Elegant Terns at Malibu Lagoon, 25 April 2021

[Posted by Chuck Almdale]

Mallard female touchdown (Ray Juncosa 4-25-21)

As with March, this was a Sunday morning affair, rather than mid-week. Although the surfers were out in force, cool temperatures for April kept sun-worshippers off the sand. Eleven masked and vaguely distanced birders appeared.

Over the lagoon and out to sea (Lillian Johnson 4-25-21)

The Canada Geese have definitely found the lagoon a friendly place to nest. At least three pairs nest on the southeastern brushy sand island; perhaps the fourth pair as well. This island has lots of brush and is the farthest from solid land. When the geese crouch lie low, they’re hidden from people on the path. From an Osprey-eye’s view, overhead, they’re obvious, but fortunately for them Osprey aren’t interested in geese.

One of the four pair of Canada Geese nesting at the lagoon. (Chris Tosdevin 4-25-21)

The noisy and busy Northern Mockingbirds were easily seen. This one’s face was probably buried in pollen. (C. Tosdevin 4-25-21)

Ducks are leaving for the north. Our March 22 trip counted 9 species and 100 birds, now down to 5 species and 55 birds. Coots also dropped from 235 to 75 birds, but gulls and terns rose 252 birds in 8 species to 531 birds, also in 8 species. Most of those are the 395 recently-arrived Elegant Terns, back from wintering in Mexico. Migrant passerines were almost totally absent, with a lone male Hooded Oriole the sole representative. One or more pairs of Hooded Oriole have nested in the palms and other trees around the lagoon and Adamson House for the past 15 years, excepting 2007.

Brant geese are regular visitors at the lagoon. Recorded them 45 times since 1979 and average 3 birds per visit, they’ve appeared in all months, are least common in Oct-Jan and most common in May.

A recently wave-washed wide and low beach, looking west towards the lagoon and colony
(L. Johnson 4-25-21)

Check the toe-joints on the Least Sandpiper, left (R. Juncosa 4-25-21)
Western Sandpiper (C. Tosdevin 4-25-21)
Both birds well on their way into alternate plumage.

The high tide of +4.83 ft. at 8:43am kept most of the rocks well-covered, so no Black or otherwise Oystercatchers were seen, unlike the previous four months.

Male Anna’s Hummingbird, either coming or going (R. Juncosa 4-25-21)

Semipalmated Plovers regularly appear in April on their northward journey back to the Arctic. The only years we’ve missed them in April is when we weren’t there, as during the 2020 pandemic. Our 29 birds this time is bested only by 35 birds on 4-23-06.

Semipalmated Plover, regular in April. It’s hard to see those semipalmated toes. (C. Tosdevin 4-25-21)

We don’t get many Dunlin at the lagoon, I’d guess it has something to do with the vertebrate selection around the lagoon. Whatever the cause, for 1979-2021 I’ve recorded them only 27 times, for a total of 51 birds. 35 of those birds were fall migrants in Sep-Oct, 7 were spring migrants in April, and the remaining 9 birds were scattered over 4 months, 2 in May-Jun and 7 in Nov-Dec. This year’s bird is well on its way into alternate (breeding) plumage.

Our sole Dunlin (C. Tosdevin 4-25-21)

The Snowy Plovers are gone. Grace & Larry reported 20 on 3-20-21, we had 23 on the following day, but on 4-12-21 G&L had none. The beach is very wide, but very low. Even ordinary high tides can send waves almost all the way across and into the lagoon.

Left: Elegant Tern with thin decurved bill (C. Tosdevin 4-25-21)
Right: Caspian Tern with stout straight crimson bill (R. Juncosa 4-25-21)

The outlet channel was right up to the rip-rap protecting the Adamson House fence. We clambered over the rocks and explored the property. Most birds were more of the same – hummingbirds, Song Sparrows, Black Phoebes, but Chris found a beautiful brightly-plumaged male Hooded Oriole in a tree. A few minutes later we spotted the Dunlin back on the beach and Chris made his way back to the beach to get the photo above.

Male Hooded Oriole (C. Tosdevin 4-25-21)

Birds new for the season: Brant, Semipalmated Plover, Dunlin, Elegant Tern, Peregrine Falcon, Spotted Towhee, Hooded Oriole.

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

When Snowy Egrets aren’t wading, you can see their yellow feet.
(R. Juncosa 4-25-21)

The next three SMBAS scheduled field trips: Who knows? Not I.

The next SMBAS program: We may have a June Zoom meeting. Watch for announcements.

The SMBAS 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk remains canceled until further notice due to the near-impossibility of maintained proper masked social distancing with parents and small children.

Squabbling (?) House Finch pair (R. Juncosa 4-25-21)

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

Prior checklists:
2020: Jan-July, July-Dec  2019: Jan-June, 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	11/23	12/22	1/22	2/22	3/22	4/25
Temperature	52-64	57-64	60-61	65-74	60-61	58-63
Tide Lo/Hi Height	L+2.17	L+2.15	L+0.86	L-0.13	L+0.86	H+4.83
Tide Time	1135	1052	1223	1314	1223	0843
Snow Goose		2
(Black) Brant	1					1
Canada Goose			8	8	6	8
Cinnamon Teal				4	7
Northern Shoveler					8
Gadwall	28	6	8	12	16	25
American Wigeon	30	26	8	12	8
Mallard		14	8	10	16	18
Northern Pintail		1	2	2
Green-winged Teal	12	8	6	11	25
Surf Scoter		13		15	2
Bufflehead	10	5	6	4
Red-breasted Merganser	9	12	1	12	12	3
Ruddy Duck	35	19	6	25
Pied-billed Grebe	3	3	2	6	6	1
Eared Grebe	1	5		1	2
Western Grebe	6	2		4	11	4
Rock Pigeon	9	14	3	4	6	9
Mourning Dove	9	2		1	6
Anna’s Hummingbird		2		2	3	1
Allen’s Hummingbird	2	2		2	2	4
Sora		1
American Coot	287	445	110	210	235	75
Black Oystercatcher		4	2	4	4
Black-bellied Plover	30	10	25	25	31	22
Snowy Plover	28	22	21	27	23	0
Semipalmated Plover		4	1			29
Killdeer	8	14	20	4	7	1
Whimbrel	5	8	8	3	6	3
Marbled Godwit	4	8	10	11	10
Ruddy Turnstone	2	6	1		5
Sanderling	78	25	8	50	160
Dunlin						1
Least Sandpiper	4	13	6	4	8	1
Western Sandpiper				1	4	20
Spotted Sandpiper	2	2		1		1
Willet	14	10	12	11	6	2
Greater Yellowlegs		1
Heermann’s Gull	85	43	16	2	42	28
Mew Gull	2
Ring-billed Gull	10	65	15	38	12	6
Western Gull	53	34	30	80	65	40
California Gull	535	485	50	235	130	35
Herring Gull	1	1			1
Glaucous-winged Gull	1	3	3	1	1	1
Caspian Tern					4	20
Forster’s Tern	1
Royal Tern		3	5	6	24	6
Elegant Tern						395
Pacific Loon	1	1		1
Brandt’s Cormorant	1			5
Double-crested Cormorant	108	28	85	52	25	12
Pelagic Cormorant	4	1		1		1
Brown Pelican	206	32	162	12	27	105
Great Blue Heron	3	3	1	3
Great Egret		1	2	2	2	1
Snowy Egret	4	23	10	9	3	2
Black-crowned Night-Heron				1
Turkey Vulture	2	2	1		1
Osprey	1	1	1		2	2
Cooper’s Hawk	1		1
Red-tailed Hawk	1
Belted Kingfisher	1	1	1
Nuttall’s Woodpecker			1
Downy Woodpecker		1
Peregrine Falcon						1
Black Phoebe	4	6	1	2	2	8
Say’s Phoebe	2	5	1
California Scrub-Jay				1	2
American Crow	11	14	6	2	5	4
Common Raven					1
Tree Swallow	3
Rough-winged Swallow					6	2
Barn Swallow					10	25
Bushtit		30	30	8	20	1
House Wren	1
Marsh Wren	3
Bewick’s Wren	2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	2
Western Bluebird					2
Northern Mockingbird		1			2	4
European Starling	85	30	10		75	5
House Finch	4	6	4	4	10	6
Lesser Goldfinch	2	5	6	4	16	2
Spotted Towhee						1
California Towhee	1			1	4
Song Sparrow	12	3	3	4	7	7
White-crowned Sparrow	12		4	5	6	2
Dark-eyed Junco		1
Hooded Oriole						1
Red-winged Blackbird					2	2
Brown-headed Cowbird					2	1
Great-tailed Grackle	8	3		1	8	6
Orange-crowned Warbler		1
Common Yellowthroat	8	5	1		3
Yellow-rumped(Aud) Warbler	8	16	6	14	15	1
Totals by Type	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr
Waterfowl	125	106	53	115	100	55
Water Birds – Other	617	518	359	292	306	198
Herons, Egrets & Ibis	7	27	13	15	5	3
Quail & Raptors	5	3	3	0	3	3
Shorebirds	175	127	114	141	264	80
Gulls & Terns	688	634	119	362	279	531
Doves	18	16	3	5	12	9
Other Non-Passerines	3	6	2	4	5	5
Passerines	170	126	72	46	198	78
Totals Birds	1808	1563	738	980	1172	962
Total Species	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr
Waterfowl	7	10	9	11	9	5
Water Birds – Other	9	9	4	9	6	6
Herons, Egrets & Ibis	2	3	3	4	2	2
Quail & Raptors	4	2	3	0	2	2
Shorebirds	10	13	11	11	11	10
Gulls & Terns	8	7	6	6	8	8
Doves	2	2	1	2	2	1
Other Non-Passerines	2	4	2	2	2	2
Passerines	18	14	11	11	20	17
Totals Species – 97	62	64	50	56	62	53