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RESPONDENT
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Sergei Sleptsov
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SITE NAME
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Djukagirskoe Lake, "Kytalyk" reserve, Indigirka River basin, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (4112)33-56-90/(4112)33-58-12/33-33-94(h) // sleptsov@mail.ru // Russia, 677891, Yakutsk, Pr. Lenina 41, Institute of biological problems of cryolitozona, office 423
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Monitoring of Siberian White Crane and Sandhill Crane
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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30.04
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21.06
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1
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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| Season phenology: |
average
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Weather conditions: |
| According to observation from 30 April to 21 June spring warming started in average dates; snow started to melt from mid May, reduced to 50% on flat surface on 28-30 May and completely disappered on 3-5 June, i.e. before start of mass migration of birds. The season was average in timing and warm, without returns of cold weather and snowstorms. First mosquitoes appeared on 18 June.
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| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
28-30.05
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
3-5.06
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
average
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Breeding conditions:
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The first flock of 12 Baikal Teals was recorded on 26 May on the sandy beach of the Elon River. The intensity of m igration of waterfowl was not high, probably, due to shifting of the mass migration route northward to the melting snow borderline. Siberian Cranes were observed migrating northward along the Elon River stream at the height of 15-20 m on 26 May. We recorded 4 pairs and a flock of 4 birds (in total 12 cranes) during 3.5 hours. Siberian Cranes appearred on their territories on 31 May. Incubation have started simultaneously with construction of the nest on 2 June in a pair in the vicinity of Krugloe Lake, and another incubating pair was discovered at the same time. Nesting of Sandhill Cranes started earlier: we observed a single bird on 31 May (which presumably indicated start of incubation) in a pair having appeared on 27 May. Siberian Cranes in immature plumage were unusually abundant: a flock of 4 birds flied eastward on 2 June, flocks of 7 and 3 sleeping birds were observed on 4 and 6 June, respectively, solitary immature Siberian Crane was observed during ca. 4.5 hours in the vicinity of the observation point feeding on large insectes, probably, bumblebee which were abundant on this day, and 6 birds flied northward on 17 June. Incubating birds were observed on 9 nests of Siberian Cranes, and 4 other pairs were recorded on their territories.
Numbers of Arctic Foxes were average, and a Red Fox was recorded for the first time in 10 years of observations. Two nests of Rough-legged Buzzards contained 4 and 5 eggs. All three species of skuas bred, and their numbers were higher than in 2005. Herring Gulls and Ross's Gulls were abundant breeders, while numbers of Glaucous Gulls and particularly Sabine Gulls were lower. Among owl only rare non-breeding Short-eared Owls were observed. Abundance of Willow Grouse was average.
Generally, breeding conditions were favourable for birds in May-June.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Abundance of lemmings and voles increased compared with two previous years, and was average according to visual evaulation.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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