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SITE NAME
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Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (204)661-0763 // rkoes@mts.net // 135 Rossmere Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2K 0G1, Canada
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Churchill Northern Studies Centre birding group
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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5.06
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12.06
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10
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Upon arrival on 5 June 2008, a fair amount of snow still covered the ground, especially at edges of open areas where drifting had taken place. All larger bodies of water were ice-covered, except around the edges, but smaller and shallower ponds were open. The mouth of the Churchill River broke open on 6 June. Vegetation was somewhat behind schedule, but caught up during our stay from 5 to 12 June 2008, when there were mostly mild temperatures. Spring up until just a few days earlier, had been late.
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
6.06
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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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Red Foxes were common this year.
Of the diurnal raptors, the following should be noted: Bald Eagles, although still uncommon, continue to increase. This year a longtime Osprey nest was usurped by a pair of Bald Eagles, which had at least two juveniles on 5 June. The Northern Harrier continues to be the most common raptor, with up to 10+ noted daily. Only one pair of the Rough-legged Buzzard was present. American Kestrel numbers were very low, as has been the pattern for the last several years. Short-eared Owl numbers were low; never more than two records per day were noted. A pair of Northern Hawk Owls successfully fledged at least two young.
Herring Gulls and Common Ravens, together with Red Foxes, continue to take a heavy toll on nesting birds or their eggs and nestlings. Very few Parasitic Jaegers were present; only two territorial pairs were noted.
Snow and Ross's Geese were virtually absent; they had departed for breeding colonies to the east and north with the recent onset of milder weather. Other waterfowl were present in expected numbers, except for higher than normal numbers of Lesser Scaup, which is normally an uncommon species found mainly around town. Without much effort, 38+ were tallied at various locations on 5 June. Most ducks appeared not to be nesting yet. A male Barrow's Goldeneye at the mouth of the river on 12 June was rarity. Scoter concentrations in the mouth of the river were low, as were those of loons (Red-throated and Pacific Loons are sometimes present in the hundreds at this time of year, but they reached only double digits this year).
A Rock Ptarmigan at Cape Merry from 8 to 11 June was unexpected; the species normally departs for the breeding grounds in April or early May. Willow Grouse were present in excellent numbers, as in 2007.
Shorebird migration was still in full swing, with the Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope being most common. No Grey Phalaropes were seen this year. Nesting activity of locally breeding shorebirds was only just getting underway; many birds hadn't yet set up territories, and consequently the tundra was rather quiet. The overall consensus is that virtually all locally breeding shorebird species continue to decline.
Bohemian Waxwing and White-winged Crossbill were very scarce, but both Common and Hoary Redpoll were widespread. Rarities reported by others included a Great Egret on 3 July (a first for the Churchill area), a Black-legged Kittiwake on 4 June, a Say's Phoebe on 1 July and a Northern Mockingbird on 13 June.
The overall success of the breeding season is not known at this time.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Lemming and vole numbers were low.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Clethrionomys gapperi | rare |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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