Late Autumn in Birdland

Checking in with the Southern California bird scene, two locales yielded an assortment of species. First up, an estuary on the coast. During a recent visit to the Malibu Lagoon with the Santa Monica Bay chapter of the National Audubon Society, several familiar bird species caught my attention for their plumage and bill displays. TheseContinue reading “Late Autumn in Birdland”

Love is in the Air

A mid-February visit to the Malibu Lagoon did not disappoint. The water level was quite low, resulting in fewer birds and species. At midday, California brown pelicans were preening on islets in the middle of Malibu Creek, surrounded by gulls and cormorants.  Several pelicans sported poppy red breeding plumage on their necks.   The light blue eyes are aContinue reading “Love is in the Air”

American Coots

American Coots were easily spotted on a recent visit to the Malibu Lagoon. A fresh water basin in Western Los Angeles County, the restored estuary once again hosts a variety of birdlife year around, fed by water draining out of Malibu Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. The level of the water was low onContinue reading “American Coots”