Del Rey Lagoon/Ballona Channel report for March 22, 2008
Back out to the Lagoon.
Stopped by the spot where the Burrowing Owl had been. I wanted to get some photos with my new camera, but the owl was nowhere to be seen.
I was hoping to find the female White-winged Scoter that's been reported in and around the channel. No luck. The darn female scoters all look the same to me. The field marks on the female white-wing can be hard to see especially when they are on the water.
Much better day for birding then my last outing. No wind today.
Again no life birds.
The list...American Coot, American Crow, Marbled Godwit, Mallards, Grey Lag Geese, Willet, Black-bellied Plover, Northern Mockingbird, Bushtits (heard), Snowy Egret, House Sparrow, Surfbirds (lots), Least Sandpipers, Double-crested Cormorant, Black Turnstone, Sanderlings (lots of them), Black Oystercatcher, Common Loon, Long-tailed Duck, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Caspian Tern (heard), Surf Scoter, Rock Dove, European Starlings, House Finch, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Killdeer, Cassin's Kingbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Mouring Dove (heard).
This was the first time I've seen a Cassin's Kingbird's at the lagoon. The Brewer's Blackbird's are always present, however, they tend to hang around the children's playground/restroom area, and I usually don't head over there when I'm at the lagoon. I went over there hoping to get some pictures of the Brewer's Blackbirds. I got some photos but nothing I'm really happy with. The blackbirds weren't very helpful, most of my shots are of them walking away from me.
I did see some type of bird of prey cruise out over the lagoon. Looked a bit like a Cooper's Hawk, but I couldn't be sure.
Near the boathouse was a dead partially eaten (yuck) Western Grebe. Funny how small it was, they look bigger when they're out on the water.