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The other seven nests in the 1-mile perimeter were cliff nests. Four of those nests were <br />• close to each other, in a single golden eagle territory (Section 3, TSN, R87W). A second golden <br />eagle territory (Section 27, T6N, R87W) had two cliff nests, and a third territory (Section 13, <br />TSN, R87W) had just one nest. Eagles nested in two of the three territories (Section 3 and <br />Section 13) in 1996. Each of those pairs fledged a single young. <br />SANDHII.L CRANE ACTIVITY <br />A pair of sandhill cranes was seen foraging along a drainage at the south edge of the <br />permit area in Section 13, on 23 April. Cranes had been observed in the same area in 1995, and <br />in summer of that yeaz, vegetation consultants observed a pair with one young in that drainage <br />N. Buckner, ESCO, pers. comm.). No young were ever observed in the Section 13 azea in 1996. <br />During the April survey, cranes were heazd in a drainage immediately west of reclamation, <br />in Section 34. No nests were found in April, but mine personnel (R. Karo, pers. comm.) <br />observed a nest later in spring along that drainage in SE Section 34, approximately one-half mile <br />south of the mine facilities. The nest was approximately 100 feet from alight-duty road and 700 <br />• feet from the main haul road. <br />A crane was seen incubating on the nest, but the bird was not approached so the number <br />of eggs in the nest was not determined. By June, mine personnel noted that the adults were no <br />longer incubating, and no adults or young were observed along the drainage. On 17 June, the nest <br />area was checked by B. C. Postovit (PRES, principal biologist). The nest itself could not be seen <br />or accessed because of tall vegetation and pooled water. However, no adults or young frequented <br />the area in summer, so it seems likely that the pair did not nest successfully in 1996. <br /> <br />1996 Seneca II Mine Wildlife Monitoring Page 9 <br />