South Shore of LI is looking good

John L

John L

Well-known member
I was out today making my rounds to all the usual places and there were flocks of Brant all over the bay. They have been making there way in for the last couple of weeks and with this little north wind we had it seems as though they are all over the bay already. I saw a few other species of ducks and the resident geese of course but it was the Brant that I was surprized to see all over. I hope this cooler weather stays with us for a while and drives more birds in.
We still have 46 day before the season opens.
Get those boats ready boys it wont be long now...
 
A few brant have shown up in Narragansett Bay. Checked out a few (actually many) coves today in a nice place in our state where I enjoy hunting black ducks, and was shocked to see only 3. Some years in the past I seem to recall many more than that by now.
 
Capt. John how long have the brant been there I was out Saturday late afternoon and didn't see any brant. I guess the will be here soon if they are up there. All I really saw was the local dock mallards. We have 33 days will our coastal zone. Can't wait. Hope your season is a good one.
 
I was out today making my rounds to all the usual places and there were flocks of Brant all over the bay. They have been making there way in for the last couple of weeks and with this little north wind we had it seems as though they are all over the bay already. I saw a few other species of ducks and the resident geese of course but it was the Brant that I was surprized to see all over. I hope this cooler weather stays with us for a while and drives more birds in.
We still have 46 day before the season opens.
Get those boats ready boys it wont be long now...
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I see you are doing your homework, John. Good for you. By the way, what part of Canada and or the Arctic, do the brant come from when migrating south towards Long Island?
Al
 
Capt. John how long have the brant been there I was out Saturday late afternoon and didn't see any brant. I guess the will be here soon if they are up there. All I really saw was the local dock mallards. We have 33 days will our coastal zone. Can't wait. Hope your season is a good one.
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Chris,

The first of them started showing up a few weeks ago. Now they are starting to stage in every spot I would expect to see them. Flocks are still small. Maybe one to to dozen per flock up to about a hundred or so in each. Soon to be thousands in each flock.
 
Al, every banded brant we have shot has been banded in Nunavut. I'd assume we are shooting the same birds here in VA as they are in LI.
 
The couple banded brant we got on LI were banded in Nunavut too. More specifically the islands at the north end of Hudson Bay.
 
By the way, what part of Canada and or the Arctic, do the brant come from when migrating south towards Long Island?
Al
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Al,

Stating a birds was tagged in Nunavut covers a very large area. It would be like saying they were tagged in a country more so than a specific area. I'm not knocking anyones post but here is a bit more info on where the Brant can be found and their typical migration route when Brant leave our area.
They arrive in the Northern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in May then they move over land to James Bay or Ungava Bay ( one of the only times they will fly over land) then on to the Artic Circle in early June. Southhampton Island and the Millville Peninsula and north to the Artic Archipelago where the nest then do a quick turn around as soon as their youg have flight feathers and do it all over again.
 
John when Ive retrieved the data from the bands each one of mine has simply said "Nunavat" nothing more. North or South nunavat, doesnt matter, its a good hike either way. haha
 
All this band talk has me looking at the certificates. Locations of the two bandings were: "Prairie Point" (on Southampton Island) and "Foxe Basin".
 
I was scouting lake champlain in Vermont this week and glasses a group of 5 brant in with a large flock of canadas and mallards. I wonder where they came down from? I've never seen them on our lake before and was quite thrilled at the new arrivals. Also saw a wigeon, something that is very uncommon here.

Mike
 
Thats pretty cool Mike. I always like seeing new species that are not common to a give area. Give you something to look for to.
 
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