BIRD POPULATIONS - Birdpop.org

ZACKENBERG BIRDS 2008parents of Common Ringed Plovers, Red Knots,Sanderlings, Dunlins, and turnstones – and laterjuveniles – were found in the fens and marshes(dunlins), on the slopes of Aucellabjerg and inthe dry lowlands.Data on chick survival is scarce, but as earlyas 11 June, flocks of up to 10 individuals ofLong-tailed Skuas roamed the lower slopes ofAucellabjerg and the lowlands, which mostlikely have asserted a significant predationpressure on the chicks.REPRODUCTIVE PHENOLOGY AND SUCCESSIN LONG-TAILED SKUASEight (i.e. 80 %) of the Long-tailed Skua nestswere initiated prior to the census period. Interms of nest initiation, this season was aroundaverage (Table 8), and in the census area onlytwo nests were initiated after 20 June (DOY:172).Only one collared lemming (Dicrostonyxgroenlandicus) observation was made by thechief bird observer (J. Hansen), reflecting aseason with few lemmings (Table 8) – the mainfood resource for Arctic fox and Long-tailedSkua. The average clutch size was 1.6 eggs pernest. Only 5 chicks hatched. Nest success forLong-tailed Skuas was well below average(average nest success 1996-2007: 55%; Table 8).Most hatched chicks are thought to havesuffered predation; only two are thought tohave survived. The last observation was of ajuvenile (accompanied by an adult) on 13August (DOY: 226). This young bird was likelyto be 40 days old.BARNACLE GEESEThe Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) colony onthe southern face of the mountain Zackenbergfjeldetwas active with at least three pairs.The colony was first found in 1964, andthereafter revisited and found still in use in 2005and 2006 (Hansen et al. 2008).The first families with goslings were seen on 9July. The number of broods was 15 (Table 9), andthe maximum number of goslings seen at onetime was 18.The mean brood size was high until mid July,but ended on a just 1 gosling per brood in earlyAugust (Table 9). From Isle of Islay, WesternScotland, it was reported that the percentage ofyoung in the flocks arriving to their winteringquarters was 8.2 (Table 9; M. Ogilvie, pers.comm.).In 2008, immature Barnacle Geese moulted innumbers well above average (1995-2007average: 196; Table 10).COMMON BIRD, NOT BREEDINGIN THE CENSUS AREAA total of 1,181 individual immature PinkfootedGeese (Anser brachyrhynchus) wereobserved migrating over Zackenbergdalennorthwards towards their moulting areas. Onlytwo immature Pink-footed Geese were foundmoulting at Zackenberg this year (Table 11).On 12 June (DOY: 164), the first CommonEider (Somateria mollissima) was seen on Lomsø(a female). In the following weeks pairs andsmaller flocks were seen regularly, but at notime more than ten individuals. Ten young –possibly from the Daneborg or Sandøen colonies(c. 30-35 km west of Zackenberg) – wererecorded with an adult female in the formerdelta, on 18 July (DOY: 200). The last adult malewas seen on 23 July (DOY: 205). The 63 adultsand three pulli seen at a sandy spit at the formerdelta on 29 July (DOY: 211) was the largest flockof the season. At Daneborg, the Common Eidercolony between the dog pens was once againTABLE 7. Mean clutch sizes in waders at Zackenberg 1995-2008. Samples of fewer than five clutches are givenin brackets.Species 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 MeanCommon Ringed Plover (4.00) (4.00) (3.50) (4.00) (3.50) (4.00) (3.50) (4.00) (4.00) (4.00) (3.75) (3.75) 3.83Red knot (4.00) (4.00) (4.00) (4.00) (4.00) (4.00) (4.00) 4.00Sanderling (4.00) 4.00 3.86 4.00 3.67 4.00 3.43 3.83 4.00 4.00 3.75 3.63 3.73 3.77 3.83Dunlin (4.00) (3.75) 3.90 3.70 3.93 3.63 (4.00) 4.00 3.92 4.00 3.13 3.79 3.67 3.80Ruddy Turnstone 3.71 3.79 3.82 3.58 3.80 3.75 4.00 3.77 3.92 3.86 (3.00) (4.00) 3.71 3.75Average 4.00 3.93 3.73 3.94 3.69 3.93 3.66 3.96 3.95 3.97 3.87 3.38 3.88 3.73 3.83[83]