North Carolina Pearson et al. (1942) listed Brant as common wintering 

 birds. They are present from November to March or April and are rare south of 

 Pamlico Sound (Potter et al. 1980). These Brant are usually restricted to salt- 

 water areas like Pamlico Sound that have extensive areas of submerged sandbars 

 and mudflats and abundant supplies of eelgrass ( Zostera marina ). Wray and Davis 

 (1959) noted a great decrease in numbers in the 1930's when a blight attacked 

 the eelgrass. Bellrose (1976) commented that fewer Brant reach North Carolina 

 in winter now than in the past, and he mentioned that only a few hundred winter 

 in Currituck and Pamlico sounds, where they used to be abundant. The 1975 Jan- 

 uary waterfowl census reported only 400 Brant in North Carolina and none else- 

 where in the southeast (Goldsberry et al. 1980). This figure represents only 

 0.5% of those counted in the Atlantic Flyway and only 0.2% of the total number 

 of Brant counted. 



Larger numbers occasionally winter in North Carolina. During the severe 

 winter of 1976-77 large numbers were found along the coast where the species is 

 usually uncommon; a peak of 1,650 occurred at Pea Island on 15 February 1977 

 (LeGrand 1977a). 



South Carolina Bellrose (1976) commented that Brant are found only rarely 

 and in small numbers as far south as South Carolina. Sprunt and Chamberlain 

 (1949) called the Brant a rare winter resident in South Carolina; only one of 

 their five records, between 30 November and 31 January, was of a flock. Burton 

 (1970) summarized four additional records of only a few birds each. The most 

 recent record is from well inland in 1974 (Teulings 1975a). 



Georgia There are but four records of Brant from Georgia over a period of 

 80 years (Denton et al. 1977); the latest is from Harris Neck NWR, 14 February 

 1971 (Teulings 1971b). 



Florida Sprunt (1954, 1963) called Brant accidental in Florida and cited 

 only eight records. Kale (1979 ms a) regarded it as rare along the Atlantic 

 coast, with no more than two or three birds seen at one time. Since 1970 there 

 have been six reports, including a few birds that lingered well into spring 

 (Stevenson 1971, 1974, 1978; Kale 1971; Edscorn 1976). Only a few of the re- 

 cords are from the Gulf coast (Edscorn 1976). 



Alabama Imhof (1976b) listed only two records of Brant in Alabama, both 

 inland. A third record is of a Brant that remained at Hoover Lake, near Bir- 

 mingham, from 2 November 1975 until 1 May 1976 (Hamilton 1976, Imhof 1976a, 

 Purrington 1976). 



Mississippi There are two records of Brant in Mississippi; the most recent 

 was of a single bird seen off Ship Island on 1 July 1978 (Jackson and Cooley 

 1978b). The other record, a lone bird off Pass Christian in January 1961, was 

 considered to be possibly the same bird seen in New Orleans two months earlier 

 (Lowery 1974). 



Louisiana Lowery (1974) reported two records of eastern Brant for Louisi- 

 ana, one in New Orleans from November 1960 to January 1961, and one in the Rock- 

 efeller Refuge in Cameron Parish, January 1974. In addition, a Black Brant 

 (the Pacific subspecies) was reported at the East Jetty, Cameron, Cameron Par- 



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