Malibu Lagoon Trip Report: 22 July, 2012

Don’t forget to visit our new page for the Malibu Lagoon 2012 Project, frequently updated with new photos.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The west channels area continues as a muddy mess.   The remaining vegetation is almost gone and the footbridges are gone.   In the channel area we found 10 Mallards, 7 Snowy Egrets, 1 Coot, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, 2 Western Gulls and 3 Black Phoebes.   At the southwest corner of the path, which is slated to get a few picnic tables, we found an active feeding flock: Mourning Dove, Allen’s Hummingbird, Black Phoebe, Western Scrub Jay, American Crow, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, California Towhee, Song and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Hooded Oriole and House Finch.   Whew!

Almost nothing was on the sea, save a few Snowy Egrets staggering across the floating kelp, which always shocks those who haven’t witnessed this before. An odd-looking White-winged Scoter, uncommon here at any time of year, was diving in the surf zone.   Next to the colony fence we found the dewatering system outlet pipe, the end of which was hanging over a large wooden framework full of boulders.   The boulders are to dissipate the force of the discharged water so it doesn’t significantly erode the sand.

As usual, most of the sea- and shorebirds were on the sand islands near the lagoon’s south shore.  June’s unusually large flock of 340 Brown Pelicans had dwindled to only 17 birds.   The numbers of  Swallows – Rough-winged, Barn and Cliff – were also about average.   The Barn Swallows were especially busy swooping low over the sand, scarfing up the sand flies.

Snowy Plovers were back from breeding, as they always are in late July.   It was just before high tide, so all 22 of them were still roosting about 75 yds. east of the symbolic enclosure.   If they continue roosting there, we may have to move the enclosure.

The large “cliffs” at either end of the controversial June beach breach area had eroded to become almost unnoticeable.   In fact, I didn’t notice their absence until pointed out to me.   Farther on, Adamson House was notable primarily for a single Bullock’s Oriole, and the 8 Allen’s Hummingbirds frequenting the flowers.   Other than being cool and overcast, it was a fairly typical July day for birding at the beach.

Our next three field trips:   Malibu Lagoon, 26 Aug.; Lower Los Angeles River, 8 Sept., 7:30am; Malibu Lagoon, 23 Sep., 8:30am.
Our next program: Tuesday, 2 October, 7:30 pm.   Water Conservation and Sustainability – Kimberly O’Cain.   The usual blog reminders will be emailed.
NOTE: Our 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk remains canceled until the lagoon project is completed and the parking lot is again fully available.

Links: Unusual birds at Malibu Lagoon
Aerial photo of Malibu Lagoon from 9/23/02.
Prior checklists: July-Dec’11, Jan-June’11, July-Dec ’10, Jan-June ’10, Jul-Dec ‘09, and Jan-June ‘09.

Comments on Bird Lists Below
Species Diversity:   No census was taken in July 2008, so June 2006 is included to keep comparisons at six years.   Of 79 total species appearing in July for 2006-12, no more than 66% of them appeared on any one count day, something to keep in mind if you wonder why what is there is much less than what could be there.  July 2012 gets the species high count of 52, 5 species (11%) above average; so far, the project is not having an adverse effect on diversity.   This contradicts my expectation expressed in June that diversity would continue lower than average, so my only prediction this month is that some of you will get the plover quiz right, some won’t.
Total Birds:   The opposite of June – species diversity was high, but total numbers were low, 556 (91%) of the 610 average, which is not really significant.  Unusually low numbers of Brown Pelican (17) was the primary reason.
[Chuck Almdale]

Malibu Census	2006	2007	2009	2010	2011	2012
June 2006 – 2012	23-Jul	22-Jul	26-Jul	25-Jul	24-Jul	22-Jul
Temperature			68-75	60-67	65-72	64-70
Tide Lo/Hi Height	H +3.9	L +2.2	L +0.4	H +4.05	L +2.61	H +2.34	Ave.
Tide Time	1015	0848	0704	1036	0947	1121	Birds
Brant	1			6			1.2
Gadwall	7	12				4	3.8
Mallard	65	50	25	49	54	42	47.5
White-winged Scoter						1	0.2
Red-brstd Merganser						2	0.3
Ruddy Duck			1	3	2		1.0
Pied-billed Grebe	1	12	6	5	4	4	5.3
Dble-crstd Cormorant	6	9	15	20	31	24	17.5
Pelagic Cormorant	1				1		0.3
Brown Pelican	37	78	40	187	407	17	127.7
Great Blue Heron	11	9	3	6	6	1	6.0
Great Egret	17	5	5	4	4	1	6.0
Snowy Egret	12	10	40	14	11	11	16.3
Green Heron	2	1					0.5
Blk-crwnd N-Heron	5	3	2	4	11		4.2
Osprey	1	1					0.3
Cooper’s Hawk						1	0.2
Red-tailed Hawk	1	1	1	1			0.7
Sora		1					0.2
American Coot	2	28	20	15	20	12	16.2
Blk-bellied Plover	1				4	45	8.3
Snowy Plover	10	4	1	26	13	22	12.7
Semipalmated Plover				6	2		1.3
Killdeer		2		3	2	3	1.7
Black Oystercatcher						1	0.2
Spotted Sandpiper						1	0.2
Greater Yellowlegs		1					0.2
Willet		3	1	7			1.8
Whimbrel	5	3	1	48		42	16.5
Ruddy Turnstone				3	7	5	2.5
Black Turnstone				8	1	2	1.8
Red Knot		2					0.3
Sanderling	6			4			1.7
Western Sandpiper		8	1	20	2	2	5.5
Least Sandpiper				2	1	3	1.0
Short-billd Dowitcher						2	0.3
Boneparte’s Gull		2					0.3
Heermann’s Gull	7	12	12	125	41	12	34.8
Ring-billed Gull	8	4		4	1		2.8
Western Gull	55	109	30	80	107	95	79.3
California Gull			2	1		2	0.8
Least Tern	12	8		36	13	3	12.0
Caspian Tern	6	5		13	3		4.5
Common Tern					1		0.2
Royal Tern	2			2		3	1.2
Elegant Tern	33			10	8	45	16.0
Black Skimmer				35	1	1	6.2
Rock Pigeon	2	6	1	6	6	2	3.8
Eur. Collared-Dove			1				0.2
Mourning Dove		2	1	4	3	2	2.0
Anna’s Hummingbird	2	3	1	1	3	1	1.8
Allen’s Hummingbird	2	4	3	6	3	9	4.5
Belted Kingfisher			1				0.2
Black Phoebe	7	4	6	2	8	5	5.3
Western Kingbird		5			1		1.0
Western Scrub-Jay						1	0.2
American Crow	7	6	1	6	4	6	5.0
Rough-wingd Swallow	3	6	2	5	20	5	6.8
Barn Swallow	20	30	12	20	18	20	20.0
Cliff Swallow	5	25	24	10	25	15	17.3
Oak Titmouse						1	0.2
Bushtit		8	6	6	8	8	6.0
Bewick’s Wren					1		0.2
Wrentit			1		1		0.3
Northern Mockingbird	3	2	3	2	2	5	2.8
European Starling	8	8	6	80	38	17	26.2
Common Yellowthroat	1	3	2	4	1	1	2.0
California Towhee		1	2	2	3	1	1.5
Song Sparrow	1	4	1	3	1	4	2.3
Lincoln’s Sparrow						1	0.2
Western Tanager		1					0.2
Red-winged Blackbird	37	6	2	1	17		10.5
Great-tailed Grackle	1	1			3	5	1.7
Brwn-headed Cowbird	1	1	1	3	6		2.0
Hooded Oriole			2	4	6	2	2.3
Bullock’s Oriole						1	0.2
House Finch	5	6	24	2	4	35	12.7
Lesser Goldfinch				2			0.3
House Sparrow		4					0.7
Totals by Type	23-Jul	22-Jul	26-Jul	25-Jul	24-Jul	22-Jul	Ave.
Waterfowl	73	62	26	58	56	49	54
Water Birds-Other	47	128	81	227	463	57	167
Herons, Egrets	47	28	50	28	32	13	33
Quail & Raptors	2	2	1	1	0	1	1
Shorebirds	22	23	4	127	32	128	56
Gulls & Terns	123	140	44	306	175	161	158
Doves	2	8	3	10	9	4	6
Other Non-Pass.	4	7	5	7	6	10	7
Passerines	99	121	95	152	167	133	128
Totals Birds	419	519	309	916	940	556	610
Total Species	23-Jul	22-Jul	26-Jul	25-Jul	24-Jul	22-Jul	Ave.
Waterfowl	3	2	2	3	2	4	2.7
Water Birds-Other	5	5	4	4	5	4	4.5
Herons, Egrets	5	5	4	4	4	3	4.2
Quail & Raptors	2	2	1	1	0	1	1.2
Shorebirds	4	7	4	10	8	11	7.3
Gulls & Terns	7	6	3	9	8	7	6.7
Doves	1	2	3	2	2	2	2.0
Other Non-Pass.	2	2	3	2	2	2	2.2
Passerines	13	18	16	16	19	18	16.7
Totals Species – 79	42	49	40	51	50	52	47.3