The mating season at Kluane has all but finished for 2005. Of the 24 focal
females we had radio-collared we only have two to check for estrous dates.
We're also well into the next 'phase' of the field season with the first
females on Agnes (our food-addition grid) having their litters. We've been
climbing trees to access the nests, and collecting data from the litter
(number of offspring, sex ratio, mass, and body size).
In other news, we have a new (sort of) crew member with us for the next week
and a half. Sheila McKeage worked primarily on Agnes in 2004, and has come
back to camp for 10 days to help with trapping and nests on that grid. She
will be with us until May 2, when the summer crew arrives.
Spring has made it to the Yukon. While we still have plenty of snow at camp,
the chipmunks and ground squirrels have emerged from hibernation and we've
been noticing the migration of eagles, geese, and swans. Any day now we should
be seeing juncos and thrushes.

Until next time...
Winter Crew (+1) 2005