Subject: [Tweeters] Brant zugenruhe
Date: Apr 8 09:20:25 2012
From: Dennis Paulson - dennispaulson at comcast.net


Tweeters,

Netta Smith and I saw the two Emperor Geese flying east past the tip of Graveyard Spit yesterday afternoon. I expected them to be with all the flocks of Brant that were there, but I guess they have their own agenda. Dungeness Bay was packed full of birds, including Black-bellied Plovers in full breeding plumage. A thousand or more Rhinoceros Auklets fed in mid channel off Point Wilson and as far east and west as I could see. And what a glorious day to be outside!

Dennis

On Apr 7, 2012, at 10:02 PM, Bob and Barb Boekelheide wrote:

> Hello, Tweeters,
>
> Friday evening (4/6/12) my wife Barb and I were treated to an extraordinary spectacle by Brant in Dungeness Bay. Numbers of Brant have been swelling in the area over the last month, to perhaps a few thousand. On Friday evening, in the waning light near sunset, the Brant formed very tight flocks in the bay, both sitting in the water and circling in the air, making lots of noise. We suspected Bald Eagles were scaring them up, but even though eagles were in the vicinity, the eagles seemed to be just sitting around, not obviously hunting.
>
> Over the next half hour, several times the Brant rose up off the water in immense clustered flocks, circled around the bay, then all splashed down together about where they had taken off. Sitting on the water they stayed packed like sardines, so tight they appeared to be touching one another, then within a few minutes they'd all rise up off the water and circle the bay again in big, tight, looping flocks. I estimate perhaps 1000 birds participated in the flocks, flying and landing over and over while we watched.
>
> Today (Saturday, 4/7/12) there appeared to be significantly fewer Brant left in the bay, like just a few hundred spread out at the usual feeding spots, so I believe large numbers of them may have taken off last night on the next leg of their migration, and we may have witnessed their pre-migration zugenruhe, or restlessness, prior to their flight. They must be in Parksville, BC, by now, or maybe further north!?
>
> I found a reference to similar behavior in the account of Brant in Birds of North America, which says: "Before departure, birds display migratory restlessness; medium-sized to large flocks conduct circling flights, presumably to test wind patterns and air pressure of current and upcoming weather systems" (Dau, C. P. 1992. The fall migration of Pacific flyway brent Branta bernicula in relation to climatic conditions. Wildfowl 43:80-95). It was very cool...
>
> In addition, we last saw the two Emperor Geese in Dungeness Bay on Thursday evening, but could not locate them at their usual haunts in the bay this afternoon. Perhaps they, too, used the current stable weather system to make their move to the north. Has anyone seen the Emperors since Thursday? (BTW, thanks to all who submitted names for the Emperors -- Dennis Paulson wins the Honor of the Emperor for his submission "Emperor Chen and Empress Canagica.")
>
> Bob Boekelheide
> Sequim
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-----
Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382
dennispaulson at comcast.net



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