BREEDING CONDITIONS REPORT, 2005


RESPONDENT

Sergei Kharitonov

SITE NAME

Bjornoya, Svalbard, Norway

Contact details (phone/fax//e-mail//address):
(499)135-9802/(499)135-9802(fax) // serpkh@gmail.com // Bird Ringing Center, Moscow, 117312, Russia

PROJECT DETAILS

Project name:

Monitoring of the Little Auk colony

Start of survey:

End of survey: Team size:

11.06

1.08

2


WEATHER CONDITIONS

Season phenology: late

Weather conditions:

Spring was late, and approximately 20% of the ground was snow covered at our arrival on 11 June. Mean monthly air temperature was +3.4øC in June, which was probably below average, and +6.2øC in July. The highest air temperature +18.6øC was recorded on 8 July.

 

Season temperature: cold
Season humidity: rainy
Date of 50% snow-cover:
Date of ice-break on rivers:
Date of final loss of snow: >20.06

BIOTIC CONDITIONS

Rodents abundance evaluation:

Breeding conditions:

Two active dens of Arctic Foxes were found. Arctic Foxes depend on seabird colonies in the area, and the studied colony of Little Auks was exploited by 3 individually recognizable Arctic Foxes.
Reproduction of Little Auks was probably delayed compared to average, and hatching started on 16 July in the colony. Hatching occurred in the last dates of June in 4 of 5 nests in the Pink-footed Goose colony close to the Little Auk colony, and the last nest hatched on 5 July. Chicks of Snow Buntings fledged en masse on 20 July, when a pair of Meadow Pipits feeding chicks was also found.
 

Rodent dynamics:

Lemmings are absent on the island.

Rodent species recorded:

LatinAbundance

Summary of fauna studies:

 

FAUNA IN STUDY AREA

Group of speciesPresenceAbundanceBreedingDetailed studiesComment
arctic foxesYescommonbreeding  
lemmingsNo    
volesNo    
wadersYescommonbreeding  
geeseYescommonhatching  
ducksYes    
buzzardsNo    
skuasYesabundantbreeding  
pomarine skuasNo    
gulls/ternsYescommonbreeding  
owlsNo    
passerinesYescommonfledging  
red foxesNo    
auksYescommonhatching  

 

SEABIRD COLONIES

speciesComment

 

WATERBIRD NON-BREEDING AGGREGATIONS

speciesAggregation typeNumberComment

 

HUMAN ACTIVITY IN THE STUDY AREA

Human activityComment
summer field camp 

 


Recommended citation

Kharitonov, S.P. (2005). Breeding conditions report for Bjornoya, Svalbard, Norway, 2005. ARCTIC BIRDS: an international breeding conditions survey. (Online database). Eds. M.Soloviev, P.Tomkovich. . Updated 11 Dec. 2008. Accessed .

 more on citation guidelines

 

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