Fall Migration Begins – Malibu Lagoon, 22 July, 2018

Young Brown Pelican (L. Loeher 7-22-18)

Parking was jammed on Pacific Coast Highway and in the park’s car lot, an early indication that we were part way through yet another week – or longer – of triple-digit temperatures. The beach was crowded; surfers covered what few waves leisurely rolled in. At 11am our car claimed it was only 79° but it felt hotter. A half-hour later it was 104° as we crept through Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley. But enough about global warming.

About 40 people showed up for the 8:30am walk and another 30 for the 10am parents and kids walk. Several were new to birding. This is a good trip for new birders because: we take our time, we loan binoculars, free checklist!, ask all the questions you want, short walking distance, nice views, most of the birds (ducks, waders, shorebirds) don’t move quickly and you can get a good look even while you fiddle with your binoculars. And you can quit birding and go swimming whenever you want.

View across channel to picnic area and colony (L. Johnson 7-22-18)

Just as we were getting started, thirty Red-winged Blackbirds dropped into the reed bed next to us. A wide variety of plumages were noted.

Red-winged Blackbirds (G. Murayama 7-22-18)

The mighty Mullet still roam the depths of the lagoon, jumping often enough to keep themselves (and us) amused. There were few ducks on the water, just several families composed mostly of young ducklings of various sizes. A single coot was present; in June there weren’t any, so we could say their population increased infinitely. But we won’t.

Gadwall family (L. Loeher 7-22-18)

Many Black-bellied Plovers still had black, or partially black, bellies. They looked tired, rarely moving. They’d probably just flown a long distance. They nest in the high Arctic from northwestern Alaska through the Canadian archipelago. Many fly to southern South America for the winter, but there are always several dozen at the lagoon on any winter’s day.

Great Blue Heron (L. Loeher 7-22-18)

Below is the most recent aerial photo of the lagoon I could find. The view is from above Santa Monica Bay, looking due north. Taken only four months after the dedication of the reconfigured lagoon, it shows a lot of brown algae floating on the water’s surface. Before the reconfiguration such algae was a common phenomenon during warm months, and the air often smelled of its rot. My recollection is that little algae appeared in 2014, and we have seen very little or none of it at all during the past four summers. In my opinion, its absence is an indication that the lagoon water quality has improved, and the reconfiguration was, in this regard, successful. Sorry to say, I did not properly document its presence or absence following the reconfiguration.

Malibu Lagoon, Sept. 29, 2013 (CaliforniaCoastline.Org)

In the foreground is the western 1/3rd of Surfrider Beach, famed in film and song. At low tides many rocky areas are exposed, good for tide-pool exploration. The extreme eastern end of Malibu Colony residential area is in the lower left. The beach end of the footpath from the parking lot curves around it. Right of the path-end is a then-denuded low hill, with the 2nd viewing point just behind it. This hill is now covered with vegetation, as are the sandy islands and the northern side of of the lagoon. The green area in upper left corner is a tiny portion of a small private golf course, with the parking and meeting areas just to its right. Another viewing area lies on the south point of then-bare land just west of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) bridge over Malibu Creek/Malibu Lagoon. A shopping center lies north of PCH and west of the creek. The Adamson House property, mostly out-of-view, lies east of the lagoon, south of PCH.

Heermann’s Gulls, juvenile on right (L. Loeher 7-22-18)

Heermann’s Gulls are one of the few species who travel north after breeding. Well, some of them do. They breed early on Isla de la Rasa in the Sea of Cortez, spread out in their post-breeding dispersal, and can be found in diminishing numbers as far north as Seattle. They’ve suffered immense nesting failures in recent years, so we attempt to note the presence of sub-adult birds on our beaches. The picture above shows a juvenile bird, born this spring, with a slightly pale base to the dark bill and chocolate-brown plumage with pale scalloped markings barely visible on its shoulders. Below is a 2nd-year bird, now mostly gray, with bright red on the base of the bill. Heermann’s Gulls are “four-year” gulls; they take four years to reach their adult plumage and breeding age.

Heermann’s Gulls, 2nd year bird on right (L. Loeher 7-22-18)

The Hooded Orioles were finally seen by nearly everyone. They were in the trees and climbing Bougainvillea bush at the edge of Malibu Colony above the picnic area, which I suspect is where they nested. I’m sure they’ve been there for months but I (for one) kept missing them.

Whimbrel assortment – striped heads and decurved bills (L. Loeher 7-22-18)

Nearby, resting very quietly, was a Black-crowned Night-Heron. There are eight species of Night-Herons (including the Boat-billed Heron of Central & South America) and they all have several obvious features in common: squat and chunky build, large eyes, and daytime roosting out-of-sight in tree canopy or reed bed. Their large eyes are better adapted to darkness than the smaller eyes of the rest of the herons and egrets. They are more crepuscular-herons than night-herons, preferring to feed during the twilight of dawn and dusk. Black-crowned Night-Heron has a nearly worldwide distribution: southern Canada to Tierra del Fuego, Eurasia, Africa, and Indonesia. The ranges of the seven other species are more limited. The White-eared Night-Heron is the most restricted, living only on Hainan Island and adjacent southeastern China.

Western Snowy Plover (G. Murayama 7-22-18)

Our Western Snowy Plovers now number nine (thanks to SNPL mavens Grace Murayama and Larry Loeher). Nesting season appears to now be over, and we could find no banded birds among them. As you will note from the trip list below, their numbers are rising from three birds in May and four in June, counts which included recently-hatched birds.

Birds new for the season were: Allen’s Hummingbird, Black-crowned Night-Heron, American Robin, European Starling, Hooded Oriole.

Many thanks to our photographers: Lillian Johnson, Larry Loeher & Grace Murayama.

Song Sparrow at work
(Larry Loeher 5-27-18)

Our next two scheduled field trips: Malibu Lagoon 8:30 & 10am, 22 July; Malibu Lagoon 8:30 & 10am, 26 August.

Our next program: Luke Tiller will present “Tails from the Platform: Hawks, Hawkwatchers and Hawkwatching”: Tuesday, 2 October, 7:30 p.m., 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 viewpoint just south of the parking 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:
2017: Jan-June, July-Dec 2018: Jan-June
2016: Jan-June, July-Dec 2015: Jan-May, July-Dec
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.

Many thanks to Lillian Johnson, and Chris Lord for their contributions to the checklist below.  [Chuck Almdale]