Malibu Lagoon Trip Report, Picnic & Jan-June Bird Census: 26 June, 2011
The lagoon outlet to the ocean was a tiny
rivulet, so for the first time in many months we walked the beach to Adamson House. We didn’t find much there, but we saw what the winter had done to the beach where most of the surfers and sunbathers go – about 1/2 to 2/3rds of the sand was gone. But it was a great surfing day; the waves were jam packed with surfers.
As typical for June, both numbers and species were at the annual low point. Many of the remaining species are local breeders – Black Phoebes, Cliff & Barn Swallows, and Mallards (ducklings in tow) were the most visible – joined by breeders resting from
foraging (Western Gulls and the few terns), and gulls too young to breed. Surprise of the day was two alternate (breeding) plumage Western Sandpipers who flew in and began to forage. They ought to be much farther north, I think.
It’s always fun to watch the families of Barn Swallows line up on reed-stems. Often three or four pile onto the same reed, bending it over until it seems they should slide off, like pearls falling from a broken necklace.
Outlet closure always means reduced
water circulation in the lagoon and – especially – the channels, quickly followed by the appearance of clumpy masses of ugly gray algae. This stuff eventually sucks all the oxygen out of the water, making it very hard for any fish and invertebrates that are struggling to survive. It’ll be a tough summer for them.
After we got the umbrellas and chairs arranged around the food canopy,
we plowed into our picnic. Loads of delicious salads, fried chicken, several desserts (including Paula’s rice pudding, a personal favorite), bottled drinks and some homemade lemonade. We exchanged some books, mostly mysteries, and everyone loaded up on John’s blood oranges and gigantic grapefruit before heading home. [Chuck Almdale]
Our Summer field trips are both at Malibu Lagoon: 24 July, 28 August.
As a reminder to those who plan to come to our 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids birdwalk, they meet at the beach trail footbridge closest to the parking lot.
Links: Unusual birds at Malibu Lagoon.
Aerial photo of Malibu Lagoon from 9/23/02.
Prior checklists: July-Dec ’10, Jan-June ’10, Jul-Dec ‘09, and Jan-June ‘09.
Malibu Census 2011 |
23-Jan |
27-Feb |
27-Mar |
24-Apr |
22-May |
26-Jun |
Temperature |
68-75 |
45-60 |
54-61 |
59-68 |
64-68 |
68-72 |
Tide Height |
+4.94 |
-0.41 |
+0.05 |
+0.19 |
-0.13 |
+3.0 |
Low/High &Time |
H:1117 |
L:1243 |
L:1216 |
L:1014 |
L:0816 |
H:0754 |
Canada Goose |
6 |
|||||
Gadwall |
15 |
22 |
32 |
24 |
3 |
5 |
American Wigeon |
4 |
|||||
Mallard |
24 |
24 |
30 |
22 |
48 |
41 |
Northern Shoveler |
4 |
2 |
||||
Green-winged Teal |
12 |
17 |
10 |
2 |
||
Surf Scoter |
8 |
8 |
||||
Bufflehead |
5 |
2 |
||||
Red-brstd Merganser |
6 |
8 |
4 |
|||
Ruddy Duck |
40 |
33 |
15 |
3 |
||
Pacific Loon |
1 |
1 |
15 |
20 |
||
Common Loon |
1 |
1 |
||||
Pied-billed Grebe |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
||
Horned Grebe |
1 |
|||||
Eared Grebe |
3 |
|||||
Western Grebe |
6 |
12 |
20 |
2 |
||
Brandt’s Cormorant |
1 |
3 |
||||
Dble-crstd Cormorant |
57 |
37 |
90 |
19 |
46 |
54 |
Pelagic Cormorant |
4 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
||
Brown Pelican |
42 |
23 |
89 |
740 |
81 |
28 |
Great Blue Heron |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
Great Egret |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
||
Snowy Egret |
8 |
9 |
5 |
11 |
3 |
8 |
Green Heron |
1 |
|||||
Blk-crwnd N-Heron |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
||
Turkey Vulture |
3 |
|||||
Osprey |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Cooper’s Hawk |
1 |
|||||
Red-shouldered Hawk |
1 |
|||||
Red-tailed Hawk |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
||
Peregrine Falcon |
1 |
|||||
Virginia Rail |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
||
Sora |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|||
American Coot |
145 |
175 |
153 |
32 |
25 |
12 |
Blk-bellied Plover |
1 |
65 |
3 |
|||
Snowy Plover |
60 |
59 |
42 |
|||
Semipalmated Plover |
25 |
|||||
Killdeer |
3 |
4 |
2 |
8 |
2 |
5 |
Black Oystercatcher |
1 |
|||||
American Avocet |
4 |
|||||
Spotted Sandpiper |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|||
Willet |
1 |
7 |
3 |
|||
Whimbrel |
1 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
||
Ruddy Turnstone |
5 |
|||||
Sanderling |
135 |
|||||
Western Sandpiper |
2 |
12 |
2 |
|||
Least Sandpiper |
10 |
18 |
20 |
25 |
||
Short-billd Dowitcher |
1 |
|||||
Boneparte’s Gull |
13 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
||
Heermann’s Gull |
62 |
3 |
15 |
|||
Mew Gull |
1 |
|||||
Ring-billed Gull |
120 |
250 |
50 |
52 |
16 |
|
Western Gull |
100 |
120 |
100 |
160 |
10 |
68 |
California Gull |
2500 |
1050 |
1100 |
450 |
8 |
1 |
Herring Gull |
1 |
|||||
Glaucous-wingd Gull |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|||
Caspian Tern |
5 |
61 |
4 |
10 |
||
Forster’s Tern |
1 |
1 |
||||
Royal Tern |
3 |
1 |
||||
Elegant Tern |
4 |
12 |
12 |
|||
Black Skimmer |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|||
Rock Pigeon |
5 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
8 |
4 |
Eur. Collared-Dove |
1 |
|||||
Mourning Dove |
2 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
|
Anna’s Hummingbird |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
Rufous Hummingbird |
1 |
|||||
Allen’s Hummingbird |
6 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
Belted Kingfisher |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|||
Black Phoebe |
4 |
5 |
12 |
8 |
4 |
10 |
Say’s Phoebe |
1 |
1 |
||||
Cassin’s Kingbird |
1 |
|||||
Western Kingbird |
2 |
|||||
Western Scrub-Jay |
1 |
|||||
American Crow |
6 |
4 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
Rough-wingd Swallow |
2 |
16 |
2 |
1 |
||
Tree Swallow |
8 |
1 |
||||
Violet-green Swallow |
1 |
|||||
Barn Swallow |
1 |
3 |
10 |
8 |
25 |
|
Cliff Swallow |
1 |
31 |
15 |
|||
Oak Titmouse |
1 |
|||||
Bushtit |
9 |
6 |
4 |
8 |
||
Bewick’s Wren |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|||
House Wren |
1 |
|||||
Marsh Wren |
1 |
|||||
Northern Mockingbird |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
California Thrasher |
2 |
|||||
European Starling |
35 |
40 |
21 |
|||
Ornge-crwnd Warbler |
1 |
|||||
Yellow-rumpd Warbler |
6 |
2 |
8 |
4 |
||
Common Yellowthroat |
4 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
2 |
|
California Towhee |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
||
Savannah Sparrow |
5 |
|||||
Song Sparrow |
8 |
8 |
12 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
White-crwnd Sparrow |
4 |
3 |
2 |
|||
Red-winged Blackbird |
1 |
4 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
|
Great-tailed Grackle |
1 |
2 |
16 |
3 |
||
Brwn-headed Cowbird |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|||
Hooded Oriole |
1 |
|||||
House Finch |
5 |
3 |
20 |
10 |
8 |
14 |
Lesser Goldfinch |
4 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
|
American Goldfinch |
8 |
|||||
House Sparrow |
2 |
|||||
Totals by Type |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Waterfowl |
106 |
126 |
99 |
51 |
51 |
46 |
Water Birds-Other |
267 |
257 |
376 |
820 |
152 |
97 |
Herons, Egrets |
11 |
12 |
7 |
16 |
6 |
19 |
Quail & Raptors |
2 |
0 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Shorebirds |
82 |
301 |
71 |
74 |
5 |
7 |
Gulls & Terns |
2785 |
1440 |
1270 |
743 |
51 |
96 |
Doves |
7 |
4 |
4 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
Other Non-Pass. |
10 |
6 |
8 |
4 |
5 |
2 |
Passerines |
70 |
81 |
94 |
83 |
131 |
122 |
Totals Birds |
3340 |
2227 |
1935 |
1803 |
413 |
402 |
Total Species |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
Waterfowl |
7 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
Water Birds-Other |
11 |
9 |
11 |
9 |
3 |
4 |
Herons, Egrets |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Quail & Raptors |
2 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Shorebirds |
8 |
10 |
7 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
Gulls & Terns |
6 |
7 |
9 |
9 |
6 |
6 |
Doves |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
Other Non-Pass. |
3 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Passerines |
17 |
15 |
18 |
17 |
16 |
19 |
Totals Species – 102 |
59 |
59 |
63 |
55 |
39 |
45 |
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