Free email delivery
Please sign up for email delivery in the subscription area to the right.
No salesman will call, at least not from us. Maybe from someone else.
Malibu Lagoon Field Trips: Sunday, 22 April, 8:30 & 10am.
A
Optical illusion – this yawning Brown Pelican isn’t really trying to swallow that passing gull (G. Murayama 2-16-17)
Some of the wintering birds have left, but many remain, and our breeding birds are arriving. The air may be filled with swallows. Grebes, loons, pelicans, ducks, egrets, hawks, shorebirds, flycatchers, orioles, finches, ad infinitum.
Some of the great birds we’ve had in April are: Brant, Clark’s Grebe, Osprey, American Kestrel, Virginia Rail, Sora, Snowy Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Dunlin, Bonaparte’s Gull, Royal, Elegant & Forster’s Terns, Eurasian Collared & White-winged Doves, Tree & Violet-Green Swallows, American Pipit, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned & Wilson’s Warblers, Lazuli Bunting and Lesser Goldfinch.
Killdeer chick, as leggy as a Secretary-Bird (J.Waterman 4/21/12)
Adult Walk 8:30 a.m. – Beginner and experienced, 2-3 hours. Species range from 40 in June to 60-75 during migrations and winter. We meet at the metal-shaded viewing area (see photo below) next to the parking lot and begin walking east towards the lagoon. We always check the offshore rocks and the ocean. When lagoon outlet is closed we continue east around the lagoon to Adamson House. We put out special effort to make our monthly Malibu Lagoon walks attractive to first-time and beginning birdwatchers. So please, if you are at all worried about coming on a trip and embarrassing yourself because of all the experts, we remember our first trips too. Someone showed us the birds; now it’s our turn.
Children and Parents Walk 10:00 a.m. One hour session, meeting at the metal-shaded viewing area between parking lot and channel. We start at 10:00 for a shorter walk and to allow time for families to get it together on a sleepy Sunday morning. Our leaders are experienced with kids so please bring them to the beach! We have an ample supply of binoculars that children can use without striking terror into their parents. We want to see families enjoying nature. (If you have a Scout Troop or other group of more than seven people, you must call Jean (310-472-7209) to make sure we have enough binoculars and docents.)
Don’t let this happen to you!
Common Murre beaches itself, perhaps due to domoic acid poisoning
(G. Murayama 4-19-17)
Map to Meeting Place
Directions: Malibu Lagoon is at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Cross Creek Road, west of Malibu Pier and the bridge. Look around for people wearing binoculars.
Parking: Parking machine recently installed in the lagoon lot: 1 hr $3; 2 hrs $6; 3 hrs $9, all day $12 ($11 seniors); credit cards accepted. Annual passes accepted. You may also park (read the signs carefully) either along PCH west of Cross Creek Road, on Cross Creek Road, or on Civic Center Way north (inland) of the shopping center. Lagoon parking in shopping center lots is not permitted.
Prior checklists:
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.
[Chuck Almdale]
The title describes it. Moving on. A PBS explanation of evolution in twelve short episodes, suitable for all.
This is an installment of the PBS – It’s OK to be Smart series. If no film or link appears in this email, go to the blog to view it by clicking on the blog title above. If the film stops & starts in an annoying manner, press pause (lower left double bars ||) to let it buffer and get ahead of you. [Chuck Almdale]
Natural Selection & Sexual Selection: An Illustrated Introduction | Cornell / National Geographic
How does evolution happen? Through a gradual process called selection. Individuals that are better equipped to survive and reproduce pass those traits to their offspring. These “selected” changes accumulate over thousands of years. We tend to think of natural selection—”survival of the fittest”—but sexual selection works the same way and can be just as strong in shaping how species look and act. Filmed and photographed by Tim Laman and Ed Scholes.
There are currently seventy-two short films in the entire Birds-of-Paradise Project playlist, ranging from 26 seconds to 8:29. In the upcoming weeks, we will present some of our favorites.
A film from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. If no film or link appears in this email, go to the blog to view it by clicking on the blog title above. If the film stops & starts in an annoying manner, press pause (lower left double bars ||) to let it buffer and get ahead of you. [Chuck Almdale]
Malibu Creek State Park
1925 Las Virgenes Rd, Calabasas
Saturday, 14 April 2018 at 8am
Golden Current closeup (J.Kenney 4/15/12)
This is always a lovely walk past grassy fields and groves of Live Oak. We should see resident species such as Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawk, Band-tailed Pigeon, Acorn Woodpecker, Oak Titmouse and Western Bluebird.
Western Bluebird male (L.Johnson 4/10)
We’ll look for flycatchers, swallows, warblers, buntings and other spring migrants as well as lingering winter visitors such as Lark, Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows. In past years we have had good looks at some uncommon species such as Merlin and Phainopepla and there is a chance of seeing White-tailed Kite. Deer, Coyote and Bobcat are resident though seeing a Bobcat would be a rare treat.
Link to prior trips: Nov 2012, Nov 2011, Nov. 2010
Family guide: 2-3 miles walking on pavement and dirt trails. Morning temperatures start cool.
[Directions] From the Ventura Fwy (101): exit at Las Virgenes Rd. Go south on Las Virgenes Rd. for about 3 miles. Continue past the traffic light at the intersection with Mulholland Hwy. The Park entrance is on the right just south of the traffic light.
Coast Route: From PCH, take Malibu Canyon Road inland. The main entrance of the park is on the left about 1.5 miles past the traffic light at Piuma Rd. (Don’t turn at the entrance to Tapia Park which is just after Piuma Rd.)
Coyote crossing (J. Waterman 4/15/12)
If you don’t have a CA State Park pass, the day-use fee is $12 per vehicle, $11 for seniors. Go straight after you pass the kiosk. We’ll meet in the second (lower) parking lot. Look for the sign that says “Main Trailhead Parking”. Look for us near the building (restrooms). Either way, allow 45 minutes travel time from Santa Monica.
Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the Main Trailhead parking lot.
For additional information, e-mail: <smbaudubon [at] gmail.com>
[Caniswatch]
The title describes it. We begin at the beginning, where all beginnings should begin.
The start of the PBS explanation of evolution in twelve short episodes, suitable for all.
This is an installment of the PBS – It’s OK to be Smart series. If no film or link appears in this email, go to the blog to view it by clicking on the blog title above. If the film stops & starts in an annoying manner, press pause (lower left double bars ||) to let it buffer and get ahead of you. [Chuck Almdale]
