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RESPONDENT
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Sergei Kharitonov
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SITE NAME
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Medusa Bay, Taimyr Peninsula, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (499)135-9802/(499)135-9802(fax) // serpkh@gmail.com // Bird Ringing Center, Moscow, 117312, 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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5.06
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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| Season phenology: |
average
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Weather conditions: |
| Snow covered 99% of the monitoring plot (4 km2) at our arrival on 5 June. Snow started to melt rapidly on 13 June, reached 50% cover on about 16 June and almost completely melted by 21 June. Major rivers broke up on 17 June. Weather was very warm from 21-24 June, when air temperatures reached +23øC. July was colder than June. In general the spring had usual start in timing, summer was about average warm and rather dry.
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| Season temperature: |
average
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| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
16.06
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
17.06
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
21.06
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low
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Breeding conditions:
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Density of breeding Arctic Foxes was half the density of 2002. Predation pressure by foxes was high, and they even went by ice to islands 3-6 km off shore, where destroyed almost all nests of Brent Geese and many nests of Herring Gulls. Migration of reindeers was not intensive, and less than 200 animals were counted in the vicinity of the station. Snowy Owls did not bred, while Rough-legged Buzzards bred successfully everywhere (0.4 nests/10 km2 on surveyed area of 434 km2), having up to 6 eggs in clutches and up to 4 chicks in broods. Nesting density of Long-tailed Skuas was low and only 2 nests were found. Pomarine Skuas occupied territories from 18 June, but started to leave in high numbers already on 24 June. Nests were not found, but distraction displays of one pair suggested nesting at a low density.
Arrival dates of waders did not differ from 2002. Dunlins and Red Knots appeared the first on 7 June, and mass migration of Dunlin, Curlew and Purple sandpipers started on 8 June. Maximum numbers of waders were recorded on snow-free patches on 11-12 June. Incubation started on 20 June and first chicks appeared on 10 July. Numbers were similar to those recorded in previous years in Pacific Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Temminck's Stint and Ruff, while numbers decreased slightly in Dunlin and Curlew Sandpiper and decreased considerably in Little Stint and Pectoral Sandpiper. A nesting pair of European Golden Plover was found on the plot for the first time during the decade of studies in the area. Nest success of waders (proportion of nests survived to hatch) was 20.5% (n=78), including 54% in Dunlin (n=11), 12% in Little Stint (n=33), 33% in Curlew Sandpiper (n=3), 50% in Temminck's Stint (n=2), 0% in Turnstone and European Golden Plover (n=2 and 1), 9% in Pacific Golden Plover (n=22), 33% in Ringed Plover (n=3) and 100% in Ruff (n=1). Nest success was higher in Dunlin compared with other species, many nests of which were destroyed by Arctic Foxes short before hatching.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Lemming abundance was approximately half the density of 2002. Density of Siberian Lemming was 4-6 animals/ha and decreased during summer, while density of Collared Lemming was 0.5-2 animals/ha and increased. Both species bred.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Lemmus sibiricus | rare |
| Dicrostonyx torquatus | rare |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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