Birding in Svalbard 5 th - 8 th June Aleksi Lehikoinen Introduction

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2 Birding in Svalbard 5 th - 8 th June 2004 Aleksi Lehikoinen aleksi.lehikoinen@helsinki.fi Introduction A group of nearly 35 biology students and three teachers visited Longyearbyen area at Svalbard in the beginning of June as a study trip of University of Helsinki. The purpose of the trip was to become acquainted with arctic fauna and flora and compare it to fauna and flora of subarctic areas in northern Norway, Sweden and Finland. The schedule of the trip is described in the following: 5 th of June Flight from Tromsø 7:25 p.m. and arrival to airport of Longyearbyen 9:15 p.m. Transportation by bus from airport to lodging (Spitbergen Gjestehus Nybyen). Birding in the harbour of Longyearbyen till 1:00 a.m. (on the 6 th ). Weather: still, and even it snew little nearly all the time the visibility was quite good (at least several kilometers). Temperature was near zero degrees Celsius. 6 th of June After breakfast transportation by bus to ponds near the airport. From there we walked along the coastline to bird colonies of Bjørndalen and (on the way) back to Longyearbyen (altogether about 20 km walking). Because of polar bears, it is not allowed to go outside the village of Longyearbyen without a rifle. We had to stay in tight groups with riflemen. In the evening birding in the harbour of Longyearbyen. Weather: nearly still and cloudy, but some sunshine and snow few times. Temperature was near zero. Visibility: tens of kilometers when it was not snowing. 7 th of June We visited The University Centre of Svalbard in the morning and in the afternoon we made a trip to the nearest glacier south from Longyearbyen. A small group of students climbed up to the Plåtaberget cliffs where little auks are breeding. In the evening birding in harbour of Longyearbyen. Weather: snowing till afternoon, but evening nice sunny and clear. Temperature: near zero or a few plus degrees. 8 th of June Birding in harbour of Longyearbyen and in the estuary of Adventelva-river till mid-day. Transportation by bus to airport and flight to Tromsø departed 2.55 p.m. Weather: the first day without snowing. Sunny-cloudy and temperature a few degrees above zero. Because of the long distances and that we travelled mainly by walking most of the observations were made near Longyearbyen. For example it took 45 minutes to walk to the coast from our hostel. It is possible to rent a car or use taxis in the area, but the road system is very poor. Some trend-setting prizes in Longyearbyen Flight from Tromsø or Oslo about 170 euros (includes return flight) Dubbleroom in hostel in Longyearbyen for one night about 110 euros (in hotels twice as expensive) Pint of beer (0.5 l) in pub about 4.2 euros (Svalbard is a tax-free area, so beer is much more cheaper than in continental Norway)

3 Observations (made by Aleksi Lehikoinen, Mari Pihlajaniemi, Kaisa Välimäki, Paavo Junttila, Paa Hellstedt, Mikko Heikkinen, Inka Plit, Jenni Leppänen, Anna Tuhti, Anna Hahtola, Niko Nappu etc.) Birds Pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus: 4 30 individuals were seen daily, usually flying over along the fjord. Quite confident pair was seen twice grazing just outside Longeryearbyen. Barnacle goose Branta leucopsis A bit numerous than previous species individuals were seen daily, which were flying over, grazing on low-laying areas and sitting on the cliffs with little auks. Brent goose B. bernicla Three observation on flying flocks: on the 6 th 4+4 and on the 8 th 2. All were white-bellied subspecies hrota. Common teal Anas crecca One observation: a flock of three landed on the 8 th to the estuary of Adventelva-river near Longyearbyen. Rare or irregular breeding species in Svalbard. Pink-footed Goose Aleksi Lehikoinen

4 Common eider Somateria mollissima the most numerous duck in the area individuals were seen daily. Females were just starting to lay eggs (the first hatching female was seen on the 8 th ), so they breed nearly two months later than eiders in southern coast of Finland! Sex-ratio was perhaps little bit biased with more males. For example on the 7 th a sample from swimming birds at Adventfjorden (the fjorden Longyearbyen is situated on): 68 old males and 61 females => 11 % more males. In southern coast of Finland the sex-ratio is more male biased, probably because of higher predation rate of hatching females. In Finland american minks, foxes, white-tailed eagles etc. are predating female eiders, but in Svalbard the only predator is arctic fox and perhaps glaucous gull. Only very few (about five) young (2nd calendar-year) males were seen. King eider Somateria spectabilis Notably rarer than common eider individuals were seen daily, usually with common eiders in the Adventfjorden. Young king eiders were seen more often than young common eiders (total number of king eiders: 16 old males, seven 2cy males ja 19 females). Perhaps young common eiders arrive later or the breeding success of common eiders was poor last year. Long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis Fairly rare duck individual were seen daily. Usually on pairs on small (breeding?) ponds near the fjord or on the bottom of Adventfjorden. Most of the males were still changing their plumage from winter to summer plumage. Common scoter Melanitta nigra One observation: a flock of one male and two females on the 6 th in the bottom of Adventfjorden. Rare or irregular breeding bird in Svalbard. Svalbard ptarmigan Lagopus muta 0 5 individuals were seen daily. Much more males than females were seen (seven males and one female) => females are already hatching. The birds were really confident. Males were still in white plumage, but the only female that we saw was already in brown plumage. Svalbard ptarmigans belong to subspecies hyperboreus, which occurs only in Svalbard and Franz Joseph Land. Red-throated diver Gavia stellata 0 3 individuals were seen daily, perhaps six individuals altogether. All were in breeding plumage and swimming in the Adventfjorden or flying over the Isfjorden. Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis Some tens of Fulmars were seen daily except on the 6 th when up to 5000 birds were seen from Bjørndalen swimming and flying on the still Isfjorden. Many individuals flew very near along the coastline. Some birds were also seen flying higher up on the mountains. Those were probably breeding there? Ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula Two observations: on the 6 th ponds of the airport 1 ind. and on the 7 th coast of the Longyearbyen 1 ind. Sanderling Calidris alba Dunlin C. alpina Purple sandpiper C. maritima One observation: on the 6 th ponds of airport 3 individuals. One pair was displaying daily on the coastal meadow of eastern edge of Longyearbyen. On the 6 th one extra individual was seen on the same place. The most common wader during the trip individuals were seen daily on the coastal areas and seldom on low-laying tundra-areas. The largest numbers were seen in the bottom of the

5 Adventfjorden. Some birds were displaying in the middle of Longyearbyen. Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa One observation: on the 8 th one individual in southern side of the estuary of Adventelva-river near Longyearbyen. This was one of the best observations of the trip, because the species is an irregular vagrant in Svalbard. This individual was probably belonging to subspecies of islandica with reddish plumage and shorter bill than continental subspecies limosa. Grey phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius Two observations: on the 6 th ponds of airport one female and on the 7 th in the bottom of Adventfjorden one female swimming with kittiwakes. Perhaps the migration was still going on and the males hadn t arrived yet. Arctic skua Stercorarius parasiticus 3 8 individuals were seen daily, total of number about 15 ind. All individuals were adults in breeding plumage and only one was black morph, when others were pale morph. Fulmar Aleksi Lehikoinen

6 Great skua S. skua Two observations: on the 6 th in Bjørndalen 4+1 flying east along the south coast of Isfjorden. Sabine s gull Larus sabini One observation: on the 6 th one individual in breeding plumage in the bottom of Adventfjorden. The bird was found in a flock of tens of swimming kittiwakes. After a short swimming period of about 10 minutes it took off and flew towards the opening of the fjord and disappeared there at about 7:30 p.m. Very rare breeding bird in Svalbard with breeding population of 1 5 pairs. Herring*glaucous gull L. arg. * hyp. Obvious hybrid present in the evening of the 7 th in Adventfjorden in the same kittiwake-flock were sabine s gull visited on previous day. Adult bird in breeding plumage, which is very similar to herring gull, but the dark areas on wingtips were grayish black not black like in herring gulls. The size and the shape of the body and shape of the bill were similar to herring gull. The bird was compared to glaucous and iceland gulls, which were swimming in the same flock. It could have been ¾ of herring gull, but we never know this for sure. Glaucous gulls and herring gulls produce hybrids at least in Iceland, but possibly also in Bjørnøya, were herring gull is rare breeding bird. Iceland gull L. glaucoides One observation: on the 7 th two adult birds in breeding plumage in the Adventfjorden in the same kittiwake-flock where also the sabines gull and the obvious hybrid gull were seen. One of these was also present in the next morning. Vagrant in Svalbard. Nearest breeding areas are in Greenland. Great skua Aleksi Lehikoinen

7 Glaucous gull moulting it's inner primaries Aleksi Lehikoinen Glaucous gull L. hyperboreus Ivory gull Pagophila eburnea The 2 nd numerous gull-species individuals were seen daily. Less than 10 % were young and subadult birds. 2cy birds were the most common non-adult age-group. For example on the 7 th in the coast of Adventfjorden 45 adults, one 3cy and four 2cy birds were seen. Usually glaucous gulls were seen on the coastal areas of fjords, but also seldom on the little auk cliffs. These were probably breeding or hunting birds? On the 8 th one adult bird obviously starved to death was found near Longyearbyen. One pair in breeding plumage stayed the whole period in the bottom of Adventfjorden, but in the evening of the 7 th two pairs were seen. Usually sitting on ice floes, where they were sometimes very difficult to find. Seldom they were also flying and feeding on the shore. Once one individual was seen swimming for five seconds! Breeding population of Svalbard is approximately 270 pairs. A pair of adult ivory gulls Aleksi Lehikoinen

8 Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Hundreds or thousands (on the 6 th ) were seen daily on the fjord flying, swimming, sitting on the ice floes or on the shore. There was also a minor breeding colony in Bjørndalen. Arctic tern Sterna parasidisaea The numbers were increasing daily on the 5 th 10, 6 th 20, 7 th 40 and ja 8 th 180 individuals, which indicates that migration was still going on. The biggest numbers were seen on the 8 th in the ponds of airport where about 100 individuals were present. One of these was young 2cy bird, but all the others were identified as adults. Brünnich s guillemot Uria lomvia Some tens were seen daily except on the 6 th when about individuals were seen from Bjørndalen area flying or swimming on the still Isfjorden. There was a small colony in the Bjørndalen. Black guillemot Cepphus grylle individuals were seen daily except on the 6 th when up to 200 individuals were seen from Bjørndalen area. Usually lone birds or small flocks in fjords. They probably breed in the little auk-cliffs, because few times lone birds were seen flying high up from/to the mountains. The birds in Svalbard belong to subspecies mandtii, which breeds only in Svalbard and in Franz Joseph Land. Little auk Alle alle The most numerous bird species of the trip. Hundreds or thousands birds were seen daily. The biggest numbers were on the 6 th or more. Many birds were also seen swimming on the Isfjorden. We observed colonies on the cliffs on three sides of Longyearbyen and also on the cliffs on the way to Bjørndalen. They are nesting in the rocky holes of cliffs. Flocks of tens-hundreds of birds were often seen flying along the cliffs. Absolutely my favorite bird in Svalbard! Little auks Aleksi Lehikoinen

9 Snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Common in the low-laying areas individuals were seen daily. Common breeding bird also in the middle of Longyearbyen and males were often singing on the top of the buildings like sparrows. Females were seen nearly as often as males, so they haven t yet started to lay eggs. The only common and regular breeding passerine species in Svalbard. Mammals Arctic fox Alopex lagopus On the 5 th 7 th at least two individuals were seen near the lodgings and one in the evening on the 7 th on the other side of Adventfjorden. Tracks were also seen on snow in several places. Svalbard reindeer Rangifer tarandus platyrhychus individuals were seen daily on the low-laying areas including the downtown of Longyearbyen. Harp seal Phoca groelandica One individual on the 7 th on ice block in the fjord of Longyearbyen. Bearded seal Erignathus barbatus On the 6 th one individual on ice floes and two others were swimming in the middle of Isfjorden. Useful literature: Hagemeijer, E. J. M. & Blair, M. J. (eds.) 1997: The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. T. & A. Poyser, London. Mehlum, F. 1990: Birds and Mammals of Svalbard. Norsk Polarinstitute. Oslo. 140 p.