Ornithofauna of Kargopol area as a pearl of North European biodiversity - Study tours in 2002-2004 to southern part of the Arkhangelsk region, NW Russia

Finnish-Russian Joint Expeditions crewed by Häme Regional Environment Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, Karelian Research Centre, the Bird Ringing Centre of Moscow (in 2003), St. Petersburg State University and Nizhnesvirsky State Strict Nature Reserve (in 2004) have visited in Kargopol area, Arkhangelsk region four times in 2001-2004.

Aim of the expeditions has been to make inventories on migrating and breeding birds in this well-known but scanty documented Russian area.

Attention was given to the bird species included in EU Birds Directive and species existing in protected areas (Filatovski field and forest zakasnik and Lacha lake zakasnik). Inventories were financed by the Finnish-Russian Development Programme on Sustainable Forest Management and Conservation of Biological Diversity in Northwest Russia hosted by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Ministry of the Environment.


Dimensions of the general inventory area are
100 x 100 km, small Kargopol town (12.000 inhab.) locating in the middle of the target area (coordinates 39° 00' E, 61° 30' N). Kargopol area comprises northernmost vast field areas, important for staging cranes and geese, before reaching their breeding range in taiga and tundra belts. Most fields are now abandoned because of lacking governmental subsidies. Fields growing bushes are loosing value as geese pasture, but still possess high diversity value.


In September 2001 was carried out an inquiry expedition only. Numbers of migrating birds, especially cranes (Grus grus) were recorded. The spring expedition of the year 2002 was implemented on the second half of April. The spring was early and temperature high. The research period indicated to be the peak of migrating White-fronts (Anser albifrons), c. 10 neck-banded in Central Europe and Bean Geese (A. fabalis). Karelian Research Centre realised in September autumn 2002 research trip to northern part of Kargopol area for cranes and migrating birds.

In year 2003 the spring was quite cool and migration of geese delayed. Thousands of White-fronts and Bean Geese were seen daily, mainly on flight. The rush of Brent Geese (Branta bernicla) and Barnacle Goose (B. leucopsis) began on 15th May 2003. Any reliable records of the Lesser White-fronted Geese (Anser erythropus) were achieved. In one village were shot totally 31 geese during the legal hunting season (1-10 May) and 7 of them were Lesser White-fronts. In September 2003 was carried out an ordinary crane monitoring in Kargopol area as well.

In year 2004 the expedition started on 24 May and ended on 4 June. Weather conditions were quite bad, cold and rainy. Migration of breeding birds was a little bit late, but the survey revealed quite well main features of the bird fauna in Kargopol area. Number of recorded bird species was totally 164. On the list of most frequent bird species occurred same bird species like in Finland, but some surprises were recorded as well. Common Cuckoo, was second in order. In Finland this species is nowadays quite scarce. The expedition confirmed that southern part of Lacha lake and meadows of Kononovo village are hot spots of many rare bird species.

High number of bird species and diversity value
Total number of bird species recognised in Kargopol area has been high, 168 species in 2003. 37 of them include to Annex Species of EU Birds Directive. Filatovski field and forest zakasnik indicated to be very important especially for stop-overing geese. Lacha lake zakasnik is more diversificated than earlier believed. There are really good biological reasons to expand the range of this zakasnik.

Almost all bird species seen in the Kargopol area occur also in Finland, but their occurrence and numbers are different. Common Finnish species Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), Goldcrest (Regulus regulus), Crested Tit (Parus cristatus), Willow Tit (P. montanus) and Coal Tit (Pater) were very uncommon. Rare species in Finland, Great Snipe (Gallinago media), Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus), White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) and Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) have in Kargopol many distribution sites.

A small nesting population of Azure Tit (Parus cyanus) about five nesting pairs discovered year 2002 on the bank of Svid River flowing to Lacha Lake from south (38° 45' E, 61° 10' N). Courtship of four Great Snipe males (Gallinago media) was one climax in the Expedition 2003. For better comprehension of Kargopol area birds are still needed more research in breeding season, May-June (e.g. nocturnal Warblers).


Crew of the expeditions:
1) Erkki Kellomäki, 2) Aleksandr Artemev, 3) Elena Gurtavaja, 2) Tatjana Khohlova, 1) Ari Lehtinen, 4) Marina Yakovleva, 1) Eero Peltonen, 5) Kirsti Krogerus, 1) Jouni Riihimäki, 1) Natalia Ripatti, 6) Aleksandr Kondratjev, 7) Viktor Kovalev, 8) Pekka Rusanen & 1) Petri Uronen.




1) Häme Regional Environment Centre, Finland; 2) Karelian Research Centre of RAS, Russia; 3) Bird Ringing Centre of Moscow, Russia; 4) State Strict Nature Reserve "Kivach", Russia; 5) Pirkanmaa Regional Environment Centre, Finland; 6) Baltic Fund for Nature of the St. Petersburg Naturalist Society, Russia; 7) State Strict Nature Reserve "Nizhnesvirsky", Russia; 8) Finnish Environment Institute, Finland

Text:
Erkki Kellomäki, Häme Regional Environment Centre, Finland
e-mail: erkki.kellomaki@ymparisto.fi

Photos:
Jouni Riihimäki, Häme Regional Environment Centre, Finland

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