That the Black Brant, or Pacific Brent Goose is a small sea goose, about the size of a Mallard duck, that stages one of the most spectacular migrations of all waterfowl. Over 140,000 Pacific black brant migrate along the pacific flyway each year. In the fall virtually all Pacific Coast birds gather at Izembek Lagoon on the Alaska Peninsula to prepare for their journey south. Ninety-five per cent of the brant diet is composed of eelgrass, which this flock was reaching underwater for, grabbing and flipping around in the air and then eating. I don’t recall seeing them before, but they are very attractive and shy. As soon as they noticed me photographing them, they booked it.
E.J. Lefavour
www.khanstudiointernational.com
Good Morning Gloucester 
Great photos. Were those taken around here? The brant we see in this area are known as Atlantic Brant, a close relative of the Pacific or Black Brant. The Black Brant is a little darker in coloration. Southern New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland have a large wintering population of Atlantic Brant. You can see them in the hundreds and thousands off of Barnegat, NJ, Atlantic City, etc.
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Hi Nate, thanks. I shot them at Lighthouse Beach in Annisquam. I’m pretty sure they are blacks, because they are so black and have the formal tuxedo look going on, and the Atlantic brant is more brown, but I could be wrong. I’d never seen them before and was thrilled to get the shots, as they are very shy and take off or swim away as soon as they see you. BTW, I love your shots of the eider drake, especially the ones of him coming up from under the water – great shots.
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