Photo by Chris Bosak
A large flock of Brant at Calf Pasture Beach, April 2015.

I love seeing Brant along Long Island Sound. It’s fascinating knowing a bird that is so close in the winter will be spending its summer in the Arctic. Of course, lots of birds we see in New England during the winter _ especially waterfowl _ nest far north of here, but few are as easily seen as Brant.

Brant, which look similar to Canada Geese but are smaller and have different markings, gather in massive flocks along parts of Long Island Sound from late fall to early spring. Many Brant are still around. They will be heading north soon, but Thursday at a beach in Norwalk, Conn., I saw a flock of Brant several hundred strong. Some Brant linger in New England into early summer, but most will be gone fairly soon. This flock, with the birds uttering their unique sounds, flew over my head before circling back and settling onto a softball field at the beach. Why not grab a few photos? (A similar thought that runs through my head.) They’ll be gone all too soon.

Check out the number of Brant in this posting after the Christmas Bird Count.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A large flock of Brant at Calf Pasture Beach, April 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A large flock of Brant at Calf Pasture Beach, April 2015.