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RESPONDENT
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Sergei Kharitonov
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SITE NAME
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Medusa Bay, Taimyr Peninsula, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (499)135-9802/(499)135-9802(fax) // serpkh@gmail.com // Bird Ringing Center, Moscow, 117312, Russia
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Nature monitoring
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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8.06
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23.07
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6
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Spring was early in 2006. At our arrival on 8 June snow cover reduced to 30% in the station vicinity, but melting slowed down then, and approximately 10% of the territory was still snow-covered by the end of June. Ice broke on 11 June on the Medusa River, which earlier compared with 17 June in an "average" season. Summer was relatively cold. Air temparatures did not raise above +10øC in the first half of June, and the highest temperature, +22.3øC, was recorded on 22 July. The weather was unusually warm and calm in the end of season. Precipitation was the most abundant in late June - early July. The sea ice has started to recede in early July in the Shirokaya-Severnaya Bay, and the whole aquatory, including the bay in the station vicinity, was basically ice-free by 12 July. Slobodskaya and Brazhnikova bays (30 km to the south of the station) cleared of ice on 8 July.
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| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
late May
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
11.06
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
>14.06
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low
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Breeding conditions:
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Abundance of Arctic Hares has started to increase in 2006 after a period of low numbers in 2004-2005. One animal was seen close to the station, and several tracks were recorded across the whole study area. However, in the Krestiyanka River area abundance of hares was as high in 2006 as during the previous visit in 2003. It seems likely that this area 55-75 to the south from the station differs from the station area in character of dynamics of hare numbers. Ermines, wolves or tracks of these animals were not recorded in 2006. Reindeer migration was more intensive in the station vicinity in 2006 compared with 2005. The first small flocks of several animals were recorded 20 km to the south of the station at the Efremova River on 8 July, and solitary animals appeared near the station on the next day. Reindeers were common to the south of the Efremova River and numerous farther south between the Krestiyanka and Ragozinka rivers.
Numbers of Arctic Foxes were very low, and, probably, the lowest for the period 2000-2006. The impact of Arctic Foxes on birds was unusual, because they apparently affected nest success of large tundra birds only. In contrast, apparent nest success in waders was very high and ranged from 77% in Little Stint to almost 100% in Curlew Sandpiper. Breeding started early and almost simultaneously in different species of waders: complete clutches were found in Little Stint and Pacific Golden Plover on 18 June.
Breeding success was very low in large birds. All clutches of Taimyr Herring Gulls on Oleniy Islands were destroyed by Arctic Foxes, which made daily visits on ice to the islands 5-8 km from the sea coast (a behaviour not employed in good lemming seasons). A single attempt to breed on the islands was recorded for Brent Geese, and their nest was also destroyed by foxes. Successful nesting of Brent Geese was recorded only on a sea island 60 km to the south from the station near mouth of the Krestiyanka River.
Snowy Owls did not breed, which is typical for a low lemming year, however, non-breeding of Rough-legged Buzzards was recorded for the first time since 1998. Buzzards occupied 13 territories at maximum, 10 birds started to carry branches to nests, but not a single pair was formed. Pomarine Skuas did not breed, and birds migrating in different directions were recorded until 28 June. Long-tailed Skuas established 8 territories, on which 3 nests were found, but a single nest survived to successful hatching of chicks.
In White-fronted Geese a duration of migration to moult in 2006 was similar to 2002-2005. The migration started on 3 July which is 6 day later than in 2005, and continued until 20 July, with the highest number of birds passing between 3-7 July. A migration of Brent Geese started also on 3 July (27 June in 2005), but had very low intensity and the last flock was recorded on 8 July. Several flocks of Brent Geese were observed migrating to the south which was unusual for the study area where normally they fly to the north-east.
Rock Ptarmigans had average hatching success, approximately 50%.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Lemming numbers were very low in 2006, and have probably reached the record low value for the period 1998-2006 (a period when continuity of field teams was supported). Six observers recorded a single Siberian Lemming in tundra during the whole season, and another one was seen carried by a wandering Snowy Owl male. It is noteworthy that tundra physiognomy was changed dramatically in the previous year 2005 due to activities of lemmings having had very high abundance then. The number of new lemming burrows was multifold compared with what was possible to observe before, which indicated that the peak of abundance in 2005 was the highest for several decades (several 11-year cycles). The unusually high abundance in 2005 was followed by unusually low lemming numbers in 2006.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Lemmus sibiricus | rare |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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