It breeds only in the Russian tundra and forest-tundra, from the Yamal Peninsula eastwards across the Gydan and Taymyr peninsulas. Curiously it usually nests in proximity to raptors - normally peregrine, but sometimes rough-legged buzzard or snowy owl. It used to winter mostly on the Caspian Sea, but now favours the Black Sea and Lower Danube. The population declined severely from about 1965, owing to hunting, disturbance and habitat loss, but has recovered somewhat more recently. It is included in the Russian and Soviet red data books.
After working for some years at the Wildfowl Trust, Slimbridge, on waterfowl monitoring projects, John Quinn (JQ) chose the red-breasted goose as a subject for PhD research. He went to Taymyr three summers running, and collected enough field data and samples for his thesis. The study focused on the ecology of the geese and peregrine falcons, and on the relationship between the two species.
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In the following year he was to organise his own expedition specifically to collect data on the red-breasted geese and peregrines. There were five permanent members and three others staying a short time. He made use of the services of a St Petersburg organisation - BARC (Scientific Production & Arctic Expeditions, 199397 St Petersburg, Bering Street 38, ‘Prima') - to arrange transport within Russia, and they advised travelling via Norilsk instead of Dikson. This was a wise move, since all necessary provisions could be purchased in Norilsk. The Pura base was reached from Norilsk by a small helicopter (400 km, $2000 per flight). Travel arrangements were similar in 1997, when there were only three people going, except that by then the operator of the small helicopter had been forced out of business and only a larger (too large) helicopter was available from Aeroflot at $8000 per flight. The astronomical increase in helicopter costs - a major factor in some tour operators no longer going to the Russian Arctic - meant that this means of transport could be used only once. So the expedition came back by boat - logistically very difficult to achieve.
Not only was BARC useful in 1996 - and worth the $1200 they charged for their services - it was also invaluable having a reliable and helpful agent at the Russian end. In JQ's case it was Yakov Kokorev (YK), a biologist at the Extreme North Agricultural Institute in Norilsk. Being on the staff of an institute does not mean that any salary is paid, and to earn some money YK and others shoot wild reindeer to sell in Norilsk, and sometimes he fishes or hunts Arctic foxes.
A local agent, and preferably a collaborating scientist who can act as an agent, is useful for political as well as logistical reasons. It is not unknown for local officials to want to profit from their control over the issue of permits and such like, and a local person on the ground can expedite matters and minimise unofficial costs.
The Pura base consists of a hut with three rooms, one being heated and used for sleeping, and another being the kitchen - and that means, in Russia, the place to gather and socialise.
There is also a Russian banya (bath-house or sauna). While generally it is not essential to have such sophisticated accommodation for an expedition in Russia/CIS, in harsh conditions such as in the Arctic it is almost a necessity. Life under canvas is pleasant, and does not involve too much waste of time, when the weather is perfect; but when it is poor, domestic chores take much longer, and it is easy for morale to deteriorate when it is difficult to get dry or warm. Food can go cold within a minute or two of cooking it in such cold air, and that is no joke when twelve hours are going to be spent in an unheated hide.
Some of the observation sites were at some distance from the hut, and so about half the time was actually spent away from the base, in tents. Again, the bare minimum would have been to take sleeping tents only, but the extra load of a larger tent - for cooking, eating, socialising, and shelter in bad weather - was considered worth it. (This is discussed further in the Notes .)