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Malibu Lagoon Trip Lists July – December 2013
This list was created at a later date in order to have a complete record on the blog site. [Chuck Almdale]
| Malibu Census 2013 | 7/28 | 8/25 | 9/22 | 10/27 | 11/24 | 12/23 |
| Temperature | 63-68 | 58-70 | 64-73 | 55-65 | 62-70 | 12/22 |
| Tide Lo/Hi Height | L +1.27 | L +1.31 | H +5.69 | L +2.91 | L +3.14 | 47-64 |
| Tide Time | 0800 | 0628 | 1123 | 1127 | 0741 | 1113 |
| Brant | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Cackling Goose | 1 | |||||
| Gadwall | 4 | 14 | 19 | 22 | ||
| American Wigeon | 4 | 10 | 4 | 35 | ||
| Mallard | 45 | 52 | 43 | 35 | 12 | 28 |
| Northern Shoveler | 16 | 30 | 8 | 36 | ||
| Northern Pintail | 4 | |||||
| Green-winged Teal | 4 | 32 | ||||
| Redhead | 4 | |||||
| Lesser Scaup | 1 | |||||
| Bufflehead | 3 | 5 | ||||
| Red-brstd Merganser | 11 | 5 | ||||
| Ruddy Duck | 25 | 20 | 27 | |||
| Red-throated Loon | 1 | |||||
| Pacific Loon | 1 | |||||
| Common Loon | 1 | |||||
| Pied-billed Grebe | 3 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 6 |
| Horned Grebe | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Eared Grebe | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 11 |
| Western Grebe | 35 | 2 | 12 | |||
| Brandt’s Cormorant | 8 | 5 | 12 | 1 | ||
| Dble-crstd Cormorant | 28 | 45 | 56 | 40 | 18 | 28 |
| Pelagic Cormorant | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||
| Brown Pelican | 195 | 143 | 142 | 43 | 20 | 1 |
| Great Blue Heron | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Great Egret | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| Snowy Egret | 17 | 14 | 37 | 15 | 20 | 14 |
| Blk-crwnd N-Heron | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||
| White-faced Ibis | 1 | |||||
| Osprey | 1 | |||||
| White-tailed Kite | 1 | |||||
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | |||||
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||
| American Kestrel | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Merlin | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 1 | ||||
| American Coot | 47 | 42 | 195 | 395 | 80 | 270 |
| Blk-bellied Plover | 7 | 115 | 162 | 85 | 44 | 79 |
| Snowy Plover | 30 | 35 | 47 | 58 | 33 | 39 |
| Semipalmated Plover | 4 | 1 | ||||
| Killdeer | 3 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| Willet | 15 | 25 | 28 | 20 | 9 | |
| Whimbrel | 34 | 53 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 6 |
| Marbled Godwit | 1 | 9 | 4 | 19 | ||
| Ruddy Turnstone | 7 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 2 | 7 |
| Sanderling | 15 | 160 | ||||
| Western Sandpiper | 2 | 4 | 2 | |||
| Least Sandpiper | 1 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | 1 | |||||
| Dunlin | 1 | |||||
| Short-billd Dowitcher | 2 | |||||
| Long-billed Dowitcher | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Boneparte’s Gull | 3 | |||||
| Heermann’s Gull | 26 | 48 | 74 | 40 | 2 | |
| Ring-billed Gull | 2 | 12 | 20 | 30 | ||
| Western Gull | 190 | 110 | 85 | 85 | 60 | |
| California Gull | 1 | 6 | 290 | 2 | 240 | |
| Caspian Tern | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Forster’s Tern | 1 | 10 | 1 | |||
| Royal Tern | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | ||
| Elegant Tern | 600 | 130 | 67 | 20 | 1 | |
| Black Skimmer | 1 | |||||
| Rock Pigeon | 8 | 16 | 25 | 14 | ||
| Mourning Dove | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Anna’s Hummingbird | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Allen’s Hummingbird | 10 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Northern Flicker | 1 | |||||
| Western Wood-Pewee | 1 | |||||
| Black Phoebe | 6 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 4 |
| Say’s Phoebe | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Western Kingbird | 8 | |||||
| Warbling Vireo | 1 | |||||
| Western Scrub-Jay | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| American Crow | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| Rough-wingd Swallow | 1 | |||||
| Barn Swallow | 12 | 28 | ||||
| Cliff Swallow | 1 | |||||
| Oak Titmouse | 2 | |||||
| Bushtit | 2 | 55 | 12 | 10 | 52 | |
| Bewick’s Wren | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| House Wren | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 1 | |||||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 5 | 1 | 2 | |||
| American Robin | 1 | |||||
| Northern Mockingbird | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| European Starling | 42 | 55 | 42 | 35 | 7 | 40 |
| American Pipit | 25 | |||||
| Ornge-crwnd Warbler | 1 | 3 | ||||
| Yellow-rumpd Warbler | 1 | 35 | 60 | 32 | ||
| Blk-throated G. Warbler | 1 | |||||
| Townsend’s Warbler | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Common Yellowthroat | 1 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 3 |
| Wilson’s Warbler | 1 | 6 | 7 | |||
| Spotted Towhee | 1 | |||||
| California Towhee | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Savannah Sparrow | 5 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Song Sparrow | 12 | 20 | 7 | 13 | 10 | |
| Lincoln’s Sparrow | 1 | |||||
| White-crwnd Sparrow | 28 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Western Meadowlark | 6 | 3 | ||||
| Brewer’s Blackbird | 2 | |||||
| Great-tailed Grackle | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 3 | |
| Hooded Oriole | 2 | |||||
| Bullock’s Oriole | 3 | |||||
| House Finch | 8 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Lesser Goldfinch | 35 | 16 | 4 | 22 | 6 | 10 |
| American Goldfinch | 6 | |||||
| Totals by Type | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Waterfowl | 47 | 55 | 70 | 122 | 82 | 194 |
| Water Birds-Other | 274 | 255 | 414 | 547 | 126 | 334 |
| Herons, Egrets | 25 | 21 | 43 | 24 | 32 | 22 |
| Raptors | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Shorebirds | 88 | 245 | 293 | 237 | 124 | 328 |
| Gulls & Terns | 823 | 294 | 238 | 461 | 29 | 330 |
| Doves | 11 | 18 | 28 | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| Other Non-Pass. | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| Passerines | 146 | 251 | 112 | 252 | 115 | 194 |
| Totals Birds | 1428 | 1154 | 1208 | 1671 | 514 | 1412 |
| Total Species | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Waterfowl | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Water Birds-Other | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 11 |
| Herons, Egrets | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Raptors | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Shorebirds | 8 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 10 |
| Gulls & Terns | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 3 |
| Doves | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Other Non-Pass. | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Passerines | 17 | 25 | 15 | 24 | 17 | 20 |
| Totals Species – 110 | 49 | 61 | 53 | 75 | 58 | 61 |
Malibu Lagoon Trip Report: 22 December, 2013
Rumor has it that the lagoon breach was – unlike previous breaches for at least 15 years – authorized and done by one of the numerous gov’t agencies – State Parks, perhaps. A large sand berm was created in front of Adamson House,
Sand berm by Adamson House (L. Johnson 12/22/13)
presumably to protect it from winter storm surges, and the breach was placed as far to the west of it as possible. This makes the beach walk a bit short for birders. The outlet was already swinging to the east, moved (I think) by the prevailing easterly current. No doubt the entire breach will steadily move eastward. Lu Plauzoles checked Adamson House and counted Snowy Plovers on the east beach.
Peregrine Falcon resting in cypress (R. Ehler 12/22/13)
Most of the gulls were again offshore. All the terns and even Heermann’s Gulls were absent, and but a single Brown Pelican showed his face. The cool weather made for a very pleasant and congenial walk. The Peregrine Falcon – absent in November – was back, as were the Sanderlings, with a nice flock of them busily charging back and forth at water’s edge as waves rose and fell. Even the Townsend’s Warbler, not a bird one expects at the lagoon, appeared for the third month in a row.
Bewick’s Wren in the open (L. Johnson 12/22/13)
Birds new for the season were: Northern Pintail; Red-throated, Pacific & Common Loons; Western Sandpiper; Savannah Sparrow.
Our next three scheduled field trips: Antelope Valley Raptor Search, 11 Jan, 8am; Malibu Lagoon, 26 Dec, 8:30 & 10am; San Jacinto Wildlife Refuge (Riverside County), 15 Feb, 8:30am.
Our next program: Tuesday, 4 Feb., 7:30 pm. Urban Bobcats III, presented by Laurel Serieys.
Great-tailed Grackle and his yellow eye (R. Ehler 12/22/13)
NOTE: 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk meets at the metal canopy.
Links: Unusual birds at Malibu Lagoon
Aerial photo of Malibu Lagoon from 9/23/02.
Prior checklists: July-Dec’11, Jan-June’11, July-Dec ’10, Jan-June ’10, Jul-Dec ‘09, and Jan-June ‘09.
Here are some pictures taken in November while I was gallivanting around Oregon. Click on any picture to make it larger & create a mini slide show.
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- Snowy Egret finds a fish (J. Kenney 11/20/13)
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- Easier caught than eaten? (J. Kenney 11/20/13)
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- Even the Osprey has a fish (J. Kenney 11/20/13)
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- Cackling Goose – Aleutian form B.h.leucopareia (A. Albaisa 11/24/13)
Comments on Bird Lists Below
Total Birds: December total birds of 1412 is 49% below the 6-year Dec. average, due primarily to the absence of gulls and terns which – like last month – were offshore by the thousands but too distant to determine species.
Summary of total birds from the 6-year average so far: Jun’12 +36%, Jul’12 -9%, Aug’12 -9%, Sep’12 +12%, Oct’12 +3%, Nov’12 -5%, Dec’12 +30%, Jan’13 -20%, Feb’13 -29%, Mar’13 -30%, Apr’13 -34%, May’13 -37%, Jun’13 -24%, Jul’13 +83%, Aug’13 +37%, Sep’13 +23%, Oct’13 +41%, Nov’13 -58%, Dec’13 -49%.
Species Diversity: December 2013 with 61 species was slightly below (-6%) the 6-year average of 65.2.
Summary of species diversity from the 6-year average so far: Jun’12 -10%, Jul’12 +10%, Aug’12. -6%, Sep’12 -20%, Oct’12 +5%, Nov’12 +2%, Dec’12 -4%, Jan’13 +2%, Feb’13 -8%, Mar’13 +9%, Apr’13 -2%, May’13 +3%, Jun’13 +13%, Jul’13 0%, Aug’13 +11%, Sep’13 -14%, Oct’13 +19%, Nov’13 -3%, Dec’13 -6%.
10-year comparison summaries are available on our Lagoon Project Bird Census Page. [Chuck Almdale]
| Malibu Census | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
| December 2008 – 13 | 12/28 | 12/27 | 12/26 | 12/25 | 12/23 | 12/22 | |
| Temperature | 46-62 | 50-60 | 50-62 | 50-66 | 50-60 | 47-64 | |
| Tide Lo/Hi Height | H+6.0 | L+0.2 | L+2.13 | H+6.80 | H+5.40 | H+4.49 | Ave. |
| Tide Time | 0850 | 1241 | 0649 | 0850 | 0544 | 1113 | Birds |
| Brant | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Gadwall | 18 | 23 | 16 | 35 | 12 | 22 | 21.0 |
| American Wigeon | 6 | 26 | 8 | 4 | 35 | 13.2 | |
| Mallard | 8 | 16 | 29 | 8 | 22 | 28 | 18.5 |
| Cinnamon Teal | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Northern Shoveler | 32 | 15 | 18 | 30 | 14 | 36 | 24.2 |
| Northern Pintail | 1 | 7 | 4 | 2.0 | |||
| Green-winged Teal | 8 | 8 | 17 | 40 | 9 | 32 | 19.0 |
| Lesser Scaup | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Surf Scoter | 16 | 50 | 10 | 5 | 13.5 | ||
| Long-tailed Duck | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Bufflehead | 25 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 9.0 | |
| Red-brstd Merganser | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.2 |
| Ruddy Duck | 23 | 25 | 51 | 40 | 47 | 27 | 35.5 |
| Red-throated Loon | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1.3 | ||
| Pacific Loon | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2.3 | ||
| Common Loon | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | ||
| Pied-billed Grebe | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4.2 |
| Horned Grebe | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0.8 | |||
| Eared Grebe | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 3.8 |
| Western Grebe | 2 | 4 | 35 | 25 | 35 | 12 | 18.8 |
| Blk-vented Shearwater | 200 | 200 | 66.7 | ||||
| Brandt’s Cormorant | 12 | 6 | 30 | 1 | 8.2 | ||
| Dble-crstd Cormorant | 33 | 35 | 47 | 62 | 42 | 28 | 41.2 |
| Pelagic Cormorant | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.7 | |
| Brown Pelican | 67 | 56 | 13 | 12 | 35 | 1 | 30.7 |
| Great Blue Heron | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3.3 |
| Great Egret | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1.3 | ||
| Snowy Egret | 8 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 16.3 |
| Cattle Egret | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Blk-crwnd N-Heron | 2 | 6 | 5 | 2.2 | |||
| Turkey Vulture | 2 | 0.3 | |||||
| Osprey | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | ||||
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | |||
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | ||
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 1 | 0.3 | ||||
| Virginia Rail | 1 | 2 | 0.5 | ||||
| Sora | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1.2 | |||
| American Coot | 210 | 403 | 237 | 280 | 210 | 270 | 268.3 |
| Blk-bellied Plover | 45 | 45 | 44 | 140 | 35 | 79 | 64.7 |
| Snowy Plover | 60 | 59 | 46 | 58 | 45 | 39 | 51.2 |
| Killdeer | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3.2 |
| Black Oystercatcher | 4 | 1 | 0.8 | ||||
| American Avocet | 5 | 1 | 1.0 | ||||
| Spotted Sandpiper | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1.5 | |
| Willet | 27 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 10.5 |
| Whimbrel | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3.3 |
| Marbled Godwit | 8 | 14 | 43 | 1 | 18 | 19 | 17.2 |
| Ruddy Turnstone | 11 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 9.2 |
| Sanderling | 180 | 115 | 150 | 110 | 40 | 160 | 125.8 |
| Western Sandpiper | 2 | 0.3 | |||||
| Least Sandpiper | 3 | 35 | 12 | 1 | 8.5 | ||
| Wilson’s Snipe | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Boneparte’s Gull | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Heermann’s Gull | 15 | 24 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 12.0 | |
| Mew Gull | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Ring-billed Gull | 45 | 360 | 130 | 175 | 150 | 30 | 148.3 |
| Western Gull | 82 | 68 | 110 | 90 | 300 | 60 | 118.3 |
| California Gull | 140 | 1060 | 3850 | 1200 | 2150 | 240 | 1440.0 |
| Herring Gull | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1.2 | |||
| Glaucous-wingd Gull | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1.5 | ||
| Caspian Tern | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Forster’s Tern | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | ||
| Royal Tern | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Black Skimmer | 6 | 1.0 | |||||
| Rock Pigeon | 8 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 12 | 6.8 | |
| Mourning Dove | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2.0 |
| Anna’s Hummingbird | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2.0 | |
| Allen’s Hummingbird | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.5 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.7 | ||
| Black Phoebe | 10 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 6.5 |
| Say’s Phoebe | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1.7 |
| Western Scrub-Jay | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| American Crow | 6 | 2 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6.7 |
| Bushtit | 5 | 30 | 52 | 14.5 | |||
| Bewick’s Wren | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1.2 | |||
| House Wren | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0.8 | |||
| Marsh Wren | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | ||||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.8 | ||
| Wrentit | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Northern Mockingbird | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.0 | ||
| European Starling | 6 | 10 | 15 | 5 | 18 | 40 | 15.7 |
| Ornge-crwnd Warbler | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | |||
| Yellow-rumpd Warbler | 40 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 32 | 20.0 |
| Townsend’s Warbler | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| Common Yellowthroat | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4.0 |
| Spotted Towhee | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.7 | ||
| California Towhee | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1.5 | ||
| Savannah Sparrow | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1.0 | |||
| Song Sparrow | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 5.8 |
| Lincoln’s Sparrow | 1 | 0.2 | |||||
| White-crwnd Sparrow | 1 | 9 | 15 | 4 | 15 | 7.3 | |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 10 | 2 | 15 | 4.5 | |||
| Western Meadowlark | 2 | 0.3 | |||||
| Brewer’s Blackbird | 6 | 1.0 | |||||
| Great-tailed Grackle | 1 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 2.5 | ||
| House Finch | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 4.5 |
| Lesser Goldfinch | 2 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 5.7 | |
| American Goldfinch | 2 | 3 | 0.8 | ||||
| Totals by Type | 12/28 | 12/27 | 12/26 | 12/25 | 12/23 | 12/23 | Ave. |
| Waterfowl | 117 | 193 | 159 | 181 | 120 | 194 | 161 |
| Water Birds-Other | 333 | 519 | 349 | 598 | 570 | 334 | 451 |
| Herons, Egrets | 16 | 24 | 26 | 30 | 22 | 22 | 23 |
| Raptors | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Shorebirds | 339 | 313 | 315 | 331 | 158 | 328 | 297 |
| Gulls & Terns | 291 | 1515 | 4113 | 1482 | 2617 | 330 | 1725 |
| Doves | 10 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 9 |
| Other Non-Pass. | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Passerines | 113 | 61 | 86 | 111 | 96 | 194 | 110 |
| Totals Birds | 1228 | 2638 | 5073 | 2745 | 3604 | 1412 | 2783 |
| Total Species | 12/28 | 12/27 | 12/26 | 12/25 | 12/23 | 12/23 | Ave. |
| Waterfowl | 8 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9.5 |
| Water Birds-Other | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11.2 |
| Herons, Egrets | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3.3 |
| Raptors | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.2 |
| Shorebirds | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10.5 |
| Gulls & Terns | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 6.5 |
| Doves | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1.8 |
| Other Non-Pass. | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 |
| Passerines | 19 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 17.7 |
| Totals Species – 100 | 65 | 63 | 68 | 71 | 63 | 61 | 65.2 |
Where do your dollars go?
Clockwise from Lu: Clare Carey, Ryan Drnek, Emiko Kuwata, Olivia Adams, and Zara Bennett
Saturday Dec. 7th in the rain I joined some enthusiastic volunteers exercising elbow grease to plant hundreds of native plants at the new Walgrove Wildands. This is what we hope to be the first of a series of Westside greening projects on school campuses. Walgrove Elementary is just downhill from Santa Monica Airport in Venice. Yes, the nursery bill was paid entirely by Santa Monica Bay Audubon funds! We, the pictured above, thank you, the children thank you, and soon, the birds will thank you for the land newly restored to habitat. Most exemplary behavior award goes to Ms. Olivia Adams, the principal of Walgrove who backs her administrative support of the project with enthusiastic hands-on elbow grease. Bravo to the whole crew of volunteers!
For an update on the Walgrove Wildlands, come to our February general meeting at C. Reed Park, Feb. 4, 2014 7:30PM. Lucien P. Co-Chair, conservation
Flight of the Butterflies 3D – Now Playing at the California Science Center IMAX Theater
This is a journey that spans thousands of miles, three countries and several generations — tracking real monarch butterflies that leave Canada for their mysterious winter haven high in the mountains of Mexico. Based on true events, Flight of the Butterflies 3D follows the extraordinary migration of the monarch butterfly and the determined scientist, Dr. Fred Urquhart of Toronto, who spent 40 years to unearth where they went each fall. Discover a truly spectacular sight: hundreds of millions of butterflies in the hidden butterfly sanctuaries high in the mountains of the States of Michoacán and Mexico.
As a special benefit for SMBAS fans, enjoy a special IMAX discount: Save $1 off Child and $2 off Adult IMAX admission. Click HERE for this discount.
Flight of the Butterflies 3D is running until April 3, 2014 in the IMAX Theater at the California Science Center next to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in Exposition Park.
More info, including show times, on Flight of the Butterflies 3D.
California Science Center IMAX Theater
700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037
Spoonbill Sandpiper film: Chicks on the Tundra
The Spoonbill Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) is one of the rarest, coolest, most sought-after and downright weirdest sandpipers in the world.
This four-minute film from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology shows the parents and chicks, on the chicks’ first day out of the egg. Filmed on the Siberian tundra by the Cornell Lab’s Gerrit Vyn near Chukotka, Russia. [Chuck Almdale]
SANTA MONICA BAY AUDUBON SOCIETY BLOG 