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RESPONDENT
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Sergei Sleptsov
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SITE NAME
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Djukagirskoe Lake, "Kytalyk" reserve, Indigirka River basin, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (4112)33-56-90/(4112)33-58-12/33-33-94(h) // sleptsov@mail.ru // Russia, 677891, Yakutsk, Pr. Lenina 41, Institute of biological problems of cryolitozona, office 423
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Monitoring of Siberian White and Sandhill cranes
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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28.05
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19.07
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2
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Ice broke on the Indigirka River near Chokurdakh on 30 May. Spring was early, but very few birds occurred from 3 to 5 June, when cold weather returned, with strong northern wind and snowstorm. Migration of waders and eiders resumed on 6 June. Summer was very warm and dry, with the previous one of the kind in 1991, according to reports of local people. In late June temperatures were reaching +25øC in shadow, and mass flying of insects was recorded. Generally, weather conditions were favourable for birds.
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| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
2.06
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
30.05
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
10.06
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
average
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Breeding conditions:
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Snow accumulation was low during winter, but strength and direction of wind in spring was different from those in other years. Accordingly, nesting habitats of some species were still under thick cover of snow by the start of breeding, which made them move to other sites. E.g., eastern slopes of hills and lake shores were snow-covered. Two nests of Rough-legged Buzzards were found in unusual localities in the open polygonal marsh: one on the small hillock 0.7 m high, another - on the patch of dwarf birch 50 m from last year nest of Sandhill Crane. Peregrine Falcons nested 1.5 km from the last year nest site. Two pairs of White Siberian Cranes made nests on the earsternmost parts of their territories, where snow-free patches existed on downwind slopes. Open water patches became abundant after quick warming on 7-8 June. Many migrating Steller's Eiders in flocks of 10-30 birds used this water for stopover, but did not stay for nesting and disappeared during a week. In comparison with previous years Red Phalaropes and Ruffs had high numbers. Ruffs established new leks, and numbers of displaying males reached 60-70 birds for a lek.
Bird reproduction was successful, and chicks of different wader species start to hatch almost simultaneously. Hatching started on 4 July in Ruff and Spotted Redshank, on 8 July in Grey Plover, on 3 July in Ross's Gull, on 6 July in Peregrine Falcon, on 7 July in Long-tailed Skua and on 25 June in White Siberian Crane. Although rodents were not numerous, predation of clutches by Arctic Foxes and large gulls was not recorded.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Both lemmings and voles were common, but decreased in comparison with 2000 when they had been very abundant.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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