APPENDIX C 

 SILVER SAGEBRUSH FLAT--Locdtion: Montana; McCone County; SE quarter of Sec. 

 31, T20N, R45E; 47° 25' N, 106°!' W, AMS, Jordan (NL 13-1). Continuity: 

 Established 1977; 2 consecutive years. Size: 24 ha = 59.3 acres (rectangular, 

 300 X 800 m, paced). Description of Plot: see AB 32:107 (1978). Coverage: 

 May 23, 24, 26, 28; June 15, 17, 19, 20; July 20; 9 trips, 0450-2030. Total 

 man-hours: 15.6. Census: Brewer's Sparrow, 10 (42, 17); Conmon Yel lowthroat, 

 6 (25, 10); Western Meadowlark, 6 (25, 10); Lark Bunting, 5 (21, 8); Grass- 

 hopper Sparrow, 3.5 (15, 6); Sharp-tailed Grouse, 2; Eastern Kingbird, 2; 

 Sprague's Pipit, 2; Baird's Sparrow, 1.5; Mourning Dove, 1; Loggerhead Shrike, 

 1; Brown-headed Cowbird, 1; Chestnut-collared Longspur, 1; Marsh Hawk, +; 

 Horned Lark, +; Bobolink, +; Red-winged Blackbird, +. Total: 17 species; 42 

 territorial males or females (175/km2, 71/100 acres). Visitors: Mallard, 

 Gadwall, Common Nighthawk, Cliff Swallow, Brown Thrasher, Brewer's Blackbird. 

 Remarks: Three nests were found within the plot: Marsh Hawk, 1 with 6 young; 

 Eastern Kingbird, 1 with 4 young; and Loggerhead Shrike, 1 with 6 young. 

 Bobolink and Baird's Sparrow were not seen in the vicinity in 1977, but were 

 quite common in 1978. The Horned Lark, Sprague's Pipit, Baird's Sparrow, and 

 Chestnut-collared Longspur territories were all located in grassland outside 

 the sagebrush flat, and overlapped the plot only partially. The Eastern 

 Kingbird and Loggerhead Shrike nested in the isolated clumps of Silver Buffalo- 

 berry near the northeastern end of the plot. Common Yel lowthroats were res- 

 tricted to patches of Snowberry along the drainage bottom, and the Marsh Hawk 

 nest was located in a dense Snowberry patch very near the location of last 

 year's nest. The Sharp-tailed Grouse were seen repeatedly on the plot, and 

 although no broods were observed, breeding is probable since a lek was located 

 within the NE corner of the plot. Other vertebrates encountered on the plot 

 during census runs: Prairie Rattlesnake ( Crotalus viridis ). White-tailed Jack- 

 rabbit ( Lepus townsendi ) Mule Deer,( 0docoileus hemionus ). White-tailed Deer 

 (0. virginianus ) Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ). 



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