[Posted by Chuck Almdale]

Pacific Coast Highway: As of this moment, things seem fine. Rain, however, is predicted for this week, so…you never know.

Barring a total downpour on Sunday morning at 7:30am and unlikely to stop, SMBAS lagoon trips (8:30am general and 10am parents & kids) are happening.

Here in deep and dark December it’s a great day for the lagoon. It’s often sunny, although once lagoon edges were encrusted with ice. A veritable googolplex of species. Dress in layers for cool weather, wind or fog, or even sun and heat. On December 28 there’s nothing else going on, the batteries already died in your new toys, so you might as well go birding at the lagoon.

Some of the great birds we’ve had in December are:
Snow & Ross’s Geese, Pintail, Cinnamon & Green-winged Teals, Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated, Pacific & Common Loons, Eared, Horned & Western Grebes, Brandt’s & Pelagic Cormorants, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Snowy Plover, Black Oystercatcher, American Avocet, Spotted Sandpiper, Marbled Godwit, Wilson’s Snipe, Boneparte’s, Lesser Black-backed & Glaucous-winged Gulls, Black Skimmer, Anna’s & Allen’s Hummingbirds, Belted Kingfisher, Say’s Phoebe, Bewick’s & House Wrens, Wrentit, Spotted & California Towhees, Great-tailed Grackle, Lesser & American Goldfinchs. Phew!

Weather prediction as of 22 December:
Sunny, cool. Temp: 50-61°, Wind: NE 10>14 mph, Clouds: 18%, rain: 8%
Tide: mid, falling to low: Low: 1.35 ft. @ 10:47am; High: +4.81 ft. @ 3:38am.
Nov 23 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]