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No salesman will call, at least not from us. Maybe from someone else.
Reporter investigates dead birds on our beaches | The LA Local
[Posted by Chuck Almdale]
Intrepid reporter Megan Tan may or may not be able to name her pelicans, skimmers and gulls, but – alarmed by the number of dead birds on her beach – she went seeking answers. I admire her curiosity, concern, persistence, her investigative and reporting skills, and commend her for bringing this problem to the attention of a wider audience. Perhaps she’d like to join us on one of our Malibu Lagoon trips.
Something is killing birds on local beaches — and no one knows why
From bird flu to oil rigs to a mysterious oceanic heat wave called “The Blob,” experts are chasing theories. The birds keep washing up anyway.
By Megan Tan | May. 13, 2026 | The LA Local
Exerpted from the article:
As we walked and talked, we saw the usual suspects — abandoned toothbrushes, deodorant sticks and empty laundry detergent containers blowing like tumbleweeds. The cleaning products dirtying the stretch of sand didn’t make me want to put on my shoes, but the birds did.
“Is that a seagull?” I asked. It was dead. A few more steps and we saw a cormorant, one of those black, glossy birds that are always sunbathing with their wings out. Dead. A few more steps. Another seagull. Dead. More steps. Then another cormorant. Along a 1.5-mile stretch, I saw eight dead birds.
Long Beach waves damage beach, boardwalks & buildings | Long Beach Post
[Posted by Chuck Almdale]
This story was published in several online sites, but the Long Beach Post seems to have originated it.
Waves demolished this beach and tore at homes’ foundations: why this storm was different
Hurricane Marie ripped through the Peninsula’s regular defenses, leaving residents racing to save their homes.
by Kate Raphael Sep 8, 2026 Updated 17 hours ago | Long Beach Post
Exerpted from the article:
A stretch of beach along Long Beach’s Peninsula is gone after a weekend of pounding waves eroded massive amounts of sand. The hurricane-driven swell left the area’s boardwalk in tatters and is threatening to undermine the foundations of more than a dozen oceanfront houses.
Homeowners and structural engineers were assessing the damage to about 20 residences, and crews were trying to rebuild defenses after a weekend of unforgiving waves pulled so much sand into the sea that, at low tide, there was a 15-foot drop from the boardwalk to exposed rocks below. The waves damaged the boardwalk’s already battered seawall and left dozens of homes exposed to future swells, which are expected to pummel Long Beach again on Tuesday evening.
Without the beach’s sand barrier and intact seawall, the ocean water can pour in beneath the boardwalk and attack the foundations of the ocean-facing homes.
Discoverer of the Cassia Crossbills of Idaho | Birding interview
[Posted by Chuck Almdale]
This is a very interesting interview with the discoverer of the Cassia Crossbill in 1996, a new species and endemic to Idaho. Benkman is the author of Crossbills & Conifers: One Million Years of Adaptation and Coevolution.
A Birding Interview with Craig Benkman
By Noah Stryker | 2Sep 2026 | Birding Magazine
Noah Stryker was the American Birding Association’s 2004 Young Birder of the Year for 14- to 18-year-olds, has been an Associate Editor for Birding Magazine since 2006, and in 2015 set the World Big Year record with 6,042 species, now chronicled in his book Birding Without Borders.
Field Trip Canceled for Sat. Sept 12, 2026
[Posted by Chuck Almdale]
The field trip for 8:30 am Saturday 12 September, scheduled to go to Lower Sycamore Canyon, Mugu Rock and Mugu marsh has been canceled. There will be no replacement. We hope no one is inconvenienced.
[Posted by Chuck Almdale, submitted by Edna Alvarez]
Discover the Secrets of Songbird Migration
Bird migration is among the most noticeable, intriguing, and exciting phenomena in the North American annual cycle of nature. We anticipate the arrival of birds each spring and fall and enjoy different assemblages of birds in the summer and winter. However, there are many challenges to studying bird migration. Sara Morris has been studying songbird migration on Appledore Island, Maine since 1990 and will share some observations and insights resulting from the long-term banding station at the Shoals Marine Lab.
This lectureship was established in honor of the late Paul Mundinger, who received his Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University.
This free, hybrid event is open to all and will be offered in person at Weill Hall and streamed live via Zoom. Registration is only necessary if attending remotely (via Zoom).
SANTA MONICA BAY AUDUBON SOCIETY BLOG 