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SITE NAME
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Tutakoke River, outer Yukon Delta, Alaska, USA
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| // riegen@xtra.co.nz // 231 Forest Hill Rd, Waiatarua, Auckland 8, New Zealand
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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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14.05
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29.05
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
On our arrival to the Tutakoke Field Camp on 14 May the Tutakoke River was still largely covered with ice but it was breathing with the tides, and many of the pools in the area were largely frozen, but there was little snow cover. Weather was generally fine and sunny for the first week, but with strong, cold northerly winds. By the morning of 19 May the river was free of ice up to the camp and the afternoon tide cleared ice as far as the main river bend above camp, but water in cooking pots was still freezing at night. On about 20 May the last of the land snow melted and pond ice was all gone by 24 May. All sea and river ice was gone by 25 May. There was a short sleet shower on the morning of 21 May. On 24 May the wind was from the south-southwest and on 25 May from the east. There was rain throughout most of 27 and 29 May.
In general, spring conditions were considerably earlier than those in 2006, when ice on the Tutakoke River did not start to move until 30 May, and there was still 75% snow cover at the Brant Pools area on 22 May. This was reflected in the timing of flowering and insect appearance. Large emergence of brine flies took place on 21 May, first bumblebee seen on 26 May, flowering of Petasites frigidus was first recorded on 25 May and of Carex sp. on 28 May. On 27 May Salix ovalifolia leaf break. The whole area around camp was looking generally green by 30 May.
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
19.05
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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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Three different Arctic Foxes were seen around Tutakoke, despite trapping by USGS in March. At Tutakoke one pair of Arctic Skua between camp and the rivermouth point looked to be trying to set up territory, no nests found; several other Arctic Skuas were seen. Long-tailed Skua only seen on 4 days at Tutakoke. Two Short-eared Owls were recorded on 15 and 16 May and one on 24 May.
In accordance with early spring in 2007 birds started egg laying several days earlier than in 2006. First nests with eggs were found on 15 May in Tundra Swans, on 19 May in Glaucous Gulls, on 20 May in Brants, on 21 May in Cackling Geese and Common Eiders, on 22 May in Sandhill Crane, on 23 May in Emperor Geese, on 24 May in Red-throated Loon (a bird on nest seen), White-fronted Geese and Spectacled Eider, on 25 May in Sabine's and Common gulls, on 26 May in Dunlins, on 27 May in Semi-palmated Sandpipers, on 28 May in Northern Pintails, Black Turnstones and Red-necked Phalaropes, and on 30 May in Pacific Divers, Willow Ptarmigans and Arctic Terns.
At Tutakoke we found 2 nests of Willow Ptarmigans. Not more than 3 pairs were present in the surveyed area.
On arrival at Tutakoke there were about 4,000 Red Knot present in the study area. Numbers appeared to be fairly stable until 24 May when numbers started to decline and flocks of departing birds were recorded.
At Tutakoke Bar-tailed Godwits were already paired and holding territories on 14 May - we estimate about 8-10 pairs in the study area of approximately 12 km2.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| One vole was seen at Tutakoke.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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