Malibu Lagoon Field Trip Report: 26 January, 2014
On an overcast day, the assembled birders were treated to a raptor show within the first half hour of our monthly walk at Malibu. A Merlin perched on a sycamore long enough for our expert Jim Kenney to snap his portrait.
Merlin (J. Kenney 1/26/14)
Soon after, the Peregrine Falcon, reported earlier by other birders at nearby Legacy Park, scattered the gulls in the lagoon as he made a quick pass at the available food supply. After the group took a long look at the ducks and coots from the east observation deck, we were stopped along the wall to the private golf course by an Osprey and a Red-shouldered Hawk perched only a few feet from each other in one of the tall sycamores. Who needs more excitement? Our only “miss” was the White-tailed Kite. Our two unusual sightings for the day were a male Redhead seen under the bridge and a Hermit Thrush that re-appeared a number of times on one of the Malibu Colony fences.
Birds new for the season were: Black-vented Shearwater; Herring & Glaucous-winged Gulls; Cassin’s Kingbird; Hermit Thrush and (gasp!) House Sparrow. We rarely see House Sparrow at the lagoon although they’re all over the shopping area across the highway.
Our next three scheduled field trips: San Jacinto Wildlife Refuge (Riverside County), 15 Feb, 8:30am; Malibu Lagoon, 23 Feb, 8:30 & 10am; Hiker Lu’s Santa Monica Mountains adventure, 8 Mar, 8:30am.
Our next program: Tuesday, 4 Mar., 7:30 pm. Antarctica: your next shopping destination, presented by Chuck Bragg.
NOTE: Our 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk meets at the shaded viewing area.
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
Total Birds: January total birds of 834 is 62% below the 6-year Jan. average, due primarily to the absence of gulls and terns scattered by the Peregrine Falcon before they were counted.
Summary of total birds from the 6-year average so far: Jun’12 +36%, Jul’12 -9%, Aug’12 -9%, Sep’12 +12%, Oct’12 +3%, Nov’12 -5%, Dec’12 +30%, Jan’13 -20%, Feb’13 -29%, Mar’13 -30%, Apr’13 -34%, May’13 -37%, Jun’13 -24%, Jul’13 +83%, Aug’13 +37%, Sep’13 +23%, Oct’13 +41%, Nov’13 -58%, Dec’13 -49%, Jan’14 -62%.
Species Diversity: January 2014 with 63 species was slightly below (-2%) the 6-year average of 64.2.
Summary of species diversity from the 6-year average so far: Jun’12 -10%, Jul’12 +10%, Aug’12. -6%, Sep’12 -20%, Oct’12 +5%, Nov’12 +2%, Dec’12 -4%, Jan’13 +2%, Feb’13 -8%, Mar’13 +9%, Apr’13 -2%, May’13 +3%, Jun’13 +13%, Jul’13 0%, Aug’13 +11%, Sep’13 -14%, Oct’13 +19%, Nov’13 -3%, Dec’13 -6%, Jan’14 -2%.
10-year comparison summaries are available on our Lagoon Project Bird Census Page. [Chuck Almdale]
| Malibu Census | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
| January 2009 – 14 | 1/25 | 1/24 | 1/23 | 1/22 | 1/27 | 1/26 | |
| Temperature | 53-57 | 41-65 | 68-75 | 50-59 | 52-62 | 58-68 | |
| Tide Lo/Hi Height | H+5.9 | L+0.65 | H+4.94 | H+6.49 | H+5.76 | L-0.17 | Ave. |
| Tide Time | 0814 | 1131 | 1117 | 0803 | 0849 | 1224 | Birds |
| Brant | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Gadwall | 15 | 20 | 15 | 31 | 34 | 21 | 22.7 |
| American Wigeon | 10 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 7.0 | |
| Mallard | 18 | 10 | 24 | 23 | 45 | 10 | 21.7 |
| Northern Shoveler | 16 | 4 | 4 | 46 | 22 | 15 | 17.8 |
| Northern Pintail | 10 | 4 | 2.3 | ||||
| Green-winged Teal | 14 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 19 | 17 | 17.7 |
| Redhead | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Lesser Scaup | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Surf Scoter | 12 | 35 | 14 | 15 | 12.7 | ||
| Long-tailed Duck | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Bufflehead | 11 | 6 | 5 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 11.3 |
| Red-brstd Merganser | 4 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 5.2 |
| Ruddy Duck | 20 | 30 | 40 | 59 | 55 | 51 | 42.5 |
| Red-throated Loon | 1 | 2 | 0.5 | ||||
| Pacific Loon | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1.5 | |
| Common Loon | 1 | 2 | 0.5 | ||||
| Pied-billed Grebe | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2.0 |
| Horned Grebe | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.8 | ||
| Eared Grebe | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 3.0 | |
| Western Grebe | 23 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 46 | 16.3 | |
| Blk-vented Shearwater | 200 | 55 | 42.5 | ||||
| Brandt’s Cormorant | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2.5 | |
| Dble-crstd Cormorant | 30 | 42 | 57 | 37 | 33 | 50 | 41.5 |
| Pelagic Cormorant | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1.3 | ||
| Brown Pelican | 256 | 35 | 42 | 48 | 73 | 100 | 92.3 |
| Great Blue Heron | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 3.3 |
| Great Egret | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1.7 | |
| Snowy Egret | 8 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9.2 |
| Blk-crwnd N-Heron | 1 | 2 | 0.5 | ||||
| Osprey | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.7 | ||
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.8 | ||
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.8 | ||
| Merlin | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Peregrine Falcon | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | ||||
| Virginia Rail | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Sora | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1.3 | ||
| American Coot | 180 | 284 | 145 | 345 | 270 | 60 | 214 |
| Blk-bellied Plover | 38 | 45 | 1 | 65 | 62 | 35.2 | |
| Snowy Plover | 42 | 54 | 60 | 81 | 61 | 45 | 57.2 |
| Killdeer | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.3 |
| Black Oystercatcher | 2 | 5 | 1.2 | ||||
| American Avocet | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2.5 |
| Willet | 10 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7.7 |
| Whimbrel | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1.7 |
| Marbled Godwit | 12 | 4 | 15 | 11 | 7.0 | ||
| Ruddy Turnstone | 9 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 8.0 | |
| Sanderling | 60 | 85 | 200 | 17 | 26 | 64.7 | |
| Least Sandpiper | 2 | 21 | 10 | 12 | 7.5 | ||
| Boneparte’s Gull | 2 | 0.3 | |||||
| Heermann’s Gull | 46 | 5 | 62 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 23.8 |
| Mew Gull | 2 | 0.3 | |||||
| Ring-billed Gull | 180 | 55 | 120 | 150 | 90 | 4 | 99.8 |
| Western Gull | 125 | 45 | 100 | 120 | 75 | 46 | 85.2 |
| California Gull | 450 | 875 | 2500 | 1900 | 480 | 120 | 1054 |
| Herring Gull | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | |||
| Glaucous-wingd Gull | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3.8 |
| Forster’s Tern | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Royal Tern | 4 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 5.8 | |
| Elegant Tern | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Black Skimmer | 30 | 6 | 6.0 | ||||
| Rock Pigeon | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 6.5 |
| Mourning Dove | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1.3 | ||
| Blk-hooded Parakeet | 6 | 1.0 | |||||
| Anna’s Hummingbird | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1.8 | |
| Allen’s Hummingbird | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3.5 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | |||
| Black Phoebe | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4.7 |
| Say’s Phoebe | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.2 | |
| Western Scrub-Jay | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| American Crow | 10 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 6.5 |
| Tree Swallow | 8 | 1.3 | |||||
| Barn Swallow | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Oak Titmouse | 2 | 0.3 | |||||
| Bushtit | 5 | 4 | 9 | 26 | 20 | 10.7 | |
| Bewick’s Wren | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | ||
| House Wren | 1 | 1 | 0.3 | ||||
| Marsh Wren | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | |||
| Hermit Thrush | 2 | 0.3 | |||||
| Northern Mockingbird | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1.5 |
| European Starling | 60 | 35 | 1 | 22 | 19.7 | ||
| Ornge-crwnd Warbler | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | ||||
| Yellow-rumpd Warbler | 10 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 30 | 11.8 |
| Common Yellowthroat | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2.8 |
| Spotted Towhee | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.8 | ||
| California Towhee | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 | ||
| Savannah Sparrow | 2 | 0.3 | |||||
| Song Sparrow | 6 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 5.0 |
| White-crwnd Sparrow | 5 | 4 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 7.2 | |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 3 | 1 | 0.7 | ||||
| Great-tailed Grackle | 1 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 3.0 | ||
| Brwn-headed Cowbird | 2 | 0.3 | |||||
| House Finch | 8 | 12 | 5 | 25 | 2 | 6 | 9.7 |
| Lesser Goldfinch | 2 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 2.5 | ||
| American Goldfinch | 8 | 1.3 | |||||
| House Sparrow | 12 | 2.0 | |||||
| Totals by Type | 1/25 | 1/24 | 1/23 | 1/22 | 1/27 | 1/26 | Ave. |
| Waterfowl | 120 | 134 | 106 | 255 | 217 | 137 | 162 |
| Water Birds-Other | 496 | 386 | 267 | 452 | 649 | 272 | 420 |
| Herons, Egrets | 15 | 20 | 11 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 15 |
| Raptors | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Shorebirds | 181 | 251 | 82 | 388 | 183 | 99 | 197 |
| Gulls & Terns | 841 | 1006 | 2785 | 2207 | 663 | 179 | 1280 |
| Doves | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 8 |
| Other Non-Pass. | 12 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 7 |
| Passerines | 125 | 90 | 70 | 110 | 75 | 122 | 99 |
| Totals Birds | 1801 | 1906 | 3340 | 3444 | 1818 | 834 | 2191 |
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | ||
| Total Species | 1/25 | 1/24 | 1/23 | 1/22 | 1/27 | 1/26 | Ave. |
| Waterfowl | 9 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9.5 |
| Water Birds-Other | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 10.5 |
| Herons, Egrets | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3.2 |
| Raptors | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2.7 |
| Shorebirds | 11 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 10.0 |
| Gulls & Terns | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7.3 |
| Doves | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.7 |
| Other Non-Pass. | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2.5 |
| Passerines | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 16.8 |
| Totals Species – 99 | 63 | 70 | 59 | 65 | 65 | 63 | 64 |
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