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RESPONDENT
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Eugeny Syroechkovski, Jr.
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SITE NAME
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Chukotsky Peninsula inland uplands east of the Koluchinskaya Bay, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (095)246-71-54/(095)124-79-32 // ees@gcnet.ru // Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Leninski prospekt, 33, Moscow, 117071, Russia
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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9.07
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17.07
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Quick surveys of the area were carried out from 9-10 July and from 13-17 July in coarse of the trip on all-terraine vehicle and excursions during stop-overs. Summer was dry judging by the low water table in rivers and lakes. Snow melted early in spring, because Chegitun River valey was 80% free of snow on 21 May based on visual evaluation during hecopter flight.
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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 seen, but solitary Wolverine was recorded and tracks of wolf were seen. We saw also 4 Brown Bears, including one female with cubs. Three records of Snowy Owl were made. Northern Pikas occurred everywhere on stony patches at moderate denstiy, and their remains were also found in nests of Rough-legged Buzzards. The latter species had low numbers: 3 nests, in each with 3 chicks were found. Bodies of 2 American Ground-squirrels and juvenile Collared Lemming were found in one of buzzard nests. Peregrine Falcons, Arctic and Long-tailed skuas, Herring Gulls and Ravens were seen.
Willow stands along rivers had relatively high density of passerines, while bird populations in tundra were low with Sandhill Cranes, Pacific Golden Plovers, Red-necked Stints, Yellow Wagtails and Lapland Buntings the most common. Broods of Willow Grouse, Ringed Plovers, Temminck's Stints and Baird's Sandpipers, Wheatears and Snow Buntings were found in suitbale habitats. Solitary broods of Black-throated Diver, White-fronted Goose, Mongolian Plover, Turnstone, Western and Pectoral sandpipers, Knot, Dunlin and Common Snipe were recorded. We saw juveniles of Red-necked Stint, Temminck's Stint and Baird's Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Pied and Yellow wagtails, Wheatear, Lapland and Snow buntings. A nest of White-billed Diver which eggs were predated was found on Kuuskyn Lake. Reproductive success of birds was not below average based on overall abundance of broods.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Lemmings and voles were not seen, but solitary under-snow nests were found. Hares were often seen, while American Ground Squirrell rarely.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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