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RESPONDENT
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Vladimir Morozov
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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)1553044 // piskulka@mtu-net.ru // Shebashevski Proezd, 7-16, Moscow, 125315, Russia
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Lesser White-fronted Goose at southern Yamal
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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15.06
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21.08
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6
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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| Season phenology: |
average
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Weather conditions: |
| Winter weather retained till 20 May, but following quick warming turned tundra snow-free by June (except for certain floodplains). Schutchya river and tributaries experienced ice-break in early June; the following flood was very high. Lakes became ice-free by 1-2 July. June was cool and dry, July - warm in the beginning and then hot. Mid August was cool again with occasional rains, fog and drizzle. Generally, summer was warm and with average amount of precipitation that is favourable for bird breeding.
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| Season humidity: |
moderate
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
early June
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
late May
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
average
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Breeding conditions:
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| Insects were abundant (crane-flies, gnat, butterflies, etc.). Red Foxes were not met, and dens not found. Arctic Foxes were absolutely absent at the major part of the region, a single den found only near foothills of the Polar Ural. Long-tailed and Arctic Skuas bred at low density, and most of the former were wandering non-breeders. Buzzards bred at low density. Their clutches were large (4-6 eggs), but reproductive success - low (no more than 3 fledglings per pair), and at least one third of the pairs were failures. Hen Harriers were rare and did not breed. Neither did Short-eared Owls, wandering in southern tundra, while Snowy Owls were not recorded. Numbers and productivity of White-tailed Sea Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and Gyrfalcon were lower than in previous years. Hooded Crow and Raven were breeding at usual density along Schutchya river. Eurasian Golden Plover was abundant everywhere. Wood Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Pintail, Common, and Jack Snipes, Whimbrel were common and evenly distributed in foresttundra and southern tundra. Ringed Plover and Temmink's Stint were common in tundra; Ruff, Common Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope - rare. Bar-tailed Godwit had patchy distribution, and reached substantial density in some of the spots. Waders bred in usual dates, and with high success due to favourable weather, absence of terrestrial predators, and low activity of avian ones. This is evidenced by high numbers of adults birds alarming near chicks, and frequent records of recently fledged young.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Lemmings were not recorded in the forest-tundra parts of the region, while in southern tundra both Siberian and Collared Lemmings were very rare. Narrow-skulled Voles increased from average number in June to high in July, especially in tundra zone floodplains; Ruddy Voles also showed increase.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Lemmus sibiricus | rare |
| Dicrostonyx torquatus | rare |
| Clethrionomys rutilus | rare |
| Microtus gregalis | common |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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