|
|
|
|
SITE NAME
|
|
East Bay, Southampton Island, Nunavut, Canada
|
|
| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| w. (613)990-2384 h. (613)256-2748 f. (613)998-0458 // psmith@ncf.ca // National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
|
|
PROJECT DETAILS |
|
Project name:
|
|
Shorebirds of East Bay
|
|
|
Start of survey:
|
End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
|
29.05
|
26.07
|
3
|
|
WEATHER
CONDITIONS
|
| Season phenology: |
average
|
|
|
Weather conditions: |
| My opinion was that spring progressed not much earlier than in a normal year - it was not as early at East Bay as it was in other parts of the Canadian Arctic. Snow cover on flat areas reduced to 50% on 10 June and melted completely on 27 June 2008. There was markedly less precipitation in 2008 compared with 2007. There were many sunny days and warmer temperatures. There were no major snowfalls after the very beginning of June and that meant the snow melted without interuptions. It was a relatively dry season and the water levels in the ponds were markedly lower (and even dry in some cases) than 2007. We also noticed a difference in the progression in caribou moult and flowering plants.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
10.06
|
|
| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
27.06
|
|
| Date of final loss of
snow: |
|
|
BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
|
| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
average
|
|
|
Breeding conditions:
|
Arctic Foxes were much more prevalent this year than last; we cannot say whether there were numerically more foxes around but they were more obvious.
There were no notable changes in avian predator numbers (i.e. skuas, gulls). Arctic Skuas were breeding with density 0.3 pairs/km2. The Peregrine Falcon was the only raptor recorded in small number. Owls and ptarmigans were absent.
Detailed studies of all shorebirds species were made. We studied terns, gulls and waterfowl less intensively. The number of nests found was much higher than 2007. However correcting for search effort will probably remove the difference. Breeding success was very similar to 2007, i.e. above average.
|
|
|
Rodent dynamics:
|
| Three Greenland Lemmings were trapped in snap trap transects indicating lemmings continue to be abundant (higher than average). They were present upon our arrival on 29 May, and young were seen in June and until we left on 26 July. No Brown Lemmings seen.
|
|
Rodent species recorded:
|
| Latin | Abundance |
|---|
| Dicrostonyx groenlandicus | common |
|
|
|
Summary
of fauna studies: |
|
|
|