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RESPONDENT
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Svetlana Mechnikova
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SITE NAME
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Schuchya River, middle reaches, Yamal Peninsula, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (495) 367-60-56 // mechnikova@rambler.ru // Russia, 105043 Moscow, 3-ya Parkovaya, 8/19, apartm. 50
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Monitoring of birds of prey
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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17.06
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07.08
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2
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Spring was reported late and prolonged by local residents. Vegetation of most plants was delayed aapproxximately one week compared with average dates and two weeks compared with early season 2005. Snow with rain was reported until mid June, but the second half of month was warm and dry. The first half of July was cold with day-time air temperatures between +10-12øC, while the second half of month was warm and temperatures reached +27øC. Rains occurred almost daily in July and early August, and water level was decreasing slowly after spring flood and increased again in early August. Extreme weather events were not recorded. Late spring resulted in delayed reproduction by some pairs of Rough-legged Buzzrds and Merlins, but not by passerines, geese, ducks and waders.
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| Season temperature: |
average
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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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Arctic Foxes were not recorded, while Red Foxes were rare, and unlike 2005 inhabited dens were solitary. Tracks of Brown Bears and Wolves were relatively common, similarly to 2005.
Numbers of Rough-legged Buzzards were average, but lower than in 2005, particularly in the tundra part of the area where rodents were rare. Nesting density in the forested river valleys was 0.1-0.3 pairs per 10 km. Buzzard nests contained 2-3 eggs or 1-3 chicks. Non-breeding territorial pairs, solitary territorial and wandering birds were often seen during summer, particularly in forest tundra. Owls were not seen. A single nest with 4 chicks of Northern Harrier was found, and a vagrant Pallid Harrier was recorded. As in 2005 White-tailed Sea Eagle was very numerous (13 nests) and bred successfully. A single pair of Golden Eagles of 4 breeding in 2005 re-nested with two chicks, but 2 new pairs of this species were discovered. Four of 9 pairs of Peregrine Falcons breeding in 2005 produced eggs or chicks in 2006, although their breeding was not delayed compared to other years. Gyrfalcons bred at a low density: two broods and 3 nests were found, with a single chick in each of the latter, which apparently represented replacement clutches as were approximately 3 weeks later than usual. Merlins were numerous as usual, but chick development was 7-9 delayed. Breeding was less synchronous than usual in Merlins and Rough-legged Buzzards.
Long-tailed Skuas occurred in average numbers, but mostly as non-breeders. Common and Herring gulls were common, but no breeding recorded. Among passerines, Lapland Bunting was more numerous than in 2005, while Shorelark, in contrast, became very rare. Nesting density of Carrion Crow and Raven continued to increase, and 5 broods of Magpie were recorded which is unusually high numbers compared with solitary breeding events in previous years.
Willow Ptarmigan was slightly more abundant compared with 2005, and several broods were recorded. Wigeon, Pintail, Teal and Long-tailed Duck were the most numerous ducks, but the latter species bred in small numbers and a single brood was recorded. Whooper Swans were considerably less abundant than in 2005, while Bewick's Swan was recorded once and neither species bred. Lesser White-fronted and Bean geese occurred in slightly higher numbers than in 2005 and bred successfully in average dates.
Wood and Terek sandpipers were, as usual, the abundant waders, and broods and juveniles were recorded in both species. Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Temminck's Stint, Common and Pintail snipes and Red-necked Phalarope were common, as previously. Numbers of Eurasian Golden Plover, Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit increased compared with 2005, particularly in two latter species which were rare in 2005, but became as common as in 1990s in 2006. Numbers of Lesser White-fronted Goose also increased. Breeding of most species of birds occurred in average time. Numerous observations of broods of geese, waders and passerines indicated successful reproduction by most birds, in spite of cool summer and low rodent abundance. This was, probably, due to low numbers of most predators and absence of extreme weather events. The principal predator for clutches of land-nesting birds was Carrion Crow, which numbers continued to increase.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Rodents were generally rare and they were less abundant than in 2005, although locally, in forested floodplains, could occur in average numbers (Ruddy, Tundra and Narrow-skulled voles). In 2005, in contrast, average numbers of voles were observed locally in tundra, but low abundance was typical for floodplains. Rodent abundance did not decrease during summer. Arctic Hares and Muskrats were numerous as usual. Solitary lemmings were seen.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Microtus oeconomus | rare |
| Clethrionomys rutilus | common |
| Microtus gregalis | rare |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
| We continued initiated in 1986 long-term monitoring of breeding birds of prey on excursions and during boat surveys by searching and mapping nests, recording alarming pairs and broods. An approximate evaluation was provided for numbers of other species of birds, and all breeding events were recorded. Breeding success was not assessed for individual pairs, as no repeated surveys of nests were conducted. We expect to publish the results of studies in "Materials on bird distribution on Urals, in Ural foothills and Western Siberia".
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