[Text by Chuck Almdale; photos by Elyse Jankowski, Lillian Johnson, Armando Martinez & Chris Tosdevin]

Don’t miss the quiz at the end which has some of the best photos.

The early arrivers to the lagoon got to see the ibis pair. I saw them fly away, but another one dropped in later. That’s migration – birds fly in, birds fly out, some stay and feed, some sleep. Our Greater Yellowlegs from last month was there, or more likely a new one. They show up only 4% of our visits but with two months in a row, they cranked it all the way up to a whopping 6.1%. Ibis are even rarer – just under 2%.

The lagoon outlet – open last month – had filled with sand. As a result the lagoon water level was quite high and didn’t fluctuate during our visit. One male Great-tailed Grackle strutted the sand. They’re 18″ long bill-tip to tail-tip, a half-inch longer than the American Crow, believe it or not. (It’s all in the tail.) The females are 3″ shorter; again, all in the tail. These birds nest somewhere in the general lagoon area, I’m not sure where. Perhaps up the creek, perhaps in the reed-bed across the lagoon by Adamson House.

Photographer Elyse Jankowski had to leave early but sent me some very nice photos. This Snowy Egret appears to have some Cattle Egret-like faint reddish highlights at the nape and lower back. I don’t know why, unless it was just a hint of mud.

The Snowy Plovers have definitely returned! We had 42 birds, up from 22 in August and 6 in July. Two were banded, as photographed by Plover Wardens Larry Loeher and Grace Murayama three days earlier.

We had some tricky times with several sandpipers, Least and Western (or Semipalmated).

The Western Below has a bill a bit shorter than usual, and close observation revealed semipalmated feet (check its right foot in 1st picture, left foot in 2nd picture). So – as its migration and just about anything can show up anywhere (within reason) – the possibility of an eastern Semipalmated Sandpiper reared its delicious head. We studied and scoped and discussed. We later studied the photos, even sending one or more to iNaturalist and waiting to see what the eBird people had to say. But, alas, it was not to be.

A Short Treatise on Sandpiper Toes

Birds have two toes (Ostrich), three toes (emus, bustards, the two species of Three-toed Woodpecker & quails), or four toes (everything else). Sandpipers have four toes arranged anisodactylly: three point forward, one points to the rear. They are numbered: #1 – back toe, #2 inner front, #3 middle front, #4 outer front. In photographs its often hard or impossible to see the #1 rear toe. Birds that spend their time in or near water often have webbing between their toes. Ducks, for example. Both the Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers have semipalmated feet – the webbing between their 4th and 3rd toes is larger than between the 3rd and 2nd toes.

So the word “semipalmated” does describe the foot of Calidris pusilla, the Semipalmated Sandpiper, but it does not exclude Calidris mauri, the Western Sandpiper. And this can easily confuse the billions of people who expect descriptive animal names to a) exist, b) work, c) exclude, d) be useful, and e) not confuse. [A fool’s errand if ever there was one.] My understanding is that the Semipalmated Sandpipers were described first. When someone decided that the longer-billed and slightly-differently plumaged and shaped birds among them were actually a different species, the new birds were named “Western” as they were more numerous the farther west you went. [I wrote about this here in August 2022. Someday I hope to get all the facts, dates and name changes absolutely straight.] Just to confuse the issue, both species have variable bill lengths, with the Western a bit longer, but the westerly Semipalmated bill is a bit longer than the easterly Semipalmated bill.

But that was not the end of confusion and debate! The first bird disappeared, but we then thought we rediscovered it resting on the ground among the small pieces of driftwood.

Armando Martinez got a photo of it rising.

He then stretches his wings and staggers off. Not the back of the Snowy Plover and the head of the Black-bellied Plover behind him, providing some size comparison.

Flowers are still blooming, or blooming again, in late September.

This Pied-billed Grebe’s bill is not at all pied and it seems to have a wicked-looking thorny tip.

Last but not least, but without photo, we had a Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus in a very messy molting plumage, flitting around between the beach plants. I was very surprised to see it, as our only prior sighting of this species at the lagoon was on April 26, 1999, well back into the “before-times.”

Quiz Time!

As these photos are all taken this September at the lagoon, many of the birds are in plumage transition.

Quiz Answers & credits
#1. Say’s Phoebe, first appearance since last November. (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#2. An exceptionally fierce-looking Wrentit (Elyse Jankowski 9-22-24)
#3. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, increasingly common since 2015 (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#4. Savannah Sparrow, only the 4th sighting in the past 6 years. (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#5. Red-winged Blackbird: first year male, red not visible, brown bars on back. (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#6. Common Yellowthroat, male; breeds around the lagoon. (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#7. Great-tailed Grackle, male, whose tail has vanished (temporarily, we hope). (Grace Murayama 9-19-24)
#8. Ring-necked Ducks, 1 female, 3 males. Our 7th sighting at the lagoon. (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#9. American Wigeon, male, common winter visitor. (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#10. Pied-billed Grebe, a different view. (Larry Loeher 9-19-24)
#11. All-black Mallard. Not a male as no curly tail. If I’m wrong and this is not a mallard, let me know why. (Elyse Jankowski 9-22-24)
#12. Pygmy Blue Butterfly (Brephidium exilis), our lagoon specialty. (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#13. Great-blue Heron. (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#14. Whimbrel & 2 Willets. (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#15. Ruddy Turnstone, molting. (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#16. 27 Western Snowy Plovers (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#17. Semipalmated Plover (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#18. Black-bellied Plover (Elyse Jankowski 9-22-24)
#19. Greater Yellowlegs (Chris Tosdevin 9-22-24)
#20. Willet, molting. (Elyse Jankowski 9-22-24)
#21. Whimbrel (Elyse Jankowski 9-22-24)

Malibu Lagoon on eBird as of 9-27-24: 8053 lists, 2582 eBirders, 318 species.
Most recent species added: Cassin’s Vireo, 9/23/24 by Colin Drummond.

Birds new for the season: American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, White-faced Ibis, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Nanday Parakeet, Say’s Phoebe, California Scrub-Jay, Tree Swallow, Wrentit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Marsh Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Lesser Goldfinch, Lark Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler.  “New for the season” means it has been three or more months since last recorded on our trips.

Many, many thanks to photographers: Elyse Jankowski, Lillian Johnson, Armando Martinez, Chris Tosdevin.

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

• Huntington Central Park, Sat. Oct 12, 8 am, contact leader Liz Galton (424-832-3504)
• Malibu Lagoon, Sun. Oct 27, 8:30 (adults) & 10 am (parents & kids)
• Franklin Canyon, Weds. Nov 13, 8:30 am. Our first mid-week walk, enter at south end.
• These and any other trips we announce for the foreseeable future will depend upon expected status of the Covid/flu/etc. pandemic 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: Professor Barney Schlinger, UCLA Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology; Manakins, Evening Meeting, Tuesday, October 8, 2024, 7:30 p.m.

The SMBAS 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalk is again running. 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
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, Elyse Jankowski, Lillian Johnson, Ruth & Chris Tosdevin & others for their contributions to this month’s checklist.

The species lists below is irregularly re-sequenced 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.
[Chuck Almdale]

	Malibu Census 2024	4/28	5/26	6/23	7/28	8/25	9/22
	Temperature	62-72	57-64	62-72	63-72	64-78	67-75
	Tide Lo/Hi Height	L-0.14	L-0.77	L-1.17	L+1.81	L+2.00	L+2.09
	Tide Time	0738	0635	0537	0916	0735	0611
1	Brant (Black)		2
1	Canada Goose	6	8	9	4
1	Northern Shoveler		2
1	Gadwall	20	22	35	27	12	30
1	American Wigeon						1
1	Mallard	10	14	15	6	2	8
1	Ring-necked Duck						4
1	Surf Scoter	4
1	Long-tailed Duck	1
1	Red-breasted Merganser	4	2
2	Pied-billed Grebe		1	1	1	1	5
2	Western Grebe		9	1
7	Feral Pigeon		5	3	6	9	1
7	Mourning Dove		2	5	2	3	1
8	Anna’s Hummingbird	2	2	1		2
8	Allen’s Hummingbird	1	5	1	2	3	4
2	American Coot		1			2	72
5	Black-necked Stilt			2
5	Black Oystercatcher	4
5	Black-bellied Plover			1	51	70	67
5	Killdeer	6	4	3	12	4	12
5	Semipalmated Plover	9				13	3
5	Snowy Plover				6	22	42
5	Whimbrel	4	2		52	2	2
5	Long-billed Curlew				1	1
5	Wilson’s Phalarope			1
5	Spotted Sandpiper	1			2		1
5	Willet	2		2	9	5	5
5	Greater Yellowlegs	1				1	1
5	Ruddy Turnstone					1	3
5	Sanderling					2	1
5	Least Sandpiper	2				23	3
5	Western Sandpiper				6	13	2
6	Bonaparte’s Gull	2	10
6	Heermann’s Gull		6	65	42	5	24
6	Ring-billed Gull	4	3			2	2
6	Western Gull	16	45	160	220	113	55
6	California Gull	60	38	3	10	23	75
6	Glaucous-winged Gull				1	1
6	Caspian Tern	20	8		14	4	1
6	Forster’s Tern			1		2
6	Elegant Tern	200	190	25	240	10
6	Royal Tern	60	2			5	5
2	Red-throated Loon	2
2	Common Loon		1
2	Brandt’s Cormorant		35
2	Pelagic Cormorant		1	4		1
2	Double-crested Cormorant	26	120	24	28	37	54
2	Brown Pelican	235	348	125	163	27	24
3	Black-crowned Night-Heron	1	1	2	1	1	1
3	Snowy Egret	3	2	7	4	3	4
3	Green Heron			1	1	1	2
3	Great Egret	5	4	9	3	3	2
3	Great Blue Heron	4		3	3	4	2
3	White-faced Ibis						3
4	Turkey Vulture		1		4	1	7
4	Osprey	1
4	Red-shouldered Hawk						1
4	Red-tailed Hawk						2
8	Belted Kingfisher					1	1
8	Nuttall’s Woodpecker		1				1
8	Hairy Woodpecker					1
8	Nanday Parakeet						25
9	Black Phoebe	4	7	3	6	3	2
9	Say’s Phoebe						1
9	Ash-throated  Flycatcher					1
9	Cassin’s Kingbird	4				1
9	Western Kingbird					8
9	Warbling Vireo		1
9	California Scrub-Jay	1					2
9	American Crow	3	4	6	4	4	8
9	Common Raven	2	3
9	Oak Titmouse					1
9	Tree Swallow			3			1
9	Violet-green Swallow	2	8
9	No. Rough-winged Swallow	5	2	5		2
9	Barn Swallow	10	20	20	20	20	1
9	Cliff Swallow		30	6		4
9	Bushtit	2	5	9	19	5	20
9	Wrentit		2	1			4
9	Ruby-crowned Kinglet						1
9	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher					1	4
9	House Wren		1			2	3
9	Marsh Wren						2
9	Bewick’s Wren						2
9	European Starling					1	10
9	Northern Mockingbird					1
9	Scaly-breasted Munia			1
9	House Finch	10	15	11	12	5	4
9	Lesser Goldfinch	2	5	2			3
9	Lark Sparrow						1
9	Dark-eyed Junco		2			1	2
9	Savannah Sparrow						1
9	Song Sparrow	10	5	5	4	10	10
9	California Towhee	1	4	4	1	1
9	Spotted Towhee			1
9	Western Meadowlark						15
9	Hooded Oriole			1	1	1
9	Red-winged Blackbird			11			11
9	Brown-headed Cowbird					18
9	Great-tailed Grackle		2	3	3		1
9	Orange-crowned Warbler	1	1			1	2
9	Common Yellowthroat		1			1	5
9	Yellow Warbler						1
9	Townsend’s Warbler						2
	Totals by Type	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep
1	Waterfowl	45	50	59	37	14	43
2	Water Birds – Other	263	516	155	192	68	155
3	Herons, Egrets & Ibis	13	7	22	12	12	14
4	Quail & Raptors	1	1	0	4	1	10
5	Shorebirds	29	6	9	139	157	142
6	Gulls & Terns	362	302	254	527	165	162
7	Doves	0	7	8	8	12	2
8	Other Non-Passerines	3	8	2	2	7	31
9	Passerines	57	118	92	70	92	119
	Totals Birds	773	1015	601	991	528	678
	Total Species	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep
1	Waterfowl	6	6	3	3	2	4
2	Water Birds – Other	3	8	5	3	5	4
3	Herons, Egrets & Ibis	4	3	5	5	5	6
4	Quail & Raptors	1	1	0	1	1	3
5	Shorebirds	8	2	5	8	12	12
6	Gulls & Terns	7	8	5	6	9	6
7	Doves	0	2	2	2	2	2
8	Other Non-Passerines	2	3	2	1	4	4
9	Passerines	14	19	17	9	22	27
	Totals Species	45	52	44	38	62	68