[By Chuck Almdale; Photos by Marsha Collins, Femi Faminu, Lillian Johnson, Armando Martinez & Chris Tosdevin]

As you’ll see by the photographs, the day was gray, sometimes, depending on which way you looked. To the north, bluish sky, to the south, gray-grim. We were quite surprised to see the Osprey on a light pole over Pacific Coast Hwy., as he or she normally prefers the wooden telephone pole at the back of the colony. We then realized that the wooden pole was completely gone. They’re putting in a new house at the back corner of the colony, and the pole was in the way. I suppose. Too bad – that pole was a favorite perch for birds. The Northern Mockingbird stood there for years, tootling away. More recently the Osprey commandeered it and ate many a fish on the top. Occasionally a Red-tailed Hawk would rest there, but the last time one did a group of Ravens drove it off.

Twenty-four birders showed up, eager to see lagoon birds. It had been difficult for the past four months to get to Malibu as Pacific Coast Highway, the main route for most people, was closed to all non-resident traffic. Cleanup crews were all over the place, trucks everywhere, trying to clean up the enormous mess left by the fires. One SMBAS member, living in one of the devastated neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and whose house was near-miraculously unfazed by fire, found the interior filled with toxic dust from the fire, rendering it uninhabitable. They’re still living with family, waiting for cleanup specialists, name of Godot Speedy Service, to arrive.

The birds were relatively normal, although for the second month in a row there were virtually zero shorebirds, by which I mean sandpipers and plovers. Two Killdeer, that was it. And they’re nesting, as a gangly chick was recently seen, so I supposed that should be three Killdeer, except we didn’t see it.

The lagoon outflow channel to the sea has silted in, and the lagoon water was quite high, higher than actual sea level which was at high tide. The railing around the summer clock sidewalk barely emerged from the water. According to the designers, for every inch of water level rise in the lagoon, the water moves four feet up the sidewalk.

Tiles spaced along the sidewalk tell you the water height. The out-of-picture water’s edge was just below this marker.

Not every lagoon in the world is lucky enough to have it’s own water level marking system.

I really don’t remember the sky being this gray (see below). Surfrider Beach appears to have a large gap, but that’s an optical illusion due to the sand being only a couple of inches higher than the lagoon level. The curvature of the earth may be involved as well.

Marsha captured a resting pair of Gadwall. With her camera. Sometimes the orange on the female’s bill is just a thin strip along the bill’s edge – orange lips, so to speak. This one has a bit more than that.

There were lots of other Gadwall around. Mallards too. The bird below on the right looked to be a young male molting into his first adult plumage, due to all the “scales” on his breast.

We had some excitement along the beach path as someone spotted a hummingbird sitting on a nest. It was very obscured and difficult to see, but we managed to get two telescopes and a half-dozen cameras onto it. But from no angle could you actually see much of the bird. The spots on the throat didn’t really look as reddish as they ought(?) to be for Allen’s, but they certainly weren’t iridescent as would be the flecking on the female Anna’s, and the underlying throat feathers were quite pale, not dingy gray. Bill length and curvature is getting quite variable these days, and you’ll find out more about that if you follow these links to NPR and Smithsonian.

The chin seems to have a slight tinge of rufous, befitting an Allen’s but not Anna’s.

The beach between the sea and lagoon is still well-distributed with driftwood from the winter storms.

Western Gulls of all ages are reliable at the lagoon. They nest on the nearby Channel Islands where there are few predators to gobble up their eggs.

Ring-billed Gulls can be tricky. Young birds can have an all-black, or partially-black bill. As they age the black area turn yellow-pink-orange at different rates and in different patterns. The base of the bill generally changes color earlier than the tip. In the bird below, the tips is minutely pale at the very tip. They eyes also begin as dark, then turn very pale by the time they’re adult at the ripe old age of three.

We debated about this bird (below, in the middle) on the beach, deciding it likely was a Herring Gull. Chris thought two-years old. After looking at the picture, I think it’s molting into 3rd year plumage. The wing-coverts are quite worn, giving it that “shredded” look. The bill is less chunky than the Western’s (two pictures up), the head looks a bit flat and no white mirrors in the primaries. Pink legs of course.

That’s a Brown Pelican behind them, the most common species of the day..

The Great-tailed Grackles definitely enjoy poking around through the driftwood.

The fact that the two grebes below are in the same avian family, although different genera, sometimes mystifies people. If you ever saw either of them try to walk on land the family relationship would become more clear.

Song Sparrows are one of the reliable breeders at the lagoon. They’re always there and they’re always singing.

Malibu Lagoon on eBird as of 5-26-25: 8583 lists, 2754 eBirders, 321 species
Most recent new species seen: Nelson’s Sparrow, 11/29/24 by Femi Faminu (SMBAS member). When the newest species added to the list was seen on a date prior to the most recently seen new species, there is no way I can find to easily determine what that bird is. Another minor nit to pick about eBird.

Birds new for the season: Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Mockingbird .. “New for the season” means it has been three or more months since last recorded on our trips.

Many, many thanks to photographers Marsha Collins, Femi Faminu, Lillian Johnson, Armando Martinez & Chris Tosdevin.

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

• Malibu Creek State Park, Sat, June 14, 8 am
• Malibu Lagoon, Sun. June 22, 8:30 (adults) & 10 am (parents & kids)
• Malibu Lagoon, Sun. July 27, 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, not to mention landslides, 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: October 7, to be announced.

The SMBAS 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk will resume when we can again schedule official monthly walks, probably in June. 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, July-Dec
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 & Chris Tosdevin for contributions made to this month’s census counts.

The species list below was re-sequenced as of 12/31/24 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. Updated lagoon bird check lists can be downloaded here.
[Chuck Almdale]

	Malibu Census 2024-25	12/22	1/30	2/23	3/23	4/27	5/25
	Temperature	56-62	57-59	57-70	54-64	56-64	63-68
	Tide Lo/Hi Height	L+2.47	H+6.14	H+4.79	H+4.15	H+4.29	H+3.78
	Tide Time	0939	0913	0526	0433	0957	0909
1	Canada Goose			2	2	8	1
1	Cinnamon Teal			5	6
1	Northern Shoveler		6
1	Gadwall	32	89	9	35	10	24
1	American Wigeon	35
1	Mallard	20	22	6	22	21	26
1	Green-winged Teal	10	5	16	6
1	Lesser Scaup		2
1	Surf Scoter	2		15	6
1	Bufflehead	10	23
1	Red-breasted Merganser	13	12	8	3	1
1	Ruddy Duck	35	37	17	11	10	4
2	Pied-billed Grebe	5	4	7	8	4	4
2	Eared Grebe		1
2	Western Grebe	1	34	30	30	25	4
7	Feral Pigeon		6	5		1	6
7	Mourning Dove				1	2	2
8	Anna’s Hummingbird			3	3	3	1
8	Allen’s Hummingbird	3	1	5	6	5	2
2	American Coot	705	797	45	55	11	4
5	Black Oystercatcher	2
5	Black-bellied Plover	50	30	30
5	Killdeer	30	2	4	4	3	2
5	Semipalmated Plover					2
5	Snowy Plover	27	2	2	3
5	Whimbrel	4	8	5	8	3
5	Marbled Godwit	25	3	2	8
5	Ruddy Turnstone	4	2	4
5	Sanderling	100	22
5	Dunlin				1
5	Least Sandpiper	27	7	14	5	1
5	Western Sandpiper			16	34
5	Spotted Sandpiper	1	1	1	1
5	Willet	20	15	8	10
5	Greater Yellowlegs				2
6	Heermann’s Gull	2	7	1
6	Ring-billed Gull	19	12	12	6	2	3
6	Western Gull	35	90	55	20	20	70
6	California Gull	60	575	105	1	2	82
6	American Herring Gull	1	1	2	1
6	Glaucous-winged Gull			3	1
6	Caspian Tern				11	2	6
6	Royal Tern	2		5	10
6	Elegant Tern				2
2	Red-throated Loon			1
2	Pacific Loon		1		1	1
2	Common Loon			4	10
2	Brandt’s Cormorant		7	1	5	12
2	Pelagic Cormorant			2		1
2	Double-crested Cormorant	23	55	25	25	25	7
2	American White Pelican				5
2	Brown Pelican	35	23	29	200	25	157
3	Snowy Egret	5	5	6	5	1	2
3	Black-crowned Night-Heron	2			1
3	Great Egret	1	1	2	2	1	1
3	Western Cattle-Egret					1
3	Great Blue Heron	4	1		2	1	1
4	Turkey Vulture					2
4	Osprey	1		2	1	1	1
4	Cooper’s Hawk			1	1
4	Bald Eagle			1
4	Red-shouldered Hawk						1
4	Red-tailed Hawk	1		1	1	1	1
8	Belted Kingfisher	1		1	1
8	Nuttall’s Woodpecker			1
8	Nanday Parakeet	4		4		2	2
9	Cassin’s Kingbird				1	1	1
9	Black Phoebe	1	1	3	3	1	2
9	Say’s Phoebe			1
9	California Scrub-Jay		1		1		1
9	American Crow	8	9	26	6	5	6
9	Common Raven			2	9	2	1
9	Oak Titmouse				1
9	Tree Swallow				5		1
9	Violet-green Swallow					5
9	No. Rough-winged Swallow				17	20	7
9	Barn Swallow	1			10	20	18
9	Cliff Swallow				3	7	24
9	Bushtit	50	4	5	25	2	3
9	Wrentit	2	1	1	4	2	2
9	Ruby-crowned Kinglet		1	1
9	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher			1
9	Bewick’s Wren	1	1
9	Northern Mockingbird	1		1			1
9	European Starling	7		1	10	10	10
9	Western Bluebird			1
9	House Finch	6	8	9	26	15	5
9	Lesser Goldfinch	2		10	4		2
9	Dark-eyed Junco			1	1	1
9	White-crowned Sparrow	20	8	7	5	1
9	Song Sparrow	6	12	8	10	8	6
9	California Towhee		2	3	3	3	2
9	Spotted Towhee				1	1	2
9	Western Meadowlark	1
9	Hooded Oriole					1	1
9	Red-winged Blackbird	2
9	Brown-headed Cowbird					2
9	Great-tailed Grackle	22			2	3	6
9	Orange-crowned Warbler		1	1	3	1	2
9	Common Yellowthroat	6	2	2	6	4
9	Yellow-rumped Warbler	14	6	8	3
9	Wilson’s Warbler				1
	Totals Birds by Type	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
1	Waterfowl	157	196	78	91	50	55
2	Water Birds – Other	769	922	144	339	104	176
3	Herons, Egrets & Ibis	12	7	8	10	4	4
4	Quail & Raptors	2	0	5	3	4	3
5	Shorebirds	290	92	86	76	9	2
6	Gulls & Terns	119	685	183	52	26	161
7	Doves	0	6	5	1	3	8
8	Other Non-Passerines	8	1	14	10	10	5
9	Passerines	150	57	92	160	115	103
	Totals Birds	1507	1966	615	742	325	517
	Total Species by Group	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
1	Waterfowl	8	8	8	8	5	4
2	Water Birds – Other	5	8	9	9	8	5
3	Herons, Egrets & Ibis	4	3	2	4	4	3
4	Quail & Raptors	2	0	4	3	3	3
5	Shorebirds	11	10	10	10	4	1
6	Gulls & Terns	6	5	7	8	4	4
7	Doves	0	1	1	1	2	2
8	Other Non-Passerines	3	1	5	3	3	3
9	Passerines	17	14	20	25	22	21
	Totals Species – 102	56	50	66	71	55	46