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RESPONDENT
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Ivan Taldenkov
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SITE NAME
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Belyaka Spit, Chukotka, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 8-499-792-7707 // italdenkov@mail.ru; italdenkov@yandex.ru // Molodogvardeiskaya 36-1-71, Moscow, Russia
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Ornithological tour of the "Dersy Uzala" copmpany
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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1.07
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7.07
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12
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| An unusually warm and dry weather with weak southerly winds prevailed during the whole period of our stay on the Belyaka Spit from 1-7 July. Air temperatures frequently increased above +20°Ñ in the day, and dropped to +2-3°Ñ at night. Low water levels for early July in coastal lakes and the abundance of flying insects indicated warm weather with a small amount of precipitation in June. Ice conditions were unstable: a considerable amount of broken ice was recorded in the sea belt, 8-15 km wide, between the Belyaka Spit and Vankarem settlement, but the area of the Chukchi Sea to the north of this belt, the Kolyuchin Bay and lagoons were almost already ice-free by 1 July. This also indicated warm weather in June and early spring phenology.
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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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Arctic Foxes were common in coastal part of the Belyaka Spit, but less numerous than in 2002 and 2005. Reproduction of Arctic Foxes was confirmed neither for the Belyaka Spit, nor for nearby Yuzhny Island.
Tracks of Wolverine were observed on Yuzhny Island.
A single Peregrine Falcon was the only bird of prey observed. Owls were not recorded. Pomarine and Arctic skuas, and Ravens were common, and several flocks of Long-tailed Skuas were recorded; none of the above species bred. Glaucous and Herring gulls nested on small lakes, but their abundance was lower than in previous years.
We did not collect detailed data on bird reproduction because our stay in the area was brief. Among waterfowl nesting was confirmed in White-billed Diver, Common Eider and Pintail, but Red-breasted and Pacific divers, Emperor Goose, Long-tailed Duck and Sandhill Crane probably also bred. Almost all common species of waders usually recorded for the area were found nesting, with chicks hatching in some nests in early July. However, most species of waders occurred in the coastal tundra at lower densities compared with the same period in 2005, when nest success was high. This could be due to the departure of failed-breeders from the area. As before, grouse were not recorded. Reproductive success of birds probably did not exceed the average value, despite moderate abundance of predators and presumably favourable weather conditions.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Lemmings and voles were not observed. Arctic Ground Squirrels were common and bred successfully in coastal dry tundra and on coastal sandy ridges with Lyme Grass, other grasses and driftwood.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Citellus parryi | common |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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