International Brant Monitoring Project
Observation Logs:

2008/2009 Observations

Date Location Observers Count Percent Juveniles Notes
Aug 14 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge 200 2
Aug 16 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge 1500 3
Aug 21 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge 300 4
Aug 26 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge 25,000 5
Oct 16 Delta, B.C. Richard Swanston 1 n/a 6
Oct 19 Humboldt Bay, CA Steve Rosenberg 4 7
Oct 23 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge 8
Oct 26 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge 83,500 11
Oct 28 Delta, B.C. Richard Swanston 12 33 12
Oct 30 Delta, B.C. Richard Swanston 15 26 13
Nov 1 Humboldt Bay, CA Steve Rosenberg 200 14
Nov 3 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge 15
Nov 4 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge >60,000 17
Nov 4 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge 16
Nov 5 Delta, B.C. Richard Swanston 249 17% 19
Nov 5 Yaquina Bay, OR Yaquina Birders & Naturalists 2 20
Nov 5 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge 18
Nov 6 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge >13,780 21
Nov 9 Yaquina Bay, OR Yaquina Birders & Naturalists 200/hour 22
Nov 9 Izembek Lagoon, AK Izembek National Wildlife Refuge 23
Nov 9 Humboldt Bay, CA Steve Rosenberg 150 24
Nov 12 Padilla Bay, WA Conway School 0 na 31
Nov 13 Yaquina Bay, OR Yaquina Birders & Naturalists 74 25
Nov 14 Humboldt Bay, CA Steve Rosenberg 100 26
Nov 14 Humboldt Bay, CA Steve Rosenberg 300 27
Nov 14 Delta, B.C. Richard Swanston 818 9 28
Nov 18 Oak Bay, Port Hadlock WA Diane Muholland 5 NA 30
Nov 20 Padilla Bay, WA Conway School 12 NA 29


Notes:

2 First brant of the season observed on the gritting bars in Kinzarof Lagoon.

3 Observed near Grant Point in Izembek Lagoon

4 Observed in central Izembek Lagoon by Jim Smith from Grant Point

5 A major influx of brant occurred at Izembek Lagoon on August 26. I visited Grant Point at 9:00 p.m. (high tide) and estimated about 25,000 brant were in the area. Large flocks were resting on the water near Glen Island and Cape Glazenap as well as foraging in the usual areas around Grant Point. New flocks were also coming into the area from Applegate Cove at this time.

August 26 was also the date that the first observations of emperor geese were reported for the season.

Kristine Sowl

6 Oct.16th Boundary Bay Regional Park, Tsawwassen, Canada. In the pouring rain in the late afternoon I saw at least 1 brant in the crowd of Canada geese with thousands of widgeon and other waterfowl and with one snow goose.
During the summer one brant was seen by other observers in the Point Roberts area. However, I never saw this bird. We have had a succession of early winter storms in this area. It could be that the first brant is early this year.

Yours, Richard Swanston, Delta B.C.

7 south humboldt bay

8 John Arkley reported seeing approximately 2000 brant swirling up to high altitudes over Izembek Lagoon in the area north of Pintail Lake but south of Blaine Point in the early afternoon. He also said the Cackling Geese were acting very restless. Northwest winds were blowing at this time.

During the evening, I went out to Outer Marker to look for signs of migratory restlessness in the goose flocks. There were >50,000 brant spread out on Izembek Lagoon between Round Island and Blaine Point, but none of these birds spiraled up to altitude to test the winds. The winds were more westerly during the evening. Later, however, I saw a flock of 300 Cackling Geese, in V-formations, flying south over Cold Bay. October has been cold and we had 1 1/2 of snow during the night of October 23-24, so it is possible that some brant have headed south.

Kristine Sowl
Izembek National Wildife Refuge

11 I visited several view points of Izembek Lagoon to evaluate the brant numbers. I estimated that there were >30,000 brant in Applegate Cove, >50,000 brant between Round Island and Blaine Point, and about 3500 brant near Grant Point. The birds had bunched up in huge flocks and had moved away from nearshore areas, but I didn't see any flying up to altitude to test the winds. I predict that brant will leave on the next set of northwest winds. We have northwest winds forecast for Wednesday night, so check for brant arrivals Friday or Saturday.

12 On Oct 28, 2008 Richard Swanston looked for brant at 08:50 Boundary Bay Regional Park Tsawwassen from 08:50 to 10:09. This site is located at the end of 12th Street in Delta B.C., Canada. There was an east wind at 5 Knots, Clear Tide at 11.4 Feet and Falling.
All 12 brant were observed for race. Two gray-bellied adults were observed. All were observed for bands but none were seen. Five different times birds were chased off the beach by dogs allowed to run without a leash.


13 viewed from two spots at boundary bay park in Tsawwassen two groups of 6 and one of 3

14 right with the frontal passage of our first major storm,and exactly on time for the vanguaurd wave. these birds were tired and had to buck a big soeaster for the last part of the journey

15 Here is the brant migration update for Izembek Lagoon:

November 1 – The cackling geese were very restless today. One flock of several hundred geese were observed flying south of Cold Bay at 1:00 p.m. Approximately 2000 cackling geese were observed flying south over Cold Bay at 6:00 p.m. The brant did not show any signs of restlessness. Winds were mostly westerly at 10-20 mph.

November 2 – I estimated 12,700 brant were in the Grant Point area of Izembek Lagoon at 16:45. The cackling geese continued to be restless, but the brant did not show any signs of restlessness. Winds were mostly westerly at 10-20 mph.

November 3 – I estimated that approximately 90,000 brant were visible from the end of the Outer Marker Road (between Tern Island and Blaine Point) this morning. It looks like most of the brant are still here at Izembek Lagoon
However, more cackling geese are headed south. Jim Smith reported seeing 5000-7000 geese fly south over Cold Bay between 11:00 and 12:00. The geese were in flocks of 40-300 birds. Winds are from the northwest at 10-20 mph.

Winds are forecast to be from the northwest through Thursday, but mostly less than 20 mph. It is possible that some brant may take off with these winds, but so far they are not showing many signs of restlessness.

Kristine Sowl
Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

17 Latest brant update:

I took a spotting scope out to Izembek Lagoon during late morning to inspect all areas visible from the road system. Tide was just past low so many eelgrass beds were exposed. Winds were NNW at about 12 mph.

I scanned Applegate Cove from the viewpoint above Bluebill Lake. I could not see any large flocks on the eelgrass, but did see several flocks of geese flying around in circles over the lagoon. I thought they were brant rather than cackling geese from the way they were flying. They were showing definite signs of migratory restlessness.

Next stop was Grant Point. I could see a flock of about 2000 brant foraging on eelgrass northwest of the point. I could not see any brant as I looked towards Applegate Cove, so there were fewer brant in this area than I would have expected at low tide. As I passed, Izembek Slough, I could see a mixed flock of cackling geese and brant, at least 1500 birds, sitting off of Quarter Point. Again, fewer birds than I would have expected in this area.

Final stop was Outer Marker. All of the brant were concentrated between Round Island and Blaine Point. I did not see any brant looking towards Halfway Point. I estimated about 57,000 brant. So, it looks like at least half of the population is still at Izembek Lagoon and most likely more than that since I cannot see all areas. However, I had the impression that fewer brant were present in these areas than what I observed during the weekend.

Kristine Sowl
Izembek Lagoon


16 Brant migration is in progress.
Last night between 6:53 and 7:05 p.m., I counted 12 flocks of brant flying over the town of Cold Bay and headed south. Lighting was dim but most flocks appeared to be 100-200 birds. They were calling as they flew so were easy to distinguish from the cackling geese flocks that had been departing all day. In the morning twilight today, additional flocks of brant were flying south between 7:55 and 8:05 a.m. Once it is light, I will head out to Izembek Lagoon and see if I can assess how many brant are still here.

Kristine Sowl
Izembek NWR

19 Nov. 5th 2008. I Arrived at 08:20 A.M. At Boundary Bay Regional Park Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Canada. Off the dike at 12th and Beach Grove Road. Wind was SSE at 10 to 14 Knots and the sky was clear. Many brant were just off the dike while the tide was rapidly rising. Counted 249 brant. Of those 44 were juveniles (18%).
At 08:30 something disturbed all the waterfowl and all brant depart.
At 08:42 a group of 18 to 20 brant fly by. At least two of these birds were grey belly brant.
By 09:29, 119 brant have returned, of which 19 were juveniles (16%)
Some brant come out of the water and these bands were read:
Right leg, black band, white codes 5A9 (read from the bottom up)
Left leg, blue band, white codes 8H3
Left leg, blue band, white codes -60
A mated pair with white codes on the right leg /S6 and /R2

/S6 and Mate are very familiar. I believe they are brant that spend the winter here in Boundary Bay. 8H3 might also be but I’m not sure. So since the first brant were seen Oct. 18 and the first grey bellied brant were seen Oct. 28th, I can safely say our winter brant have arrived.

Richard Swanston


20 On Nov. 5, Phil Pickering reported the first Brant (2) in Lincoln County, Oregon. He saw them during a 6:45-9:30 AM seawatch at Boiler Bay, which is about 13 miles north of Yaquina Bay.
They may have arrived earlier. Janet Lamberson unsuccessfully looked on Oct. 31 and Nov. 3 at Idaho Flats, which is just east of the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center and one of the embayment areas used by Brant at Yaquina Bay. There were no observations on Nov. 1-2. On Nov. 4, Phil did a 6:45-10 AM seawatch at Boiler Bay and did not see any, though he saw 30,000+ Surf Scoters and 2,000+ White-winged Scoters go by. I looked at Idaho Flats the afternoon of Nov. 4, and Roy Lowe of the USFWS looked on Nov. 5, but we did not see any. However, visibility conditions were poor the afternoon of Nov. 4.
Range Bayer for Yaquina Birders & Naturalists, Newport, Oregon.


18 Latest brant update:

During early morning of November 5, winds were from the NNW at 20-30 mph and there were intermittent snow showers. I thought I heard a flock of brant flying overhead as I walked to work at 8:00 a.m., but couldn't be sure due to the gusty winds.

Jim Smith from the National Weather Service reported seeing two waves of brant arise from Applegate Cove and head south at about 10:00 a.m. He estimated that these flocks included 4000-5000 brant. The winds were NW at about 13 mph at this time.

Lucretia Fairchild saw a flock of about 50 cackling geese fly over the office at 9:45 a.m. I saw a flock of about 100 cackling geese flying south over town at 13:30.

I made a brief visit to Outer Marker at 10:20 a.m. and estimated that 37,800 brant were visible. It was noticeable that there were fewer brant in the area. There was a thin film of ice on shallow areas of the lagoon and we probably had 1/2 inch snow accumulation.

Kristine Sowl
Izembek NWR


21 It looks like winter has arrived. We had several inches of snow accumulation yesterday and another evening of record low temperatures. Ice has formed on most of the freshwater lakes, including some of the large lakes and there is some ice formation in Izembek Lagoon. Steller's eiders had moved into the Grant Point area, which is a typical winter distribution rather than a fall distribution.

Another brant flock was heard passing overhead last night at twilight (about 7 p.m.) on November 5.

I went out to check on the state of the brant at Izembek Lagoon during the evening of November 6. I saw about 3780 brant at Grant Point and 10,000 brant near Round Island. I heard additional brant southwest of the Outer Marker peninsula but could not see them due to some fog formation. It looks like the majority of brant and cackling geese have left.

Kristine Sowl
Izembek NWR

22 On Nov. 9, Phil Pickering conducted a 6:45-11:45 AM seawatch at Boiler Bay State Park, about 13 miles north of Yaquina Bay. He saw 800 Brant in many small flocks flying south. This is a rate of 200/hour.

At 4:30-4:40 PM on Nov. 9, I counted 22 Brant at Yaquina Bay, the first reported there this fall. They were in the channel near Sally’s Bend, east of Newport’s Liquefied Natural Gas Tank. I looked at all the Yaquina Bay embayments on Nov. 7 and saw no Brant. I also looked at Idaho Flats at 3 PM on Nov. 8 and saw no Brant, but if they were distant like they were today, I could have missed them. In my Nov. 5 posting, I should have said that I looked at Idaho Flats the afternoon of Nov. 5 [not 4], and Roy Lowe of the USFWS looked on Nov. 6 [not 5], but we did not see any.

The 800 Brant passing Boiler Bay in the morning is more than the 22 at Yaquina Bay in the afternoon and much more than the number of Brant found at Yaquina Bay in over a decade. Since Yaquina Bay is the southernmost of the three Bays in Oregon where Brant overwinter (the others are Tillamook and Netarts Bays), it appears that many Brant are migrating south past Boiler Bay en route to California.

Range Bayer for Yaquina Birders & Naturalists, Newport, Oregon


23 It turns out that all the geese had not yet left Izembek Lagoon.

John Maxwell from the Flight Service Station reported that flocks of cackling geese were flying south over Cold Bay throughout the day during breaks between snow showers. He estimated that 2000-3000 geese passed overhead. Winds were from the NW at about 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Most of the activity occurred during the morning (starting at 10:00 a.m.) and late afternoon with little activity in the middle of the day. Flocks ranged from 50 to 200 birds.

Jim Smith reported that he heard a large number of brant passing over Cold Bay at about 7:00 p.m. It was dark, so he could not estimate the number of birds. Winds were from the NW at about 20 mph.

So check for more brant coming south.

Kristine Sowl
Izembek NWR

24 very poor influx this year. suspect most passed on by. this is what ive seen since the 200 on nov 1. some are probably the same birds, as they get chased to the ocean by pres.sure with some coming back in and others leaving for points south. nov 2-50 nov 3-0 nov 4-100 nov 5-50 nov 6-0 nov 7-20 nov 8-75 nov 9-150 nov 10-40 nov 11-15 nov12- 0 nov 13 unknown due to fog.

31
Students from Conway School went looking for brant on 11/12/2008 at Padilla Bay (near Anacortes Washington). We went to four differant sites, two on the north and two on the south sides of the bay. There were thousands of migrating waterfowl (i.e.; Canada geese, common loons, common merganser) however we did not see any brant geese. On our way back to Conway we did see a eagle hunt and kill a snow goose.

25 I previously posted on Nov. 9 that Phil Pickering had recorded 800 Brant passing Boiler Bay during his 6:45-11:45 AM seawatch--I mistakenly calculated this as a rate of 200/hr. It should have been 160/hr.

At Boiler Bay since then, Phil did a 6:45-8:15 AM seawatch on Nov. 10 and found 1 Brant, a 7-8 AM seawatch on Nov. 12 and saw 0 Brant, and a 6:45-9 AM seawatch on Nov. 13 and counted 2 Brant.

On Nov. 10 at Yaquina Bay, Janet Lamberson counted 30 Brant at Idaho Flats in the morning, and I found 30 there in the late afternoon; I did not find any Brant elsewhere at Yaquina Bay embayments or west of the Yaquina Bay Bridge.

On Nov. 13, Janet discovered 74 Brant at Idaho Flats.

Range Bayer for Yaquina Birders & Naturalists, Newport, Oregon.

26 south humboldt bay.one flock had about 75 birds. wonder if they were the ones at yaquina yesterday.weather finally cleared about noon so i could see.

27 augmentation of earlier observation. it is now 445pm and 300 brant are in south bay in one big flock, in a large eelgrass swale. maybe they were wiating for the fog to clear as it has been pea soup for 2.5 days and low vis for several days prior.

28 Wind out of the east at 8 Knots. Sky overcast. Tide approximately 12.2 feet and falling. Richard Swanston observed brant in Boundary Bay in Delta B.C., Canada from 10:11 to 12:30.

He was excited to see an old friend with a yellow band 8H1 and her mate –AA. This brant had a radio transmitter surgically implanted years ago in Alaska. She and her mate have spent the winter in Boundary Bay for YEARS. Chris Nicolai was kind enough to share some information on this pair: 8H1 was banded as a gosling in 1991. Her mate, -AA was banded in 1999, both in Alaska. In spite of having been handled and having surgery and having an external antenna for years, she has persevered. Sometimes Richard was concerned that she looked unhealthy or stressed. Sometimes he saw her mate without any sign of her. But they seemed to have retained their pair bond. Every year these two have showed up at some time in Boundary Bay or the general area.

At one time Richard counted 265 brant of which 21 were juvenile and later he counted 283 brant of which 28 were juvenile (9%). Of the group of 283, all were black brant, no grey bellies. At 10:30 he counted a total of 818 brant in the northwest part of the bay.

Richard was also able to read these bands:
Aqua band on the right leg with black codes NL8 and V4Y
Right leg, black band, white codes RSA and UNS
Left leg, green band, white codes ZGZ
Yellow banded pair 8H1 and –AA



30 Yesterday morning about 8am, calm, sunny, I observed 5 Brant fly over Oak Bay. I have read there are about 14 Brant at Ft.Flagler, the northern tip of Marrowstone Island. The 5 I observed are the first of season for Oak Bay.

29 We saw about 12 Black Brants flying at Camp Kirby. They were the first Black Brants seen this year. High wind and choppy waves.

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