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Pipers at the Gates of Dawn: Lower L.A. River trip: 29 August 2026
[By Chuck Almdale]
We hadn’t done this trip in quite a while (2018 and no one wrote a report) so we decided to go take a look at the Lower Los Angeles River, specifically the areas close to Willow St. in Long Beach, and next to DeForest Park in northern Long Beach. These two locations almost always have a lot of vegetation and sediment on the bottom, and birds accumulate.
As expected, we had a lot of shorebirds, but no river otters*. The pipers filled the air with their music and conversation throughout the morning. Someone new was always chiming in.
I find it quite amazing that this skimmer (aka schnozz-bird) below managed to just fill the photograph frame corner-to-corner. Skimmers are more of a tropical bird, but they’ve been moving up from Baja California in greater numbers for the past few decades. In the 80’s we had to go to lower San Diego Bay to find them. They need calm waters, not open ocean waters, in order to feed, which they do by skimming the surface – flying very close to the surface with their lower bill, longer than the upper bill, slicing through the water. If they encounter something edible, the bill snaps up like lightning. I’m always afraid they’ll hit something solid and flip tail over head, tumbling across the water, but in 50 years I’ve never yet seen it happen. Upper Newport Bay and Bolsa Chica are two areas favorable to them.
This Savannah Sparrow was in a grassy patch down in the channel, which we spotted in the distance. After looking at Armando’s photo below for a while, I came to the conclusion that it may well be Passerculus sandwichensis rostratus, aka “Large-billed” Savannah Sparrow. This subspecies – and some people think it should be split off as a separate species – breeds in northern Baja California with some birds wintering at the Salton Sea and along the coast of Southern California. We’ve seen them several times along the jetty between Ballona Creek and the Marina del Rey channel, gleaning something-or-other off the exposed rocks. I hadn’t heard of any in the Lower L.A. River, but I’m not shocked to see them there, if indeed that is what it was.
This ibis below may be exceptionally glossy (or iridescent) but it is not a Glossy Ibis, but a White-faced Ibis, albeit absent any significant white face. Go figure. The “rest of the story,” as one newscaster used to say, is that the white face of the White-faced Ibis is never extensive and consists only of a white line bordering the the entire base of the bill during their breeding period. The bird below has a hint of this in the lores between red eye and top of the bill. The Glossy and White-faced Ibises are very similar and hybrids are “not rare” (as NGS field guide, 8th ed. puts it). The ornithological community might have to revisit these two (or this single) species sometime soon.
Phalaropes are one of the hoped-for species at this location and we managed to find two, with one of them just outside the left frame of this photo. You can tell that because of the pattern of circular ripples they make in the water by spinning in circles. This spinning creates a vortex which brings deeper invertebrates up to the surface where these bird can pick them off with their needle-like bill. The Red-necked Phalarope is the “intermediate” phalarope as the length of their bill is a key field mark in differentiating the three species. All phalarope species are among the few “polyandrous exhibiting sexual dimorphism reversal” species. I counted somewhere around 35 such species out of over 11,000 in the world, but there may be more. If this phrase is unfamiliar, read this. During migration there can be flocks of several thousand phalaropes, mostly Red-necked, not far offshore of Palos Verdes Peninsula, so it’s not surprising that a few might wander over to the L.A. River channel, or get a little lost en route and follow the channel down from the San Fernando Valley..
The mouth of the swallow is very short, but very very wide, not a welcome sight to any fly.
If you didn’t know what “swallow-winged” meant before, look below.
Two pairs of Barn Swallows.
There were bound to be some Common Yellowthroats in the brush or grass in or near the channel. I’m surprised we didn’t see more than this single male, but we were mostly looking at the shorebirds.
There were plenty of Mallards present, and even more Canada Geese. [Or are they now American Geese? I haven’t heard.] It’s easy to see their iridescent purple (some say cobalt) speculum bordered by white when they fly, unlike when they’re sitting or swimming at Malibu Lagoon. That shadow seemingly in front of them is interesting.
There weren’t many Least Sandpipers on the river. Most of them were on the algae coating the surface in places, or in the grass on the tiny “islands.”
There were a lot more Western Sandpipers.
Three leggy species in one shot below. Here’s a question for birders. All field guides give the lengths of all the birds, but what exactly constitutes “length?” Think about it before looking it up or reading on. And which of these three birds below is the “longest,” or “lengthiest” if you prefer? Don’t read the next paragraph until you guess.
Guess the longest bird above before reading below.
The lengths (per NGS 8th ed, 2025) left to right, are Long-billed Dowitcher 11.5″, Greater Yellowlegs 14″, Black-necked Stilt 14″. This seems absurd to me, but the lengths in bird literature is bill-tip to tail-tip, even when the bird – comfortably lying on its back in a museum tray as they tend to do – has feet sticking far past the end of the tail. So a Sandhill Crane is 41-48″ “long” and a Great Blue Heron is 46″ “long.” Forget the legs, they don’t count.
Humans were defined (or described) as “featherless bipeds” by none other than Plato. Supposedly, after hearing this definition, the irascible and cynical Diogenes plucked a chicken and brought it to Plato’s Academy shouting “Behold! I’ve brought you a man.” Always flexible and adaptable to correction, Plato amended his definition to include “with broad, flat nails.” Who knew that ancient Greek philosophers were such jokers and pranksters?
As we share our bipedality, shouldn’t we and the birds be measured in the same manner? Working within that system, can you guess how “long” you are? I’m 34″, far smaller than a 46″ Great Blue Heron, shocking smaller than the 39″ Great Egret, barely larger than the 30″ Reddish Egret. How humiliating!
Reflections can play tricks on your eyes. At first glance these dowitchers may seem to be standing on mid-river rocks.
The low angle of the sun sometimes creates weird effects with the light.
All birds are variable in appearance, but their variability is variable from species to species. Here we have both Yellowlegs species, one Lesser next to two Greaters. [Ignore those two birds in the back. They are not the birds you seek.] The bills on the two Greaters are significantly different, but I still think they are both Greaters; the one in the middle is a juvenile with a shorter straighter bill, and the one on the right is an adult with a longer slightly upcurved bill. The bills on long-billed birds often taken extra months to get to their final adult length after the rest of their body is sufficiently large and strong to fly. I don’t know if this also applies to the legs on long-legged species.
All I have to say to this guy is, “I didn’t put it there, but if you give it to me, I’ll see that it’s disposed of properly.”
Two people had to leave early. The rest of us drove up to DeForest Park but our cars got separated. After locating the only access to the river at the south end of the park at the intersection of Deforest Ave. and East Osgood St., I walked up the embankment stairs to the river where I found green algae covering the river channel bottom but not a single bird on it except a group of gulls 3/4-mile away by the Artesia Blvd. bridge. I walked close enough to see that there was nothing there but Western Gulls, and returned to my car. Here I found Armando and passengers who had stopped at the park pickleball area and seen a few tree birds. But the list below includes only the Willow St. birds.
*River Otters: See The Wind in the Willows, chapter seven, and the first Pink Floyd album.
A google map of the area follows the checklist below.
| Lower LA River 2026 & 2014 | 2026 | 2014 |
| Date | 6-Sep | 30-Aug |
| Temperatures | 75-81°F | 70-88°F |
| *Estimated for numbers >50 | ||
| Canada Goose* | 60 | |
| Egyptian Goose | 3 | |
| Cinnamon Teal | 3 | 5 |
| Northern Shoveler | 8 | |
| Gadwall | 2 | |
| Mallard* | 30 | 110 |
| Bufflehead | 1 | |
| Feral Pigeon* | 20 | 130 |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 1 | 3 |
| Mourning Dove | 4 | |
| White-throated Swift | 6 | |
| Allen’s Hummingbird | 2 | |
| Common Gallinule | 1 | |
| American Coot | 25 | |
| Black-necked Stilt* | 200 | 425 |
| American Avocet* | 30 | 160 |
| Killdeer | 15 | 65 |
| Semipalmated Plover | 1 | 2 |
| Short-billed Dowitcher | 30 | |
| Long-billed Dowitcher* | 40 | 200 |
| Red-necked Phalarope | 2 | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 1 | 14 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | 2 | 2 |
| Willet | 1 | |
| Greater Yellowlegs | 30 | 4 |
| Least Sandpiper* | 20 | 490 |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | 1 | |
| Western Sandpiper* | 400 | 100 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 20 | |
| Western Gull* | 80 | 100 |
| California Gull* | 6 | 50 |
| Caspian Tern | 1 | 2 |
| Pied-billed Grebe | 1 | |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 8 | 6 |
| White-faced Ibis | 20 | |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | 1 | 2 |
| Snowy Egret | 4 | 5 |
| Green Heron | 1 | |
| Great Egret | 2 | |
| Great Blue Heron | 2 | 2 |
| Osprey | 1 | |
| American Kestrel | 2 | |
| Yellow-chevroned Parakeet | 7 | |
| Black Phoebe | 4 | 2 |
| American Crow | 30 | 6 |
| Tree Swallow | 4 | |
| No. Rough-winged Swallow | 15 | |
| Barn Swallow* | 50 | 45 |
| Cliff Swallow | 2 | |
| Swinhoe’s White-eye | 2 | |
| European Starling | 40 | |
| House Finch | 12 | |
| Savannah Sparrow | 1 | 1 |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | 1 | |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 20 | |
| Great-tailed Grackle | 4 | 3 |
| Common Yellowthroat | 1 | |
| Orange Bishop | 1 | |
| Totals Birds | ||
| Species | 36 | 48 |
| Total birds | 1097 | 2119 |
A Bilateral Gynandromorph Bobolink | Smithsonian Magazine
[Posted by Chuck Almdale, submitted by Lillian Almdale]
Ofttimes things doth go awry. If there weren’t accidents and mutations in DNA, could evolution even take place?
An ‘Extremely Rare’ Half-Male, Half-Female Bird Temporarily Took Up Residence Outside of Chicago
The unusual-looking bobolink is what’s called a bilateral gynandromorph. The bird behaved like a male, eventually wooing a mate and raising fledglings.
By Sarah Kuta, daily Correspondent | Smithsonian Magazine | 21 August, 2026
Peregrine Falcon vs. L.A. Fox | BBC Wildlife
[Posted by Chuck Almdale, submitted by Lillian Johnson]
No preamble on this one, just go to the article and scroll down to the video.
Astounding footage shows peregrine falcon attacking foxes in Los Angeles
A wildlife photographer filmed the moment a peregrine falcon fiercely protects her chicks from red foxes.
By Megan Shersby | Film by Jack Zhi | 27 July, 2026 | BBC Discover Wildlife
[Posted by Chuck Almdale, submitted by Edna Alvarez]
Extreme weather now a key predictor of where bird species occur in North America, study finds
By Jim Shelton | 11 August 2026 | Yale News
A Yale-led study links severe weather to bird ranges and biodiversity for hundreds of North American birds. Accounting for extreme weather, the authors say, is critical to understanding and predicting where species are found in the environment.
By Jim Shelton, 11 August 2026
Using hundreds of millions of citizen science bird observations in the eBird database, researchers found that using data on the variability and extremes of climate were a better predictor than mean temperatures of when and where over 500 North American species were present. “The habitat ranges in [Means only] models without extreme weather events were, on average, 10% too large for winter months and 6% too large for summer months.”
Predicted breeding range of (a) Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus), (b) wintering range of Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), and (c) breeding range of Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) across models including only climate means, climate variability, and extreme weather risk (left to right).
For variability and extremes, colored areas represent predicted suitable areas in all models, pink areas are suitable in Means but not Variability or Extremes models, and gray areas are suitable in Variability or Extremes but not Means models. Insets highlight regions with large differences between model predictions.
This article is based on research published 8 August 2026 in the journal Global Change Biology.
Continental-Scale Biodiversity Predictions Are Influenced by Climatic Variability and Extreme Weather
Jeremy M. Cohen, Diego Ellis-Soto, Shubhi Sharma, Frank A. La Sorte, Walter Jetz
First published: 08 August 2026 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.71028
Abstract:
Increasingly variable and extreme weather can push organisms beyond their physiological thermal or hydric tolerances and limit where they can persist, affecting their geographic distributions and biodiversity patterns. For example, organisms often live near their physiological limits at range edges and may be unable to persist in these regions under variable and extreme conditions. However, it remains unclear how climatic variability and extreme weather define continental-scale species distributions and biodiversity patterns. Here we link hundreds of millions of citizen science bird observations from 2004 to 2024 to high-resolution maps of within-year climatic variability and extreme weather risk, exploring how these factors define both summer and winter distributions and biodiversity patterns for 535 North American species across 2901 individual models. We find that species distribution models accounting for climatic variability or extreme weather risk performed better than others at predicting richness and individual species presences across 220 well-surveyed sites. Such models predicted narrower geographic distributions than models relying on only climatic means, especially at the range edges, resulting in species’ ranges that were truncated on average by 6% in summer and 10% in winter when climatic variability and extreme weather variables were included. These effects were observed in both seasons but were particularly strong in winter, a time with greater short-term weather variability than summer. Richness estimates were substantially lower when climatic variability or extreme weather were accounted for, especially in the US southwest and central plains (up to 35 fewer species), regions highly prone to extreme heat, cold, and drought. Our results suggest that more mechanistically informed biodiversity predictions that account for climatic variability and extreme weather are critical for reliably predicting distributional and biodiversity patterns.
Cormorants, terns and bands, Malibu Lagoon: 23 August 2026
(Ray Juncosa 8/23/26)
[By Chuck Almdale; photos by Ray Juncosa, Trish Oster & Chris Tosdevin]
It may look like high tide, but it’s not. The lagoon is closed to the sea. It happens every summer, for most of the summer. Water keeps coming down the creek, gradually filling the lagoon. Occasionally it gets so high, perhaps 9-10 ft. above sea level that it begins to spill over whatever is the low spot in the beach, possibly creating a “permanent” channel which may last until the next spring. But usually it’s the first significant rain (1/2 inch or more) in November or December that is brings sufficient water down Malibu Creek to blow through the beach. When this happens, all the water runs out at the next low tide until the end of the next low tide, along with a lot of the fish, and the lagoon remains open to the sea for the next six months. Or thereabouts.
The Double-crested Cormorants, unafraid of fresh or brackish water, frequently rest on this log near our gathering point, giving us something close-at-hand to look at.
(Ray Juncosa 8/23/26)
The NGS field guide describes the color of “trousers” as burgundy. Looks more rusty, rufous or cinnamon to me.
To our great surprise the Surf Scoter (or more accurately “a” Surf Scoter) was resting on the ground on the east end of the western sand & brush island in exactly the same spot as one rested a month ago. Seeing one on land is so uncommon – I can’t recall a single other instance – that we (or maybe only I) assumed it was sick or damaged. Seeing it there still, or again, reinforced that belief.
(Chris Tosdevin 8/23/26)
Of course, later on our way back from the beach, the bird was nowhere to be seen, blowing all assumptions about the state of its health out of the water.
The go-away bird below is an American Kestrel according to those who actually saw it. I didn’t, but I’d guess from the breast-streaks that it’s a female. (In southern Africa there is a whole family of real go-away birds, also called turacos. The vocalizations of some species sound like they’re pleading with you to “go away.”)
I don’t know exactly what this Snowy Egret has here, but evidently it’s a keeper.
I thought the numbers (346 birds) and diversity (48 species) was pretty low for August, but a quick check revealed that August 16, 1980 had only 282 birds and 22 species. On the other hand August 25, 2013 had 1154 birds and 61 species. So you never know.
We had (at least) seven Pygmy Blue Butterflies today. Possibly a record.
Here’s a collection of left-looking birds.
(Chris Tosdevin 8/23/26)
In case the name “Hudsonian” Whimbrel sounds new to you, you’re right, as in 2025 the Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus was officially split into two species. In the Americas we have Hudsonian Whimbrel Numenius hudsonicus and Eurasian Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus everywhere else.
Our Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatorola is known as the Grey Plover in Europe. They are of course both Gray and Black-bellied. Most of the year they have gray bellies, and the rest of the bird is always gray-ish, but for the few months in which they breed they have black bellies. Of course the Golden Plovers also have black bellies in breeding plumage and they too are largely gray, not terrifically golden as a rule, certainly not oriole or warbler or finch-like golden. [If you think bird names are supposed to be accurately descriptive or helpful when trying to identify a bird, you’d best forget that right now. Their names are frequently misleading and rarely useful, primarily because it’s very difficult for one-to-four words to both adequately and exclusively cover both sexes, all plumages and all ages of a species. But with over 11,000 species of birds to look at, there are of course exceptions to this generalization, although none come to mind. Ostrich, perhaps?]
(Chris Tosdevin 8/23/86)
Semipalmated Plovers (can you see the obvious semi-palmation, so useful for identification purposes?) are regular spring and fall visitors to the lagoon. April and August-September are their peak months, whereas in May-June and October-February they are very few and far between.
Can you guess why this Ruddy Turnstone below is called a “turnstone?” Usually their bills show a very slight up-turn towards the end of their upper mandible and a slight thickening in the lower mandible just below. This bird has a hint of the thickening in the lower bill, but no noticeable up-turn. These add structural strength which aids in the turning of stones, as you guessed. There are often tiny edible invertebrates hiding under small stones.
This Western Snowy Plover flubbed his photo op.
We had two banded Western Snowy Plovers on this trip, and discussion ensued as to the color of their bands. Most west coast Snowy Plovers have four bands (rings) on their legs, two on each leg. Alternatively, some have a single ring on the leg above the heel (or backwards knee or leg joint if you prefer). I concluded that they were (reading left leg above, then below, right leg above then below) orange : aqua+blue (o:ab) and violet+green : orange+white (vg:ow). But some thought the single left orange band on the first bird was rust or corrosion (bands are colored plastic applied to a metal ring); it was hard to differentiate between violet and blue; the white at first looked to me like a very light brown, but I then decided it was merely body shadow altering the color.
Here’s the official color chart for Western Snowy Plovers. Learn it and become a pro.
Three of our photographers in action. Now you know where some of those great close-up photos come from. I personally think that having good equipment, rock-steady hands, great framing ability and wise choice in capturing interesting behavior should all be considered some sort of cheating. I refuse to cheat, which is why I rarely include my own cruddy photography in these postings.
(Chris Tosdevin 8/23/26)
We had great fun discussing and sorting out the Royal and Elegant Terns, although there were only 35 of them. No one was hurt during these discussions.
Sometimes it’s hard to unwind after a long flight.
A view of the west channel, PCH bridge and Santa Monica Mountains in the distance.
The surf was very good today. Very little wind so the waves weren’t all blown out but were very nicely shaped. The highway shoulders were packed with surfer’s cars, the waves packed with surfers, and the beach packed with sunbathers under their portable shades. Even the birds joined in, with cormorants in the waves and several loons out past the surf zone.
Malibu Lagoon on eBird as of 8-24-26: 9595 lists, 3143 eBirders, 323 species
Most recent new species seen: Canyon Wren, 06/11/26 by Judith Olsen (no photo).
Birds new for the season: Semipalmated Plover, Red-throated Loon, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel, Northern House Wren, Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroat. “New for the season” means it has been three or more months since last recorded on our trips.
Many, many thanks to photographers Ray Juncosa, Trish Oster & Chris Tosdevin
Upcoming SMBAS scheduled field trips; no reservations or Covid card necessary unless specifically mentioned:
- Lower L.A. River, Sat. Aug. 29, 7 am
- Lower Sycamore Canyon, Mugu Rock & Marsh, Sat. Sep 12
- Malibu Lagoon, Sun. Sep 27, 8:30 am (adults) & 10 am (parents & kids)
- Huntington Beach Central Park, Sat. Oct 10, 8 am
- Malibu Lagoon, Sun. Oct 25, 8:30 am (adults) & 10 am (parents & kids)
- These and any other trips we announce for the foreseeable future will depend upon expected status of the Covid/flu/etc. pandemic, not to mention landslides, fires, local flooding and atmospheric rivers at trip time. Any trip announced may be canceled shortly before trip date if it seems necessary. By now any other comments should be superfluous.
- Link to Programs & Field Trip schedule.
The next SMBAS Zoom program: Tuesday, October 6, 7:30pm; TBA
The SMBAS 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk has again resumed. Reservations not necessary for families, but for groups (scouts, etc.), please call Jean (213-522-0062).
(Chris Tosdevin 8/23/26)
Links: Unusual birds at Malibu Lagoon
9/23/02 Aerial photo of Malibu Lagoon
Aerial ‘film’ flying north over lagoon
More recent aerial photo
Prior checklists:
2025: Jan-June, July-Dec 2026: Jan-June
2023: Jan-June, July-Dec 2024: Jan-June, July-Dec
2021: Jan-July, July-Dec 2022: Jan-June, July-Dec
2020: Jan-July, July-Dec 2019: Jan-June, July-Dec
2018: Jan-June, July-Dec 2017: Jan-June, July-Dec
2016: Jan-June, July-Dec 2015: Jan-May, July-Dec
2014: Jan-July, July-Dec 2013: Jan-June, July-Dec
2012: Jan-June, July-Dec 2011: Jan-June, July-Dec
2010: Jan-June, July-Dec 2009: Jan-June, July-Dec
The 10-year comparison summaries created during the 2012-13 Lagoon Reconfiguration Project period, remain available—despite numerous complaints—on our Lagoon Project Bird Census Page. Very briefly summarized, the results unexpectedly indicate that avian species diversification and numbers improved slightly during the restoration period June’12-June’14. We also have a newly-refurbished slide show of the reconfiguration from just before it started until the recent 13-year celebration.
Many thanks to Marie Barnidge-McIntyre, Femi Faminu, Chris Lord, Emily Roth, Chris Tosdevin and others for contributions made to this month’s census counts.
The species list below was re-sequenced as of 12/31/25 to agree with the eBird sequence. If part of the right side of the chart below is hidden, there’s a slider button inconveniently located at the bottom end of the list. The numbers 1-9 left of the species names are keyed to the nine categories of birds at the bottom. Updated lagoon bird check lists can be downloaded here.
[Chuck Almdale]
| Malibu Census 2026 | 3/22 | 4/26 | 5/24 | 6/28 | 7/26 | 8/23 | |
| Temperature | 65-76 | 55-64 | 60-63 | 61-66 | 72-76 | 67-81 | |
| Tide Lo/Hi Height | L-0.31 | H+4.32 | L+0.42 | H+3.35 | H+3.49 | H+3.64 | |
| Tide Time | 0640 | 0624 | 1126 | 1034 | 0949 | 0858 | |
| 1 | Brant (Black) | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 1 | Cackling Goose | 1 | |||||
| 1 | Canada Goose | 5 | 4 | ||||
| 1 | Northern Shoveler | 2 | |||||
| 1 | Gadwall | 15 | 25 | 18 | 10 | 11 | 15 |
| 1 | American Wigeon | 6 | |||||
| 1 | Mallard | 14 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 35 | 6 |
| 1 | Northern Pintail | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1 | Surf Scoter | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 1 | Red-breasted Merganser | 4 | 3 | 1 | |||
| 2 | Feral Pigeon | 2 | 8 | 10 | 2 | ||
| 2 | Mourning Dove | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | |
| 2 | Black-chinned Hummingbird | 1 | |||||
| 2 | Anna’s Hummingbird | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 2 | Allen’s Hummingbird | 5 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| 3 | American Coot | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 4 | Black-bellied Plover | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 35 | 50 |
| 4 | Killdeer | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 4 | Semipalmated Plover | 6 | 1 | ||||
| 4 | Snowy Plover | 1 | 17 | 20 | |||
| 4 | Hudsonian Whimbrel | 6 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 2 | |
| 4 | Long-billed Curlew | 1 | |||||
| 4 | Marbled Godwit | 1 | |||||
| 4 | Long-billed Dowitcher | 1 | |||||
| 4 | Spotted Sandpiper | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 4 | Willet | 4 | 9 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 4 | Ruddy Turnstone | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 4 | Least Sandpiper | 8 | 3 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 4 | Western Sandpiper | 13 | 29 | ||||
| 5 | Bonaparte’s Gull | 3 | 1 | ||||
| 5 | Heermann’s Gull | 22 | 75 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 1 |
| 5 | Ring-billed Gull | 3 | |||||
| 5 | Western Gull | 61 | 40 | 22 | 29 | 68 | 51 |
| 5 | American Herring Gull | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 5 | California Gull | 95 | 110 | 6 | 1 | 2 | |
| 5 | Glaucous-winged Gull | 1 | |||||
| 5 | Caspian Tern | 3 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Elegant Tern | 24 | 750 | 185 | 3 | 12 | 4 |
| 5 | Royal Tern | 34 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 31 |
| 6 | Pied-billed Grebe | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 6 | Western Grebe | 24 | 4 | 35 | 1 | ||
| 6 | Red-throated Loon | 1 | |||||
| 6 | Pacific Loon | 45 | 1 | ||||
| 6 | Common Loon | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 6 | Brandt’s Cormorant | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 6 | Pelagic Cormorant | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Double-crested Cormorant | 18 | 26 | 25 | 10 | 30 | 21 |
| 6 | Black-crowned Night-Heron | 3 | |||||
| 6 | Snowy Egret | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 |
| 6 | Green Heron | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 6 | Great Egret | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 6 | Great Blue Heron | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | Brown Pelican | 30 | 395 | 28 | 64 | 15 | 2 |
| 7 | Turkey Vulture | 3 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 2 | |
| 7 | Osprey | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 7 | Red-shouldered Hawk | 1 | |||||
| 7 | Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 8 | Belted Kingfisher | 1 | |||||
| 8 | Nuttall’s Woodpecker | 1 | |||||
| 7 | American Kestrel | 1 | |||||
| 7 | Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 9 | Western Flycatcher | 1 | |||||
| 9 | Black Phoebe | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | Cassin’s Kingbird | 3 | 1 | ||||
| 9 | Hutton’s Vireo | 1 | |||||
| 9 | California Scrub-Jay | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 9 | American Crow | 6 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
| 9 | Common Raven | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 9 | Oak Titmouse | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| 9 | Tree Swallow | 3 | |||||
| 9 | Violet-green Swallow | 2 | |||||
| 9 | No. Rough-winged Swallow | 25 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 | |
| 9 | Barn Swallow | 8 | 12 | 15 | 35 | 15 | |
| 9 | Cliff Swallow | 25 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 2 | |
| 9 | Bushtit | 8 | 1 | 10 | 25 | 8 | 15 |
| 9 | Wrentit | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 9 | Swinhoe’s White-eye | 2 | |||||
| 9 | Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 1 | |||||
| 9 | Northern House Wren | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 9 | Marsh Wren | 1 | |||||
| 9 | Bewick’s Wren | 1 | |||||
| 9 | European Starling | 13 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 12 | |
| 9 | Western Bluebird | 3 | |||||
| 9 | American Robin | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 9 | House Finch | 12 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 22 | 6 |
| 9 | Lesser Goldfinch | 6 | 2 | ||||
| 9 | Dark-eyed Junco | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 9 | White-crowned Sparrow | 10 | |||||
| 9 | Song Sparrow | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 9 | California Towhee | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Spotted Towhee | 1 | |||||
| 9 | Hooded Oriole | 2 | 4 | 1 | |||
| 9 | Red-winged Blackbird | 2 | 5 | ||||
| 9 | Great-tailed Grackle | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1 | ||
| 9 | Orange-crowned Warbler | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 9 | Common Yellowthroat | 1 | 4 | ||||
| 9 | Yellow-rumped Warbler | 4 | |||||
| 9 | Black-headed Grosbeak | 1 | |||||
| Totals Birds by Type | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | |
| 1 | Waterfowl & Quail | 48 | 42 | 35 | 25 | 47 | 22 |
| 2 | Doves, Swifts & Hummers | 11 | 11 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 4 |
| 3 | Rails & Coots | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Shorebirds | 44 | 54 | 6 | 22 | 70 | 97 |
| 5 | Gulls & Terns | 247 | 1005 | 221 | 60 | 99 | 90 |
| 6 | Grebe, Loon, Heron, Pelican | 134 | 435 | 105 | 91 | 63 | 46 |
| 7 | Hawks & Falcons | 4 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | Kingfish, Peckers & Parrots | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Passerines | 116 | 70 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 81 |
| Totals Birds | 608 | 1625 | 491 | 306 | 399 | 347 | |
| Total Species by Group | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | |
| 1 | Waterfowl & Quail | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | Doves, Swifts & Hummers | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 3 | Rails & Coots | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Shorebirds | 8 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 9 |
| 5 | Gulls & Terns | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| 6 | Grebe, Loon, Heron, Pelican | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 11 |
| 7 | Hawks & Falcons | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 8 | Kingfish, Peckers & Parrots | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Passerines | 23 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 15 |
| Totals Species – 98 | 67 | 52 | 51 | 49 | 49 | 49 |
SANTA MONICA BAY AUDUBON SOCIETY BLOG 