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<br />S:esident wintering passerines were censured along the same transects for <br />C three consecutive days during early January, 1980 in all of the vegetation <br />types censured for breeding birds. Due to the weather conditions and to the <br />low passerine diversity at this tune of year, a flush census technique was <br />used. The numbers of all birds flushed, perched or flying over the 0.5 San <br />paced strip transect were recorded by apec:ies and habitat type. Strip transects <br />were run throughout the daylight hours. <br />Qualitative surveys o£ areas not subjected to strip census were conducted in <br />„une during nud-day and late afternoon to compile~a crng>lete list of birds <br />occupying fine study site. Strip cPSSUSes often do not activunt for all species <br />and since the breeding bird strip-census was only conducted during early <br />irornirg hours, time was left at mid-day and late afternoon for qualitative <br />avian surveys. <br /> Raptors. Ail raptors and their nest sites protected by the Migratory IIird <br /> Treaty Act (certain hawks), The Eagle Protection Act (golden and bald eagles) <br /> and the proposed Federal Coal Management Program Criteria (Criteria ~r15 deals <br />•~.. with falcons and eagles) were identified for the study area during. all field <br /> investigations (see Results, page 37). Also, potential raptor nesting sites <br /> were identified and mapped during ground activities. All potential nest sites <br /> identified during these surveys ware subjected to intensive ground studies <br /> during the height of the 1979 reproductive season to determine whether they were <br /> occupied by nesr;,,g pairs of peregrine falcons, bald or golden eagles, prairie <br /> falcons or other protected raptors. The skyline watch was anployed to survey <br /> all potential nesting areas. It is virtually certain that nesting adult raptors <br /> will leave t`~eir nest site to forage at least once and often several times a <br /> day during the time they have young on the nest. Any birds nesting in the area <br /> are easily seen this tine of the year during skyline watches of 4-b hours in <br /> length at strategic locations. Each actual or potential nest site identified was <br /> visited subsc-c7uent tD the skyline watch to detezmine its status (i.e., active <br /> or inactive). The occupants of active nest sites were observed with a spotting <br /> scope frcm a distance to determine their species and numbers. For active ~v~d <br /> inactive nest sites, location, habitat type,. nest substrate and height <br /> off of ground were recorded. The species and nLmil~ss of all raptors sighted <br />L <br /> _7_ <br />JdM 1 1 tfl80 <br />• <br />(Revised July 2006) Attachment 2.04.11-1-14 <br />