[Text by Chuck Almdale; photos by Marie Barnidge-McIntyre, Marsha Collins & Grace Murayama]

Don’t miss the quiz at the bottom.

I find it difficult telling duckling Gadwalls from Mallards. Adult females are easier, so when I see a batch of ducklings I assign them to the species of the accompanying female(s). There’s no adult female in this picture but a close look at the bills makes me think they’re Gadwall, as the bills seem dark with a hint of orange/yellow around the edges, which the adult females tend to have. I’ve been sorting them on this theory for quite a while. My records show that up until 2017 Mallards outnumbered Gadwalls as summer breeders, in 2018-2019 they were about even, and since then the Gadwall have become relatively more numerous. This year Gadwall outnumbered Mallard two-to-one.

The photo below was taken on Thursday, but the weather looked the same on Sunday, loads of blue sky. The weather report claimed there would be 90% cloud cover, keeping the temperature down into the high 60s. What we had was blue sky and nice waves. It was also hot.

In the foreground is the back of a Snowy Plover “virtual enclosure” sign. People mostly pay attention to this encouragement to stay out of the area which borders the lagoon. Unfortunately the Snowy Plovers can’t read so they can be anywhere and usually are. But this time – to our great surprise – the six we found were well within the rope “fence,” running around through the abundant driftwood. I think the beach looks a lot better with driftwood on it.

The Canada Geese nested again this year at the lagoon, perhaps two pair. One pair now remain with two young. Everyone was flying.

When this Turkey Vulture perched on the “Osprey Pole” someone commented, “I’ve heard that you can see right through their nose-holes side-to-side.” That’s correct and we proved it with the scope. “Why are the nostrils so large?” “Well…” I mused, “large nostrils aid in breathing, always a useful activity, but perhaps it also makes it easier to blow the dead meat out of their nose after they’ve stuck their head into a rotting corpse.” It could be true; seems reasonable to me, anyway.

There were also three additional TV’s floating over and around the lagoon. Perhaps it was due to this particular animal lying on the sand across the narrow south channel from the vulture on the pole.

It didn’t look very good, but there was also no detectable odor which was surprising as I know it had been there for at least three days. I can’t see any ears on it in this photo, but from 30 feet away it seemed very large. California Sea Lions, which have external ear flaps, are 7-8 ft. long and weight 700-800 lbs. Harbor Seals, our other common pinniped, which have ear holes but no external ears, are much smaller, up to 6 ft. long and 300 lbs. No one knew why the back half was so red. Sunburn? Subcutaneous bleeding? Anyone care to express an opinion?

When we were there the lagoon water level was very low due to the 9:16 am low tide. It’s higher in this photo, three days earlier.

Salps must be everyone’s favorite non-human member of phylum chordata. They don’t have a backbone but otherwise are just like us! [Not really.] Wikipedia explains:

A salp (plural salps, also known colloquially as “sea grape”) is a barrel-shaped, planktonic tunicate in the family Salpidae. It moves by contracting, thereby pumping water through its gelatinous body; it is one of the most efficient examples of jet propulsion in the animal kingdom. The salp strains the pumped water through its internal feeding filters, feeding on phytoplankton.

They look a lot different when they’re in the water where they belong.

Quiz Time!

Quiz Answers & credits
#1. American Crow (Marie Barnidge-McIntyre 7/28/24)
#2. Allen’s Hummingbird (Marie Barnidge-McIntyre 7/28/24)
#3. Great Egret (Grace Murayama 7/25/24)
#4. California Scrub-Jay (Grace Murayama 7/25/24)
#5. House Finches (Marie Barnidge-McIntyre 7/28/24)
#6. Green Heron (Grace Murayama 7/25/24)
#7. Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus (Marsha Collins 7/28/24). Skippers have a “bulge” at the end of their antennae.
#8. Brown Pelican juveniles apparently playing (Marie Barnidge-McIntyre 7/28/24)
#9. Long-billed Curlew (Marie Barnidge-McIntyre 7/28/24)
#10. Whimbrel (Marie Barnidge-McIntyre 7/28/24)
#11. Spotted Sandpiper, with spots! (Marie Barnidge-McIntyre 7/28/24)
#12. Western Snowy Plover (Larry Loeher 7/25/24)
#13. Black-bellied Plovers (Grace Murayama 7/25/24)
#14. Caspian Terns & Western Gull (Marie Barnidge-McIntyre 7/28/24)

Malibu Lagoon on eBird as of 7-30-24: 7938 lists, 2545 eBirders, 320 species
Most recent species added: Red-breasted Nuthatch (31 October 2023, Kyle Te Poel).

Birds new for the season: Snowy Plover, Long-billed Curlew, Spotted Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Glaucous-winged Gull.  “New for the season” means it has been three or more months since last recorded on our trips.

Many, many thanks to photographers: Marie Barnidge-McIntyre Marsha Collins, Larry Loeher and Grace Murayama.

Upcoming SMBAS scheduled field trips; no reservations or Covid card necessary unless specifically mentioned:

• Malibu Lagoon, Sun. Aug 25, 8:30 (adults) & 10 am (parents & kids)
• Coastal Cleanup Day Sat. Sep 21, 9 am – Noon
• Malibu Lagoon, Sun. Sep 22, 8:30 (adults) & 10 am (parents & kids)
• These and any other trips we announce for the foreseeable future will depend upon expected status of the Covid/flu/etc. pandemic at trip time. Any trip announced may be canceled shortly before trip date if it seems necessary. By now any other comments should be superfluous.
• Link to Programs & Field Trip schedule.

The next SMBAS Zoom program: To be announced, Evening Meeting, Tuesday, October 8, 2024, 7:30 p.m.

The SMBAS 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk is again running. Reservations not necessary for families, but for groups (scouts, etc.), call Jean (213-522-0062).

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

Prior checklists:
2023: Jan-June, July-Dec 2024: Jan-June
2021: Jan-July,  July-Dec 2022: Jan-June, July-Dec
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, remain available—despite numerous complaints—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.

Many thanks to Marie Barnidge-McIntyre, Femi Faminu, Lillian Johnson & others for their contributions to this month’s checklist.

The species lists below is irregularly re-sequenced to agree with the California Bird Records Committee Official California Checklist. If part of the right side of the chart below is hidden, there’s a slider button inconveniently located at the bottom end of the list. The numbers 1-9 left of the species names are keyed to the nine categories of birds at the bottom.
[Chuck Almdale]

	Malibu Census 2024	2/25	3/24	4/28	5/26	6/23	7/28
	Temperature	51-62	46-54	62-72	57-64	62-72	63-72
	Tide Lo/Hi Height	H+5.06	H+4.71	L-0.14	L-0.77	L-1.17	L+1.81
	Tide Time	0921	0936	0738	0635	0537	0916
1	Brant (Black)				2
1	Canada Goose	9	7	6	8	9	4
1	Cinnamon Teal		2
1	Northern Shoveler		4		2
1	Gadwall	40	24	20	22	35	27
1	American Wigeon		4
1	Mallard	35	12	10	14	15	6
1	Green-winged Teal	25	4
1	Surf Scoter	32	6	4
1	Long-tailed Duck			1
1	Red-breasted Merganser	2	9	4	2
1	Ruddy Duck	1
2	Pied-billed Grebe				1	1	1
2	Western Grebe	240			9	1
7	Feral Pigeon	4	2		5	3	6
7	Eurasian Collared-Dove	1
7	Mourning Dove	4			2	5	2
8	Anna’s Hummingbird	1	2	2	2	1
8	Allen’s Hummingbird	5	5	1	5	1	2
2	American Coot	46	63		1
5	Black-necked Stilt					2
5	Black Oystercatcher			4
5	Black-bellied Plover	42	3			1	51
5	Killdeer	12	3	6	4	3	12
5	Semipalmated Plover			9
5	Snowy Plover	21	20				6
5	Whimbrel	6	39	4	2		52
5	Long-billed Curlew						1
5	Marbled Godwit	20	20
5	Wilson’s Phalarope					1
5	Spotted Sandpiper			1			2
5	Willet	15	4	2		2	9
5	Greater Yellowlegs			1
5	Ruddy Turnstone	2
5	Sanderling	10
5	Least Sandpiper	20	12	2
5	Western Sandpiper	8	20				6
6	Bonaparte’s Gull			2	10
6	Heermann’s Gull	60	16		6	65	42
6	Ring-billed Gull	200	18	4	3
6	Western Gull	85	58	16	45	160	220
6	Herring Gull		3
6	California Gull	400	170	60	38	3	10
6	Glaucous-winged Gull	3	1				1
6	Caspian Tern		2	20	8		14
6	Forster’s Tern					1
6	Elegant Tern			200	190	25	240
6	Royal Tern		4	60	2
2	Red-throated Loon	1		2
2	Pacific Loon	1
2	Common Loon				1
2	Brandt’s Cormorant	1	1		35
2	Pelagic Cormorant	4	1		1	4
2	Double-crested Cormorant	28	32	26	120	24	28
2	Brown Pelican	300	171	235	348	125	163
3	Black-crowned Night Heron			1	1	2	1
3	Snowy Egret	6	3	3	2	7	4
3	Green Heron					1	1
3	Great Egret			5	4	9	3
3	Great Blue Heron	3	1	4		3	3
4	Turkey Vulture				1		4
4	Osprey			1
4	Red-shouldered Hawk		1
8	Belted Kingfisher	2
8	Nuttall’s Woodpecker				1
9	Black Phoebe	4	2	4	7	3	6
9	Cassin’s Kingbird	1		4
9	Warbling Vireo				1
9	California Scrub-Jay	2	2	1
9	American Crow	10	4	3	4	6	4
9	Common Raven		1	2	3
9	Tree Swallow		1			3
9	Violet-green Swallow			2	8
9	No. Rough-winged Swallow		5	5	2	5
9	Barn Swallow		10	10	20	20	20
9	Cliff Swallow				30	6
9	Bushtit	12	2	2	5	9	19
9	Wrentit	2			2	1
9	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	1	1
9	House Wren	1			1
9	European Starling	19	5
9	Scaly-breasted Munia					1
9	House Finch	12	15	10	15	11	12
9	Lesser Goldfinch	20	20	2	5	2
9	Dark-eyed Junco				2
9	White-crowned Sparrow	12	15
9	Song Sparrow	10	14	10	5	5	4
9	California Towhee	2	1	1	4	4	1
9	Spotted Towhee		1			1
9	Hooded Oriole					1	1
9	Red-winged Blackbird	35	4			11
9	Brown-headed Cowbird		2
9	Great-tailed Grackle	1	3		2	3	3
9	Orange-crowned Warbler	2	1	1	1
9	Common Yellowthroat	2	2		1
9	Yellow-rumped Warbler (Aud)	10	4
	Totals by Type	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul
1	Waterfowl	144	72	45	50	59	37
2	Water Birds – Other	621	268	263	516	155	192
3	Herons, Egrets & Ibis	9	4	13	7	22	12
4	Quail & Raptors	0	1	1	1	0	4
5	Shorebirds	156	123	29	6	9	139
6	Gulls & Terns	748	272	362	302	254	527
7	Doves	9	2	0	7	8	8
8	Other Non-Passerines	8	7	3	8	2	2
9	Passerines	158	115	57	118	92	70
	Totals Birds	1853	864	773	1015	601	991
	Total Species	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul
1	Waterfowl	7	9	6	6	3	3
2	Water Birds – Other	8	5	3	8	5	3
3	Herons, Egrets & Ibis	2	2	4	3	5	5
4	Quail & Raptors	0	1	1	1	0	1
5	Shorebirds	10	8	8	2	5	8
6	Gulls & Terns	5	8	7	8	5	6
7	Doves	3	1	0	2	2	2
8	Other Non-Passerines	3	2	2	3	2	1
9	Passerines	19	22	14	19	17	9
	Totals Species – 96	57	58	45	52	44	38