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RESPONDENT
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Sergey Paskhalny
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SITE NAME
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Labytnangi, Lower Ob' area, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (34992) 5-19-10 // spas2006@yandex.ru // Zelyonaya Gorka, 18-1, Labytnangi, Tumenskaya oblast, 629400, Russia
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Lower Ob' ornithological expedition
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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1.05
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30.09
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1
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Substantially less snow was accumulated during the winter than in 1999, and it melted nearly one month earlier than in 1999. Accordingly, spring was early and developed quickly. May was warm (in particular second half with mean temperature +1.6øC), and rather rainy, leafing started earlier than usual, on 27-28 May. Snow cover reduced to 50% on 14 May and completely disappeared already on 19 May. Ice-break on the Ob' River near Salekhard happened on 19-20 May, 10-11 days earlier than average. Flood on the Ob' River was low and brief. June was warm (in particular last 20 days with mean temperature +11.7øC), moderately wet. July was very warm (+14.7øC) and dry, August also warm (+13.5øC) and rainy in the mid of month. Thus, summer was warm and dry, autumn started in usual time. September was cool and moderately wet, temperature crossed 0øC on 20th, first snow fall took place on 21st. Extremal weather events were not recorded except for local fires in the second half of July.
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| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
14 May
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
19-20 May
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
19 May
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low
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Breeding conditions:
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Most birds arrived in usual time, but some - up to one week earlier (among waders: Whimbrel - on 19 May, Wood Sandpiper - on 20 May, Temminck's Stint - on 23 May). Peak of arrival occurred from 20 to 31 May, but part of northerly sandpipers (Little Stint and Dunlin) continued to migrate by 10 June. Migration generally was not intensive and densities of migrants low, which could have been partly due to early snowmelt and spread of birds over larger area.
Arctic and Red foxes, owls (except for two Snowy Owls on 19 May) and skuas were not recorded, Rough-legged Buzzard was only recorded in spring on migration. Gull numbers were usual. Ducks were not numerous both in spring and autumn, and number of Long-tailed Duck nests was 5 times lower than in 1999 due to population shift to the north in this early year. Most of these nests were depredated by gulls. Numbers of most waders species were also low in the beginning of summer, with exception of Wood Sandpiper and Pintail Snipe that were relatively common. Among records of rare species two Black-tailed Godwits and a pair of Little Ringed Plovers should be noted. Active autumn migration of waders was registered from 10-15 August, after which numbers dropped substantially, with only single flocks of Golden Plovers and Ruffs having been seen to 3 September. Among passerines reproduction was the most successful in pipits, warblers, buntings and finches judging by observations in late summer and autumn.
Breeding conditions in 2000 were favourable for most passerines and waders, but postbreeding numbers did not increase noticeably due to low breeding densities.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| No rodents, or their tracks, fresh burrows, winter nests and excrements were recorded on excursions.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
| Studies were carried out of colonial breeding of Long-tailed Duck, Arctic Tern and Little Gull. Publication is being prepared about finding of Little Gull colony in forest tundra.
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