. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1981 WALLIS and WERSHLER: MOUNTAIN PLOVER STATUS AND BREEDING 135 '".'i^i -^ *â¢-. , w-t *"-^ â =« llm" \ v^:., I^>'-. Figure 2. Mountain Plover at nest, site B, 5 June 1979. Note the cow manure pile on the left. and the lichens Parmelia chlorochroa, Cahplaca sp., and Candelariella sp., with 55% bare sandy loam soil. Other plants nearby included: Allium textile (Prairie Onion), Atriplexnuttallii {Sah Sage), Astragaluspec- /7/7fl?w5 (Narrow-leaved Milk Vetch), and Poasecunda (Sandberg's Bluegrass). Site B is on a gentle northwest slope. It was
. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1981 WALLIS and WERSHLER: MOUNTAIN PLOVER STATUS AND BREEDING 135 '".'i^i -^ *â¢-. , w-t *"-^ â =« llm" \ v^:., I^>'-. Figure 2. Mountain Plover at nest, site B, 5 June 1979. Note the cow manure pile on the left. and the lichens Parmelia chlorochroa, Cahplaca sp., and Candelariella sp., with 55% bare sandy loam soil. Other plants nearby included: Allium textile (Prairie Onion), Atriplexnuttallii {Sah Sage), Astragaluspec- /7/7fl?w5 (Narrow-leaved Milk Vetch), and Poasecunda (Sandberg's Bluegrass). Site B is on a gentle northwest slope. It was charac- terized by: Bouteloua gracilis 25%, Carex filifolia 15%, and Poa secunda 5% with minor amounts of Carex eleocharis, Cymopterus acaulis, Eurotia lanata. Allium textile, and the lichens Physconia mus- cigena, Parmelia chlorochroa, Fulgensia sp., Clado- nia sp., Caloplaca sp., and Candelariella sp., with 45% bare sandy loam soil. Both nests were located within the burned area and less than 10 m from its edge. At site C there were more weedy species and a higher proportion of mid-grasses (Stipa comata, Koeleria cristata (June Grass), Poa secunda). Detailed vegetation analysis was not under- taken here as the exact location of the nests could not be determined. The nest at site A was located beside two large heaps of dried cow manure. The shallow nest depression was lined mostly with pieces of dry cow manure and very small twigs, including broken stems of Eurotia lanata. There were also Cymopterus acaulis seeds, Selaginella densa (Little Club-moss) cuttings, and pieces of the lichens Physconia muscigena, Cladonia sp., and Ful- gensia sp. Another lined nest depression, identical in material, shape, and size, was located a few metres east of the site A nest. It was assumed to be a nest from a previous year; although Mountain Plovers construct several scrapes before nesting, only the actual nest is lined (Graul 1975). The nest at site B was located next to a group of dry
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