Malibu Lagoon Field Trip Report: 28 November, 2010

You can predict surf conditions by counting cars parked on Pacific Coast Hwy. There were none: as a result, the sea was flat. One lonely surfer was zipped up and heading out. The lagoon, however, was filled with birds, if not with water. “Rumor” has it that a few weeks back, local surfers breached the beach with the usual midnight shovel brigade. The water ran out, exposing lots of mud and gravel and providing a large area for the gulls to rest away from the usually crowded beach. Most of the time, most of the birds come to the lagoon to rest and – just like humans – don’t like to be bothered when resting. Imagine you are a bird, lying on the ground, trying to get some shut-eye, and enormous bipeds, weighing about 200 times what you do, keep lumbering by. Even if they mean you no harm (most don’t), they don’t seem to pay much attention to where they’re going and they’ll step right on you if you let them. Ah well…

Cool, crisp, clear, a light breeze. We never took our jackets off. We went over by the highway bridge to check out the huge flock of gulls lounging on the gravel and bathing in the water. They were mostly Ring-bill and California with a scattering of Western and Heermann’s, plus two Bonaparte’s and a single first year Mew Gull. We rarely get Mew at the lagoon, although they can be found in good numbers near the sewer outfall at Dockweiler St. Beach. Does this mean that the lagoon has better water quality than our county’s main sewer outfall? Upstream of the bridge, we could see Ruddy Ducks, Buffleheads and a single Lesser Scaup, all busily diving. Even further upstream, the trees held eight Black-crowned Night-Herons, both adult and immature, while a Green Heron prowled the riverbank below.

Virginia Rail (J. Waterman 11/28/10)

Pausing by a reed-bed en route back to the beach trail, we happened on an active Marsh Wren, accompanied by a Black Phoebe, a Sora, and a defiant Virginia Rail. It took about 10 minutes, but finally the entire group managed to get decent looks at this elusive little migrant, all stripy and rufous (see picture). Further along we found a Say’s Phoebe, hovering over the pickleweed, probably here for the winter. We also turned up another 6 Soras, scattered over 4 different reed beds.

The migrant passerines have mostly left; the wintering birds are arriving. An Osprey has been hanging around for a few days; the various ducks and shorebirds probably keep an eye on him in case he decides to add bird to his usual diet of fish. The duck population jumped up to 108 birds/10 species from October’s 28 birds/5 species. Offshore we found a Pacific and a Common Loon just outside the kelp bed near the rocks, as well as one Pelagic Cormorant and small flotillas of Surf Scoters and Western Grebes. Sanderlings swarmed over the kelp washed up at water’s edge , accompanied by a dozen Ruddy Turnstones and a single Black Turnstone, away from his usual preferred rocky shoreline.

"I'm a Vegan, that's why I'm eating it!" (Sora, by J.Waterman 11/28/10)

A lot of Snowy Plovers were roosting in the beach footprints, unlike October, when they had fled from the high tides. Snowies usually move to the water’s edge or the wrack line when the tide recedes from high and their invertebrate food is more plentiful. The rest of the time they roost in small depressions in the sand, and occasionally chase one another. We counted 58 individuals (there were 63 on Thanksgiving Day), including one bird banded Left: aqua over yellow; Right: aqua over aqua. Point Reyes Bird Observatory informs us that this bird was banded at Salinas National Wildlife Refuge and fledged from there in July, 2010. [If you have ever wondered about Snowy Plovers and why SMBAS is so interested in them, you should listen to PRBO’s brief  podcast entitled “Snowy Plover Conservation.” You can find information on their “Snowy Plover Soap Opera” at the same web location.]

We created another blog especially for Unusual Birds at Malibu Lagoon, which will be a permanent location for pictures of our uncommon birds (such as Joyce Waterman’s Virginia Rail photo above). For prior period bird lists, follow these links to Jan-Jun‘10, Jul-Dec‘09, and Jan-June‘09.    [Chuck Almdale]