TWELFTH ANNUAL BLACK BRANT CENSUS IN CALIFORNIA 25 



the eelgrass observed in September appeared to be healthy and the 

 luxurious growths encountered indicated much improvement over the 

 July visit. The new leaves of the 1941 season were in most cases as 

 large as the older ones and were bright green and healthy in appear- 

 ance. No wind-rows of eelgrass were observed washed up on the beaches 

 of Tomales Bay on this date, or upon several visits to the bay in Novem- 

 ber and December, 1941. 



On a visit to Tomales Bay on November 3, 1941, H. J. Jensen of 

 Hamlet, reported having that morning observed the first brant noted by 

 him on the bay that autumn, a small flock south of Hog Island. The 

 writer found the birds fairly plentiful, 1,500 being estimated present, 

 on November 20th. By November 30th, there were easily 3,000 brant 

 present and a similar number was noted December 6th and 7th. At all 

 times that these brant were observed, their behavior seemed to be nor- 

 mal. Normal flights were made from the ocean to the bay for feeding 

 and at no time were the birds found feeding in unusual situations such 

 as were so commonly reported for this region during the previous 

 season. These observations strengthened the conclusion that local eel- 

 grass conditions had improved materially. 



D. A. Simpson, California Academy of Sciences, kindly collected 

 samples of eelgrass from Tomales Bay near Nick's Cove, on March 8, 

 1942. These were later examined by Dr. Renn for presence of Laby- 

 rinthula with negative results, a further indication of improvement of 

 eelgrass conditions locally. 



Warden Yates collected samples of eelgrass in Limantour, a branch 

 of Drake's Bay, on March 11, 1942. These were later found to show 

 positive presence of Labyrinthula when examined by Dr. Renn, and 

 also in an examination made at the California Academy of Sciences by 

 Dr. J. Goodman. This indicated definitely that the disease was still 

 present in this area. 



"Warden Hecker, when taking the brant census at Morro Bay, Feb- 

 ruary 10, 1942, also observed and collected samples of eelgrass. He 

 reported no apparent decrease in the area of eelgrass as compared with 

 that of the previous year. The beds of the plant, however, were on that 

 date found to be closely eaten down by the brant and many of the 

 plants' leaves were observed to be discolored and covered with brown 

 blotches characteristic of Labyrinthula infection. Samples collected at 

 that time were later found by Dr. Renn to show positive presence of the 

 disease, thus fully bearing out Hecker 's conclusions. In spite of the 

 continued presence of the disease in the Morro Bay eelgrass and the 

 large numbers of brant recorded there by the census, Hecker reported 

 that at no time during the winter were the birds seen feeding upon 

 Salicornia, as they did extensively a year previously. This observation, 

 plus the fact reported previously that no brant were this year found 

 feeding along the coast in this area, seems to indicate that in spite of 

 continuation of the disease, sufficient eelgrass remained in Morro Bay 

 „to feed the large number of brant that wintered there. 



Warden Bedwell reported that since the construction of a drainage 

 canal from the upper end of the lagoon at Point Mugu to the Hueneme 

 area, there has been a large amount of silt deposited in the lagoon 

 which buried much of the eelgrass in the area north of the bridge across 



