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RESPONDENT
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Brian McCaffery
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SITE NAME
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Old Chevak, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, USA
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 907-543-1014/907-543-4413(f) // brian_mccaffery@fws.gov // U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 346, Bethel, AK, 99559, USA
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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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15.06
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
Spring was sufficiently later than in 2004 and 2005 with snow-free patches composing <5% of the surface around the field station in early May. Same bird species were recorded in the area as at the Tutakoke field station in that period. Our main field activity in this area took place in the first half of June when we were searching for nests of Bar-tailed Godwits to catch these birds for supplying them with satellite transmitters as part of migration research project.
Overcast and rainy weather predominated in that period, and we had only several days with sun in early June and on 15 June, the day of our departure. At least some showers of rain happened daily from 9-14 June, but no obvious influence of this weather on bird nesting success was recorded. In the second week of June vegetation was still at the spring phonological stage; by that time dwarf birches were only getting their green leafs and only few plant species had flowers (Eriophorum sp., Nardosmia frigida, Arctostaphylos alpina, Empetrum nigrum). During that second week of June willows and Pedicularis sudetica started mass flowering and first flowers in cloudberries and dwarf birches were found. First biting mosquito was recorded on 10 June, and these creatures became noticeable two days later.
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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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Mink is the most common ground predator in the area; alive animals were seen near the camp both in early May and several times in June. Footprints of Arctic Foxes were found in early May, but no sight records of animals. As to avian predators, Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, and Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger) were recorded only few times, while Glaucous Gulls, Long-tailed Skuas and Sandhill Cranes were more common and the latter two species were locally breeding. Common (Mew) and Sabine's gulls turned to be most abundant.
In total 44 bird species were recorded during the stay with breeding confirmed for 21 and suspected for another 13 species. We did not revisit bird nests that were found for tracking nesting success, apart of Bar-tailed Godwits. However, no loss was recorded among a dozen or two of nests belonging primarily to geese, waders and gulls. Thus, seemingly nesting was rather successful in most birds at least in the beginning of the breeding season.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Rodents were rare; voles were regularly seen only near the wooden cover for trails in the field camp.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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