Ducks returning to Malibu Lagoon: 23 November, 2020

Small, controlled field trips in open spaces still seem feasible.
We had five people this time. And we stopped by Legacy Park.

[By Chuck Almdale]

Brant is a regular visitor in very small numbers (Ray Juncosa 11-23-20)

We had five masked and equidistant birders this time. Most of the irregulars were busily preparing for Thanksgiving, or simply forgot, but Chris and Ruth Tosdevin joined Lillian, Ray and I on a cool and cloudy day.

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View from the meeting place (Lillian Johnson 11-23-20)

Flat, flat, flat waves. The few surfers decking the water sat upon their boards. None attempted to catch a wave. “Maybe they’re working out New Year’s resolutions to surf at least one hour each day of the year,” I mused. What other reasonable reason could there be?

Lifeguard station, barren beach, no surfers and Malibu Pier in distance on a cloudy, foggy day. (L. Johnson 11-23-20)

The duck (plus one goose) population jumped up from October’s 17 birds in 5 species to 125 birds in 7 species. The Brant, Green-winged Teal (fly-bys), Red-breasted Merganser and Bufflehead – both females and bold-patterned males – were new. The coot population more than doubled; everywhere you looked jet-black coots were crusing, fighting, diving.

Say’s Phoebe on a rain bird (R. Juncosa 11-23-20)

On 11/16/20 Grace Murayama caught a different Say’s taking off.

The gull population exploded: October had 22 birds, November had 687; most were California Gull, finally arriving from Mono Lake.

At the time we thought this was a Mew Gull.
Now it’s looks Ring-billed to me. (R. Juncosa 11-23-20)

The lagoon water level was quite high. Every year, starting November 1st, the Tapia Water Reclamation Plant, located a few miles up Malibu Creek, is permitted to channel unsold reclaimed water into the creek. It used to be that they could do this November 1 – May 1, but not during the six hot months. (Does anyone know if they’re still doing this?) This water dumping used to be a significant source of pollution some 20-40 years ago, but Tapia cleaned up their act. Now their water (if they discharge into the creek) is cleaner than that from further upstream, which runs past horse farms, malls hosing down their parking lots, homeless encampments and tens of thousands of suburban homes filled to the brim with people washing their cars and forever fertilizing their endless rolling lawns.

An inundated tidal clock sidewalk measured 6′ 9.6″ water level
(L. Johnson 11-23-20)

Even the cormorant-barely-laden snag was drowning (R. Juncosa 11-23-20)

We had some rain a few weeks ago, well under an inch (about 0.05″ at our house), and that might have added a little something. There’d also been a King Tide on November 15-16, when waves washed right over the beach into the lagoon. All that brought the water level up to about 6′ 9″. Pretty high.

Many rocks exposed by 10:55 am. Low tide was 40 minutes later. It looks cloudy and cold, doesn’t it? (L. Johnson 11-23-20)

A sleepy Sea Lion resting on the exposed shore rocks (R. Juncosa 11-23-20

Of the 10 shorebird species, most (78) were Sanderlings, but there were also 30 Black-bellied Plovers and 28 Snowy Plovers. As the tide was dropping most of the shorebirds were running around looking for prey, including nearly all the Snowy Plovers. This makes it hard to count them, but after about 10 counts, I came up with 28 three times, so that’s my official count.

Not a Snowy Plover, but a close cousin, the Black-bellied Plover. What?, you say, where’s the black belly? Gone, with the breeding plumage of spring and summer. (R. Juncosa 11-23-20)

This Great Blue Heron is looking exceedingly fit & plumy.
(R. Juncosa 11-23-20)

There were a lot of Brown Pelicans, mostly sitting on the low-tide-exposed slightly-offshore rocks. I thought 206 pelicans seemed like a lot – it’s usually less than 90 – so I checked my spreadsheet at home. Not even close; the 15th highest, with 1490 birds on 4-26-15 as the record.

If you look closely at this pelican, the underwing and body feathers seem abbreviated. They look like pinfeathers, but I haven’t seen this effect before so I’m not certain. (R. Juncosa 11-23-20)

It was a good day for raptors: 2 Turkey Vultures, 1 Osprey, 1 Cooper’s Hawk and 1 Red-tailed Hawk. Chris mentioned that he’d heard that White-tailed Kites were declining (again). I think he’s right. We used to see White-tailed Kites at the lagoon, but the last one was on 12-28-14.

This Turkey Vulture passed so closely by that you could see it’s eye color.
If you look very closely, I think you can see right through it’s nostrils.
(R. Juncosa 11-23-20)

A contemplative Marbled Godwit (R. Juncosa 11-23-20

Footprints in time. For awhile, anyway. (L. Johnson 11-23-20)

We went over to Legacy Park – it’s not Malibu Lagoon, but still Malibu – as some of our missing ducks and a couple of “good birds” had been reported from there. As we circled the shrinking freshwater pond we were constantly surrounded by Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and White-crowned Sparrows. Sure enough, when we reached the back side of the pond, there were at least 50 Mallards, all gathered around the feet of a woman scattering bread crumbs. Free lunch! No wonder the lagoon is empty of Mallards. We also found two Soras paddling around, but the reported wisp of Snipe had fled. Chris had been there a few days earlier and sent me some photos.

Easiest of the rails to view, the Sora often walks and swims in the open, unlike true skulkers like Black or Yellow Rail. I’ve never before seen the black facial feathers erect. (Chris Tosdevin ~11-20-20)

Even when people know the (Wilson’s) Snipe is really a real bird and not a myth that you send the naive out to catch with a sack, they often mistake it for a dowitcher because of the chunky shape and long straight bill. But Snipe (in my experience) vastly prefer fresh water, damp grass and maybe a few reeds, to brackish water and mud flats. Their streaky back and head plumage camouflages the motionless snipe very well.
(C. Tosdevin ~11-20-20)

I heard that someone thought this was not a Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura puntulata) but a “Checkered” Munia. I looked it up and “Checkered” is yet another of the many names for this bird. Other names: Nutmeg Mannikin, Nutmeg Finch, Spotted Munia, Spotted Mannikin, Barred Munia, Spice Finch, Spicebird, Spice Mannikin, Ricebird. Whew!) The breast feathers on this bird appear to be still growing. This common yet beautiful cage bird, native to Southeast Asia from west India to Taiwan to east Indonesia, has been feral and breeding in SoCal for at least 20 years. It was not in the bush at Legacy Park where it was supposed to be! Drat!
(Photo: C. Tosdevin ~11-20-20)

Birds new for the season: Brant, Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Western Grebe, Mew Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Forster’s Tern, Pacific Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Tree Swallow, Bewick’s Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet .

Many thanks to photographers: Lillian Johnson, Ray Juncosa, Grace Murayama and Chris Tosdevin

The next three SMBAS scheduled field trips: Who knows? Not I.
The next SMBAS program: December 1, Birds and Islands, the Story of Cuba: Why the Island is Unique. Or Not. With Tom Hinnebusch, on ZOOM, 7:30 PM.
The SMBAS 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk is canceled until further notice due to the near-impossibility of maintained proper masked social distancing with parents and small children.

Links: Unusual birds at Malibu Lagoon
9/23/02 Aerial photo of Malibu Lagoon

Prior checklists:
2019: Jan-June, July-Dec  2020: Jan-July,    
2018: Jan-June, July-Dec  2017: Jan-June, July-Dec
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 Lagoon Reconfiguration 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 restoration period June’12-June’14.
[Chuck Almdale]

Malibu Census 2020	6/25	7/22	8/26	9/24	10/21	11/23
Temperature	64-70	60-66	70-77	66-77	64-68	52-64
Tide Lo/Hi Height	L-0.52	L+0.71	L+2.52	L+3.05	L+2.70	L+2.17
Tide Time	0733	0819	0958	1004	0634	1135
(Black) Brant						1
Canada Goose	8	8
Gadwall	31	40	5	2	2	28
American Wigeon					3	30
Mallard	23	27	16	14
Northern Pintail				2
Green-winged Teal			1			12
Surf Scoter					3
Bufflehead						10
Red-breasted Merganser						9
Ruddy Duck					9	35
Pied-billed Grebe		3	3	2	2	3
Eared Grebe					1	1
Western Grebe						6
Rock Pigeon	7	10	4	6	10	9
Mourning Dove	4	3	5	4	2	9
Vaux’s Swift				8
Anna’s Hummingbird		1			1
Allen’s Hummingbird	3	3		1	1	2
American Coot		2		48	118	287
Black-bellied Plover	10	15	66	102	91	30
Snowy Plover		8	26	27	42	28
Semipalmated Plover			4	8
Killdeer	6	2	7	12	1	8
Whimbrel	5	15	14	1	3	5
Marbled Godwit	1			3	5	4
Ruddy Turnstone		2	2	1	6	2
Sanderling				39	75	78
Least Sandpiper		2	21	12		4
Western Sandpiper	2	1	8	1
Short-billed Dowitcher			2
Long-billed Dowitcher		4
Spotted Sandpiper				2	1	2
Wandering Tattler		1
Willet	6	8	47	40	5	14
Heermann’s Gull	9	65	10	14		85
Mew Gull						2
Ring-billed Gull						10
Western Gull	120	90	98	90	21	53
California Gull		4	17	12	1	535
Herring Gull						1
Glaucous-winged Gull						1
Least Tern			2
Caspian Tern	15	4	1
Forster’s Tern			4			1
Royal Tern			11	12
Elegant Tern		195	221	1
Red-throated Loon					1
Pacific Loon						1
Brandt’s Cormorant	1					1
Double-crested Cormorant	15	16	18	43	16	108
Pelagic Cormorant	1		1	1	3	4
Brown Pelican	30	19	8	5	5	206
Great Blue Heron	3	2	4	3	3	3
Great Egret	1	3	4	20	1
Snowy Egret	2	8	4	2	5	4
Black-crowned Night-Heron			2
Turkey Vulture						2
Osprey			1		1	1
Cooper’s Hawk						1
Red-tailed Hawk						1
Belted Kingfisher			1	2		1
Black Phoebe	1	5	5	4	5	4
Say’s Phoebe				1	2	2
Vermilion Flycatcher					1
Loggerhead Shrike				1
California Scrub-Jay		1	1	2
American Crow	2	4	3	3	4	11
Tree Swallow						3
Rough-winged Swallow			1
Cliff Swallow	1
Barn Swallow	18	22	20
Bushtit	22	16	50	16	75
House Wren			1		2	1
Marsh Wren				5		3
Bewick’s Wren						2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher				5	2	2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet						2
Wrentit		1		1
Western Bluebird			4
Northern Mockingbird	2	2	1		2
European Starling	60	12	27	2	5	85
House Finch	24	5	4	8	4	4
Lesser Goldfinch				2	2	2
Lawrence’s Goldfinch				15
California Towhee				1	1	1
Song Sparrow	3	3	4	3	7	12
White-crowned Sparrow					4	12
Western Meadowlark			25
Hooded Oriole		7
Red-winged Blackbird		1
Great-tailed Grackle	3	20	2		2	8
Orange-crowned Warbler				4	2
Common Yellowthroat	1		4	4	5	8
Yellow Warbler				2
Yellow-rumped Warbler					10	8
Totals by Type	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov
Waterfowl	62	75	22	18	17	125
Water Birds – Other	47	40	30	99	146	617
Herons, Egrets & Ibis	6	13	14	25	9	7
Quail & Raptors	0	0	1	0	1	5
Shorebirds	30	58	197	248	229	175
Gulls & Terns	144	358	364	129	22	688
Doves	11	13	9	10	12	18
Other Non-Passerines	3	4	1	11	2	3
Passerines	137	99	152	79	135	170
Totals Birds	440	660	790	619	573	1808
Total Species	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov
Waterfowl	3	3	3	3	4	7
Water Birds – Other	4	4	4	5	7	9
Herons, Egrets & Ibis	3	3	4	3	3	2
Quail & Raptors	0	0	1	0	1	4
Shorebirds	6	10	10	12	9	10
Gulls & Terns	3	5	8	5	2	8
Doves	2	2	2	2	2	2
Other Non-Passerines	1	2	1	3	2	2
Passerines	11	13	15	18	18	18
Totals Species – 96	33	42	48	51	48	62