|
|
RESPONDENT
|
|
Richard Lanctot
|
|
|
SITE NAME
|
|
Canning River middle reaches, Alaska, USA
|
|
| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 907-786-3609/907-786-3641(f) // richard_lanctot@fws.gov // USFWS, 1011 E. Tudor Road, MS 201 Anchorage, AK 99503, USA
|
|
PROJECT DETAILS |
|
Project name:
|
|
NE Alaska Shorebird Survey
|
|
|
Start of survey:
|
End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
|
8.06
|
22.06
|
6
|
|
WEATHER
CONDITIONS
|
|
|
|
Weather conditions: |
| Snow melt on the Canning River Delta was relatively early this year, with birds found on 4-egg clutches by 10 June. We had several snowy, cold days over the next 12 days but these conditions did not appear to result in higher than usual rates of nest loss.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
1.06
|
|
| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
|
|
| Date of final loss of
snow: |
5.06
|
|
BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
|
| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low
|
|
|
Breeding conditions:
|
| There was evidence that lemmings were active during the prior winter but relatively few were seen during the study. We did find one pair of nesting Long-tailed Skuas and saw several Short-eared Owls flying over the area, which suggests lemmings were at least present but in low numbers. This was our first and only field season at the middle Canning River site. We found relatively few nests on our plots (typically less than 4 nests for each 16-ha plot). The largest number of nests was found on an upland site that had many small ponds interspersed throughout the plot. Other wetter and drier plots had lower numbers of birds, although the habitat appeared equally suitable. The field season ended prior to when nests would have hatched, although most nests were depredated already. There was no evidence that extreme weather negatively effected shorebird nesting.
|
|
|
Rodent dynamics:
|
|
|
|
Rodent species recorded:
|
|
|
|
|
Summary
of fauna studies: |
| Only surveys were conducted, did not follow breeding behavior.
|
|