Malibu Lagoon Trip Report: 27 July, 2014

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2012 Artist’s perspective of west channels view from SW corner (RestoreMalibuLagoon . com)

The above 2012 Artist’s Perspective of the proposed channels bears a remarkable similarity to July’14 reality.

View to east across channel towards lagoon (Randy Ehler 7/27/14)

I thought it was hot, the many surfers and sunbathers thought it was hot, but the weather service claims it was 66-72° while we were at the lagoon, so that’s what I’m reporting. As expected, species present rose from the annual low in June, which you can see from the trip list below.

Snowy Plover have returned to their wintering roost (J. Waterman 7/27/14)

Semipalmated Plovers stop here briefly during their southward migration (J. Waterman 7/27/14)

Also as expected, the Snowy Plovers have begun to return, with sixteen resting on the beach at the edge of their ‘enclosure.’ One Semipalmated Plover, a species who stops briefly during their spring & fall migrations, also made an appearance. We will probably see them here in August and September as well, then not again until next April.

Birds new for the season were: Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Western & Least Sandpipers, Least Tern, and Spotted Towhee. A Little Blue Heron, an east- & gulf-coast bird, was spotted by early arrivers on the beach but missed by the later group, despite intensive searching. We have recorded it – always a single bird – only three times previously: 10/23/88, 6/25/00, 6/24/07.

Question: Do two heads help a Brown Pelican catch more fish or just confuse him? (J. Waterman 7/27/14)

Two-headed birds, especially two-headed pelicans, are uncommon at the lagoon, so keep an eye out for this unusual bird. The other Brown Pelicans didn’t seem to notice anything odd about it.

Our next four scheduled field trips:   Malibu Lagoon, 24 August, 8:30 & 10am; Lower Los Angeles River, 6 Sep, 7:30am; Coastal Cleanup, 20 Sep, 9am–noon; Malibu Lagoon, 28 Sep, 8:30 & 10am.

Our next program: Tuesday, 7 Oct., 7:30 pm. To Be Announced.

NOTE: Our 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk meets at the shaded viewing area. Watch for Willie the Weasel.
Links: Unusual birds at Malibu Lagoon
Aerial photo of Malibu Lagoon from 9/23/02.
Prior checklists:
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.

As promised last month, we now return to our pre-project style of trip-list recording. The 10-year comparison summaries created during the project period remain available on our Lagoon Project Bird Census Page. Results unexpectedly indicate that avian species diversification and numbers improved slightly during the period Jun’12-June’14.   [Chuck Almdale]