Autumn count on migrating birds of prey at the South Baikal migratory pass,  2011

 

Observers: Marina Alexeyenko (Krasnoshtanova) (Pribaikal'ski National Park), Alexandr Povarintsev & Igor Fefelov (Irkutsk State University)

 

Observation site: Kultuk (Irkutsk Region, south-west margin of Lake Baikal, 51 44 N, 103 43 E)

 

Terms: 25 August - 17 October 2011

 

Species

Total No.

%

Pandion haliaetus

3

0.02

Pernis ptilorhyncus orientalis

1,640

11.5

Buteo buteo

9,937

69.5

Buteo lagopus

9

0.06

Buteo hemilasius

7

0.05

Milvus migrans

1,616

11.3

Accipiter gentilis

347

2.4

Accipiter nisus

563

3.9

Accipiter gularis sibiricus

2

0.01

Circus (aeruginosus) spilonotus

5

0.03

Circus cyaneus

10

0.07

Aquila heliaca

17

0.12

Aquila chrysaetos

14

0.10

Aquila clanga

14

0.10

Aquila nipalensis

5

0.03

Hieraaetus pennatus

22

0.15

Haliaetus albicilla

2

0.01

Falco tinnunculus

3

0.02

Falco subbuteo

11

0.08

Falco columbarius

1

0.01

Falco peregrinus

7

0.05

Falco cherrug

3

0.02

Falco gyrfalco

1

0.01

Unid. eagle

1

0.01

Unid. falcon

4

0.03

Unid. raptor

25

0.17

Buteo buteo or Pernis ptilorhyncus

25

0.17

Total:

14,294

100

Comments:

This season was the first one since 2003 when we can to carry out daily counts during the whole migratory season.

The weather was generally good and warm. Only the strong winds and cooling fell at several days in middle September (c. 12-14 Sep).

The most interested features of autumn migration 2011 were the following:

the two early autumn peaks of migration were relatively weak, but the major peak, which was observed since 18 until 22 Sep, was very much powerful and contained the maximal daily value for all the previous counts on 21 Sep, when 16 % of the total autumn value were counted (more than 2,200 raptors including more than 2,000 Common Buzzards); there were no more significant peaks after it;

total No. of Common Buzzards did also the most record for all previous counts, containing almost 10 thousand birds per season;

in the same time, numbers of hawks and all eagle species per autumn were c. twice less than in early 2000s;

numbers of other species in 2011 were not significantly different from ones in that period.