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RESPONDENT
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Anatoli Gavrilov
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SITE NAME
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Kalamissamo River lower reaches, central Taimyr, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 2-10-97/2-12-39 // // Taimyr State Nature Reserve, PB 131, Khatanga, Krasnoyarski krai, 663260, Russia
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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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14.06
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7.08
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Snow covered 80% of the tundra surface at the start of studies on 14 June, and most species of birds had already arrived by this date. Ice melted in a 20-50 m wide belt along the riverbank, and locally there were pools on the ice surface. By 17 June snow cover was reduced to 50% on the tundra in the valley and 60% in the hills. Water levels increased and water covered the ice along the whole riverbed. Ice started to emerge from the bottom on 19 June. Snow completely melted on flat surfaces on 20 June, remaining only in depressions between hills. Daytime air temperatures were approximately +4°C on 14-20 June, and +7°C during the last 10 days of June. Drizzle occurred on 4 days in June. The temperatures were approximately +9°C in the first half of July. Precipitation occurred on 8 days. Particularly adverse weather occurred on 3 of those days, when rain combined with strong wind and wet snow. Air temperatures dropped to freezing in the morning and during the day on 12 July.
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| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
17.06
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
20.06
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
average
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Breeding conditions:
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Arctic Foxes were not recorded in June and July, but 3 animals were observed in early August. An inhabited den was found late in the season. Arctic Hares were not seen. Reindeer females were not numerous. They were recorded in small flocks of 3-7 animals until the end of June. Adult males appeared again in July in small numbers, and mass fall migration was observed on 26 July, when at least 2000 animals passed by in the study area. Pomarine Skuas were numerous in the beginning of the study period and were common breeders. An area 18 km2 was inhabited by 6-7 pairs, and nests were found in 4 of these pairs. Long-tailed Skuas occurred in much lower numbers, and Snowy Owls were not recorded. Breeding Herring Gulls were rare, with 4 nests found and at least 3 more pairs nesting, but wandering birds were relatively common. The Rough-legged Buzzard was not recorded, and a Peregrine Falcon was observed once.
Most birds started nesting from 15-25 June. White-fronted Geese were not numerous breeders. Bean Geese were very rare migrants and breeders. Broods of Red-breasted Geese were only observed on a river tributary. Among waders, Grey Phalaropes and Little Stints were particularly numerous. Dunlins, Pectoral Sandpipers and Curlew Sandpipers were considerably less abundant. Grey Plovers, Pacific Golden Plovers, Temminck's Stints and Bar-tailed Godwits were rare.
We recorded nest depredation in King Eider (n=2), White-fronted Geese (n=2), Pomarine Skua (n=1), Lapland Bunting (n=2) and White Wagtail (n=1). Probably the Ermine was the predator in the latter species. One nest of the Temminck's Stint was deserted. We observed a Pomarine Skua attacking a White-fronted Geese family and a Herring Gull successfully catching a chick of King Eider. A body of a White-fronted Goose chick was found in the period of Reindeer migration (a result of trampling?).
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Lemmings were common before 10 June, but became very rare afterwards.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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