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SITE NAME
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Alaska Peninsula, Alaska, USA
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (907) 246-1205/(907) 246-6696(f) // susan_savage@fws.gov // Alaska Peninsula / Becharof National Wildlife Refuge PO Box 277, King Salmon, AK 99613 USA
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Alaska Peninsula Lowland bird Survey (Focus shorebirds)
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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8.05
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2.06
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4
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| We have intermittent snow through the winter, so date of snowmelt is not a definitive indicator in this area. Naknek River at King Salmon broke on 23 February, refroze on 3 April and final break-up was on 7 April.
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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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| At least nine shorebird species were showing evidence of breeding. Nests of several predators were also found. We did not remain at any one plot long enough to evaluate breeding success. We have not visited these plots previously so no between-year changes could be noted. More predator detections per point surveyed were observed in 2005 than in 2004. However, the quantitative analysis of density, yet to be calculated, will give us a better measure of actual predator levels.
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Rodent dynamics:
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
| This year's work is part of an ongoing shorebird inventory started in 2004. The inventory includes 64 plots in two strata systematically dispersed across lowland areas of the Alaska Peninsula from the Naknek drainage to the end of the peninsula. Point transects are conducted on the plots. All shorebirds and avian predators are recorded. To date 402 points have been surveyed on 29 plots. Distance estimation is being used with hopes of generating density estimates. The work is still in progress. Point counts are also being done for all other birds. Habitat data are collected at each point. Incidental records are kept on mammal, invertebrate observations and conditions. Nests found incidentally were recorded, but no return visits could be made to evaluate success. Annual and final reports will be available.
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