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RESPONDENT
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Svetlana Mechnikova
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SITE NAME
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Schuchya River, middle reaches, Yamal Peninsula, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (495) 367-60-56 // mechnikova@rambler.ru // Russia, 105043 Moscow, 3-ya Parkovaya, 8/19, apartm. 50
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Counting of nesting Falconiformes
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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22.06
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10.08
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3
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Spring was extremely early, 3 weeks earlier compared to average. Unusually low precipitation: it rained only 5 times for 1-2 hours during 8 weeks. Water in rivers dropped to a very low level and also very early, likewise tundra dried out. Greening and fruiting of plants was early.
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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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Arctic Foxes were not recorded, and for the whole area of about 1000 sq. km only 4 nests of Rough-legged Buzzards were found in the forested vicinities of the Schutchya River tributary (2 chicks in one of them). Gyrfalcons had average numbers in spite of the very low density of Willow Grouses (no nests found and only 2 broods met). Peregrine Falcons nested at a slightly lower density than in previous years, Merlins and White-tailed Sea Eagles had usual numbers. Two nests of Golden Eagles were located as before, with 2 almost feathered chicks in one of them.
Black-throated Divers were common as usual, but non-breeding Red-throated Divers were surprisingly numerous on rivers. Bean and Lesser White-fronted geese were very rare: single brood of the former and 2 broods of the latter were recorded. A brood of Horned Grebe was met, which is the only breeding record of this species at such a high latitude in the last 30 years. Among waders, tundra species (plovers, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit) were less common than average, while Common Sandpiper - more common; other waders (Wood and Terek sandpipers, Red-necked Phalarope, Temminck's Stint and Ringed Plover) had usual numbers. Lapland Buntings were very rare among passerines, while Red-throated Pipits - unusually numerous. Also, normally rare Shorelarks (few suitable habitats) were more common in this season, while Chiffchaff - less common.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Lemmings were completely absent in tundra, while few inhabited burrows of Ruddy and Narrow-skulled voles were found in forested river floodplains.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Clethrionomys rutilus | rare |
| Microtus gregalis | rare |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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