129 



Poor nesting success and/or brood survival in I98O was a result 

 of orevailing drought conditions. 



Sage grouse : Two sage grouse arenas were located in the northeast 

 Dortion of the study area (Figure 67). Attendance by displaying 

 males was 12 and 7, respectively (Table 63). Average number of 

 male sage grouse per arena declined in 198I, from a high in I98O, 

 throughout eastern Montana (Knapp et al. 198I). One hundred and 

 fifty-one individual sage grouse were sighted on the study area 

 during the study period. Most observations were in the northeast 

 portion and along the north and south boundaries. Additional 

 sage grouse arenas are undoubtedly located in close proximity 

 to the study area. 



Other upland game birds : Seventy-one turkeys were observed in 

 the vicinities of Foster Creek and Cameron Creek during the 

 study period. A group including 4 adults and 11 young birds 

 was sighted on Foster Creek in the summer of 198O. A group of 

 about 30 birds frequented the Cameron Creek vicinity during the 

 winter of 198O-81. 



Pheasants are abundant and commonly seen on the study area, 

 especially along Foster Creek and Little Pumpkin Creeks. Pheasant 

 crow routes were not conducted during the study period due to 

 time and weather constraints but frequent observations indicated 

 that they are abundant wherever suitable habitat is present. 



Gray partridge occur on the study area but were seen infrequently. 



Waterfowl: In spite of severe drought conditions of 198O and 

 19bl, a large number and variety of waterfowl were observed on 

 the study area (Table 6I). Most stock ponds dried up during both 

 summers and others were completely dry both years. Species 

 successfully breeding on the study area include the eared grebe, 

 pied-billed grebe, mallard, gadwall, pintail, green-winged teal, 

 blue-winged teal, American wlgeon and northern shoveler. 



Three large reservoirs in the southern portion of the study area 



(Section 9, TIS, R48e) and their associated marsh habitats 



support a large number and variety of resident waterfowl and 



shorebirds. They served as a staging area for resident birds 



late in the summer when many other ponds were dry and they attracted 



migrant birds also. Flocks of as many as l4o Canada geese used 



these reservoirs and adjacent fields during migration. 



Nongame birds : Species composition of songbirds observed during 

 roadside inventory surveys is presented in Table 64. Location 

 of songbird inventory route stops is Illustrated in Figure 68. 

 Observations of American kestrels were also recorded during these 

 surveys. Meadowlarks made up approximately 30J5 of all birds 

 observed. Meadowlarks, vesper sparrows and lark buntings together 

 made up over 50% of the species composition. These data are 

 probably biased in favor of species having the most conspicuous 

 habits and loudest songs. 



