[Chuck Almdale]

Pacific Coast Highway: It’s much harder to confirm a road is open than closed. As far as I can tell, all lanes on all routes into Malibu are open, but speed limits between Santa Monica and Malibu are 25 MPH in certain places and the police ARE issuing speeding tickets in an attention-getting manner.
If you learn differently about closures, let me know.

So… SMBAS lagoon trips (8:30am general and 10am parents & kids) are happening.

Lots of migrants and wintering birds and dwindling crowds of humans make it a great day for the lagoon. Usually sunny, sometimes cool, with dolphins dancing upon the waves. Forget those Thanksgiving table birds: see your birds here with us. A possible Vega Gull and a large flock of White Pelicans have recently been seen.

Some of the great birds we’ve had in November are:
Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Pacific & Common Loons, Horned & Western Grebes, Osprey, American Kestrel, Merlin, Snowy Plover, American Avocet, Spotted Sandpiper, Marbled Godwit, Boneparte’s & Glaucous-winged Gulls, Belted Kingfisher, Common Raven, Bushtit, Bewick’s, House & Marsh Wrens, California Towhee, Great-tailed Grackle, Lesser Goldfinch.

Weather prediction as of 19 November:
Sunny, cool. Temp: 55-65°, Wind: NE 6 mph, Clouds: 25%>15%, rain: 0%
Tide: near-high, then falling: Low: 2.79 ft. @ 3:13am; Low: +5.46 ft. @ 9:39am.
Oct 26 trip report link

Adult Walk 8:30 a.m., 4th Sunday of every month. Adults, teens and children you deem mature enough to be with adults. Beginners and experienced, 2-3 hours, meeting at the metal-shaded viewing area between parking lot and channel.  Species range from 35 in June to 60-75 during migrations and winter.  We move slowly and check everything as we move along.  When lagoon outlet is closed we may continue east around the lagoon to Adamson House.  We put out special effort to make our monthly Malibu Lagoon walks attractive to first-time and beginning birdwatchers.  So please, if you are at all worried about coming on a trip and embarrassing yourself because of all the experts, we remember our first trips too.  Someone showed us the birds; now it’s our turn. Bring your birding questions.

Children and Parents Walk, 10:00 a.m., 4th Sunday of every month: One hour session, meeting at the metal-shaded viewing area between parking lot and channel. We start at 10:00 for a shorter walk and to allow time for families to get it together on a sleepy Sunday morning.  Our leaders are experienced with kids so please bring them to the beach!  We have an ample supply of binoculars that children can use without striking terror into their parents.  We want to see families enjoying nature. (If you have a Scout Troop or other group of more than seven people, you must call Jean (213-522-0062) to make sure we have enough binoculars, docents and sand.)

Directions: Malibu Lagoon is at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and Cross Creek Road, west of Malibu Pier and the bridge, 15 miles west of Santa Monica via PCH. We gather in the metal-shaded area near the parking lot. Look around for people wearing binoculars. Neither Google Maps nor the State Park website supply a street address for the parking lot. The address they DO supply is for Adamson House which is just east of the Malibu Creek bridge.

Parking: Parking machine recently installed in the lagoon lot: 1 hr $3; 2 hrs $6; 3 hrs $9, all day $12 ($11 seniors); credit cards accepted. Annual passes accepted. You may also park (read the signs carefully) either along PCH west of Cross Creek Road, on Cross Creek Road, or on Civic Center Way north (inland) of the shopping center.  Lagoon parking in shopping center lots is not permitted.

[Written & posted by Chuck Almdale]