Thursday 22 April 2021

Subtle 2cy dark-bellied brent

 While working on Sandymount strand this morning I came across a flock of 20 brent geese feeding close to the dune pool at Merrion gates. One of these birds was definitely standing out from the 19 pale-bellied even at a distance in the heat haze. It looked like a dark-bellied brent. As I began to move closer to the flock I could then see with my naked eye that this bird was quite stand out, definitely not a pale-bellied from what I could see so far. As I got closer to the bird and set up the scope it was no more than 20 feet away. Giving point blank views. This was a stunning but subtle 2nd calendar year dark-bellied brent. Over the past few weeks there seems to have been an influx of dark-bellys mixing with the pale-bellied along the east coast of Ireland. Jan Rod has been finding most of them and Brian Mccloskey had quite a nice count at Lurgangreen over the past month. Usually we tend to see dark-bellied brent from March into early April in good numbers, but usually just the occasional bird with a flock of pale-bellied at the usual sites. I have not seen an influx like this before really.

Many of the birds that have been found recently are 2nd calendar years. Many of which are sutble in plumage, though still eye-catching enough and showing enough classic features to be identified as dark-bellied. This particular individual was quite interesting when the light began to change. From strong sunlight to dull the birds appearance would change quite drastically. This is to be expected with most birds, but especially when dealing with brent. I was ways quite used to seeing adult dark-bellied at Kilcoole when the large flocks of up to 1000 pale-bellied would begin to gather at Kilcoole marsh in March and April with the occasional 2nd calendar year thrown in over the years. Though over the past few years I have become a lot more aware of immature birds with varying plumages as I have with adults just like the adult I had that was ringed a Presumed hybrid dark x pale-bellied that I saw at Kilcoole earlier this winter. Though I do think that bird was probably still well within range for a pure dark-bellied with white flanks. Who knows what goes on with the Hybridization in remote breeding colonies though! 

The key features that make this bird a dark-bellied include: greyish/brown upper parts with a blueish tinge, brown washed flanks and breast, light chocolate brown under belly and a nice collar that perhaps indicates that this is a young male. Most dark-bellied brent of this age that I am used to seeing in Ireland are far darker on the under parts. Though with the variation within all brent races this is something we should come to expect. It seems that more and more people are taking in the different plumage types of Brent these days and this is leading to more expensive plumages of dark-bellied, black brant and the possible subspecies of the 'Grey-bellied brant'. Always a lot to learn about brent races. Luckily enough they will have departed quite soon to breeding grounds in Arctic Canada and Siberia for the dark-bellied so you guys won't have to read anymore about brent geese 🤔😅

A lot more to be discovered next autumn when the brent arrive back again. And I look forward to seeing what we can find. Hopefully a few black brant which always seen to elude me!

A set of phonescoped image's can be found below. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me which is quite typical considering how close the bird was showing! But there's always next time ⌚📷


2cy Dark-bellied brent (left) adult pale-bellied (right)


#springbirding #Dublinbirding #brent #geese #wildfowl #Vikingoptical #BirdGuides 

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