il I I ' ■ ' I UNK ROLL FLAT COBO RIBO COUL COHE CRBO TRACE: HILL 261 100- SHARP-TAILED GROUSE VEGETATION USE 50- TOTAL WINTER 1976-1977 n=I4l < > a: UJ CO m O 0- ES3 EZ ^^ rn I — I UNK LC RD HI OF CF CU FG GR SG LB S 100- o 50- 0- ^ SHARP-TAILED GROUSE TOPOGRAPHY USE TOTAL WINTER 1976-1977 n=l4l m UNK RITO COWA FLAT CRBO COUL ROLL TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED^ 262 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 100- TOTAL SPRING n = 347 50- I 0- < > tr ui CO m o l~l rn 6R SG SS BG RD TC ST CB HI LB UNK TRACE: LC, SR, FA, FG, CU, SO o o: 100- 50- 0- DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE TOTAL SPRING n = 347 FLAT HITD ROLL HILL CRBO FLPL COBO UNK 263 100- SHARP-TAILED GROUSE DIURNAL VEGETATION USE TOTAL SUMMER n = l37 50- 0- > iii to CO o u. o o u 100- a. 50- 0- SS HI GR TC LB GM UNK RD SG LC CU DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE TOTAL SUMMER n=l37 JIZL UNK ROLL COBO FLAT HITO COWA HILL TRACE: WW 264 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 100- TOTAL FALL n=l69 50- 0- "1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 SG TC SS WH ST GR BS UNK LC TRACE: CG o i tr u ffl o DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE u a: 100- 50- TOTAL FALL n=l69 UNK COBO COHE COWA FLAT ROLL TRACE CRBO 265 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 100- TOTAL WINTER 1977-1978 n=IIO 50- 0- 3 I 1 UNK RD F6 ST OF C6 LC UJ CD O DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE o 100- TOTAL WINTER 1977-1978 n=IIO 50- UNK ROLL FLAT CRBO COBO 266 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 100- 50- ALL SEASONS 1976-1978 ALL OBSERVATIONS n=l035 TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED 0- 5 UJ O o Fq n r-i 1 I — I GR SG UNK TC SS RD LC HI FG BG LB I I I I ' ' ' ' DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE CU OF ST WH trace: WW, YU, CF, SR, FA, CB, SC, GM, BS, CG UJ o a: 100- ALL SEASONS 1976-1978 ALL OBSERVATIONS n = l035 50- J I 1 I 1 UNK ROLL FLAT HITO CRBO COBO HILL COWA RITO FLPL COHE TRACE: DRAW, COUL 267 100- SAGE GROUSE DIURNAL VEGETATION USE TOTAL SPRING n = l54 50- r~i I — I ^-. — SA BG SG OR RD HI SS UJ m o iij D^ 100- Q- 50- 0- DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE TOTAL SPRING n = l54 n FLAT ROLL CRBO UNK 268 100 SAGE GROUSE DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 50- I 0- I- < > UJ CO m o TOTAL SUMMER n = l54 SG GR HI SS BX SA RD S 100- a. 50- DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE TOTAL SUMMER n = l54 LD UNK COBO ROLL RES COWA FLAT 269 SAGE GROUSE DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 100- 50- 0-1 lA^.^J (/I z o cc UJ CO CO o o ALL OBSERVATIONS n=459 1 1 SG SA BG GR SS UNK HI RD TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED TRACE: GR DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE 100- ALL OBSERVATIONS n=459 50- T:r^ I 1 FLAT CRBO UNK ROLL COBO RES COWA TRACE: COUL 270 100- 50- § 0- < > RING-NECKED PHEASANT DIURNAL VEGETATION USE TOTAL SPRING n = 95 c:::] [— I F=;^ r-1 ^^^■^^^ ^^^"^^^ CO m O S 100- CL 50- RD HI BX GR GS ST FA WA CU SG BG UNK TRACE: LB, LC, FG, BS, TC DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE TOTAL SPRING n = 95 1 FLAT CRBO COBO ROLL COWA COHD UNK TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED TRACE: COUL 271 100- RING-NECKED PHEASANT DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 50- « 0- o 1- < > cr UJ to ffi o u. o TOTAL SUMMER n = 93 RD LC SM GM SG ST GR TRACE: TC, SS, UNK DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE 5 100- 50- 0-'- TOTAL SUMMER n = 93 FLAT COBO UNK TRACE: COUL 272 100- 50- 0- 100- RINGNECKED PHEASANT DIURNAL VEGETATION USE FALL 1977 n = IOO I I t\\\i ST RD BX TC OF 50- UJ "* O- o ^^ ^ DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE FALL 1977 n = IOO ROLL UNK FLAT COBO 100- o cr UJ Q. 50- 0- 100- 50- DIURNAL VEGETATION USE WINTER 1977-1978 n=l62 i : ^ -rr-r LJZZL_nZl_^ TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED t- •: ' ■■ « l.SW'i UNK SS ST RD TC F6 CG LC CU SR WH BE TRACE: FA, HI, WM, OF, Wl DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE WINTER 1977-1978 n=l62 0-' — »■ \ D c==j CRBO FLAT ROLL UNK COBO COWA ROAD 273 100- 50- z o (- < > Ul m o UJ o tr u Q. 100- 50- RING-NECKED PHEASANT VEGETATION USE TOTAL WINTER 1976-1977 n=293 ^^ h\\ ST LC RD OF BX CR FG HI RING-NECKED PHEASANT TOPOGRAPHY USE TOTAL WINTER 1976-1977 n=293 v^ I I F7777 Ftt^ TC CM CU l:^ TOTAL OBSERVED^ FEEDING OBSERVED UNK FLAT FLPL CRBO ROLL 274 RINGNECKED PHEASANT DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 100- 50- ALL SEASONS 1976-1978 ALL OBSERVATIONS n=80l TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED 0- '^ '■ *- ^^ ' ' I ' 1 I 1 I ' I I c z o t- ST RO LC OF LB UNK CU HI TC SS SG CG F6 TRACE: GR, WW, CR, CM, LB, BS, FA, WA, B6, GS, SM, RP, WM, SR, WH, BE, Wl CD o DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE o UJ 0. 100- ALL SEASONS 1976-1978 ALL OBSERVATIONS n=80l 50- 0- P ^:^ I I FLAT UNK ROLL CRBO COBO FLPL TRACE: COUL, COHE, COWA , ROAD 275 100- MULE DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE DECEMBER 1976 n=44 50- 0- 100- UNK RS RD LB SG BG OF SO- OT z g I- UJ tn m O 11- 100- O 0- JANUARY 1977 n=285 TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED UNK RS RD LB SG BG OF LC SS GR FA BA RT iij o q: UJ 0. 50- FEBRUARY 1977 n=309 0- 100- ^ FFH ^ JZl ^ ^^ UNK RS RO LB SG BG OF LC SS 6R FA BA RT 50- 0-1— Esa TOTAL WINTER 1976-1977 n=638 t \ s si Lk Isssl I I E3Sa I I I I UNK RS RD LB SG BG OF LC SS NOT shown: AF, RJ, CF GR FA BA RT 276 100- 50- 0- MULE DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE MARCH 1977 n = 233 TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED smL_bs3_^ CO z o % CE UJ V) ffi o 00- GR LB BG SG LC TC BA OF BS YU TRACE: HJ APRIL 1977 n = 2l7 50- n- II ^X\\ 1 1 1 1 h^ 1^ rrm f 1 1 II II 1 100- GR LB BG SG UJ o a: UJ Q. 50- 0- 100- BA MAY 1977 n = 99 FA BS RD SS WW HI TRACE: HJ, TC, UNK ^ t^ b^ rx ^ '^ '- '■•' GR LB 50- SG LC TC BA TOTAL SPRING n = 549 FA RD UNK TRACE: CU ^ (^ P^ f^^=^ f^:^ I 1 GR LB BG SG LC TC BA OF FA BS RD SS WW HI TRACE- HJ, YU, CU, CC, UNK 277 100- MULE DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 50- JUNE 1977 n = l04 0- 100- ^ F^ ^ ^ '' '' I GR SG TC HI LC UNK RD FA TRACE' BG, LB, BA so- lo z o I- < > llJ CO m o 0-1- 100- ^^ ^^ JULY 1977 n = l23 I I ^^^^ TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED '■'-'^'^^ LU O tr LU a. GR SG TC HI LC UNK CU LB AUGUST 1977 n = l94 SS BA Gl SC 50- ss VV'-V 1' ,' ,' :\ I I >-' ^'-< 100- GR SG TC HI LC UNK ST CU LB RD HJ 50- TOTAL SUMMER n = 42l C^^ F^^ t F^ r— I F=q GR SG TC HI LC UNK ST CU LB RD SS TRACE- BG, FA BA, Gl, SC, HJ, WH 278 100- MULE DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE 50- ^ ^:^ SEPTEMBER 1977 n=47 ^ 6R 100- LC TC HJ S6 LB OCTOBER 1977 n = 224 HI FA UNK CC SR 50- 0- < > UJ 10 OD O '±: 100- Z o ^ GR ST BS 50- 0- 100- t^ m ' '■ ^ '■' TC SS HJ BG LB RD GS YU BA NOVEMBER 1977 n=5IO f"^"^ t""^ TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED GR ST BS LC TC SS TOTAL FALL 1977 n = 778 50- P ^ ^ rd_ks=l_^3-^3_^a. I I GR ST BS LC TC SS HJ BG SG LB RO GS CG TRACE; HJ, LB, RD, GS, BE, RT, BA, SR, FA, SH, WM, FG TRACE ■ FA, UNK, HI, SR, BA, YU, BE, CG, SH, WM, FG 97Q MULE DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE DECEMBER 1977 n=323 ^ ^ t^^ >^^ Ft^ I 1 I 1 ST GR SS LC FG HJ UNK TO WH JANUARY 1978 n=662 TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED TRACE: WM, BA, LB ^ GR SS LC UNK ' ' • SG CU OF LB TRACE: GS, RD, SA, BG, TC, SC TOTAL WINTER 1977-78 n = 985 ^^ ^ ^ I ■ ' ' I 1 ST GR SS LC UNK TC SG CU OF LB WM TRACE: WM, BA, WH, HJ, GS, RD, SA, BG, SC 280 MULE DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE ALL SEASONS n=3486 l~l I— I [— 1 i—i I — I GR SG UNK LC ST SS LB TC BA BG OF BS HI CU RD HJ TRACE- RS, AF, FA, RJ, RT, CF, YU, WW, Gl, SC WH, SM, SR, GS, BE, CG, SH, WM, FG, SA TOTAL WINTER 1976-78 n=l646 n r-i GR SG UNK LC ST SS LB BA BG OF TRACE' RD, RS, AF, FA, RJ, CF, TC, WM, FG, WH, HJ, GS, CU, SA, SC TOTAL FALL 1976-77 n = 809 GR SG LC ST SS LB TC BG BS CU RD HJ TRACE: UNK, FA, HI, SR, BA, YU, GS, BE, RT, CG, SH, WM, FG TOTAL SUMMER 1976-77 n = 48l r~i |— 1 r-i GR SG UNK LC ST SS LB TC HI CU RD TRACE: BG, FA, BA, Gl, SC, HJ, WH 281 100- 50- 100- 50- z o I- % 05 50- 100- 50- 0- ^ MULE DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE DECEMBER 1976 n=44 m UNK RD ROLL R I TO COBO FLAT TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED JANUARY 1977 n=285 ^^^ t ^ (D 0- ° UNK RD ROLL R I TO COBO FLAT COWA HILL COHD BUTT 4rlOO- UJ o IT UJ Q- FEBRUARY 1977 n=309 1^ JH UNK RD ROLL R I TO COBO FLAT COWA HILL COHO BUTT PLAT FLPL £SS TOTAL WINTER 1976-1977 n=638 -^ Essd K\\ 1 I I Kvx^l UNK RD ROLL RITO COBO FLAT COWA HILL COHD BUTT PLAT FLPL 282 100- MULE DEER DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE 50- 0- MARCH 1977 n = 233 100- ROLL HILL COWA FLAT COUL I ' RITO UNK COHD TRACE= BUTT APRIL 1977 n=2l7 SO- OT z o < > a: UJ CO CO n- li- 100- T^ 1 ' ' ' '' ^^^ rn r-. rn ROLL HILL COWA FLAT COBO COUL HITO RITO UNK o q: iij Q. MAY 1977 n = 99 50- o-Lnn- ROLL HILL COWA FLAT COBO 100- HITO TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED UNK CRBO TOTAL SPRING n = 549 50- pq R p=q r— 1 .— ■ _ rn ROLL HILL COWA FLAT COBO COUL HITO RITO UNK TRACE= COHD, BUTT, CRBO '8.1 100- 50- o- 100- 50- CO z o CO 00 0- o Li. 100- o an ut a. 50- 0- 100- MULE DEER DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE JUNE 1977 n=l04 $^^ U^ r-i i 50- 0- COBO ROLL HILL UNK COWA FLAT JULY 1977 n = l23 ■ ^'>'^ R COBO ROLL HILL UNK COWA FLAT COUL AUGUST 1977 n = l94 "^^ I 1 h^-H ■^ TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED HITO PLAT • I 1 COBO ROLL HILL UNK COWA FLAT COUL CRBO HITO COHD TOTAL SUMMER n = 42l rrrr; TT ^=^ F^ COBO ROLL HILL UNK COWA FLAT COUL CRBO HITO TRACE: COHD, BUTT, PLAT, BADL 284 MULE DEER DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE 100- 50- SEPTEMBER 1977 n=47 TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED 0- 100- ^i tVTTi h > -. ,M UNK COBO COWA COUL CRBO HILL ROLL OCTOBER 1977 50- n = 224 CO z o I " ss\'i l\\\^^ ROLL COHE RITO TRACE: BADL, FLPL, FLAT 285 MULE DEER DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE 100- 50- DECEMBER 1977 n = 323 •^ txi TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED U-^ I I Ft=^ E3 I 1 I 1 — I 1 ROLL CRBO COWA COBO HILL COHE BADL RITO FLAT 100- 5 > UJ v) 50- CD o u. o z UJ o UJ 0- JANUARY 1978 n = 662 FTTfi ^3- xi^ ROLL CRBO COWA COHE BADL RITO UNK TRACE: COBO, FLAT, BUTT, HILL 100- 50- TOTAL WINTER 1977- -78 n=985 -i -.\\\: 1 1 t =3 1 F;;;i , — . 1 1 ROLL CRBO COWA COBO HILL COHE BADL RITO TRACE: BUTT FLAT UNK 286 MULE DEER DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE 100- 50- SUMMER 1976-77 n = 48l 0- JZL n n ROLL COWA COBO UNK HILL 100- CRBO FLAT COUL HITO TRACE: BADL, PLAT, BUTT, COHE 50- z o I ui 0- FALL 1976-77 n = 809 J — I n r— ■ [~l ^ ROLL COWA COBO O 100- o a. UNK HILL RITO COHE CRBO COUL TRACE; BADL , FLPL , FLAT WINTER 1976-78 n=1646 50- 0- 100- IZL 50- ROLL COWA COBO UNK HILL RITO COHE CRBO FLAT BADL TRACE: ROAD , PLAT, FLPL ALL SEASONS 1976-1978 n=3486 n \n BUTT ROLL COWA COBO UNK HILL RITO COHE CRBO FLAT BADL COUL TRACE ; ROAD , BUTT, PLAT, FLPL , HITO 287 100- WHITE-TAILED DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE TOTAL SPRING n = lll SO- OT z 0- o I- % q: UJ M m o 1 1 ^^^i I I F^ I I p^^ I — I I — I I — I CU ST LG WH GS FG S6 CF GR BX CG UNK LlI K 100- 50- DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE TOTAL SPRING n = lll •^^ rr^ r 1 ROLL FLAT COBO CRBO FLPL UNK TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED 288 100- WHITE-TAILED DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE TOTAL SUMMER n=90 50- S 0- < > UJ CO 00 o t^ rn p;;:! [— 1 rn i—i ti\SST UNK ST SR TC GR SG Gl FA GS CU GM LC RD TRACE: SS, CF o (E 100- llJ Q. 50- DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE TOTAL SUMMER n = 90 ^ ^:v^ JZL UNK FLAT ROLL COBU CRBO HILL COWA TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED TRACE: RIBO 289 100- WHITE-TAILED DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE TOTAL WINTER 1976-1977 n=86 50- 0- > CO IS o ii. o iij ^100- 50- 0- GR WH LB WHITE-TAILED DEER DIURNAL VEGETATION USE TOTAL WINTER 1976-1977 n = 86 LC ST CU CF t^wM \ ROLL FLAT CRBO FLPL COWA SG TOTAL OBSERV % FEEDING OBSERVED 290 100- 50- 0- 100- 50- z o > UJ O u- 100- o o UJ Q. 50- 0- 100- 50- UNK UNK UNK 1 SG PRONGHORN DIURNAL VEGETATION USE DECEMBER 1976 n=56 UNK SG GR SG SG JANUARY 1977 n=283 FEBRUARY 1977 n=300 r 1 GR LB BG ST TOTAL WINTER 1976-1977 n = 639 GR LB N^N TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED BG ST 291 PRONGHORN DIURNAL VEGETATION USE MARCH 1977 n = 687 "^7^ S2 GR SG GS LB BG CU ST WH SS APRIL 1977 n=48l f;;^ F^ GR SG GS LB BG ST UNK SA BS GR SG JUL GS LB MAY 1977 n=760 Gl FA CU TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED >^ -^^' TOTAL SPRING n=l928 GR SG GS LB BG Gl FA CU ST WH UNK TRACE: SS, HI, BS, SA, SC, HJ, RD, LC, BE, 292 100- 50- 0- 100- ^ PRONGHORN DIURNAL VEGETATION USE JUNE 1977 n=4l2 .kni. TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED GR SG FA UNK LB Gl 50- h- < > UJ CO m o TRACE: LC, GS, BE, HI, SS, RD JULY 1977 n = 4l5 i 0- 100- I I F^ l.V''.'--'^ GR SG FA o IT 50- LB CU Gl LC AUGUST 1977 n = 534 SS HI SR SC TRACE: GM, UNK 0- 100 :S ^ I I i I P;=^^ GR SG FA UNK LB CU LC ST SS RD 50- TRACEi SC, GM, GS TOTAL SUMMER n=l36l :t^ GR SG FA UNK LB CU Gl LC ST SS TRACE: GS, BE, HI, RD, GM, SR, SC 293 100- 50- PRONGHORN DIURNAL VEGETATION USE SEPTEMBER 1977 n = IOII TOTAL OBSERVED^ FEEDING OBSERVED I 1 i~i ri GR ST SG FA CU UNK LB TRACE: GS.WH.LC, RD.SA IOC- OCTOBER 1977 n = 457 50- w z o i : a: ^ 0- m o u. 100- o z UJ o a: iij a. ^.J IVV'.'J rrvT f^ I '- '^ '■ I rrm i i GR ST SG FA BG CU GS LC NOVEMBER 1977 n = ll67 50- \\ t ^ E^. GR ST FA BG TRACE: SG 100- l^^^^l C!Z^ BS SS 50- >v^ T" TOTAL FALL 1977 n=2635 .ESI I 1 I I GR ST SG FA BG CU UNK ' 1 BS TRACE :GS,SS,LB,WH,LC,SA,RD 294 100- 50- 0- 100- PRONGHORN DIURNAL VEGETATION USE DECEMBER 1977 n=55l ^^^ ^ I 1 SS SG ST GR 50- I- % UJ (D 0- o JANUARY 1978 n=ll57 ^ RO TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED I 1 I ■ o I- z UJ o liJ 0. 100- 50- 0- 100- SS SG GR BS CU UNK BA TR TOTAL WINTER 1977- -1978 n = l708 \' , h — 1 1 1 . 1 TRACE: LC SS SG ST 50- GR BS CU UNK BA trace: LC, RD TOTAL WINTER 1976-1978 n=2543 I 1 I 1 SS SG ST GR BS CU UNK BA TRACE: LB, LC, RD PRONGHORN DIURNAL VEGETATION USE SUMMER 1976-1977 n=l855 I 1 ■ ■ I I JZIL 3 I I GR SG FA SS UNK CU LB ST WW Gl LC TRACE: BG, SR, HI, HJ, TC, 5A, GS, BE, RD, GM, SC FALL 1976-1977 n=2970 I 1 GR SG FA SS UNK CU LB 86 BS ST TRACE. AL, WH, RD, SA, GS, LC, SS I 1 ALL SEASONS 1976-1978 ALL OBSERVATIONS n=9296 I I I I ' 1 I 1 I 1- GR SG FA SS UNK CU LB GS BG BS ST TRACE: WW, SR, HI, HJ, TC, SA, AL, Wi SC, RD, Gl, LC, BE, GM, BA " 296 100- 50- 0- 100- ■ -AAA SO- OT z o > UJ (/) en 0- o (i-IOO- UJ o UJ a. 50- 0- 100- 50- 0-^ PRONGHORN TOPOGRAPHY USE DECEMBER 1976 n=56 UNK ROLL JANUARY 1977 n=283 HI UNK ROLL FLAT HILL RITO COUL COWA FEBRUARY 1977 n=300 f n t J \: UNK ROLL FLAT HILL RITO COUL COWA 3 L^ TOTAL WINTER 1976-1977 n=639 ' ' ' ' ' ^ L^ TOTAL ■ OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED UNK ROLL FLAT HILL RITO COUL COWA 297 100- PRONGHORN DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE MARCH 1977 n = 687 50- m 100- ROLL FLAT HILL COBO FLPL APRIL 1977 n=48l 50- g q: u o '-' !±; 100- ROLL FLAT HILL COBO COWA UNK RITO HITO u K 111 a. MAY 1977 n = 760 50- 100- ROLL FLAT HILL COBO CRBO COWA TOTAL SPRING n=l928 50- ROLL FLAT HILL COBO FLPL CRBO COWA UNK TRACE: HITO, RITO, COUL, BADL, PLAT 298 100- PRONGHORN DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE 50- JUNE 1977 n = 4l2 0- 100- I — I ROLL HILL UNK FLAT COBO TRACE: COWA, CRBO JULY 1977 n=4l5 50- 5 111 S 0- o u. 100- o I 1 ROLL HILL UNK FLAT COBO CRBO COWA tiJ o a: AUGUST 1977 n = 534 50- 0- 100- r~i I— I ROLL HILL UNK FLAT COBO CRBO COWA TRACE: COUL, HITO, BADL TOTAL SUMMER n = l36l 50- JUL ROLL HILL UNK FLAT COBO CRBO COWA TRACE: BADL, COUL, HITO 299 100- 50- 0- 100- 50- w z o > a: UJ CD 0- o Si; 100- o 50- 0- 100- PRONGHORN DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE SEPTEMBER 1977 n=IOII I 1 c ROLL FLAT HILL UNK J^ CRBO NOVEMBER 1977 n=ll67 i ^ \ 1 J ROLL FLAT HILL UNK COBO RITO CRBO COHE TRACE COWA OCTOBER 1977 n=457 i r~i —\ FLPL COHE BADL TRACE: RITO, COUL • ^ TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED ROLL HILL 50- 0- RITO TOTAL FALL 1977 n=2635 PLAT TRACE FLAT, COBO I 1 ' ' ROLL FLAT HILL UNK COBO RITO CRBO TRACE: FLPL, COUL, COWA, COHE, BADL, PLAT 300 100- 50- PRONGHORN DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE DECEMBER 1977 n = 55l IZl -^ ESS] ^ l'^'''^'^* ROLL CRBO BADL RITO HILL FLAT COBO TOTAL OBSERVED FEEDING OBSERVED PLAT 100- JANUARY 1978 n=ll57 SO- OT z o > cr V) CD o ^ >'\\\ ^ R^ 100- ROLL CRBO BADL RITO HILL fi \\M UNK TRACE: FLAT.COHE UJ o a: 50- TOTAL WINTER 1977-78 n = l708 i:^ is VV.L\ -EZZ3 CS3_ ROLL CRBO BADL RITO HILL FLAT COBO UNK TRACE: COHE, PLAT 100- WINTER 1976-77 AND 1977-78 n=2543 50- I 1 ROLL CRBO BADL RITO HILL FLAT COBO UNK COWA TRACE: COUL, PLAT, COHE 301 100- PRONGHORN DIURNAL TOPOGRAPHY USE TOTAL SUMMERS 1976 - 1977 n=l855 50- 0- 100- ROLL FLAT HILL UNK CRBO COBO COWA TOTAL FALLS 1976 - 1977 n = 2970 TRACE :RIT0,BADL,C0UL,HIT0 > a: LU to m O uj 0- o a: iij a. I 1 • ROLL FLAT HILL UNK CRBO COBO COHE TRACE : COUL , HITO, COWA , RITO, FLPL ,BAOL, PLAT 100- ALL SEASONS 1976 - 1978 50- O-L ROLL FLAT HILL UNK CRBO COWA BADL RITO TRACE :COHD, COUL, FLPL, HLTO, PLAT, COHE 302 C/1 0) +-> 10 E •r— +J to OJ > r-. ■t-> r-~ CTi (1) r— 1 > 1 i- CO (O r-- -C CTl r-H s- Ol «t Q) O ■o LD UD <+- o +-> U >1 •f— s- s- (O -!-> E (/> E •r— 3 ■o I/O CT. C • • r- _l ^-> C 3 X x: •r- ■o s- c: o QJ M- Q. Q. ct ■!-> >> c ID 5^ C CO Q) <: to (1) s- 4-> 01 O) c +-> to c to O) 01 o o s- o CL. t/1 CO to tn CO CO LD c 3 a: o. o Q. i. a. o S- n 0) >- to CM o CvJ CM t^ >* CM un to LO to 1 — 1 o to CM CO .—I cr> LO to LO LO <=!■ to CTl 00 O) E tz o LU t_) a: O CO 303 Appendix M . Summary of Montana Department of Fish and Game Pronghorn Antelope Census Data, 1960-1976. Antelope Area 650 Year Count Fawns 100 does Fawns Permits Number Issued Percent lla) "vest 100 Adults ri umber Percent of of Count Count 1976 1920 90 61 800 41.6 464 24.2 1973 1941 101 74 1200 61.8 674 34.7 1970 781 91 59 700 90 512 66 1967 992 111 62 500 50 340 34 1974 1555 100 63 711 46 462 30 1960 925 106 71 400 43 195 21 SOURCE: Montana Department of Fish and Game. 304 -a c c 1/1 +-> (U c +J > 0) .^ S- • u .—1 ra O r— c +-> r— < - o (O • r- o 1— (_) -^ C IX) s- to o ^ +-> C7) O to S- +J c 4J CO Cl oi (U •r- 0) •f— o E O M- T3 S- i- o O 0) > C S_ •.- tT3 +J E C E =3 -!-> CO =J -C c S- CO CT) OJ o O s_ C o . It- QJ 3 =J Q- re c/0 01 -o +-> O -r- C CD x: a. O E IT S- Cl. to OOroOOOOOCDOCDOOO.-HOOO(NJOCVJO oonoOLncvj^a-LDr— inHoocv^-— iCJ^coCTirO"— iCMCO"— I cocvjojcMcvir^cO'^councO'— I"— iCTiCMr^unt— tr-~(\jOO .— iLn.-Hoococrir^Lr)>— ii-f)«d-i — loooop--vocoocoooi r--.r~.vocDi-nLnLnoocD Lr)iouf)LnLnLO«*roooro>;d-CMOjc\ji— iro^^'^' CO <* ^ ■ CM r~~coco^i-r^Lncoro«*<^cocMOuncocT(i^o%t-icoc\ic\j r^cncocOLnr^r~.r^r^r^cor^r^coLncoLn^cor^ccit^ CO CO ror--CTiOcooor^oocococyii^CDcniocx)COc\icr)rocoo oococor~-cooocooococor-^r^coi — cor~~councoa3r-^co csjco-— ii— icocDr^cocncricocococouncTi^^i-cocyiCNjo CnC0CT)O1C0c\joor~~r^r~~cocnLr)Lnr-^^<^-0 r^i — r~.i — r~~r~-r^r-^cocococococococococOLnLnLnLn cTio^o^cr^CT^cr>cria^cricriCTiCTicriCT>cTicriCTicT>cricr>cri'T> E to C .c CO o +-> c $_ CL c o UJ <_) o 305 • MONTANA DEPAKTmCNT OF NATURAL RESOURCES & CONSERVATION Helena, Montana .7P — ',.'>',.-,■':■ ■'T>.£^— :;--'^'g<^ '*r\-?;:^«:.C