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SITE NAME
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Naskonat Peninsula, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, USA
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 907-786-3908/907-786-3641 // Christian_Dau@fws.gov // U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Management Division, Mail Stop 201, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503-6199, 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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19.06
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2
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Snow melt and habitat availability was late in 2006 in comparison to the near average spring phenology in 2005 and early phenology in 2003 and 2004. Weather and habitat conditions, although delayed, were favorable prior to hatch and good waterbird productivity is expected. Flowering dates for Carex spp., Petasites frigidus, Cornus canadensis were 2-5 days later than in 2005. Green-up of Salix ovalifolia and Hippuris vulgaris was 10 days later than in 2005 as was the first large mosquito emergence on 17 June.
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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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Hatch of geese was a minimum of 10 days later than in 2005, following our departure from the field on 19 June. All waterfowl clutch sizes were down from 2005 except for Cackling Geese which was similar in 2006. Arctic fox tracks were scarce but present throughout the 25-30 km2 area surveyed and were more common than in 2005. Fox predation on nesting waterbirds appeared low. The only hatching observed prior to our departure was a Lesser Sandhill Crane on 16 June and a Semi-palmated Sandpiper on 17-18 June.
Very few Red Phalarope and Ruddy Turnstones were observed providing continuing documentation that abundance of these species is below historic levels.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| No microtines were observed and there was little over-winter sign indicating their presence.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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