Summary: Uncommon Spring migrant and Rare fall migrant, Very Rare along the road system in Summer and Winter. Best locations to look along the road system include Totem Park, Halibut Point Rec, and Starrigavan Estuary. May be more common in bays and passages off the road system.

	Spring	Summer	Fall	Winter
Sitka Road System	Uncommon	Very Rare	Occasional	Very Rare
Sitka Area*
*Unless otherwise noted, occurrence in the Sitka Area is unknown or presumed similar to that on the road system

Typical Spring Migration: Late April through Late May

According to the Birds of North America entry on Brant, most, if not all, of the Brant that pass through the Sitka are on their way from or to Izembek Lagoon on the Alaska Penninsula. During fall migration, most Brant make a direct cross-Pacific flight from Izembek to their wintering locations on the West Coast. In spring, the migration takes more time with a greater number of stops. This explains the pattern of more frequent occurence in Sitka during spring migration, as compared to fall.

Brant make extensive use of marine algae and plants for food. It is possible that Brant are more common and/or abundant off the road system in locations that offer better habitat.

J Dan Webster
Sparse migrant; scarce in winter and as a non-breeder in summer. In 1940 (Webster 1941) I saw two in Olga trait 28 February, two at Indian River flats 18 April, and a flock of 20 at various points on Kruzof Island 30 April to 4 May. In 1984 Gustav Swanson, Hanson and I saw a flock of 18 in Nakwasina Pass 12 June. In 1985 I saw 16 in Port Krestof 30 May and 25 there on 5 June. Hanson examined a brant killed by a poacher about 5 May 1968 which was wearing FWS bands from Skagit Flats, Washington. Elaine Boemer reported the first spring arrival as a flock of 7 on 21 April 1987. Recorded on the 16 December 2001 Christmas count—a flock of 25.

My Comments:
The first Brant I saw and photographed was a lone funny looking Canada Goose on the tide flats at Totem Park in April 2004. It did not take me too long to figure out that it wasn’t a Canada Goose as I followed it around the flats and watched it eat the sea lettuce that had been stranded on the beach. My 29 April 2006 encounter involved a flock of 100 Brant (along with a lone Greater White-fronted Goose) on the mud flats at Port Krestof. It was pretty interesting to see such a large flock, but I never got very close to them on my walk around the flats, as they were very flighty.

Observation Notes:
28 December 2007: At least 6 Brant reported in Port Krestof.
4-22 May 2007: Up to 15+ Brant on the beach and near shore waters at Totem Park. (First reported by Geof Smith on Sitka Birds e-mail list)
18 May 2006: 6 Brant seen flying along beach at Totem Park.
29 April 2006: 100 Brant seen in a large flock at low tide on the flats at Port Krestof.
Late April 2006: Paul Norwood reported seeing one at Kamenoi and 7 at Port Krestof on a recent kayaking trip (Sitka Birds e-mail list).
18 April 2004: Lone Brant on tide flats at Totem Park.