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RESPONDENT
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Diana Solovieva
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SITE NAME
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Chaun Bay area, western Chukotka, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 812 2306712/812 2306712(fax) // diana_solovyova@mail.ru // Obrucheva 38, Pevek, Chukotsky Okrug, Russia
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Design of protected areas on the Western Chukotka
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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11.07
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7.08
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3
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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| Season phenology: |
average
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Weather conditions: |
| According to reports of local people the season was average in timing, and flood did not occur on rivers. The period of studies from 11 July to 7 August was cold and rainy, in particular the second half of July when 2-3 snowfalls occurred, but with exception of late broods of waders and swans this could not strongly affect bird breeding success.
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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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We did not conduct focused surveyes aimed at evaluation of bird breeding numbers, including standard counts of geese on rivers. However, nesting density of Bewick's Swans was 1-1.3 nests/sq.km at a permanent study area on Ayopechan Island in the Chaun-Palyavaam river delta. Density of each of 3 species of divers (Red-throated, Black-throated and Pacific divers) on a route along southern, western and northern coasts of the Chaun Bay was 0.15 bird/km, and the density of White-billed Diver near coast of the Kyttyk Peninsula and Ayon Island was 0.24 bird/sq.km.
Rodent-specialists, including Arctic Fox, Rough-legged Buzzard and Long-tailed Skuas, were rare and did not breed, while heavily dependent on rodents species, Snowy Owl and Pomarine Skua, were not recorded. However, predators strongly reduced breeding success of waterfowl, particularly ducks and geese. Breeding success was very low in geese (maximum 15% of juveniles in early August) and Common Eiders (1.1% of chicks in July flocks). However, 15% of females of Long-tailed Ducks successfully completed incubation. Bewick's Swans were affected by predation by Arctic Foxes to a lesser extent. Also colonies of gulls in tundra were not stringly affected, as Sabine Gulls, Arctic Terns, Herring Gulls and Glaucous Gulls (the latter rare in mixed colonies) bred succssfully. Willow Grouse occurred in average numbers and flying juveniles were recorded in this species. Among waders broods were recorded in Ringed Plover, Temminck's Stint, Bar-tailed Godwit and Red-necked Phalarope. Snowfalls in late July could have affected adversely survival of wader chicks, however, it was not confirmed by direct evidence.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Neither lemmings, nor voles were recorded across the vast study area.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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