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RESPONDENT
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Svetlana Mechnikova
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SITE NAME
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Schuchya River, middle reaches, Yamal Peninsula, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (495) 367-60-56 // mechnikova@rambler.ru // Russia, 105043 Moscow, 3-ya Parkovaya, 8/19, apartm. 50
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Monitoring of geese and birds of prey
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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21.06
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24.07
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2
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| The studies were carried out from 21 June - 24 July. Spring was approximately 7-10 days delayed compared with average dates, although a pronounced and long-term warming had occurred in April according to reports by local people. May and the first half of June were cold. Snow melted completely on flat surfaces on 20-21 June, but it was then still present in depressions and on the northern slopes, and lakes were still frozen. Ice-break on rivers occurred in early June according to reports of local people. The accumulation of heavy snow during the winter resulted in a high flood. River bluffs up to 5-6 m high were flooded in some places. The water table dropped only slowly in June due to large quantities of snow in the Ural Mountains. The weather was constantly warm or even hot after 22 June, with prevailing day-time air temperatures of +25-28°C, and exceeding +30°C on several days. Rains were rare, and water levels were dropping quickly. Strong wind was not recorded, and the weather did not turn cold until the last two days of the study period, when temperatures dropped to +12-14°C. Extreme weather events were not recorded.
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
early June
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
20-21.06
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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 not recorded, but Red Foxes were more abundant than in 2006, and we often observed animals and found their inhabited dens. Numbers of Brown Bears were average. A single Short-eared Owls and a single Hawk Owl were seen during the whole study period. Rough-legged Buzzards did not breed and there were only a few records of single wandering birds and a few birds staying on their territories in July. Numbers of breeding White-tailed Sea Eagles were lower than in 2005-2006, and mean brood size was also lower in this species. A new nesting pair of the Golden Eagle was discovered, but their chick(s) was killed by a Brown Bear, as were two chicks of this species in another nest. Peregrine Falcons occurred in relatively high numbers, and Gyrfalcons in usual numbers. Brood size was low in the Gyrfalcon. However, one brood with 5 fledglings was found, which happens rarely. Breeding was delayed in the Peregrine Falcon and Merlin compared with the previous year.
Non-breeding Long-tailed Skuas were common in June, but became rare by mid July. Herring Gulls and Common Gulls were not abundant, and were mostly recorded in the vicinity of the camps of Reindeer herders. Numbers of breeding Hooded Crows, Ravens and Magpies were below average.
The high and prolonged flood apparently impeded breeding of a portion of the wader populations in floodplains, since, in contrast to the previous seasons, we observed small flocks of non-breeding Terek Sandpipers, Ringed Plovers and a few Temminck's Stints several times during the summer. Nevertheless, the abundance of breeding Terek Sandpipers was very high, and many nests were found. Whimbrels were numerous and nested in all tundra and forest-tundra habitats, while this species was relatively rare in 2006 and represented by a few pairs only in 2005. Wood Sandpipers, Eurasian Golden Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwits, Ruffs, Red-necked Phalaropes, Common Snipes, and Pintail Snipes were common breeders; Ringed Plovers, Temminck's Stints, and Common Sandpiper were less common than in 2005-2006. Generally, numbers of breeding waders were high.
The abundance of Willow Grouse and most species of ducks was average. A declining trend in abundance of the Long-tailed Duck was recorded during the last 3 years, and an increasing trend in the abundance of the White-winged Scoter. Breeding success of ducks and grouse was not evaluated due to the early termination of studies in this year.
Numbers of the Lesser White-fronted Goose and Bean Goose have been increasing during the last 3 years. Non-breeding geese of both species were relatively abundant in July 2007, partly probably due to appearance of birds from more northerly regions. The number of nests of Lesser White-fronted Geese was slightly higher than in 2006.
Among small passerines Bramblings were unusually uncommon, while Siberian Accentors were, in contrast, relatively numerous. This is in accordance with the increasing trend in numbers of this species during the last 3 years.
Breeding of geese, ducks, waders, and passerines was delayed compared with 2005-2006 due to the late snowmelt and high prolonged flood. However, favourable summer weather, high abundance of invertebrates and relatively small abundance of birds of prey were, probably, beneficial for the successful reproduction of birds.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Abundance of rodents was the lowest on record for the last 3 years. However, Arctic Hares were unusually numerous, being recorded more often than in 2005-2006.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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