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SITE NAME
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Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| + 585 256 0842/+ 585 256 0842(fax) // jokli@FRONTIERNET.NET // 410 Linden St, Rochester, NY 14620-2442, USA
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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GOLDEN-PLOVER POPULATION AND BEHAVIOR
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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11.06
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9.07
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1
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| After the cold and snowy final months of the winter 2001/02 snow persisted relatively long and some drifts were still present in the sheltered areas in the second half of June. The Churchill River started flowing on June 12 - this is over 3 weeks later than in the 2001, when it moved in the week of May 17 (M. Goodyear, pers. comm.). Most lakes were still frozen and the meltwater levels were the highest observed in the last 5 years. The spring was colder than average, especially during 3 first weeks of May - that is just before or during typical arrival time of golden plovers. This was followed by the relatively average temperature-wise summer. Precipitation levels were higher than normal both during the spring and summer (Meteorological Services of Canada). In the last 5 years the spring was later and the pre-nesting season similarly cold only in the 2000. Persistent rains of 30 June - 2 July (26 mm during 3 days, Meteorological Services of Canada) brought surface water back to the unusually high for this part of the season level - again the highest in the last 5 years. It stayed very high until the time of termination of the field work on 9 July.
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
12.06
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
average
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Breeding conditions:
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Predators and alternate prey. Of the typical avian predators, the Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus and Merlin Falco columbarius were seen several times during the field-work, and the Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus nested in the area. The Short-eared Owls Asio flammeus were seen daily early in the season, the sightings declined later in July. Sightings of all these species besides Merlin increased as compare to the last year. The safety of the shorebird nests was endangered by the Common Ravens Corvus corax, Herring Gulls Larus argentatus and Parasitic Jaegers Stercorarius parasiticus, especially the last ones present in relatively high numbers. Red foxes Vulpes vulpes and Short-tailed weasels Mustela erminea were present in the area and there were 4 and 5 fox pups in 2 dens.
Numbers of nesting waders and nesting success. The American Golden-Plovers Pluvialis dominica nested in numbers higher than in 2001, and similar to those of 2000, with the average clutch size in original nests 4.0 (n=16), and with nesting success 66,7% (n=15, range observed so far 38.5-100%). Hatching was highly synchronous, with all successful nests (n=10) hatching within 4 days. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus bred in high numbers, comparable to those of 2001, and hatching success of nests of known fate was very high for this species 83.3% (n=6). No weather-related chick mortality should be expected in these 2 species. Number of nesting Stilt Sandpipers Calidris himantopus was higher than in the last 2 years, with at least 5 pairs nesting in 1 km2 in the best area. Fewer Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes nested than in 1998 and 1999. No nests of the Killdeer Charadrius vociferus were found and only 1 bird was seen in flight. Many former territories of the Canada Goose Branta canadensis were vacant, while some nests were located in the places where they were not seen in the past, due to the long lasting snowdrifts. Geese nests were not purposely sought or checked; several nests from which the incubating birds were accidentally flushed contained 4-6 eggs, and the young broods had 4-7 chicks.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| After the unusual decline of all small mammal species (lemmings, voles and shrews) in 2000 and 2001 (J. Dubois, pers. comm.), the numbers of lemmings Dicrostonyx groenlandicus and meadow voles Microtonus pennsylvanicus were increasing, inferring from the large numbers of under-snow nests and accumulations of faeces. This remains in the marked contrast with the previous year, when no winter nests or faeces of small mammals were seen. Only 2 lemmings were seen, 1 alive and 1 being carried by a weasel. Fall trapping of small mammals (Aug-Sept) confirmed relatively high numbers of small rodents, chiefly of meadow voles (M. Goodyear, pers. comm). Snow-shoe hares Lepus americanus were also seen more often than in any other year.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Dicrostonyx groenlandicus | rare |
| Microtus pennsylvanicus | common |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
| This was the third year of population study on American Golden-Plovers (Pluvialis dominica).
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