[Posted by Chuck Almdale]

Always the 4th (not last) Sunday of the month, 8:30am & 10 am

Pacific Coast Highway (per Malibu): There will be no lane closures this holiday weekend but PCH from Temescal Canyon Rd to Sunset Blvd has a reduced speed limit of 35 mph with cones and signage, and from Sunset Blvd to Carbon Beach Terrace PCH remains an active work zone with possible single-lane closures and a 25 mph speed limit. (Active work on Sunday morning at 8am? That’s debatable.)

Memorial Weekend Special: Bring a bag and help pick up trash on the walk. We will also try to see signs of local breeding birds such as Canada Geese, Mallard and Gadwall, Killdeer, hummingbirds, flycatchers, finches, warblers, sparrows and icterids.

Special Attractions: Like dinosaurs? Want to see a dinosaur? Then come to Malibu Lagoon. Birds are small dinosaurs, we now know, once rulers of the world, now the last of their kind. Think about that the next time one approaches you, grinning and sparkly-eyed, looking for a handout. At least they dumped their pointy teeth somewhere alongside their path of evolution.

Some of the great birds we’ve had in May are:
Snow Goose, Brant, Canada Goose, Northern Shoveler, Black & White-throated Swifts, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Long-billed Dowitcher, Red-necked Phalarope, Black Turnstone, Pigeon Guillemot, Common Murre, Least Tern, Common Tern, Western Grebe, Pacific & Common Loon, Black-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, White-tailed Kite, Northern Flicker, Western Wood Pewee, Western & Ash-throated Flycatchers, Western Warbling Vireo, five species of Swallow, Spotted Towhee, Hooded & Bullock’s Orioles, Tricolored & Brewer’s Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackle, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow, Townsend’s and Wilson’s Warbler.

Weather prediction as of 21 May
Temp: 56-63°F; Wind 3-10 mph from west; Sky Cover: 90% > 20%
Tide: Falling to low: High: +4.67 ft. @ 6:10am; Low: +1.36 ft. @ 12:38pm
Apr 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 – street address is 3999 Cross Creek Rd. – is at the stoplighted intersection of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and Cross Creek Road, just west of Malibu Pier and the bridge, 15 miles west of Santa Monica via PCH. Turn towards the ocean at the stoplight, opposite the Shell station. We gather in the metal-shaded pavilion area near the parking lot. Look around for people wearing binoculars and hats. Do NOT go to 23200 PCH, the address for Adamson House, east of Malibu Creek bridge, and a 5-10 minute walk away, plus 20-40 minutes to get into their surfer-packed parking lot.

Parking: Parking machine in the lagoon lot near our meeting area: 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]