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RESPONDENT
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Pavel Tomkovich
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SITE NAME
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Kainupilgen Lagoon area, SE of the Lower Anadyr lowland, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (495)6294474/(495)629-48-25(fax, for P. Tomkovich) // pst@zmmu.msu.ru // Zoological Museum, Bolshaya Nikitskaya St., 6, Moscow, 125009, Russia
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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International Arctic Expedition of the Institute of ecology and evolution
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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17.07
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26.07
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2-4
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Spring was early according to interview data, summer - warm and dry. Despite particularly heavy rain on 18-19 July and other precipitation many marshes and shallow lakes were free of water indicating dry season. However, in late July snow patches still remained locally on steep hill slopes and in cloughs.
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low
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Breeding conditions:
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One Red Fox and one Stoat were seen during 12-day period. Among avian predators Herring Gulls were numerous, as they nested in dense colonies on lagoon islands, and Arctic Skuas were common and bred. Peregirine falcon was taking small waders from migrating flocks feeding on mud flats of the lagoon.
Negative impact of dry summer on bird reproduction was unlikely, as undulating spit relief allowed birds to find suitable habitats. Broods of Sandhill Cranes, geese, ducks, waders and other birds indicated quite successful nesting. Good reproductive performance was also confirmed by relatively high density of Grey Plovers with broods or nearly hatched clutches, which only happens in seasons of low pressure by terrestrial predators.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Both rodent and predators' numbers were low in the second half of July. Arctic Ground-Squirrels Citellus parryi were breeding in small numbers everywhere on the spits, separating lagoon from the sea. Single lemming was recorded during 10 days of observations and excursions, but their winter nests were common.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
| Main focus was made on seaches of Spoon-billed Sandpipers. Studies also included mapping of certain bird species breeding distribution on spits, separating lagoon from sea, with view of evaluating densities in the end of reproductive season.
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