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RESPONDENT
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Eugeny Syroechkovski, Jr.
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SITE NAME
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Anadyr plain south, Chukotsky Peninsula, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (095)246-71-54/(095)124-79-32 // ees@gcnet.ru // Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Leninski prospekt, 33, Moscow, 117071, 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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9.06
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26.06
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7
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Weather was predominantly warm, cloudy and dry in the survey period from 9-26 June. Weather was clear on 3 days, changeable on 5; rains or drizzle recorded on 6 days of 18 (although signgle rain was prolonged and intensive). Snow remained only in spring valleys and in depressions at the start of survey. Phenology was probably average in the area. Sedge in bogs and buds of dwarf birch have started to green from 10 June in the north of the region, while flowering of Rhododendron aureum has started from 12 June. Flowering of Cloudberry and leave greening in birch were recorded on 15 June in the south of the region, while alpine, tundra flowers and currant began to flower en masse on 20 June. Mosquitoes appeared in considerable numbers on 22 June, and became really annoying from 25 June. High amounts of last-year Clusterberry and Cranberry were notable in the northern part of the region in the first half of June.
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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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Surveyed area included plain from the south of Anadyr city to foothills of Koryak Highlands, with habitats ranging from southern tundra to sparse larch thickets. Two records of Arctic Fox and 1 record of Ermine were made in the north, while Red Fox was seen 3 times in the south. Tracks of Wolves were seen in different parts of the area, but Brown Bears were the most abundant: up to 3 observation per day, at an average rate of 0.7 bear/day, excluding cubs.
Birds of prey were rare. Rough-legged Buzzards were absent on the plain, but 3 nests were found in the mountain massif Chirinay at the south-western edge of the region.Several solitary White-tailed Sea Eagles were seen in the north and center of the region, and a nest with clutch was found at the south in the valley of the Nygchekveem River. Peregirine Falcons and Gyrfalcons were rare. Solitary Short-eared Owls were recorded almost daily, and they could have bred in 1-2 sites. Lapland Owl was observed at foothills of Koryak Highlands. Common Long-tailed Skuas were approximately an order of magnitude more abundant than Arctic skuas, and both species bred. Skuas were more abundant in the northern tundra part of the region, compared with the southern sparse larch forest part. Herring Gulls, as well as Common Gulls in the south, occurred mostly in the vicinity of large water bodies and could not have strong impact on tundra birds. Raven were recorded everywhere in small numbers, but nesting was likely only in Koryak Mountains in the south-wets, where they were common.
Diversity of breeding birds was high, primarily on behalf of waders, waterfowl and shrub passerines. Solitary pairs of Rock Ptarmigans were observed in the north, while relatively uncommon Willow Grouse were recorded everywhere and bred. Hatching started in the nests of passerine birds (Pechora Pipit, Dusky Thrush, Little Bunting, Pallas's Bunting) on 21-23 June, while Dunlins and Spotted Redshanks with chicks were observed on 26 June.
Few nests that we could check in 1-2 days after finding were not destroyed by predators. We often found cluthces with eggs at late stages of incubation and chicks in the end of survey period, while failed-breeders were not frequently observed, which pointed to nesting success not below average.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Tracks of rodent activities were seen in different places, but 8 observers recorded on 4 live voles and found 1 dead Tundra Vole during 18 days which indicated overall low numbers of rodents. American Ground Squirrels were rare with the exception of moraine landscape in the south, where also hares were common on gravel flats of the Nygchekveem River.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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