Osprey observations were primarily confined to Lake Creek 

 and Bull Lake. It was estimated that 48 observations were of 

 a minimum of 13 individuals. Table 12 gives the locations of 

 9 osprey nests noted on the study area. Nests 1, 2 and 3 

 were each attended by a pair of adults who incubated and 

 successfully hatched young during 1977. Nests 1 and 3 fledged 

 2 young each during the first week in August. Nest 2 was 

 abandoned in early July shortly after logging activities com- 

 menced in the immediate area. The fate of these birds is 

 unknown, but no adults or young osprey were observed at or 

 near this nest after July. Osprey were not observed on 

 Nest 4 by the investigator but reports indicate this nest 

 was attended by a pair early in the season. The birds on 

 this nest were reported by locals to have been shot. Ospreys 

 were reported during previous years on Nest 5, but this nest 

 was not attended during 1977. Nests 6, 7 and 8 by their lo- 

 cation and construction indicate previous use by osprey but 

 none were observed near the nest in 1977. Nest 9 was lo- 

 cated during March 1978 and was in good repair. During 

 19 78, no young were observed in Nest 1, 3 young were hatched 

 in Nest 3, 2 young were hatched in Nest 6 and 3 young were 

 hatched in Nest 9. Nest 2 was attended by a pair in April 

 but no young were observed in the nest during July. Nest 4 

 fell from the tree and the tree containing Nest 7 fell. 

 Nest 5 was unoccupied and Nest 8 was not observed during 

 1978. 



Forest Grouse 



Members of the family Tetranonidae which were observed 

 on the study area included: blue grouse, ruffed grouse and 

 spruce grouse. These grouse are all native to Montana and 

 are generally limited to the mountainous regions of the 

 state. Observations and sign of blue grouse and ruffed 

 grouse recorded during the study are contained in Appendices 

 16 and 17. The distribution of these observations and the 

 observations of spruce grouse are presented in Figure 21. 

 The blue grouse and ruffed grouse data are summarized in 

 Tables 13 and 14, respectively. 



The three observations of spruce (Franklin's) grouse 

 occurred near Camp Creek in the area to be inundated by the 

 tailing impoundment. The overall geographic distribution 

 of the spruce grouse is a transcontinental band generally 

 conforming to the boreal coniferous forest (Aldrich 1963). 

 In Montana, spruce grouse are more limited in their range 

 than either the blue or ruffed grouse and are generally 

 found in the denser forest types such as subalpine fir, 

 Engelmann spruce or lodgepole pine {Pinus aontorta) in western 

 Montana (Mussehl et al. 1971) . 



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