[Text by Chuck Almdale; photos by Ray Juncosa, Larry Loeher & Grace Murayama]

Partly cloudy, as you can see, temperatures mostly in the high 50s with a slight breeze. The sea was about as flat as it can get; only four people in the water, vainly waiting for a wave. Waveless winter days means a depopulated beach. The lagoon channel to the sea had moved well to the east, next to Adamson House; the wide rushing icy cold stream kept beachwalkers from wandering westward from the pier.

Near our meeting spot under the metal pavilion – I can’t come up with a better name – a few ducks and coots paddled around the channels and a miscellany of sandpipers were on the sand. Several Killdeer were screaming bloody murder for reasons known only to themselves. The cormorant-of-the-day, pictured below, assigned snag duty, looked quite frosted, from what I don’t know. Perhaps the cold lagoon water.

Some of the cormorants have developed their bushy white eyebrow-crests of breeding, but not the one above. If you look closely at the Great Blue Heron below, you can see his (or her) chestnut shoulder-patch and chestnut legs.

Canada Geese have nested at the lagoon for at least the past three years. They appreciate the brushy sand islands, as people never wade out to them. There were nine in the lagoon and channels, checking everything out.

The Lesser Goldfinches were numerous and noisy, feeding on seed heads. This male has developed his black cap.

Looking west from the path to the beach, just north of Malibu Colony, as in the photo below, you can see the red roofs and white stone bell tower of Pepperdine University at the far left.

We had a lot of Brown Pelicans in all stages of plumage. Photographer Ray Juncosa became fascinated by their landing, flapping and bill-poking. Most of them were offshore just past the surf-(less) zone, but about 60 were in the lagoon, the channels, and on the low rocks after the water level dropped towards the 4pm low tide.

The brown ones are the immatures. The adults get colorful creamy-yellow and brown heads and necks, red gular pouches and silvery backs.

When waves aren’t crashing over them, the outer rocks often have cormorants, a seal and the occasional Black Oystercatcher. This is the best place to find either Brandt’s or Pelagic Cormorants. These two species hate to venture inland, and crossing the beach all the way to the lagoon is simply too far for them to chance the journey. If you don’t see them on the rocks, they may be in the water somewhere in the vicinity of the surf zone, paddling around, diving for fish.

The beach from lagoon-edge to shore, from the colony to lagoon outlet, was covered with driftwood, shells – mostly mussel – and seaweed. I can’t recall ever seeing so much flotsam and jetsam on this portion of the beach.

Towards the lagoon edge and among the chunks of wood were 21 roosting Snowy Plovers, out of the breeze and nearly out of sight. Among them were scattered a few Sanderlings, a common roost-mate of Snowy Plovers.

We’d seen 18 Snowies in October, only one in November, and none at all in December and January. They’d probably been on the east shore, hiding within the driftwood piled up on the east side until the recent storm shifted everything around.

Malibu Lagoon on eBird as of 3-01-24: 7530 lists, 319 species
Most recent species added: Red-breasted Nuthatch (31 October 2023, Kyle Te Poel).

Birds new for the season: Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Snowy Plover, Western Sandpiper, Red-throated Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, Cassin’s Kingbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.  “New for the season” means it has been three or more months since last recorded on our trips.

Many, many thanks to photographers: Ray Juncosa, Larry Loeher & Grace Murayama

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

• Sepulveda Basin Sat Mar 9, 8:00 am.
• Malibu Lagoon, Sun. Mar 24, 8:30 (adults) & 10 am (parents & kids)
• Sycamore Canyon Sat. Apr 6, 8:00 am
• 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: “Coevolving Cowbirds and Their Hosts” with Dr. Pablo Weaver, Evening Meeting, Tuesday, Mar 5, 2023, 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
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 and 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 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 2023-24	9/24	10/22	11/26	12/24	1/28	2/25
	Temperature	56-74	62-70	62-68	53-64	53-64	51-62
	Tide Lo/Hi Height	H+3.77	L+3.34	H+6.53	H+6.20	H+5.06	H+5.06
	Tide Time	0739	1029	0740	0644	1008	0921
1	Canada Goose				21	8	9
1	Cinnamon Teal			3	1	3
1	Northern Shoveler		1		13	10
1	Gadwall	40	23	30	27	54	40
1	American Wigeon			5	14
1	Mallard	12		9	8	7	35
1	Green-winged Teal	1		31	8	17	25
1	Lesser Scaup			1
1	Surf Scoter		15	8	3	4	32
1	Bufflehead			5	18	12
1	Red-breasted Merganser			20	5	4	2
1	Ruddy Duck		12	22	37	30	1
2	Pied-billed Grebe	1	4	6	2	2
2	Horned Grebe				1
2	Eared Grebe				1	1
2	Western Grebe		28	13	18	14	240
7	Feral Pigeon	4	3	4	4	4	4
7	Eurasian Collared-Dove						1
7	Mourning Dove	5	1				4
8	Anna’s Hummingbird	2	2		2		1
8	Allen’s Hummingbird	1	4	1	3	5	5
2	Sora	1
2	American Coot	49	157	230	280	148	46
5	Black Oystercatcher				1
5	Black-bellied Plover	82	79	7	52	45	42
5	Killdeer	6	1	5	20	18	12
5	Semipalmated Plover	3
5	Snowy Plover	22	18	1			21
5	Whimbrel	32	23	4	8	4	6
5	Long-billed Curlew	3
5	Marbled Godwit	48	45	5	11	5	20
5	Short-billed Dowitcher	2
5	Spotted Sandpiper	3
5	Willet	29	56	12	22	3	15
5	Ruddy Turnstone	4	10	1	10	5	2
5	Sanderling	32	27	69	10	7	10
5	Least Sandpiper	18	6	35	28	16	20
5	Western Sandpiper	15					8
6	Bonaparte’s Gull				3
6	Heermann’s Gull	51	55	71	22	12	60
6	Ring-billed Gull		4	42	34	25	200
6	Western Gull	65	45	68	64	30	85
6	Herring Gull			1	1	2
7	Lesser Black-backed Gull				1
6	California Gull	7	7	220	425	270	400
6	Glaucous-winged Gull			1	5	3	3
6	Forster’s Tern	1
6	Elegant Tern	24	2	1
6	Royal Tern	4	5	12	7	3
2	Red-throated Loon						1
2	Pacific Loon			1		1	1
2	Common Loon		1
2	Black-vented Shearwater	20	28
2	Brandt’s Cormorant			1			1
2	Pelagic Cormorant	1	2		5	1	4
2	Double-crested Cormorant	30	48	37	47	18	28
2	Brown Pelican	27	12	26	72	26	300
3	Black-crowned Night-Heron	2			1	1
3	Snowy Egret	5	2	20	18	7	6
3	Green Heron	3	1
3	Great Egret		6	4	2
3	Great Blue Heron	3	2	4	2	1	3
4	Turkey Vulture		1	2	2
4	Osprey	1	1	2	1	1
4	Red-shouldered Hawk	1			1
4	Red-tailed Hawk	1	2			1
8	Belted Kingfisher	2	1		1	1	2
8	Downy Woodpecker				1
8	Nuttall’s Woodpecker	1			1
8	Hairy Woodpecker				1
8	Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)		1
4	American Kestrel	1
4	Peregrine Falcon			1
8	Nanday Parakeet		2
9	Black Phoebe	4	4	2	4	1	4
9	Say’s Phoebe			1
9	Cassin’s Kingbird						1
9	California Scrub-Jay	2			1	2	2
9	American Crow	6	44	3	5	10	10
9	Common Raven	2			1
9	Oak Titmouse	3	1		1
9	Northern Rough-winged Swallow	2
9	Barn Swallow	4
9	Bushtit	8	22	50		12	12
9	Wrentit	4	1	4	3	1	2
9	Ruby-crowned Kinglet			1
9	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher			2			1
9	House Wren	2	2	3	2		1
9	Marsh Wren			1
9	Bewick’s Wren	1		1
9	European Starling	15	12	22	28	2	19
9	Hermit Thrush					1
9	House Finch	6	5	6	9	12	12
9	Lesser Goldfinch			2		6	20
9	Dark-eyed Junco				2
9	White-crowned Sparrow		10	20	27	15	12
9	Savannah Sparrow	1
9	Song Sparrow	5	5	6	7	10	10
9	California Towhee	3	1	2	1	1	2
9	Red-winged Blackbird	7	15		16	2	35
9	Great-tailed Grackle	1	20		1		1
9	Orange-crowned Warbler	1	2			2	2
9	Common Yellowthroat	2	4	8	5	5	2
9	Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s)		5	12	6	6	10
9	Townsend’s Warbler		1
9	Wilson’s Warbler	1
9	Western Tanager	1
9	Black-headed Grosbeak	1
	Totals by Type	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb
1	Waterfowl	53	51	134	155	149	144
2	Water Birds – Other	129	280	314	426	211	621
3	Herons, Egrets & Ibis	13	11	28	23	9	9
4	Quail & Raptors	4	4	5	4	2	0
5	Shorebirds	299	265	139	162	103	156
6	Gulls & Terns	152	118	416	562	345	748
7	Doves	9	4	4	4	4	9
8	Other Non-Passerines	6	10	1	9	6	8
9	Passerines	82	154	146	119	88	158
	Totals Birds	747	897	1187	1464	917	1853
	Total Species	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb
1	Waterfowl	3	4	10	11	10	7
2	Water Birds – Other	7	8	7	8	8	8
3	Herons, Egrets & Ibis	4	4	3	4	3	2
4	Quail & Raptors	4	3	3	3	2	0
5	Shorebirds	14	9	9	9	8	10
6	Gulls & Terns	6	6	8	9	7	5
7	Doves	2	2	1	1	1	3
8	Other Non-Passerines	4	5	1	6	2	3
9	Passerines	23	17	18	17	16	19
	Totals Species – 108	67	58	60	68	57	57