Images of the Brant from Conneaut Harbor, Ohio: 29 Oct. 2000

While not pretty pictures, these images do offer Ohio birders a valuable impression of the jizz of the species. Key in on the general pattern of both upper and underwing views as aids in distance identification. Especially note the short neck, the lack of prominance of the throat patch (indeed missing on several birds), and contrasting pale belly. Other notes from the field: In the harsh direct sunlight, when the birds turned to face directly into the sun, the head took on a distinct coffee-brown appearance contrasting sharply from the much darker neck and chest. A very prominent ID mark - a sign of age? I suspect most of these birds were juveniles.

In the images of the specimen, note the prominent white feather edgings to the upperwing coverts identifying the bird as a juvenile. I purposely photographed the left side of the neck to show the white patch as the right side of the neck lacked it completely.Only one of the six in the water exhibited a textbook throat patch. Note further in the specimen the blue-gray cast to the feathering of the median, lesser, and marginal wing coverts and some of the back feathering.

The specimen retrieved (by Gary Meszaros) from the Conneaut mudflat.