203 



Two great blue heron rookeries were located on the Tongue River 

 (Figure 90). They each had around 10-15 nests. Although not a 

 special interest species^ Their nests are often used by raptors 

 or waterfowl. A pair of red-tailed hawks nested in the 

 southern rookery in 1981, and a pair of Canada geese nested in the 

 northern rookery in 1980. 



Nongame Mammals 



Twenty-four species of mammals including game species were observed 

 in the Birney study area (Table 109). This list is probably 

 not complete. Thirteen small mammal traplines were run, seven 

 during the summer and six during fall (Figure 91). Trapping 

 success was higher in the fall (1.6 captures/100 trap nights, 5 

 species) than in summer (0.9 canture/lOO trap nights, 3 species). 

 Table 110 lists the results of small-mammal trapping, separated 

 by habitat. Although cliff habitat appears to have had the 

 highest trapping success, only one trapline was run in this 

 habitat. One fall trapline in riparian habitat had a success of 

 2.9 captures/100 trap nights, the highest success rate of any 

 trapline. However, this high rate was offset by another fall 

 riparian trapline which met with zero success. The other two 

 riparian traplines were set in exactly the same location. The 

 summer trapline had a success rate of 0.5 captures/100 trap nights, 

 and the fall trapline had 1.7 captures/100 trap nights. This all 

 suggests that generalizations about small-mammal productivity in 

 different habitats cannot be made with sample sizes as small as 

 ours because of: 1) large seasonal differences in trapping success 

 on any one site; 2) large differences in trapping success between 

 different localities. 



A total of 57 coyotes were observed during the study. Coyote 

 observations per hour of aerial survey reached a high of 3.8 obs/hr 

 in January. Bobcat tracks were noted in several areas and one 

 bobcat was trapped on Zook Creek by a local resident during the 

 winter of 198O-8I. A mountain lion was seen along the Tongue 

 River north of Birney by Dr. A. Hayes in May 198I, only about Ih 

 miles outside the study area. 



One mammal SDecies. observed during this study the western big- 

 eared bat, is considered by Plath (198I) to be of special interest 

 or concern. This bat was found in an old root cellar on Bull Creek, 

 near the western edge of the study area. 



Historically, extensive prairie dog towns were found along the 

 Tongue River and most of the creek bottoms (Olson-Elliott and 

 Associates 198O). There are presently no known active prairie dog 

 towns on the Birney study area, although old mounds are still 

 visible In areas along Bull Creek and Cook Creek. 



Amphibians and Reptiles 



Seven species of herpetiles were observed on the Birney study area 

 (Table 111). This list is not considered to be complete. Racers 

 and rattlesnakes were the two most commonly encountered reptiles. 



