Meynypil'gyno: Settling in

Despite the ease with which I observed my first Spoon-billed Sandpipers, the next few weeks of nest searching illustrated the realities of surveying for this rare shorebird species. Not only are there fewer individuals to detect to begin with, but the Meynypil'gyno Spoonies seem to be less vociferous than those surveyed in northern Chukotka fifteen years ago. These factors culminated in many days of hiking, eyes and ears straining for a glimpse of a flushing peep or a snippet of mechanical flight call. I lost track of how many kilometers we covered in what appeared to be perfect Spoon-billed Sandpiper habitat only to find nothing. While we didn't cover *every* inch of potential habitat, instead focusing on those areas that historically held pairs, some interesting trends can be gleaned from our survey effort this year compared to previous years.

Our perch atop a hill while waiting for an unmarked male Spoon-billed Sandpiper to enter or walk-in nest trap within the Moraine Hills adjacent to Meynypil'gyno, Chukotka, Russia. Plenty of "suitable" habitat, but so few birds.

June 11, 2019

Since intensive surveying began at Meynypil'gyno in the summer of 2009, all of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper territories have occurred within the same relatively discreet areas. Even as the population has declined from the initial estimated 40 pairs in 2009 to the 10-13 pairs of the past 5 years, all of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper pairs have seemingly been occupying the same territories. Currently there is little understanding of what is driving the selection of these territories, but it seems clear that many birds over multiple generations (including birds not produced in the immediate Meynypil'gyno area) are selecting these particular sites at which to defend a territory. This is just one of the many missing puzzle pieces in Spoonie conservation. The Spoon-billed Sandpipers (particularly displaying males) breeding in Meynypil'gyno are also notably quieter than those detected in Northern Chukotka (Belyaka Spit) during surveys in 2002 (anecdotal data from researchers conducting the surveys). Personal, I find this possibility, that the Meynypil'gyno are not displaying as vociferously and vigorously as those elsewhere in Chukotoka, a fascinating question to disentangle. If young birds are using the presence of older pairs in particular areas as a proxy for habitat quality, then a decline display vocalizations may serve as an Allee Effect of sorts in that fewer young birds will "know" to settle in the appropriate habitat in Meynypil'gyno. Or, it may simply be that the high site fidelity of breeding Spoon-billed Sandpipers means that established pairs don't feel compelled to invest as much energy in displaying. Whatever the reason, quiet birds means detecting pairs is even more difficult.

One more flagged Spoon-billed Sandpiper in the world! Newly minted female "Lime 89" evaded capture on two prior occasions before Pavel and I decided to try after dinner. Here Pavel ensures the leg flag is properly affixed while I get the notebook in order to begin recording biometric measurements.

June 13, 2019

For the first two weeks of my time in Meynypil'gyno, Pavel and I focused on determining which individuals/pairs had returned this year and finding nests. While many of the breeding species in the area were ones I was acquainted with from my time working in Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska in previous summers, there was plenty of Palearctic flair to keep me on my toes. I quickly became enamored with the buzzy flight song of Red-throated Pipits (Anthus cervinus) and the chaotic mimicry of Eurasian Skylarks (Alauda arvensis) (several of which could pull off a convincing Spoon-billed Sandpiper flight song). One of the differences between the field studies in Meynypil'gyno and those in Barrow was the extent of coverage. I was used to intensely surveying discreet study plots, but it only took a day or two to realize this approach would be nearly useless here in southern Chukotka. For one, the density of breeding birds surrounding Meynypil'gyno was incredibly sparse compared to areas of the High Arctic. The larger extent of the field site was certainly beneficial to me, as it meant we spent time surveying a variety of habitats, including mountain streams with dense riparian vegetation and a myriad of exotic (for me) passerines. The chortle of a Dusky Thrush (Turdus eunomus), bubbly exultations of a Siberian Rubythroat (Calliope calliope), and simple repetitious song of the Dusky Warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus) all became reasons to endure the 1.5 hour ATV ride over hellaciously bumpy terrain to get to the mountains.

Many Dusky Warblers (Phylloscopus fuscatus) shared the willow and alder riparian thickets with the similarly-looking Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis)

One of the birds I most wanted to see during my time in Chukotka, for me seeing the glowing throat of a Siberian Rubythroat (Calliope calliope) for the first time was surreal. An impressive bird with an equally impressive voice, this species was fairly common in the more extensive riparian thickets along streams and the shores of larger lakes.