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RESPONDENT
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Douglas Morris
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SITE NAME
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Walker Bay, Kent Peninsula, Nunavut, Canada
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| // Douglas.Morris@lakeheadu.ca // Department of Biology, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1, CANADA
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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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17.06
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3.07
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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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: |
average
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Breeding conditions:
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We conducted visual raptor surveys every second evening, but lemming field work made it impossible to standardize the timing of the 10 minute observation periods. Few "raptors" were seen during these surveys.
Incidental observations included Weasels, one tundra Wolf, one Grizzly Bear, two Arctic Foxes (one of the two nearby dens had been used but there was no evidence of breeding), one pair of Rough-Legged Buzzards, several Sandhill Cranes, a handful of skua sightings and numerous Glaucous Gulls. Grizzly Bear "digs" in lemming habitat were relatively numerous. One pair of Rough-Legged Buzzards nested on the research cabin but abandoned their 3-egg clutch when the helicopter arrived. No Snowy Owls were seen during 2007.
We recorded all waterfowl nests encountered, but these were few in number (mostly Canada Geese, a few Greater White-fronted Geese, 2 King Eiders, and 1 Tundra Swan). We also recorded all shorebird and songbird nests encountered. The vast majority were Lapland Buntings with a few Savannah Sparrows and Shorelarks.
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Rodent dynamics:
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During the period of studies from 17 June to 3 July we were able to live-trap only one of the 9-ha grids (former exclosure). Lemmings were moderately abundant - approximately 5 animals per ha in the former exclosure. Eleven of 12 "micro-plots" contained lemmings. Both species were present on 4 of these grids. Greenland Lemmings were much more abundant overall than were Brown Lemmings (63 vs. 12 individuals). Most lemmings were large (50-90 g), and the vast majority were in breeding condition. Densities were somewhat lower than during our most recent survey (2004) when the population appeared to be in decline. Although densities were comparable to those at Herschel Island, historical peak densities at Walker Bay are much higher and we expect that densities should peak either in autumn 2007 or (hopefully) during 2008.
We also conducted winter nest surveys on the same large 9-ha former exclosure and on all twelve 0.36 ha "micro-plots". Only about 50 or so nests were discovered, and none had been used by Weasels. There was no evidence of a recent high in lemming numbers.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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