Trip reports, photographs and articles by Lutz Lücker

Male (left) and female fighting about their chicks. Unprecedented document.

 
Lutz Lücker, Siegfried Kraatz †, Bärbel Kraatz
  

 
 
From 2002 to 2010 twenty-four Dotterel nests were observed on Varangerfjell plateaus near Batsfjord. Females definitely took part in incubation in 18 cases. However, shared incubation could not be ruled out for the remaining 7 nests. One female defended her chicks against her own partner during and after hatching. Another lone female was seen leading 3 chicks for 5 days in a very small section of the study area. Several nests were found that were less than 100 m apart. One bird laid eggs in the same nest in 2 consecutive years. Some of these findings complement previously published observations and hypotheses.
 
Female evacuating an eggshell & letting us alone with its chicks



 
When we first met in early July 2002 on a high plateau of the Varanger peninsula, Siegfried and Bärbel Kraatz had started observing their second Dotterel clutch where male and female were sharing incubation. We found another four similar pairs in 2004 and Siegfried, in spite of his declining health, found two more in 2005. Shortly before his premature death in December 2005 he wrote his second article on the role of female Dotterel, which was published posthumously in 2006 (Kraatz & Kraatz 2004 and 2006). From 2007 to July 2010 Bärbel Kraatz and I returned to our study areas each year to extend our knowledge of this practice which had previously been believed to be infrequent.
 
Dotterel females have been known to be polyandrous for a long time (Cramp & Simmons 1982, Owens et al.1995, Géroudet 1982), mostly deserting their males after egg-laying in order to lay more clutches with other males. Only a few authors mention that some females may occasionally take part in incubation, the only precise proportions recorded so far being 9 out of 27 nests on Hardangervidda in southern Norway (Kalas & Byrkjedal 1984) and 4 out of 32 nests on Värriötunturi in Finland (Pulliainen & Saari 1997). However, there are no records of females attending chicks after leaving the nest or double-clutching (male and female incubating two clutches, which occurs with Mountain Plover Charadrius montanus (Cramp & Simmons 1982,) and certain Calidris species). Site fidelity is believed to be weak (Cramp & Simmons 1982, Hable 1975), population density does not exceed 17 nests/100 hectares on mountain tops with small suitable habitat surface (Nethersole-Thompson 1973, Piersma & Wiersma 1996, Cramp & Simmons). Dispersal of chicks after hatching is believed to be fast and over large distances (Géroudet 1982). Generally Dotterel are thought to be extremely confiding. Nevertheless, most authors claim that sexing of adult birds is extremely difficult, even from a short distance.

Incubating female, male coming to take over. Very rare document.
 
 
  
Both our study areas were not far from road 891 which leads from Gednje T-junction to Batsfjord at 70.54674 degrees north/29.44370 east on the vast shrub- and treeless plateaus of the Varanger peninsula. Nests were found between 320 and 420 m asl in only inch-high vegetation of Salix glandulosa, Salix herbacea, Loiseleuria procumbens, Silene acaulis, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cladonia rangiferina and Vaccinium myrtillus. Mostly eggs are laid next to a house brick-sized stone which is often covered with Rhizocarpon geographicum and other lichens. In this habitat the Dotterel's immediate feathered neighbours are Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria), Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima), Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii), Turnstone (Arenaria interpres), Shorelark (Eremophila alpestris), Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus) and Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis). Potential predators such as Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), and Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus) may breed within 400 m of the nearest Dotterel nest..

Other occasional or rare threats include Merlin (Falco columbarius), Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaëtos) Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca, only recorded in July 2003), Raven (Corvus corax), Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes), Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus, recorded only once), and Ermine/Stoat (Mustela erminea). Once I found fox droppings in a nest that had been used a year earlier. On the other hand, Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) can be quite numerous in July; a trampled nest was found in 2008 but after we had cleaned up the mess the bird continued incubating the only intact egg for several days.

All nests were found either on dry, flat terraces and plateaus or on slightly inclined slopes, never on a hilltop or a summit ridge. Only one nest was virtually surrounded by small rivulets coming from a huge melting snowdrift. Hatching dates went from 4th to 27th July; replacement clutches may have been laid as late as 9th July so that some chicks may have hatched in early August.
 
Typical, drab male, "flagging", i.e. showing the chicks where he is.

 

 
It would be presumptuous to call this article “research” or “study”; sampling was indeed difficult and irregular. For work-related reasons I often arrived after egg-laying. We occasionally had to leave the Arctic before the last clutches had hatched, and Siegfried's health problems did not always allow him to study his birds as often or as long as he wanted. The weather on those windswept high plateaus was the main problem. There may be snow showers even in July, hazardous coastal fog and 25m/sec gales. When the weather was suitable, we tried to identify the sex of the birds on each nest twice a day, which sometimes involved a lot of walking and driving.
 
Our first priority was conservation, not research, so, to avoid disturbance, we sometimes did not check nests for several consecutive days during periods of poor weather. Except for hatching periods I rarely observed the same nest for more than 60 minutes whereas Siegfried sometimes stayed near a clutch for up to 14 consecutive hours, and often checked on the birds at night. We never used hides but stayed at some distance so that the incubating birds were not stressed. Before leaving at the end of our observation period we left a few mealworms. The birds then associated our visits with food and of no threat.
 
We never attempted to find more than 4 nests each year but since Dotterel are certainly commoner in this habitat than most other breeding species (except for Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula), we also came across up to 3 families per year from other, unknown nests. We repeatedly observed feeding males in July for more than 3 hours before we lost them because they finally flew away, disappearing behind a low hump and never allowing us to find their clutch. Indeed, incubation-sharing means that the relieved bird can go and feed far away from its nest for long periods. This may be an advantage for breeding birds in arctic weather conditions but it makes nest-searching more difficult.
 
Sexing of incubating birds surprisingly turned out to be less difficult than we had expected. In all cases we found that breeding females in this area have a set of distinctive diagnostic features in late June and July. Their extremely white cheeks have very few or no dark streaks, the rear part of the crown is blackish with very few or no light brown streaks (see Appendix 5), the dark belly patch is much larger than that of a male where most have a number of light feathers showing well in this dark patch, probably a sign of early contour feather moult. In August however, those differences tend to disappear rapidly which makes it impossible to sex migrating adults. But in July it never took us long to tell which of the two birds was incubating provided that we could approach closely enough in good light.

     Pictures from 3 nests: males left, females right.
 
 
    
 
From June 2002 to July 2010 we found 24 nests, 18 (= 75%) of which were definitely incubated by two different birds, sometimes for up to 12 consecutive days (Fig.6).- However, the remaining 6 nests (with males only) could never be observed long enough to completely rule out any female participation. Either the nests were found too late, robbed or destroyed, or we had to leave the area before hatching. As for the 18 females, some only stayed with their mates during the early stages of incubation, or until hatching; but there was no consistency. In two cases the female was only seen once on the nest, on one or two days before hatching.

 
In July 2002, Siegfried was probably the first person to publish a photograph of a female Dotterel incubating a nest containing chicks. When the second chick had hatched, the female disappeared and the male took over. On 16th July 2008 we discovered another female incubating two chicks. When the third had hatched, a male bird arrived and tried to take over, trying to brood the firstborn chick which was looking for food about 4 m from the nest but he was violently driven away by the female (see video on http://www.vimeo.com/7435068). These skirmishes with leap-frogging and shrill calls were repeated 6 times over 3 ½ hours; the female won each time. We stopped observing in late afternoon because of cooler weather coming in. On the next morning we found the male, still brooding the chicks in the nest, nearly 24 hours after the last chick had hatched; the female had vanished. As far as we know this behaviour has not been previously reported.
 

Female on nest with hatched chick.- Phot.: S.Kraatz
 
 
On 18th July 2008 we found two adult birds leading 3 chicks each, about 400 m from each other. One male, not far from a nest that had hatched a few days earlier, and a female (see Appendix 4)! The birds were in a small area, situated between the new Batsfjord road, the parallel old road, a creek and an impenetrable area with boulders that were too big for small chicks. The female stayed there for 5 days, the male for a week. They never came close to each other. The chicks were about the same size so a case of double-clutching between these two birds seemed to be unlikely. But there may have been a second male with whom the female might have paired up. To our knowledge, there have been no other records of females escorting three chicks without a partner.
 
Lone female with several day-old chicks. Unprecedented document. 
 
 
Each year, we systematically tried to find the location of old nests in order to see how faithful Dotterel are to former nesting territories. Since these birds often pair up in their winter quarters and sometimes breed thousands of miles from last years' site (Géroudet 1982), we were not surprised to find little evidence of site fidelity. However, in 2009, a nest was found only about 20 yards from one used in 2008. This might have been a coincidence but in 2004 I spotted a clutch in the very same depression where I had found one the previous year, a phenomenon that must be quite rare in any Charadriiform species!
 
Varanger's true Dotterel population density has always remained a mystery to us. Over the years we found 3 loose “neighbourhoods”, that is pairs of nests which were less than 100 m apart. In 2008 both nests were incubated by different females and males, which means that close vicinity is not necessarily a consequence of serial polyandry; we were able to prove that there were four different birds, not three. In 2009 we found a cluster of three nests in an area of less than 20 hectares. But we were unable to explain why in spite of great efforts we did not find any other nests for miles around in optimum habitat. The only area with a greater chance to find nests than elsewhere was along the reindeer fences that run along road 891, as well as along two dirt roads. We actually found at least 10 nests that were less than 50 metres from one of these conspicuous lines in the monotonous countryside, among which there were at least 6 nests that were no more than 20 metres away. It seems that Dotterel are sometimes attracted by man-made structures.
 
 
Although our sample (n= 24) is statistically not very significant, a percentage of min. 75% of shared incubation seems to show that this practice can be more frequent at the northern fringe of this species' breeding range than in subarctic and southern Fennoscandia. L. Saari (1996 and written comm.) suggests that most females on Värriötunturi (N 67° 41' 0'') in Finland leave the area in mid-June after egg-laying, perhaps in order to look for more males further up north. It is a fact that they can lay up to 5 clutches (Holt et al. 2002), so if the sex ratio in one area is sufficient to allow all males to have a clutch, why not go elsewhere to maximize reproductive success? Such a female's last male partner may have better survival chances in the harsh climate of the high arctic if shared incubation allows him to feed more often and for much longer periods. The hypothesis of females covering large distances between two clutches might one day be studied using telemetry and colour-banding. But catching an egg-laying female is not easy. Moreover, this may jeopardize the success of the clutch. And the probability of a satellite-tagged bird flying to an accessible part of the Arctic where its behaviour can be studied further is very low.
 
Contrary to common belief some incubating birds were so shy that they left the nest when we were between 80 and 300 m away, rarely allowing us to identify their sex. The question is: are these individuals exceptions or more frequent than we think? Why do some pairs breed in close vicinity when no other nests can be found for miles around in the same habitat? Perhaps researchers mostly find the nests of confiding birds which might not be the majority, and the real number of breeding birds is much higher than the few nests we managed to find. We think that Dotterel densities may be highly underestimated in vast areas like the Varanger plateaus. They may be even more numerous than Ringed Plovers (Charadrius hiaticula) and are definitely more common than Golden Plovers (Pluvialis apricaria). Dotterel are altogether far less visible than all other fell breeding wader species. To assess the true density of this species in this area , large teams of searchers would be needed.

As for the unlikely but not impossible occurrence of double-clutching, our observation of a lone female with several day old chicks remains at least very suspicious. It is true that Kalas (1986) had once removed a breeding male from a nest and showed that the female managed to take care of eggs and chicks. Predation of “our” female's partner is not impossible although the number of potential predators is extremely low in this area. But we think that this risk is unlikely. We have indeed never witnessed an attack on adult Dotterel in 10 years and I was once surprised at how relaxed a brooding bird remained in spite of a Gyrfalcon and a Skua that sped by very close to its nest. Since Dotterel on Varangerfjell breed during the midsummer night sun period on flat, open terrain, no predator can approach their nests unseen.- Among the hundreds of Dotterel pairs that have been watched by scientists so far, no other chick-leading females have been recorded. But does this mean that a case of double-clutching in Dotterel can be totally ruled out? It is certainly a rare phenomenon, probably limited to the birds' northernmost frontier in the high arctic but we do not think it is impossible.
 
 
On these immense plateaus where Dotterel habitat is not limited by higher vegetation such as on smaller Tunturi hilltops, it is extremely difficult for two or three people to collect enough data during a four or five week holiday. However, the possibilities for further professional scientific research are reasonably good on Batsfjordfjellet. There is a small town with all the necessary facilities and infrastructures a quarter of an hour's drive from the study area, a good number of birds within less than 20 minutes' walk from drivable roads and even a restored public mountain cabin on the edge of the study area. However, further research on this enigmatic species would certainly involve considerable amounts of time, money and staff.
 
 
 Postscript 2011
 
L.L. and B.K. studied the birds in the two main areas from 22nd June to 31st July, aided by J.M. Lustrat. All our findings confirm our hypotheses made since 2002.
 
We found 9 nests, two of which might have belonged to the same pair. One very late clutch (completed on 9th July) was abandoned, most of the other nests must have been robbed by Arctic Skuas relying on wader nests after a Lemming peak crash. Only two clutches, perhaps three, hatched for sure.
 
Five clutches were checked for at least five days. Four of those (80%) were found with females that incubated at least once, well after egg-laying. One female incubated at least from 5th to 27th July, before the second chick hatched. This is the 4th time we found a female Dotterel with at least one chick. (Video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePfnurgoWII  )
 
We found at least 11 other families, only 2 or 3 of which might have been counted twice or belonged to a known nest. On 31st July we found 5 different families in an area of less than 50 hectares within 1 hour and 40 minutes, which seems to prove that Dotterel on Varangerhalvöya are actually rather abundant. They are just extremely difficult to detect when incubating (which corresponds to the period when most birdwatchers try to find them, thus believing that they are much less common than other plovers).
 
Again, four of the 9 nests were less than 20 metres away from man-made structures (fence, road, track or ditch).
 
The most surprising occurrence this year: the very same nest scrape that had been used in 2003 (male) and 2004 (male and female) was used again this year (by male and female). To our knowledge such a phenomenon has never been found in any Charadriiformes species. (Photo proof on https://picasaweb.google.com/117170977024927019906/Lapland2011#5628159771688284242
and
https://picasaweb.google.com/lutz6lucker/LAPLAND2003#5120944232100499938

This sheds new light on the supposedly “weak” site fidelity of this species. One may speculate that some males tend to be extremely faithful to their once chosen breeding place, whereas certain females may pair up in their winter quarters, and then, after laying a first clutch, wander across large parts of Fennoscandia and Russia. This would explain the birds (of unknown sex) that were ringed in Europe and found later in central or eastern Siberia (Hable, 1975, Géroudet 1982).
 
About 80 m from this nest scoop, there was another clutch, only a few metres away from nests discovered in 2004 and 2006.
 

 
 
   
..............................................................................................................................................
 
 
 
 
I am very grateful to the Norwegian Red Cross, Ms Inger Klausen and the Bremnes family from Batsfjord for helping me with accommodation. I am particularly grateful to Ted Green, Alex Parker and Mike Bowman for valuable comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript and proofreading. I also thank Lennart Saari and for his insightful suggestions on this article as well as Bo Fagerström for the Swedish version of the abstract..
 
 
     Appendix
 
Rare or unique photo and video documents
 
Fig. 1. Male and female bitterly fighting for parental care of the chicks. Female wins.
http://www.vimeo.com/7435068
and
http://picasaweb.google.com/lutzluecker/Laponie2009#5367870744640804418
 
2. Female incubating, male coming to take over.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lutzluecker/Laponie2009#5367873405947429394
 
3. Female on nest with 2 newly hatched chicks
http://picasaweb.google.com/lutzluecker/Laponie2009#5367248718737463362
 
4. Female with several day old chicks
http://picasaweb.google.com/lutzluecker/Laponie2009#5367249378545583266
 
5. Males and females of 3 different pairs
http://picasaweb.google.com/lutzluecker/Laponie2009#5372898321555852114
 
 
Fältnoteringar om häckningsbiologin hos Fjällpipare (Eudromias/Charadrius morinellus) i arktiska Norge
 
Från och med 2002, till och med 2010, observerades 25 fjällpiparbon på Varangerfjell-platån nära Båtsfjord. Honor tog med säkerhet del i ruvningen i 18 fall, men delad ruvning kunde inte uteslutas i de övriga 7 bona. En hona försvarade sina ungar mot sin egen partner under och efter kläckningen. En annan ensam hona sågs leda 3 ungar i 5 dagar inom en mycket liten del av det studerade området. Flera bon befanns vara mindre än 100 m ifrån varandra. En fågel lade ägg i samma bo 2 år i rad. Några av dessa fynd kompletterar tidigare publicerade observationer och hypoteser.
 
 
     References
ARENDT, E., SCHWEIGER,H. (2007): „Tiere vor der Kamera: Die Saga vom Vogel in der Hand“, No.42, Bayerischer Rundfunk, ERA-FILM-Produktion (Deutschland), DVD, 43 min.
BERG, B. (1929): Mein Freund, der Regenpfeifer. D.Reimer, Berlin.
CRAMP, S. & SIMMONS, K.E.L. eds.(1983) Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume 3, Waders to Gulls, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
GEROUDET,P., (1982): Limicoles, gangas et pigeons d'Europe, tome 1 - Delachaux et Niestlé
HABLE, E. (1973) Der Mornellregenpfeifer (Eudromias morinellus) in Kärnten. Carinthia II 163./83. Jahrgang S. 603—608 Klagenfurt
HABLE, E. 1975. Eudromias morinellus (LINNE 1758) — Mornell. — In: GLUTZVON BLOTZHEIM U., BAUER K. & BEZZEL E., Handbuch der Vögel Mitteleuropas,6: 281 - 315. — Akad. Verlagsges. Wiesbaden
HILDEN,O . (1966). Über die Brutbeteiligung der Geschlechter beim Mornellregenpfeifer, Charadrius morinellus L. - Ornis Fennica 43: 16-19.
HOLT, S., WHITFIELD, D.P. and GORDON, J. (2002): Potential reproductive rates in the Eurasian Dotterel Charadrius morinellus, Bird Study 49, 87–88
KALAS, J. A.. (1986): Incubation schedules in different parental care systems in the Dotterel. Charadrius morinellus. Ardea 74: 185-190.
KALAS, J.A., BYRKJEDAL, I. (1984): Breeding Chronology and Mating System of the Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus), The Auk 101, p.838-847
KRAATZ, S., KRAATZ, B. (2004) Beobachtungen an einer Brut des Mornellregenpfeifers Charadrius morinellus. Limicola 18, p. 1-15
KRAATZ, S., KRAATZ, B. (2006): Beobachtungen zur Brutbeteiligung des Weibchens beim Mornellregenpfeifer Charadrius morinellus. Limicola 20, p. 91-98
NETHERSOLE-THOMPSON, D. (1973.): The Dotterel. Collins, London.
OWENS, I. P. F., DIXON, A., BURKE, T., and THOMPSON, D. B. A. (1995). Strategic paternity in the sex‐role reversed Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus): Behavioral and genetic evidence. Behav. Ecol. 6, 14–21.
PIERSMA, T., WIERSMA, P., ( 1996) Scolopacidae. In: Handbook of the birds of the world, vol. 3. Hoatzin to auks : Edité par Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliot et Jordi Sargatal. Lynx Editions, Barcelona. 824 pp.
PULLIAINEN, E. (1970): On the breeding biology of the Dotterel Charadrius morinellus. Ornis Fennica 47, 69-73.
PULLIAINEN, E. & L. SAARI (1994). Incubation behaviour of the Dotterel Charadrius morinellus in Finland. Oecologia Montana 3: 27-34.
PULLIAINEN, E. & L. SAARI (1996): Pre- and non-breeding biology of Dotterel Charadriusmorinellus in Värriötunturi fell area, NE Finland. Wader Study Group Bull. 81: 54-58.
PULLIAINEN, E. & L. SAARI (1997). Attendance at the nest of polyandrous Dotterel Charadrius morinellus in Finland. Ardea 85: 67-71.
 
 
 
 
 

........................................................................No, not a Saker, it's a juvenile male Gyrfalcon !

10th journey to the Barents Sea, July 4th- August 1st, 2010

Report on a birding trip

Illustrations on
http://picasaweb.google.ch/117170977024927019906
and
http://picasaweb.google.com/lutzluecker

Videos:
http://www.youtube/lutz6lucker


Introduction (same as in 2002-2009):

Travel :
By car from Geneva. Petrol less expensive in Finland, most expensive in Norway.
Crossed Baltic Sea at Fehmarn (Puttgarden/Rödby) and Helsingör.
There are lots of automated petrol stations in Fennoscandia but they do not all accept foreign credit cards. Better have a few small banknotes ready, especially in Finland...!

Maps :
Used mainly the Norwegian Cappelens 1 :400.000 Troms og Finnmark map (main reference for this report). For local use the 1 :250.000 Statens vegvesen VERGKAART, blad 21 (Varanger) is very good. There are better maps for hikers (1 :50.000), but very small and expensive. An excellent bargain is the Statoil Scandinavia atlas NORDEN for 200 skr: the whole of Scandinavia on a 1:300.000 scale! But it does have some imperfections: a yellow road may turn out to have thousands of potholes, a red one may not be tarmaced.
Actually, I forgot all my maps at home! No bother, I knew the way!

Weather and highlights
Generally it was much less cool than in other years, little snow on the Fjells left, temperatures from 6° - 23°C (18th July) but often quite windy (19th July).
This report will be much shorter than the last ones (see on http://louiscrex.skyrock.com ).
I shall only note things that were rare or different from last years, not chronologically but species by species. Dates are in July if not mentioned otherwise.

The BIG change was the location of my cabin. Instead of living in a former mountain refuge at 380m osl with just a fireplace I got (...Thank you, Inger...!) a fully furnished cabin at 85 m osl situated near km 25, just 3 miles before Batsfjord. With electricity and everything; the only chore: getting drinking water from the petrol station. No splitting of firewood, no cornelian choices first thing in the morning (toilet first or lighting a fire? ) with bedroom temperatures down to 2°C.



“Garden list”:
Red-throated Diver (Plongeon catmarin), Rough-legged Buzzard (Buse pattue), Raven (Grand Corbeau), Hooded Crow (Corneille mantelée), Dipper (Cincle plongeur), Redshank (Chevalier gambette), Common Sandpiper (Chevalier guignette), Long-tailed Skua (Labbe à longue queue), Herring Gull (Goéland argenté), Meadow Pipit (Pipit farlouse), Fieldfare (Grive litorne), Redwing (Grive mauvis), Redpoll (Sizerin flammé), Greenfinch (Verdier d'Europe) ( some of the northernmost in the world...), Willow Warbler (Pouillot fitis), Bluethroat (Gorgebleue à miroir), Great Tit (Mésange charbonnière) (!),


Birds along roads 890, 891 and elsewhere.

The km numbers refer to the last 30 kms before Batsfjord (km 30), from Gednje junction
(km 0).

Red-throated Diver (Plongeon catmarin) one flying over my cabin at km 25 ! An ad. with chick between Gednje & Buetjern. Nest at Gednje, again abandoned due to photographers. Heard on Pervatnet, lake behind airport.
Black-throated Diver (Plongeon arctique) : an immature in the river mouth, km 28,8. Calling male on lake at km 4, a pair on Pervatnet, lake behind airport.
Whooper Swan (Cygne chanteur) : 2 at Gednje on 8th, 3 at Store Mosse in SE, one 45 km N Umea in a field!
Lesser White-fronted Goose (Oie naine) : 10 on their moulting grounds in Hudiksvall/SE on 1st
Northern Pintail (Canard pilet) : not seen at Kongsfjord/Veines junction.
Teal (Sarcelle d'hiver): one at Batsfjord river mouth.
Steller's Eider (Eider de Steller) : AGAIN a female in the river mouth, km 28,8..; seems to be a traditional bird.
Long-tailed Duck (Harelde boréale) : up to n7 in the river mouth, km 28,8..., others, up to 4 in the small lakes between km 20 and Kongsfjordfjellet pass. A female with 7 chicks on a tiny pond at Gednje on 17th, 5 ad. ,one with 5, one with 3 chicks on Storvatnet, Syltefjord road lake, km 4,5. Two on lake behind airport.
Scaup (Fuligule milouinan): a female at Gednje on 17th, 3 on 21st
White-tailed Eagle (Pygargue à queue blanche) : 1 or 2 occasionally on the Fjell between kms 10 and 4, one above Syltefjord road , km 3,5, one at Vernes.
Rough-legged Buzzard (Buse pattue) : one several times between km 5 and 10, 1 in the valley near my cabin
Honey Buzzard (Bondrée apivore): only in S Sweden (Store Mosse) & Denmark.
Red Kite (Milan royal): two, 111 km N Helsingborg.
Golden Eagle (Aigle royal). Only one this year despite the large numbers of Reindeer, above Syltefjord road, over the small gorge.
Merlin (Faucon émerillon) : one at km 5 on 13th, one on Syltefjord road, km 24, one at km 4 just above Austertana, one juv. 20 km N of Tana Bru.
Gyrfalcon (Faucon gerfaut) : in the nest occupied in 2006 : 2 chicks on 8th, fully fledged on 16th (late!); 1 or 2 adults. Still there on 21st and 31st.- Twice a sure adult at km 10, perhaps a third bird, chased by Skuas, but seemed too small..

Peregrine (Faucon pèlerin): possibly an adult male on 20th, km 10, chased by Skuas, seemed too small for Gyr. Very white upper throat, probably cap too dark for Gyr...
Osprey (Balbuzard pêcheur): 1 by the E4, just after Kalix/SE (Jämtöfjärden), one in Denmark near Odense.
Willow Grouse (Lagopède des saules). Still a mystery here...but certainly present below 250 m
Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopède alpin): one male at km 10
Crane (Grue cendrée): 6 ad. & 1 juv. at Store Mosse/SE.

Eurasian Dotterel (Pluvier guignard): 4 nests in our 2 study areas. Two hatched on 7th and19th (in either case one egg was left behind...), one was robbed. No 4 was found by B.Bäumler, thanks a lot!
Postscript on our Dotterel (Pluvier guignard) research:
4 nests found
First hatching: 7th July
Second hatching: 18th July
Incubation of females confirmed in 2 cases, suspected in the 2 other cases.
A 5th nest was suspected but not found. On 29th, a male with a chick of 8-10 days not far from this place.
One was found robbed on 12th; just a tiny piece of eggshell left. Skuas ?
A 6th male was seen with 1 newborn chick, just 50 yards from the last occupied nest!.
A 7th male with 1 chick was seen miles from the other families.
Last hatching : 26th July. Nearly simultaneously ! On the evening before there had been 3 eggs at 6 p.m., and the next day at 11 a.m. all chicks had hatched! Surprisingly little reaction of the male when 2 White-tailed Eagles (Pygargue à queue blanche) flew by and when a Gyrfalcon (Faucon gerfaut) passed at full speed close to the nest. As it was quite hot, the 1st chick did not return to the male within 7 hours, the 2nd only once.

European Golden Plover (Pluvier doré): A group of about 10 with 10 Turnstones (Tournepierre à collier) at km 5 on 20th, few breeding birds but more than in 2009.
Temminck's Stint (Bécasseau de Temminck). Only 1 roadside pair between km 9 and 13 !!! Another at km 4. One at Adamsvann peninsula, another by the old road.
Purple Sandpiper (Bécasseau violet) : 3 birds at the little lake up in the hills at km 14, 1 still by the creek on 29th, another 500 m further northeast on 21st, 1 at Adamsvann peninsula.
Dunlin (Bécasseau variable) : Mika Selin reported a pair with chicks on 10th, 1 heard at km 18 lake
Whimbrel (Courlis corlieu) : first sign of breeding up here in 10 years at km 4. Global warming?
Common Redshank (Chevalier gambette): near the cabin, Gednje etc.
Spotted Redshank (Chevalier arlequin): overheard in late July at km 10, km 28, Berlevag and by Pervatnet, the lake behind airport. 7 on 30th at km 14.5.
Wood Sandpiper (Chevalier sylvain): 1 near Gednje
Ruddy Turnstone (Tournepierre à collier) : a group of 10+ with 10 Golden plovers (Pluvier doré) on 20th, km 5..; 2 certain breeding pairs.
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalarope à bec étroit) : Gednje, 1-4, km 4 Magistervann.
Ruff (Combattant varié): up to 10+ by Storvatnet ,the Syltefjord road lake, km 4,5., 2 at km 18 lake, 2 at Berlevag river mouth.
Arctic Skua (Labbe parasite) : Mika reported a pair with a chick at km 14
Long-tailed Skua (Labbe à longue queue) : up to 18 around km 5 ; 4 Syltefjord road lake, km 4,5, no breeding confirmed but some seemed territorial. Seemed to feed on berries, eggs & chicks
Common Tern (Sterne pierregarin): only a few left at the old Veines harbour platform near Kongsfjord. The village colony has disappeared! Northernmost breeding site in the world?!
Arctic Tern (Sterne arctique): a few seen on the Fjell, Batsfjord, Adamsvann, perhaps 1 pair by Syltefjord road lake, km 4,5., still breeding on Veines platform. Small colony by Pervatnet, the lake behind airport. 24 ad. + at least 1 juv. on the ground.
Hawk Owl (Chouette épervière): 3 juv. at the snow barrier house (& toilet!) just after Austertana on 13th, courtesy B.Bäumler. One caught a vole!

Three-toed Woodpecker (Pic tridactyle) heard in northern Sweden
Shore Lark (Alouette haussecol): in adequate habitats; rarely seen after 15th
Skylark (Alouette des champs): first to be heard up here in 10 years at km 5 , 350 m asl on 7th ! Global warming?!
Red-throated Pipit (Pipit à gorge rousse): very scarce. Only on Veines& at Gednje, one on Syltefjord road , km 3,5.
Bohemian Waxwing (Jaseur boréal): heard 80 km south Utsjoki
Northern Wheatear (Traquet motteux): scarce, in adequate habitats
Fieldfare (Grive litorne) and Redwing (Grive mauvis): common in adequate habitats
Ring Ouzel (Merle à plastron). My first near Batsfjord at km 24 crossing the road at the tree line.
Bluethroat (Gorgebleue à miroir): a juv. on the window sill of the cabin on 31st.
Common Raven (Grand Corbeau): my alarm clock: every morning on the cabin roof!
Siberian Jay (Mésangeai imitateur): one about 60 N Sodankylä/FI, near Kemijoki sign & white-red aerial tower..
Twite (Linotte à bec jaune): 2 on Veines peninsula near beach early & late July.
Arctic Redpoll (Sizerin blanchâtre) : no certain adult males ; , possibly a young bird or two on Syltefjord road, near Storvann lake (seen there in 2009) and gorge.
Lapland Bunting (Bruant lapon). Very scarce on the Fjell. Only in 3 or 4 places between km 4 and 14.
Snow Bunting (Bruant des neiges): regular in adequate habitats, km 13 and 5 ...


Mammals:
Domestic Reindeer (Renne) : more numerous than in other years, right from early July!
Elk (Moose, Elan): 2 yearlings at km 4, running along the reindeer fence
Red Fox (Renard) : one adult well above the tree line, chased by a Long-tailed Skua (Labbe à longue queue) ! They are becoming more and more of a nuisance and a danger to Fjell birds....
Arctic Hare (Lièvre arctique): 1 at km 15 seen by M.Jaussi, two more near Kusaamo and Valtavaara/FI
Brown Bear (Ours brun): about 20 at Martinselkonen/Juntusranta/FI. 3 females with 2, 3 and 4 cubs.

More photos on
http://picasaweb.google.ch/117170977024927019906

Männchen (links) und Weibchen schlagen sich um das Sorgerecht! Einmaliges Bild.- (Video-Still Photo)


Dieses Männchen "flaggt",damit die Küken ihn im Auge behalten können - trotz Bodenwellen.


Typisches Männchen: "unrasiertes" Gesicht, brauner, gestrichelter Scheitel, recht kleiner Bauchfleck mit hellen Tupfen.


Vertrautes Weibchen (mit Futter angelockt, nicht in einem Nestbereich). Weisse Wangen, fast schwarzer Hinterscheitel.


Weibchen auf dem Nest...sie hat den Fotografen fest im Auge!


Typischer Biotop mit Nest auf ca. 400 m Höhe. Mehr Bilder auf
http://picasaweb.google.com/lutzluecker/Laponie2009



Über die rätselhafte Brutbiologie von Lahol

« Lahols Nest, das lohnt sich nicht zu suchen – das liegt, so Gott will, eines Tages auf des Wanderers Weg; sonst findet man es überhaupt nicht.“ Das hatte der alte samische Rentierzüchter Aslak Turi vor 90 Jahren dem schwedischen Pionier der Tierfotografie Bengt Berg gesagt, dessen Bücher ich als junger Bursch verschlungen hatte. Mit diesem wenig verheissungsvollen Zitat im Kopf fuhr ich vor 10 Jahren zum ersten Mal nach Lappland, um Mornellregenpfeifer zu suchen. Nach vielen vergeblichen Versuchen in der Hardangervidda, im Dovrefjell, auf Dundret, Ailigas, Kaunispää und Kilopää war ich dann im äussersten Norden Norwegens am Ende der Eismeerstrasse auf dem sturmgepeitschten Varangerfjell angekommen. Am Ende eines fruchtlosen Tages auf den felsigen Teppichen weit über der Baumgrenze flog dann plötzlich ein graubrauner Stein vor meinen Füssen weg und verschwand 100 m weiter hinter einer Bodenwelle. Und wie durch ein Wunder sah ich ihn dann...einen schwarzweissen Strich im streichholzkurzen Kraut, die Kopfoberseite eines brütenden Mornells! Das war im Juli 2000. Inzwischen bin ich jedes Jahr nach Lappland zurückgekehrt, habe alle dort heimischen Vogelarten beobachtet und konzentriere meine Aktivitäten seit 2006 ausschliesslich auf das Kahlfjell zwischen Tanatal und Barentssee. Dort lernte ich meinen Freund Siegfried Kraatz und seine Frau Bärbel kennen, die die Mornells monatelang studiert hatten. Nach Siegfrieds allzu frühem Tod beschloss ich, seine Forschungen über die Weibchenbeteiligung beim Brutgeschäft des Mornells weiterzuführen.

Viele Leute glauben ja, dass bei Familie Mornell alles verkehrt herum vor sich geht. Die Weibchen sind etwas grösser als die Männchen, und ihr Gefieder farbenfroher. Sie balzen und streiten sich um die Männer, die dann allein Bebrütung und Aufzucht der Jungen übernehmen, während sich Frau Gemahlin mit ein oder zwei anderen abgibt, um 6 oder gar 9 Eier pro Jahr legen zu können, und höchstens bei einem der Partner bleibt, um „Schmiere zu stehen“, bis die Jungen geschlüpft sind, sich aber sonst um nichts zu kümmern braucht. Ein beneidenswertes Leben also.

Vor über 20 Jahren fanden aber norwegische und später finnische Forscher, die über 200 Bruten beobachteten, heraus, dass ein geringer Teil der Weibchen doch wenigstens eine Zeitlang mitbrütet, besonders bei später Eiablage. Wir stellten in den Jahren 2001-2005 schon fest, dass bei diesen Regenpfeifern in der Hocharktis wohl mehr Weibchen am Brutgeschäft beteiligt sind als andernorts.
Das Kahlfjell am Varanger gehört wohl zu den unwirtlichsten Gegenden in Europa, die man mit einem normalen PKW erreichen kann. Zusammen mit Bärbel Kraatz habe ich dort in den letzten Jahren ab Ende Juni auf zwei nur wenige Kilometer voneinander entfernten Probeflächen 22 Mornellgelege gefunden und auch einige Vögel mit Küken beobachtet, deren Neststandort unbekannt blieb. Etwa 200 m oberhalb der Baumgrenze, auch im Juli Schneeschauern ausgesetzt, bietet dieses riesige Gebiet mehr Tierarten Lebensraum als man an einem feuchtkalten, stürmischen Tag glauben möchte, wenn der Wind, von Spitzbergen kommend, über die eigentlich recht trockene Steinwüste fegt, und sich nirgendwo etwas zu regen scheint. Der Schnee fängt nicht vor Ende Mai an zu schmelzen, die Bergseen sind manchmal bis Anfang Juli vereist, und das Thermometer klettert nur selten über 20 Grad hinaus. Was dann aber zu einer Mückenexplosion führt, die das Leben dort oben für unsereins zur Hölle machen kann! - Die dünne, löcherige Pflanzendecke setzt sich zusammen aus Zwergbirke, Krautweide, Stengellosem Leimkraut, Alpen-Azalee, Beerentraube und Rentierflechte. Die ziegelroten, beigen, grauen und ockerfarbenen Granitsteine eines der ältesten Gebirge auf der Welt sind überzogen von Landkartenflechten. Mornellnester findet man dort nur an meist trockenen Stellen auf steinigen Hängen oder Plateaus mit sehr wenig Vegetation, oft an einem etwa lexikongrossen Stein „angelehnt“. Die unmittelbaren gefiederten Nachbarn, die in weniger als 150 m Umkreis brüten können, sind Alpenschneehühner, Sand- und Goldregenpfeifer, Meer- und Temminckstrandläufer, Ohrenlerchen, Steinschmätzer sowie Schnee-und Spornammer. In weniger als 1 km Umfeld, aber oft etwas tiefer bzw. an oder auf Gewässern, findet man auch Sterntaucher, Moorschneehuhn, Bekassine, Alpenstrandläufer, Steinwälzer, Odinshühnchen, Kampfläufer, Schmarotzer- und Falkenraubmöwe, Bachstelze, sowie Wiesen- und Rotkehlpieper.

Beutegreifer sind rar auf dem Varangerfjell: Rot- und Eisfuchs, Hermelin, Merlin, Gerfalke, Rauhfussbussard, See-und Steinadler, Schneeeule, Kolkrabe, und Silbermöwe kommen dort alle vor, erbeutet werden aber wohl nur Eier und Küken. Es ist quasi unmöglich, sich unbemerkt einem Mornellgelege zu nähern. Die Sonne geht erst Anfang August wieder unter. Und ein gesunder Regenpfeifer entkommt sogar wendigen Falken. Die im Juli nicht seltenen Rentiere stellen dagegen eine Bedrohung dar. Mornells brüten gern entlang des einzigen Rentierzaunes in unserem Gebiet, und wir fanden dort einmal ein Gelege mit 2 zerbrochenen Eiern; das dritte wurde aber weiter bebrütet.

Wenn man das liest, stellt man sich ein Paradies vor, voll mit vielen Vögeln, mit seltenen, emblematischen Vogelarten. An kalten, windigen Tagen scheint das Fjell jedoch so leer wie die Hamada von Algerien, so gering ist die Siedlungsdichte der Vögel, und so grässlich sind dort oft die Wetterbedingungen.

Leider kann ich nie vor Ende Juni dort „oben“ sein und habe daher nur wenig vom Eintreffen und der Balz der Mornells mitbekommen. In späten Frühjahren sah ich aber doch Gruppen von bis zu 9 Vögeln, meist nur Weibchen, die unstet durch die Gegend ziehen oder mit lautem „pitt-pitt-pitt“ überhinfliegen um „arbeitslose“ Männchen zu finden. Nur einmal wurde ich Zeuge, als ein gerade verpaartes Männchen sich vom Trupp absonderte, um eine Nestmulde zu drehen; das Gelege fand ich aber erst Tage später, 200 m weiter!

Mornells sind keine Koloniebrüter. Aber Ende Juni 2008 sah ich eine Gruppe von 2 Paaren, deren Nester ich 2 Tage später nur 90 m voneinander entfernt fand. Hin und wieder verliess eines der Männchen sein Gelege zu Fuss, um den anderen Vogel zu provozieren, der es dann auch zurück zu seinen Eiern scheuchte. Auch 2005 entdeckte ich 2 Nester, die so nahe beieinander lagen. Obwohl man bis zu 2 Wochen braucht, um ein Nest zu finden, scheinen Mornells dort wesentlich häufiger zu sein als man glaubt. Da sie aber, anders als etwa Goldregenpfeifer, bei Annäherung von Menschen nicht warnen, sondern meist bewegungslos sitzenbleiben, ist das Schätzen der Anzahl der Brutvögel mehr als schwierig. Ich bin überzeugt, dass nur der Sandregenpfeifer dort häufiger ist; hunderte von Mornells müssen auf der Varangerhalbinsel brüten; man sieht sie nur nicht!

Nester findet man auf 3 verschiedene Weisen. Durch einen unglaublichen Zufall, wenn man nach tagelangen Märschen sozusagen über ein Gelege fällt, und der Brüter im letzten Moment wegrennt und die bekannt Komödie vom flügellahmen Vogel spielt, um einen wegzulocken. Eine sehr zeitaufwendige Methode; man braucht viel Erfahrung und eine gute „Nase“; trotzdem ist man selten erfolgreich. Einmal aber hatte ich eine Eingebung, parkte am Strassenrand, ging 5 Minuten weit ins Gelände und ... stand erstaunt vor einem Nest!- Noch seltener - es passierte mir zweimal - bleibt man an einer verdächtigen Stelle stehen, hebt das Fernglas, und der Blick fällt auf Anhieb auf den brütenden Vogel. Bei der Tarnfärbung der Mornells ist dies aber fast ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit.- Die beste Methode: Geduld. In einem geeigneten Biotop mit der Sonne im Rücken bei gutem Wetter stundenlang mit dem Feldstecher auf einem Stativ (wichtig!) das Gelände absuchen, bis man einen Vogel findet, der gerade eine Fresspause eingelegt hat, irgendwann aber zu den Eiern zurückläuft. Wenn beide Partner sich das Brutgeschäft teilen, kann das aber stundenlange Warterei bedeuten, und oft fliegt der Vogel zum Nest, das weit weg hinter mehreren Bodenwellen liegt. Zurück zum ersten Feld und 2 Runden aussetzen!- Wenn wir zwei Nester gefunden haben, stellen wir die Suche ein, finden aber manchmal noch ein oder mehrere Gelege per Zufall. Oder treffen später eine Familie mit frisch geschlüpften Küken. Genau da, wo man in den letzten Wochen 50-mal vorbeigekommen ist auf dem Weg zu einem anderen Nest! So kamen wir 2009 auf immerhin 6 Nester bzw. führende Altvögel.

Viele Fotos habe ich gesehen von verängstigten Mornells, platt wie eine Briefmarke aufs Nest gedrückt. Trotz der angeblich geringen Scheu dieser Vögel vor dem Menschen, bedeutet jeder Beobachter am Nest grossen Stress. Um dies auf ein erträgliches Minimum zu reduzieren, beobachten wir in den ersten Tagen nur aus Entfernung, lassen den Brütern aber immer ein paar Mehlwürmer da. So assoziieren einige dieser Vögel unser Kommen mit Futter und erwarten uns schliesslich mit langgestrecktem Hals. Man kann dann stundenlang neben ihnen sitzen und ein Buch lesen.., solange keine Mücken da sind.

Das klappt aber nicht immer. Es gibt auch Individuen, die schon auf 300 m Distanz das Nest verlassen und erst zurückkehren, wenn man weitergezogen ist. Nur am Tage, wenn die Küken schlüpfen, dulden auch diese Vögel Annäherung auf kürzeste Distanz. Einige kommen sogar auf weniger als 1m Entfernung an mich heran, wenn sie begriffen haben, dass die Mehlwürmer in der blauen Blechdose sind! Dies passierte sogar mit unverpaarten, neugierigen Weibchen, die wir zufällig im Gelände trafen und (bei frischem Rückenwind) mit Würmern fütterten. Es sind dies aber seltene Glücksfälle; man sollte den Wurmtrick am Nest nur dann ausprobieren, wenn man vorhat, sich wochenlang und ernsthaft mit den Vögeln zu befassen.

Mornells gelten nicht als besonders standorttreu. Manche scheinen sich im Winterquartier zu verpaaren, und so kommt es zu Populationsaustausch zwischen Skandinavien, Finnland und Schottland bis hin nach Jakutien! Trotz alledem fand ich ein Männchen, das zwei Jahre lang in genau der gleichen Nestmulde sass!-

Die ersten Gelege findet man im äussersten Norden ab dem 12. Juni; den letzten Schlupf sah ich am 25. Juli. Die Brutdauer beträgt ca. 25 Tage: also eine recht lange Brutsaison bei den kurzen Sommern.- Einmal fanden wir ein Nest mit nur einem Ei, das wir tagelang aus 300 m Entfernung beobachteten, bis die Vögel (aber nicht das Ei) verschwanden. Es soll vorkommen, dass unverpaarte Weibchen sich zusammentun und unbefruchtete Eier legen.

Manche Beobachter finden es schwer, die Geschlechter bei Mornells auseinanderzuhalten. Das Weibchen hat aber immer eine fast schwärzliche hintere Scheitelfläche, einen grossen, sehr dunklen Bauchfleck, jedoch reinweisse Wangen. Das Männchen sieht „unrasiert“ aus und hat helle Federn auf dem ganzen (braunen) Scheitel und im Bauchfleck. Sieht man ein Paar zusammen, bemerkt man die Unterschiede sofort.

So fanden wir im Laufe der Jahre heraus, dass bei mindestens 17 von 20 Paaren das Weibchen wenigstens ein paar Tage lang mitbrütete. Bei den restlichen 3 Nestern können wir es nicht ausschliessen; sie wurden aber nicht lange genug beobachtet. Vorteil dieser Strategie: die brütenden Vögel können sich besser und häufiger ernähren; wichtig bei dem Wetter! Im Juli 2008 gelang es mir zum ersten Mal, ein Paar bei der Brutablösung zu fotografieren; ein Glücksfall, weil der brütende Vogel i.d.R. das Nest verlässt, bevor der Partner dort ankommt.

Es wäre interessant, anhand von Farbberingungen festzustellen, ob die Mornells in dieser Gegend systematisch zusammen brüten. Der Personalaufwand wäre allerdings sehr hoch. Eine statistisch signifikante Anzahl von Nestern will erst einmal gefunden werden, und dann muss man noch beide Altvögel fangen und beringen!

Zwei Überraschungen

Zum ersten Mal, nachdem Siegfried vor 7 Jahren ein Weibchen mit einem Küken fotografiert hatte, entdeckten wir ein anderes auf einem bereits verlassen geglaubten Nest. Gepiepse unter dem Vogel verriet mir, dass die Jungen am Schlüpfen waren. Eine Stunde später erhob sich das Weibchen, um eine Eierschale wegzutragen und liess uns mit 2 Dunenjungen und einem dritten im offenen Ei allein! Als dies dann auch geschlüpft und getrocknet war, kam das Männchen und wollte die Kinderschar übernehmen. Das Weibchen jedoch verteidigte „seine“ Brut mit aller Energie gegen das Männchen, dem es nur gelang, das Erstgeborene kurz zu hudern, als es sich auf seinem ersten Erkundungsgang 4 m vom Nest entfernt hatte. Es protestierte aber laut – hatte es die Stimme des Vaters nicht wiedererkannt? – worauf Mama wieder wie eine Furie auf den Papa losging. Am nächsten Morgen jedoch fanden wir alle 3 Jungen friedlich unter dem Bauch des Männchens ruhend; das Weibchen war und blieb verschwunden.

Damit aber nicht genug. Ein paar Tage später hielt ich in der Nähe eines Nestes, das nur 750m von meiner Hütte entfernt war. Grosses Erstaunen: im Geröll liefen acht Mornellregenpfeifer herum! Ein Männchen mit 3 Küken – nicht ungewöhnlich -, aber 300 m weiter ein Weibchen, auch mit 3 Jungen! Alle diese Vögel blieben 5 Tage und länger in einem kleinen Bezirk von weniger als 10 Hektar, aber immer in gebührenden Abstand. In keiner Untersuchung ist m.W. belegt, dass Mornellweibchen ohne Begleitung eine Brut führen. Wie man sieht, Ausnahmen bestätigen die Regel. Geht man davon aus, dass es sehr unwahrscheinlich ist, dass dem Männchen etwas zugestossen ist, könnte man sich fragen, ob auch Mornells (wie etwa Sanderlinge) ihren Aufzuchtserfolg in der Hocharktis optimisieren, indem das Weibchen ohne Hilfe ein zweites, drittes oder gar viertes Gelege zeitigt und die Jungenaufzucht selbst übernimmt. Die skandinavischen Forscher haben dergleichen jedoch bei ihren 200 Gelegebeobachtungen nie verzeichnet. Und es dürfte sehr schwierig sein, genug Personal zu finden, um einen ähnlichen Fall in dieser höchst unwirtlichen Gegend zu belegen.

Hoffen wir, dass „unsere“ Mornells sich hier noch lange wohlfühlen können. Das jahrzehntelange Ausbleiben von Lemmingvermehrungen zur Brutzeit hat dazu geführt, dass einige Prädatoren der Mornells rar geworden sind. Aber wer kann ausschliessen, dass nicht eine andere unvorhergesehene Konsequenz der schleichenden Erderwärmung auch diesen Regenpfeifern das (Über)leben schwer machen wird? Der Rotfuchs z.B. erscheint in letzter Zeit auch weit über der Baumgrenze. Die Zeichen der letzten Jahre stimmen uns nicht gerade optimistisch....

Fotos auf
http://picasaweb.google.com/lutzluecker/Laponie2009#
besonders Nr. 35, 70, 71, 135-139, 141-145, 147, 154, 156, 159, 172-174, 176/177, 219.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lutz6lucker/Lapland2007#
bes, Nr. 136, 146, 152, 158, 171, 183, 193, 277.
Videos auf http://www.vimeo.com/user2583396/videos
und http://www.dailymotion.com/lutz6lucker/1

Spur-winged Plover


Caspian Plover


Stone Curlew


Little Green Bee-eater


Steppe Buzzard


Sand patridge - more photos on
http://picasaweb.google.com/lutzluecker/SouthernIsraelApril2010#


First spring journey to southern Israel, early April 2010
Lutz Lücker & Daniel Nussbaumer

First time in my life in Israel! Which means that I managed to “tick” about 30 lifers, but only two were really rare birds for that area. We spent a day and a half in Nizzana, then went to our destination, Kibbutz Ketura (Quetura) via Mitzpe Ramon. Our main goal was to watch raptors migration in Eilat mountains. But we also visited some desert and agricultural areas, as well as a few wetlands.

Weather conditions sometimes a bit tough: up to 40°C on 3rd April. Every day 33+°C, except on 8th. Moderate to strong northerly winds except on 8th. – Sunglasses are a must. Some stuff to keep the flies away is /would have been useful ! Be careful not to go birding too near Jordanian and Egyptian borders at dawn, dusk or at night.

I shall present the main hotspots but not give the exact dates of each observation since our stay was very short. (first week of April).



1. Nizzana

– SW of Be'er Sheva, Egyptian border. Great place but accommodation very difficult to find.

We mainly watched on the road to Ezuz where we discovered a displaying McQueen's Bustard (Steppenkragentrappe) (at 7.30 a.m. on the eastern side; also there 4 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Spießflughuhn).- 8-9 Cream-coloured Coursers (Rennvogel) on both sides of the road. First migrating Lesser Spotted Eagles (Schreiadler), Steppe Eagles (Steppenadler), Lesser Kestrels (Rötelfalke) and an Egyptian Vulture (Schmutzgeier), a possible Long-legged Buzzard (Adlerbussard) (confusion with light phase Steppe Buzzard (Falkenbussard) ?), 3-4 Pallid Harriers (Steppenweihe), 1 Booted Eagle (Zwergadler), 1 Merlin (Merlin), 1 Chukar (Chukarhuhn), many Isabelline Wheatears (Isabellsteinschmätzer), hundreds of White Storks (Weißstorch). 6 Dorcas Gazelles and the biggest surprise: a lone Wolf (Loup) at 11 a.m. which disappeared in the high vegetation of a Oued. 1 Stone Curlew (Triel) on the road by the village. It just crouched on the roadside when the car was only 3 yards away! First of many Spur-winged Plovers (Spornkiebitz).

In Moshav Kadesh Barnea (Nizzana Sinai) where we spent the night, lots of Laughing Doves (Palmtaube), Yellow-vented Bulbuls (Gelbsteißbülbül) and – surprise – 3 Desert Finches (Weißflügelgimpel)! Migrating Oriental Bonelli's Warblers(Balkanlaubsänger), Orphean Warblers (Orpheusgrasmücke) and Red-rumped Swallows (Rötelschwalbe). 4 Streaked Scrub Warblers (Wüstenprinie) near Ezuz junction (shady, roofed picnic site on top of the hill...), where we had first Short-toed, Lesser short-toed, Desert Larks (Steinlerche) & Bar-tailed Larks (Sandlerche).

2 Palestinian Sunbirds and 1 male Cretzschmar's Bunting (Grauortolan) in Ezuz Oasis.


2. Arava Valley and Eilat area

Kibbutz Qetura

Lots of Bulbuls, Laughing Doves (Palmtaube), 1 pair of Blackstarts (Schwarzschwanz) and Pale Crag Martins (Steinschwalbe). Scops Owl (Zwergohreule) calling one night. Desert (Ethiopian) Hedgehog (Wüstenigel, Hérisson du désert)

Excellent accommodation, good value for money. Large, modern, well-equipped bedsitter & bathroom, terrace with view over the desert. Breakfast & supper service, wireless internet, (good&cheap) wine & souvenir shop, very friendly people. But everything is fenced with huge barbed wire barriers....
More on www.keren-kolot-israel.co.il


Fields opposite Kibbutz Yahel, km 76,5

Supposedly good place for larks. We only had Desert Wheatear (Wüstensteinschmätzer) and 10+ Tawny Pipits (Brachpieper). Hundreds of Spanish Sparrows (Weidensperling) in a big bush. Lots of Steppe Buzzards (Falkenbussard) roost here, as well as Black Storks (Schwarzstorch).


Sewage farm south of Kibbutz Yahel

The place where we had a stunning White-tailed Plover (Weißschwanzkiebitz) and a Quail (Wachtel) that showed well.


Kibbutz Lotan

Good base & information source for birders. Supposedly good for Namaqua Dove (Kaptäubchen). Daniel saw a Rufous Bush Robin (Heckensänger) but a Black Bush Robin (Russheckensänger) had been seen there before! When looking for it, we found a Thrush Nightingale (Sprosser)!


Yotvata fields

Other birders saw Caspian Plovers (Wermutregenpfeifer) repeatedly. We had Green Bee-eaters (Smaragdspint) but dipped on Egyptian Nightjar (Pharaonenziegenmelker). No Desert Eagle-Owl (Wüstenuhu) either.

Excursion with Prof. Reuven Yosef (see www.birdsofeilat.com )
Unforgettable evening in the desert in a remote Oued somewhere between Elot and Yotvata. Short but good views of calling female Hume's Tawny Owl (Fahlkauz) on a cliff.


Saltpans at km 20 (Avrona)

To be reached going north from Eilat. 25 km detour if you miss the right-turn (dual carriageway).!
When you come from the north, it is impossible to turn left. You will have to go to the next junction and make a U-turn (about 5 miles detour.)

Huge place full of migrating wagtails, pipits, waders and gulls. An absolute Must !
Best species: 4-5 Greater Sand Plovers (Wüstenregenpfeifer), 1 Caspian Sandplover, 40+ Glossy Ibis (Sichler). Lots of Marsh Sandpipers (Teichwasserläufer), Red-throated pipits(Rotkehlpieper), Feldegg, Dombrowski's & superciliosa Yellow Wagtails (Schafstelze), 1 Osprey (Fischadler), 1 Pallid Harrier (Steppenweihe), Bee-eaters (Bienenfresser), 6 Collared Pratincoles (Rotflügel-Brachschwalbe), Gull-billed Terns (Lachseeschwalbe).....

In the plantations to the west: Stone Curlew (Triel), Red-throated pipits(Rotkehlpieper),Beeeaters (Bienenfresser).


Km 19 pools (Avrona)

To be reached going north from Eilat. Same junction as km 20 saltpans. 25 km detour if you miss the right-turn (dual carriageway).! - When you come from the north, it is impossible to turn left. You will have to go to the next junction and make a U-turn (about 5 miles detour.)

4 Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse (Wellenflughuhn) at 7.20 p.m. at the NW corner of the pool opposite the cowshed. Several Night herons (Nachtreiher), 1 Little Bittern (Zwergdommel), 8 Gull-billed Terns (Lachseeschwalbe).


Oued leading to Amram's Pillars (km 20)

To be reached coming from the north! When coming from Eilat, 18 kms detour necessary.
Drive to the end of the track to a car park. When migration weak, try a place about ½ mile before the end where a small Acacia tree stands 2 metres from the road, about 10 m from a small, perpendicular cliff. Great place to sit in the desert (... but in the shade!) on a hot day!

Splendid place to watch migrating raptors. Tens of thousands of Steppe buzzards (Falkenbussard), up to 500+ per MINUTE ! Unbelievable! 1 Spotted Eagle (Schelladler), several Lesser spotted Eagles (Schreiadler), 1 possible Imperial Eagle (Kaiseradler), dozens of Steppe Eagles (Steppenadler), Ospreys (Fischadler), Short-toed Eagles (Schlangenadler), Levant Sparrowhawk (Kurzfangsperber), a few Pallid Harriers (Steppenweihe), flocks of up to 25 Black Storks (Schwarzstorch), alas, all a bit too high up in the air to make good photos.

Local species: very few birds but we had a great Sand Partridge (Arabisches Wüstenhuhn), as well as a.....juvenile
Sooty Falcon (Schieferfalke):
2nd cal. bird, resembling juv. Hobby (Baumfalke) but upperparts light slate grey, all underparts uniformly light (no dark coverts like on Eleanora's falcon), breast streaking much thinner than on Hobby (Baumfalke), tail too short for Eleanora's, silhouette streamlined with nearly 90° angled, very long wings, like on
http://www.sinaibirds.com/page6.htm (picture 26),
not swift-like arched like in Hobby (Baumfalke), very “elastic” flight. Large head. We did not see the dark central tail feathers because the bird never circled. Rear trailing edge on primaries less dark than in juv. Red-footed. No apparent breast band, probably because the birds flew low over the bright desert ground which may have made his underparts seem brighter than usual.


Eilat Bird Sanctuary (IBRCE) (see www.birdsofeilat.com)

Just by the Jordanian border crossing, clearly signposted. Good source of information. Excusions can be booked.
Lots of waders, gulls and Graceful Prinias (Streifenprinie). Squacco Heron (Rallenreiher), Little Egret (Seidenreiher), Purple Heron (Purpurreiher), Osprey (Fischadler), Booted Eagle (Zwergadler), Olivaceous Warber (Blasspötter). 1 ad. Male Rüppell's Warbler (Maskengrasmücke) (mistnetted)!


Eilat Mountains, km 4

Good place for raptors on the roadside. Thousands of Steppe Buzzards (Falkenbussard), some Pallid Harriers (Steppenweihe), a possible Imperial Eagle (Kaiseradler), Steppe Eagles (Steppenadler), ..... as well as Blackstart (Schwarzschwanz), Tristram's Grackle (Tristramstar). But the BEST thing was an adult
Black Eagle (Verreaux's Eagle) (Kaffernadler) at 1 p.m. on 6th. It circled for 3 minutes over the ridges north-east.
Diagnostic features: large, black eagle, huge white patch on rump, whitish patches on base of outer primaries, wings very narrow near body, very large in the middle. The bird had been seen twice this year but not over the last few years.


Egyptian border on road 10

They say that the large green fields near Bikat Uvda are worth exploring for Larks & other passerines. We had a beautiful Male Hooded Wheatear (Kappensteinschmätzer) as well as a young male Ibex (Steinbock) near Uziyahu Mts.


3. Dead Sea area:

Neot Hakikar

Lowland Kibbutz on rd. 2490, off Rd 90, just south of Dead Sea salines.

Lots of Graceful Prinia (Streifenprinie) at the gate, Blackstart (Schwarzschwanz) and Palestine Sunbirds (Jerichonektarvogel), Green Bee-eaters (Smaragdspint) by the road. Namaqua Dove (Kaptäubchen) in the Tamarisk fields near the greenhouse area to the north.
Ein Gedi Nature reserve car park

Lots of very tame Tristram's grackles in the car park trees, Arabian Babbler (Graudrossling), Fan-tailed Raven (Borstenrabe) over the cliffs and – surprise – a few Rock Hyraxes (Damans des rochers, Klippschliefer) in the little Oued. Staple diet of Black Eagle !


Mitzukei Dragot (about 10 kms north of Ein Gedi)

One of the best places for raptor & stork migration in the morning!-

Drive up to the top of the mountain, leave your car at the entrance of the reserve, turn left after about half a mile's walk to the panorama watchpoint on the edge of the huge gorge (Nahal Dragot). There is a polished, flat black marble stone, some sort of small monument. If you sit on it and look at the middle one of the five 20-inch metal rods just behind, you can see the Bonelli's Eagle's (Habichtsadler) nest on the other side. 2 white, fluffy young and the pair. Feeding session at 5 p.m. Great show!

Other birds: 12 Griffon Vultures (Gänsegeier), 45+ White Storks (Weißstorch), 1 possible Imperial Eagle (Kaiseradler), Bar-tailed Lark (Sandlerche), Tristram's Grackle, Alpine Swift (Alpensegler), Pallid Swift (Fahlsegler). Rare and (shy, mountain-dwelling) Eastern House Buntings (Wüstenammer).




Israel, April 2010, best species :

<<< Black Stork Ciconia nigra (Schwarzstorch) Cigogne noire: max. 25
<<< Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus (Sichler) Ibis falcinelle: ca. 40
>>> Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia (Löffler) Spatule blanche : 1
>>> Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus (Zwergdommel) Blongios nain : 1
>>> Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides (Rallenreiher) Crabier chevelu : 2-3

<<< Sooty Falcon Falco concolor (Schieferfalke) Faucon concolore: 1, Amram's Pillars track
<<< Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni (Rötelfalke) Faucon crécerellette : 2-3, Nizzana
<<< Osprey Pandion haliaetus (Fischadler) Balbuzard pêcheur : some migrants
<<< Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (Schmutzgeier) Vautour percnoptère : 2 + some migrants
<<< Eurasian Griffon Gyps fulvus (Gänsegeier) Vautour fauve : 12, Mitzukei Dragot
<<< Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus (Schlangenadler) Circaète Jean-le-Blanc : some migrants
<<< Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus (Steppenweihe) Busard pâle : some migrants
<<< Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes (Kurzfangsperber) Épervier à pieds courts : some migrants
<<< Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus (Steppenbussard) Buse des Steppes: tens of thousands!
??? Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus (Adlerbussard) Buse féroce: 1, Nizzana (?)
<<< Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina (Schreiadler) Aigle pomarin : some migrants
<<< Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga (Schelladler) Aigle criard : 1
<<< Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis (Steppenadler) Aigle des steppes : some migrants
??? Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca (Kaiseradler) Aigle impérial : 2x possible
<<< Verreaux's Eagle Aquila verreauxii (Kaffernadler) Aigle de Verreaux : 1, Eilat Mountains, km 4.
<<< Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus (Habichtsadler) Aigle de Bonelli : 1 Familie
<<< Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus (Zwergadler) Aigle botté: some migrants

<<< Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar (Chukarhuhn) Perdrix choukar : 1
<<< Sand Partridge Ammoperdix heyi (Arabisches Wüstenhuhn) Perdrix de Hey: 1

<<< Eurasian Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus (Triel) Oedicnème criard : 3
<<<< Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus (Spornkiebitz) Vanneau à éperons : common, häufig
<<< White-tailed Plover Vanellus leucurus (Weißschwanzkiebitz) Vanneau à queue blanche : 1
<<< Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii (Wüstenregenpfeifer) Pluvier de Leschenault : 4-5
<<< Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus (Wermutregenpfeifer) Pluvier asiatique: 1
<<< Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis (Teichwasserläufer) Chevalier stagnatile : common, häufig
<<< Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus (Odinshühnchen) Phalarope à bec étroit : 3-4

<<< Slender-billed Gull Larus genei (Dünnschnabelmöwe) Goéland railleur : common, häufig
<<< Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica (Lachseeschwalbe) Sterne hansel : 8
<<< Caspian Tern Sterna caspia (Raubseeschwalbe) Sterne caspienne : 1

<<< Macqueen's Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii (Steppenkragentrappe) Outarde de Macqueen : 1

<<< Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata (Spießflughuhn) Ganga cata : 4
<<< Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii (Wellenflughuhn) Ganga de Lichtenstein: 4

<<< Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis (Palmtaube) Tourterelle maillée : common, häufig
<<< Namaqua Dove Oena capensis (Kaptäubchen) Tourterelle masquée : 1

<<< Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops (Zwergohreule) Petit-duc scops : 1
<<< Hume's Owl Strix butleri (Fahlkauz) Chouette de Butler : 1

<<< Pallid Swift Apus pallidus (Fahlsegler) Martinet pâle : common, häufig

<<< Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis (Graufischer) Martin-pêcheur pie : 1

<<< Green Bee-eater Merops persicus (Smaragdspint) Guêpier de Perse : 4

<<< House Crow Corvus splendens (Glanzkrähe) Corbeau familier : 2x1
<<< Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis (Wüstenrabe) Corbeau brun : common, häufig, Nizzana & Arava
Valley
<<< Fan-tailed Raven Corvus rhipidurus (Borstenrabe) Corbeau à queue courte : 4-6, Ein Gedi
<<< Pale Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne obsoleta Hirondelle du désert/isabelline Steinschwalbe : common, häufig

<<< Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura Ammomane élégante Sandlerche
<<< Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti (Steinlerche) Ammomane isabelline
<<< Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla (Kurzzehenlerche) Alouette calandrelle
<<< Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens (Stummellerche) Alouette pispolette

<<< Streaked Scrub Warbler Scotocerca inquieta (Wüstenprinie) Dromoïque vif-argent : only Nizzana area
<<< Graceful Warbler Prinia gracilis (Streifenprinie) Prinia gracile : locally common, häufig

<<< White-spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos (Gelbsteißbülbül) Bulbul d'Arabie : common , häufig

<<< Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida Hypolaïs pâle Blassspötter : only Eilat Bird Sanctuary

<<< Eastern Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus orientalis (Balkanlaubsänger) Pouillot oriental : common migrant

<<< Rüppell's Warbler Sylvia ruppeli Fauvette de Rüppell Maskengrasmücke : 1, Eilat Bird Sanctuary

<<< Arabian Babbler Turdoides squamiceps (Graudrossling) Cratérope écaillé : 2+2, Nizzana + Ein Gedi car
park

<<< Tristram's Starling Onychognathus tristramii (Tristramstar) Rufipenne de Tristram : Ein Gedi & Metzukei
Dragot

<<< Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia (Sprosser) Rossignol progné : K. Lotan
<<< Rufous Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes (Heckensänger) Agrobate roux : K.Lotan

<<< Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina (Isabellsteinschmätzer) Traquet isabelle. Nizzana
<<< Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca (Zypernsteinschmätzer) Traquet de Chypre : Amram's Pillars track
<<< White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga (Saharasteinschmätzer) Traquet à tête blanche
<<< Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha (Kappensteinschmätzer) Traquet à capuchon : rd.10, Egyptian
Border
<<< Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti (Wüstensteinschmätzer) Traquet du désert
<<< Blackstart Cercomela melanura (Schwarzschwanz) Traquet à queue noire : locally common, häufig

<<< Palestine Sunbird Cinnyris osea Souimanga de Palestine Jerichonektarvogel : 2+2, Nizzana (Ezuz Osase)
& Neot Hakikar

<<< Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis (Weidensperling) Moineau espagnol : locally common, häufig

<<<Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava (Schafstelze) Bergeronnette printanière , ssp. Feldegg, superciliosa,
Dombrowskii : km 20, Salinen

<<< Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus (Rotkehlpieper) Pipit à gorge rousse : km 20, Salinen
??? Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens (Pazifischer Wasserpieper) Pipit farlousane : common winter visitor
but not accurately identified.

<<< Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta Roselin de Lichtenstein Weissflügelgimpel : Nizzana Sinai

<<< Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana (Ortolan) Bruant ortolan : 2-3
<<< Cretzschmar's Bunting Emberiza caesia (Grauortolan) Bruant cendrillard : 2, Ezuz Oase, N Mizpe Ramon
<<< House Bunting Emberiza striolata ssp.striolata (Wüstenammer) Bruant striolé : 2, Metzukei Dragot



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