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• Field studies during the spring and eazly summer of 1997 confirmed [he use of four nest sites in <br />the cliff located in Sections 29, 30 and 31, T. 5 N., R. 86 W. These nest sites aze shown on <br />Figure 1. Of these, there were three red-railed hawks and one golden eagle. Young were fledged <br />from all nests. Data on the number of young fledged aze shown in Table 1. <br />Distribution of nesting raptors in the cliffs was different than 1996. In 1997 the prairie falcon nest <br />in Section 31, T 5 N., R 86 W. which produced 5 young in 1996 was not active. However, an <br />active nest was located in the SE 1/4 SE 1/4 Sec. 36 T. 5. N., R. 87 W. This may have been the <br />same pair of birds that nested in the cliff in Section 31 the previous year. The prairie falcon nest in <br />the cliffs above Middle Creek, SE 1/4 SW 1/4 Sec. 17 T 4. N., R 86 W., was not active in 1997. <br />During all observation periods in the Middle Creek area two prairie falcons were observed. At no <br />time did these birds exhibit behavior that would indicate they had an active nest. The time spent <br />locating and monitoring nest sites in this area led the investigators to believe that these birds were <br />probably notsuccessful nesters. <br />A female golden eagle was observed on one of the historic nests in the cliff above Middle Creek, <br />SE 1/4 SE 1/4 Sec. 33, T 5 N., R 86 W. early in the nesting season. During the first aerial <br />• observation in early May one egg was observed in the nest. The female was not observed on this <br />nest site after the middle of May. Also, no young were observed on the nest and it must be <br />assumed that the nest was unsuccessful. An historic nest site in a cliff in the SE 1/4 SW 1/4 Sec. <br />12, T 4 N., R 86 W., which was not active the last two years was successful this year producing <br />one young. <br />During both years activity in the cliff in Sections 29, 30, 31, T. 5 N., R. 86 W. was of greatest <br />interest. The red-tail hawk nest located under the chain link fence that had been placed to keep the <br />birds from nesting was active again in 1997. This and two other red-tailed hawk nests were, like <br />last year, located within a lineaz distance of one-half mile. Normally these birds are not known to <br />nest this close to one another and be successful. <br />The cliff in the SW 1/4 of Section 29 had spalled immediately below where a golden eagle had <br />nested and fledged one young last year. The nest was not active in 1997. However, there was an <br />active nest in the NE 1/4 of Section 29 which may have been the same pair of birds. <br />L <br />3 <br />