Malibu Lagoon Trip Report: 23 August, 2015

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Once the Black Skimmer gets airborne, they’re quite graceful (R. Ehler 8/23/15)

The shorebirds are passing through. We didn’t have a lot of them (129 birds) but 13 species is a good representation. Both counts were up from July’s 71 birds in 8 species. The migrant ducks have not yet arrived, but local nesters Mallards and Gadwalls were resting on the sand islands, and a single Red-breasted Merganser, present since at least June, was with the terns and cormorants. No raptors: the last sightings we had were a Red-tailed Hawk in May and an Osprey in April. Brown Pelicans and Western Gulls are low for August as well. Overall, today’s bird total of 563 birds in 52 species was 7% below average total, but 6% above average species count.

Black Skimmers may look dead when  sleeping, but they’re not (R. Ehler 8/23/15)

Hot and sunny, sunny and hot: 72° when we started, 77° when we finished around 11am. Our group of 30 birders had dwindled to about 10 by the time we got to the Snowy Plover “virtual fence” on Surfrider Beach. For a change, the Snowies were mostly inside the enclosure. I think they’d recently returned from the seaward side of the berm, as low tide had been at 9:36am. Snowy Plovers feed primarily on seaweed wrack left on the beach at the high tide line, and the freshest wrack seems to contain the most and the freshest tiny invertebrates which they dearly love. So a typical day for them is to dodge beach strollers, pester one another and snooze from low tide to high tide, venture out just after high tide to check out the new wrack deposits, and return to their roosts when the tide again turns. Today’s 21 birds is up from July’s count of 16 and June’s singleton.

Snowy Plover PV:VW sporting new rings (R. Ehler 8/23/15)

Check out the above picture of Snowy PV:VW (left leg Pink over Violet, right leg Violet over White). I think the bands are a new design; they look thicker than in previous years, and the additional thickness allows for smoothly rounded edges. Sharp edges may have caused problems in the past. Ten to fifteen years ago I used to see far too many Snowies missing a foot – occasionally two – and inquired whether anyone thought the rings might be causing a problem.

Swimming Mute Swan pair (R. Ehler 8/23/15)

Surprise visitors to the lagoon were a pair of Mute Swans, resting at the end of a sand island in the lagoon channel. Mute Swans are Eurasian birds, widely domesticated across mainland Europe and England, and introduced into the USA probably in the mid-19^th century, most likely in Long Island and Hudson River areas of New York. Feral populations live along the Connecticut coast – yes, in the salty sea – and in the Great Lakes, especially Traverse Bay, Mich. Perhaps this pair hitchhiked in, or their keeper got tired of them and dumped them out of his trunk at midnight. However, alert blog reader Aurelio Albaisa advises me that there was a flight-capable pair at Lake Balboa for several years who are now missing. One of those two birds had a blue band on its right leg.

Mute swan, feeding (J. Waterman 8/23/15)

Mute Swans are about the same size and weight as the uncommon and very local Trumpeter Swan, but larger and heavier than the relatively common Tundra Swan. They are something of a pest, driving native wildfowl from nesting and feeding areas. The “swan song” myth is just that, a myth – they do make weak barking and hissing noises. Nevertheless, people admire their graceful S-curved necks,  all-white plumage and  orange bill – often down-turned – with black edging and a bump. Good field marks, those, by the way, unlike the straight necks and black bills of both Trumpeter and Tundra Swans.

Short-billed Dowitcher (R. Ehler 8/23/15)

Aren’t dowitchers fun? I didn’t get close enough to this bird at the time to ID it for sure (assuming I’m capable of ID’ing any dowitcher for sure), but looking at this picture leads me to believe it’s a Short-billed Dowitcher. (Checking migration arrival and departure dates also helps). The outer 1/3rd of the bill seems to droop, the white superciliums (supercilia?) look wider in front of the eyes, and they don’t meet above the bill. There are other differences between the two species, but I can’t see them from this picture. If anyone thinks it’s a Long-billed, feel free to write in and explain yourself. By the way, we have Dowitcher “cheet sheets,” and many other useful birding aids, on our blogsite here. You too can be an expert! Be the first one on your block to ID the little-known Fargle’s Plonker!

Every month we get one or more people new to birding. Filled with questions, they usually keep me company, which is fine by me. I like questions. I tend not to loudly broadcast information to one and all, so if you want to know something, it’s best to ask. Here’s a couple of tips for new birders: 1) we have inexpensive binoculars to loan, ask for them ASAP after you arrive; 2) wear a hat, sun in your eyes is a major nuisance to birders; 3) dress in layers, the day can warm significantly; 4) try to stay until at least 10am if not 11am as the best bird variety and numbers are down on the beach; 5) get a field guide and have something to carry it in – National Geographic Society, Stokes and Sibley are all good books.

If a pair of binoculars interests you, ask their owner if you may look through them; comfort, weight and fit are important considerations. There are many places to buy binoculars: two good websites are Eagle Optics http://www.eagleoptics.com/ and Optics4Birders http://www.optics4birding.com/ Both sites have loads of additional information. Until you’re quite sure that you love birding and want good (read: expensive) binoculars, don’t spend more than a couple of hundred on them. Avoid “fixed focus” and “fast focus” binoculars like the plague. You will find a broad selection and wide range of quality between $75 and $500. Top-of-the-line binos (or “bins”) above $800 are like expensive cars, incremental differences can be costly.

The faithful Black Phoebe, present 99% of the time (R. Ehler 8/23/15)

Birds new for the season: Mute Swan, Spotted Sandpiper, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Phalarope, Black Skimmer, Tree Swallow, and House Wren.

Our next three scheduled field trips: Lower Los Angeles River, 12 September, 7:30am; Malibu Lagoon, 27 September, 8:30 & 10am. Bolsa Chica (poss. also Huntington Beach Central Park), 10 October, 8:30am.

Our next program: The Sex Life of Spiders with Martina Ramirez on Tuesday, 6 October, 7:30 pm, at [note change] Chris Reed Park, 1133 7th St., NE corner of 7th and Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica.

NOTE: Our 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk meets at the shaded viewing area. Watch for Willie the Weasel. He’ll be watching for you and your big floppy feet.

Links: Unusual birds at Malibu Lagoon
9/23/02 Aerial photo of Malibu Lagoon
Prior checklists:
2015:   Jan-May
2014:   Jan-July,    July-Dec     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

The 10-year comparison summaries created during the project period, despite numerous complaints, remain available on our Lagoon Project Bird Census Page. Very briefly summarized, the results unexpectedly indicate that avian species diversification and numbers improved slightly during the period Jun’12-June’14.   [Chuck Almdale]