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RESPONDENT
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Valentin Kokhanov
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SITE NAME
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Khibin Mountains, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 8-10-38-06/278-2-27-82 // // Ostrovskogo St., 30, Krasnogolovka, Mar'insky raion, Donetsk oblast, 85630, Ukraine
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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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21.05
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16.06
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1
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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| Season phenology: |
average
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Weather conditions: |
| Weather was generally cold from 21.05-16.06. Temperatures dropped below freezing in the last five days of May and in period from 5-10.06, which along with snowfall and prolonged rains in late May adversely affected reporduction of birds, in particular passerines.
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
27.05
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low
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Breeding conditions:
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Seven Lesser White-fronted Geese passed over mouth of the Vud'yavryok River to the northeast on 25.05. Single Canada Goose stayed near northern shore of Bolshoye Vud'yavr Lake from 23.05-1.06. High numbers of Tufted Ducks nested on the lake, as well as for the first time in the last 4 years 3 pairs of Pintails and a pair of Long-tailed Ducks nested there. Aggregation of ducks (males and broods of Tufted Duck, Teals, mallards and 30 males of Common Goldeneye) was seen in August near northern shore of the lake. Little Ringed Plover, Wood and Common sandpipers, Temminck's Stint, Red-necked Phalarope and Common Snipe nested in the lake area. 2-3 displaying Woodcocks were seen in late May-early June near mouth of the Vud'yavryok River second year in a row. Greenshank, Spotted redshank, Ringed Plover and a solitary Oystercatcher were occasionally seen there in August. Approximately 50 pairs of Common Gulls and 90 pairs of Black-headed Gulls nested near northern shore of the lake.
Rocks of the Vud'yavrchorr Mountain were inhabited by a pair of Merlins which raised 3 juveniles in early August. A pair of Peregrine Falcons, which was incubating on the rocks in early June, presumably lost their clutch due to bad weather conditions, as only adult birds were seen in the area in August. Solitary Northern Goshawks were seen on migration in the Botanical Garden on 8.08 and 17.08. A single record of Rough-legged Buzzard was made in August.
Insectivorous birds (swallows, wagtails, pipits, small trushes, Willow Warbler) arrived and started breeding later than normal due to cold weather in spring. Fieldfares and Bramblings abandoned some nests after they had been covered by snow. Absence of seeds of birch and spruce made Bramblings and Redpolls to spend a lot of time for feeding, which resulted in death of eggs as females had to leave nests in search for food. Almost all pairs of Great Tits lost their eggs or 1-2 day-old chicks in late May-early June. Unusually late broods of Great Tits, Bramblings, European Greenfinchs, Sedge and Arctic warblers, Common Reed-Buntings and Spotted Flycatchers were seen in August.
Stony tallus in the mountains remained snow covered longer than normal due to high amount of snow accumulated during the winter, which prevented Snow Buntings from nesting there.
A heavy crop of spruce seeds attracted White-winged and Red crossbills in the area in August.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Voles were rare.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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