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nesting on gentle north and east facing slopes or benches. Understory at the <br />nest site is sparse or none. Nests are seldom found below 2300 meters (7500 <br />feet) or farther than 275 meters (900 feet) from water. The reason for their <br />decline is possibly due. to predator poisonings. <br />On the West Elk Mine area, there is marginal nesting habitat in the major <br />gulches and on some ridges which have aspen patches. The species tolerates <br />nearby activity on roads and around developments but is very intolerant of <br />approaches to the nest site by humans. Approaching to within about 250 feet <br />of a nest will usually provoke a direct attack with potential serious Snjury. <br />Any development in the area would have little if any impact on the species <br />because the habitat is marginal and the species is tolerant of nearby <br />activity. If a pair establishes a nest too close to activities, it may be <br />necessary to curtail those activities for the duration of the nesting period. <br />It will be obvious when activities are too close as the birds will readily <br />attack humane in that area. <br />Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Empidonax traillii extimus <br />The Willow Flycatcher is found most frequently along streams in Che lower <br />mountains. It may also inhabit woodland edges and thickets where it is moist. <br />It prefers relatively open areas free of trees but with medium shrub cover of <br />willows, alders, or birch. The Southwestern race 1s not definitely known from <br />Colorado. It is found in New Mexico near the Colorado border (Unitt 1987). <br />Bailey and Niedrach (1965) listed flue specimens from western Colorado. <br />Browning (1993) evaluated three of these and concluded that one "from Garfield <br />County, is adastus" and "a bird fcom Summit County and one from Mesa County <br />... may be faded or represent intergrades between extimus and adastus." The <br />extimus race differs from the adastus race by being paler above, especially on <br />the head, with paler cheeks, the chestband less pronounced, and the belly and <br />crissum paler yellow. Such subtle differences would be virtually Smpossible <br />to evaluate in the field. No Willow Flycathers of any race were observed or <br />heard in the vicinity of the West Elk Mine during threatened and endangered <br />species surveys conducted during May and early July, 1994. There is potential <br />habitat in a few areas along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and in <br />Sylvester Gulch. If the Willow Flycatcher were to occur here, it would almost <br />certainly be the adastus race or an intergrade with extimus. Protecting these <br />would not be beneficial to the extimus race. <br />Loggerhead Shrike, Lanius ludovicianus <br />The Loggerhead Shrike is a bird of open country with scattered trees and <br />shrubs. In western Colorado, the area northwest of Grand Junction where there <br />are scattered junipers, greasewood, and sagebrush would be a primary Habitat. <br />They are rarely seen in the mountains except during migraCion and there are no <br />confirmed breeding records in the mountains (Andrews 6 Righter 1992). Miller <br />(1931) gives the habitat for the race occurring in western Colorado as the <br />Art emisia (sagebrush) association. These habitats do not occur near the West <br />Elk Mine and no shrikes were seen in the vicinity during surveys in April, <br />May, and early July. Any development in the area should have no effect on <br />this species. <br />Colorado River Cutthroat Trout, Salmo clarki pleuriticus <br />The Colorado River Cutthroat Trout is found in small headwater streams to <br />large rivers and lakes but it prefers clear, cold water (Griffith et al. <br />1981). Virtually all pure stocks are in headwater streams that are isolated <br />in some way from lower waters. Hybridization with introduced trout has been <br />rampant in the lower waters (Behnke S Zarn 1976). Besides hybridization, <br />2 <br />