TWELFTH ANNUAL BLACK BRANT CENSUS IN 



CALIFORNIA 1 



By James Moffitt 

 California Academy of Sciences 



Because of the depletion of eelgrass on the Pacific Coast recorded 

 in the 1941 brant census report (Moffitt, 1941), it was held desirable 

 to conduct a census again in 1942 in spite of war conditions, in order to 

 determine the status of the birds and the effect upon them of the short- 

 age of this plant wlrich normally forms their principal food. Coopera- 

 tion of U. S. Army officials, which is hereby gratefully acknowledged, in 

 permitting trespass upon restricted areas made it possible to carry on 

 the census almost as satisfactorily as in previous years. 



The censuses were obtained in 1942 on the customary date, Febru- 

 ary 10th, from all localities included in the past save Drake's Bay, 

 where airplane activity precluded. The actual counting was carried 

 out as usual by members of the Bureau of Patrol of the California 

 Division of Fish and Game, and by interested individuals, mentioned 

 beyond ; this assistance is hereby sincerely acknowledged. In addition 

 to counting the brant on the appointed date, the wardens reported 

 upon the condition of eelgrass in their vicinities, not only at the time, 

 but in many cases at other seasons of the year. The cooperators also 

 collected samples of this plant which were sent to Dr. E. C. Renn for 

 examination. The results of these reports and examinations are sum- 

 marized later in this article. 



The writer again supervised the census, which he started in 1931 

 when an employee of the State Division of Fish and Game. Due to his 

 appointment as Lieutenant, U. S. Naval Reserve, in March, 1942, and 

 his assignment to active duty in June, the completion of this paper has 

 been delayed, and it is with great regret that an 11-year record is 

 broken by failing to publish the report in the October issue of Califor- 

 nia Fish and Game following the census. For the same reasons, it will 

 be impossible for him to continue the project until better times return, 

 but it is hoped that even in these critical days those who have coop- 

 erated in the past, and who remain in their localities, may find it pos- 

 sible to record and publish some information upon the birds during 

 what may become a crisis due to the eelgrass situation. 



Results of the 1942 censuses in the various localities follow. 



Humboldt Bay 



Warden L. E. Lahr, who took the two previous censuses at this 

 point, had been transferred, so Warden Laurence Werder undertook 

 the 1942 count with highly successful results. Counting in clear 

 weather with little wind and a falling tide, on South Bay from 8.00 

 to 10.00 a.m., and on North Bay from 11.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., Werder 



1 Submitted for publication, October, 19 42. 



(19) 



