Oystercatchers at Malibu Lagoon, 22 February 2021

[Posted by Chuck Almdale]

The weather really was perfect. The temperature started at 65°F at 9am, rising to 74°F by 11:30. A slight breeze rose as the day warmed, keeping it very pleasant. We never needed to add or shed clothing. While descending Malibu Canyon Road we saw a light brown haze stretching south from Santa Monica over the bay, but at sea level we couldn’t see it, and the sky was a cloudless pristine blue.

Low tide and high water at Malibu Lagoon (L – L. Johnson 2-22-21, R – G. Murayama 7-31-20)

Very few, if any, surfers graced the water. Tide was very low, heading lower to -0.13 ft. at 1:14pm. A high-pressure zone in the desert was blowing from land to sea, hence the smog layer. When there’s little swell, such winds flatten whatever waves there are. I saw one paddleboarder over by the pier.

There were seven birders, all masked – save for one nose – and ready to bird. Bring ‘em on!

Glaucous-winged Gull discovers the joys of watermelon (L – C. Bragg, R – R. Juncosa 2-22-21)

Well…we had a good variety of ducks, a fair number of gulls and good diversity but low counts of shorebirds, but the passerines were conspicuous by their absence. Not even a mockingbird!

An immaculate Brown Pelican ready to breed (Photos L – C. Bragg R – C. Tosdevin 2-22-21)

A Great Egret stayed very close to the picnic area behind Malibu Colony. We speculated whether it could reach into the trash bin (probably couldn’t), then discovered why it was there, when it caught and ate a lizard. (Photos: L – C. Bragg, R – R. Juncosa 2-22-21)

I would not be surprised to find at least two pair of Canada Geese nesting this spring at the lagoon. They seemed to quite like the easternmost sand & brush island – one pair at each end – but last month a pair seemed to be very interested in the area near the “osprey perch” at the western island’s east end. With eight geese honking and fighting, if they pair up there’s plenty of room.

By the time we got to the ocean, the tide was really, really out, with perhaps more rocky reefs exposed than I’ve ever seen before. [I have a sneaking hunch that I think this every time the water is really low.] Back home, I checked to see how accurate this memory is. Not bad, as it turned out. During the exactly 200 visits since 6/27/04, there have been only 17 dates with negative tides, the lowest being -1.10 ft on 4/23/13 (on-line table now says -1.06 ft). So…today’s -0.17 ft. was not the lowest, but not far off.

The high offshore rocks near the Malibu Colony had an assortment of cormorants – five Brandt’s among the Double-crested, plus a sleeping Harbor Seal at the other end, well away from the potentially noisy and annoying birds. Several of the Brandt’s had breeding-blue gular pouches and white cheek plumes. These birds usually leave about the time they develop these features, so we don’t see them every year.

The most interesting birds were the oystercatchers – three Black and one not-Black. They were all out on the exposed rocky reefs among the gulls. The three Blacks even left the rocks and ran around on the sand, unusual for Oystercatchers. One even took a bath in the waves with a gull. Quite astonishing!

A frolic in the waves with a Western Gull – how could an oystercatcher pass that up?
(photos: C. Bragg 1/22/21)

I wrote a long blog in March 2020 about the oystercatchers at and around Malibu Lagoon so if you want to know everything I know about them, read it here. It’s a tricky call. “Frazar’s” American Oystercatcher breeds around the Sea of Cortez and on the west coast of Baja, and they look very much like our bird here. Black Oystercatchers also breed on the west coast of Baja and will hybridize with the Frazar’s. They do not hybridize with Frazar’s breeding around the Sea of Cortez. In Southern California we can have four types of Oystercatcher: Black (by far the most common), full American (least common, coming from Gulf of Mexico), Frazar’s (either side of Baja), and hybrid Frazar’s/Black (west coast of Baja).

Hybrid Oystercatcher or American “Frazar’s” Oystercatcher (H.p.frazari) — a close call.
The stance of the right-hand bird reminds me a bit of Mae West. (All 4 photos C. Tosdevin 2-22-21)

A bird rated 30 or higher on the the Jehl Scale is supposed to be an American. I rate this bird overall 28-33 of 42 points. Some criteria are difficult to impossible to see. Upper Tail Coverts – 2-3, Tail – 2, Chest – 3, Belly – 6, Under Tail Coverts – 3-4, Thighs – 4, Greater Secondary Coverts – 2-3, Extent of Primary Wing Stripe – 1-2, Underwing Coverts – 2-3, and Axillars – 3. The Jehl Scale is given at the end of the March 2020 blog, and can be downloaded or printed here.

This bird, in my inexpert opinion, is on the borderline between Hybrid and H.p.frazari. I feel it ought to have a bit more white going up the shoulder between black breast and wing. I also think this is one of the birds in the March 2020 blog, which I couldn’t reach a firm conclusion on. It probably spends most of it’s time along the wet rocky areas within a few miles of Malibu, and drops in at Malibu when the tide is low.

Two Western Snowy Plovers (L – R. Juncosa R – C. Tosdevin 2/22/21)

I waded across the outlet stream, opting for wide and shallow rather than narrow and deep. The water rose halfway up my shins — more where the sand was very soft and I started sinking in. Icy cold! I though my feet had fallen off by the time I got across. The point of crossing was to search all areas for Western Snowy Plovers which we hadn’t seen on our trip down the wide beach. Of course there were none. Back across the stream and westward we walked, finally finding 27 birds in their little sand-pockets, inland of the berm.

Black Phoebe, a bit closer. Tide-wet sand. (L – R. Juncosa R – L. Johnson 2-22-21)

Birds new for the season: Cinnamon Teal, Western Sandpiper, Brandt’s Cormorant, Black-crowned Night-Heron, California Scrub-Jay, California Towhee.

Many thanks to photographers: Chuck Bragg, Lillian Johnson, Ray Juncosa and Chris Tosdevin

The next three SMBAS scheduled field trips: Who knows? Not I.
The next SMBAS program: March 2, Changes in Bird Status in California’s Central Valley, with John Sterling, 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, July-Dec   
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 2020-21	9/24	10/21	11/23	12/22	1/22	2/22
Temperature	66-77	64-68	52-64	57-64	60-61	65-74
Tide Lo/Hi Height	L+3.05	L+2.70	L+2.17	L+2.15	L+0.86	L-0.13
Tide Time	1004	0634	1135	1052	1223	1314
Snow Goose				2
(Black) Brant			1
Canada Goose					8	8
Cinnamon Teal						4
Gadwall	2	2	28	6	8	12
American Wigeon		3	30	26	8	12
Mallard	14			14	8	10
Northern Pintail	2			1	2	2
Green-winged Teal			12	8	6	11
Surf Scoter		3		13		15
Bufflehead			10	5	6	4
Red-breasted Merganser			9	12	1	12
Ruddy Duck		9	35	19	6	25
Pied-billed Grebe	2	2	3	3	2	6
Eared Grebe		1	1	5		1
Western Grebe			6	2		4
Rock Pigeon	6	10	9	14	3	4
Mourning Dove	4	2	9	2		1
Vaux’s Swift	8
Anna’s Hummingbird		1		2		2
Allen’s Hummingbird	1	1	2	2		2
Sora				1
American Coot	48	118	287	445	110	210
Black Oystercatcher				4	2	4
Black-bellied Plover	102	91	30	10	25	25
Snowy Plover	27	42	28	22	21	27
Semipalmated Plover	8			4	1
Killdeer	12	1	8	14	20	4
Whimbrel	1	3	5	8	8	3
Marbled Godwit	3	5	4	8	10	11
Ruddy Turnstone	1	6	2	6	1
Sanderling	39	75	78	25	8	50
Least Sandpiper	12		4	13	6	4
Western Sandpiper	1					1
Spotted Sandpiper	2	1	2	2		1
Willet	40	5	14	10	12	11
Greater Yellowlegs				1
Heermann’s Gull	14		85	43	16	2
Mew Gull			2
Ring-billed Gull			10	65	15	38
Western Gull	90	21	53	34	30	80
California Gull	12	1	535	485	50	235
Herring Gull			1	1
Glaucous-winged Gull			1	3	3	1
Forster’s Tern			1
Royal Tern	12			3	5	6
Elegant Tern	1
Red-throated Loon		1
Pacific Loon			1	1		1
Brandt’s Cormorant			1			5
Double-crested Cormorant	43	16	108	28	85	52
Pelagic Cormorant	1	3	4	1		1
Brown Pelican	5	5	206	32	162	12
Great Blue Heron	3	3	3	3	1	3
Great Egret	20	1		1	2	2
Snowy Egret	2	5	4	23	10	9
Black-crowned Night-Heron						1
Turkey Vulture			2	2	1
Osprey		1	1	1	1
Cooper’s Hawk			1		1
Red-tailed Hawk			1
Belted Kingfisher	2		1	1	1
Nuttall’s Woodpecker					1
Downy Woodpecker				1
Black Phoebe	4	5	4	6	1	2
Say’s Phoebe	1	2	2	5	1
Vermilion Flycatcher		1
Loggerhead Shrike	1
California Scrub-Jay	2					1
American Crow	3	4	11	14	6	2
Tree Swallow			3
Bushtit	16	75		30	30	8
House Wren		2	1
Marsh Wren	5		3
Bewick’s Wren			2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	5	2	2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet			2
Wrentit	1
Northern Mockingbird		2		1
European Starling	2	5	85	30	10
House Finch	8	4	4	6	4	4
Lesser Goldfinch	2	2	2	5	6	4
Lawrence’s Goldfinch	15
California Towhee	1	1	1			1
Song Sparrow	3	7	12	3	3	4
White-crowned Sparrow		4	12		4	5
Dark-eyed Junco				1
Great-tailed Grackle		2	8	3		1
Orange-crowned Warbler	4	2		1
Common Yellowthroat	4	5	8	5	1
Yellow Warbler	2
Yellow-rumped(Aud) Warbler		10	8	16	6	14
Totals by Type	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb
Waterfowl	18	17	125	106	53	115
Water Birds – Other	99	146	617	518	359	292
Herons, Egrets & Ibis	25	9	7	27	13	15
Quail & Raptors	0	1	5	3	3	0
Shorebirds	248	229	175	127	114	141
Gulls & Terns	129	22	688	634	119	362
Doves	10	12	18	16	3	5
Other Non-Passerines	11	2	3	6	2	4
Passerines	79	135	170	126	72	46
Totals Birds	619	573	1808	1563	738	980
Total Species	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb
Waterfowl	3	4	7	10	9	11
Water Birds – Other	5	7	9	9	4	9
Herons, Egrets & Ibis	3	3	2	3	3	4
Quail & Raptors	0	1	4	2	3	0
Shorebirds	12	9	10	13	11	11
Gulls & Terns	5	2	8	7	6	6
Doves	2	2	2	2	1	2
Other Non-Passerines	3	2	2	4	2	2
Passerines	18	18	18	14	11	11
Totals Species – 92	51	48	62	64	50	56