November 28, 2024 Cabrillo Beach and Pier; Point Vincente, Los Angeles County CA (51 Species) Callyn Yorke
Weather: Mostly fair with high clouds; 60F to 70F; winds ENE 2 – 5mph. Low tide @ 1200 hrs. Ocean surface calm; surf 1-3 ft..
Time: 0815- 1330 hrs.
Observers: Charles Hood, Dạ Thảo Lê Nguyễn and I (C. Yorke).
Areas Covered:
Cabrillo Beach and Fishing Pier (CBP, 0815 – 1030 hrs.).
Beginning at the main entrance and parking area bordering the beach, we surveyed adjacent sandy shorelines, rock breakwaters and cove (mostly submerged at high tide) at the base of a southeast facing cliff. We walked pathways around the bathhouse, inspecting ornamental shrubs and trees (e.g. pine and fruiting loquat) for birdlife. We made visual surveys from the entire length of the concrete pier, noting birds in the harbor to a distance of about 0.5 mi. using 10 x 42 binoculars and Nikon digital cameras (D850 & Z9) with telephoto lenses (Nikon pf 500mm & Nikon 600 mm). A brief survey was later made of a mixed species flock of gulls on the interior (harbor) beach.
Scuba divers harvesting invertebrates were in the outer cove; a few fishermen were on the pier. There was a steady influx of visitors throughout the morning, including an individual who was encouraging his unleashed dog to chase squirrels (Eastern Fox Squirrel) up into pine trees. Overall, visitation in the immediate area was light and birdlife appeared fairly well habituated to human presence.
Point Vincente (PV, 1104 – 1330 hrs.). We began in the west section of the park and walked the cliff-top pathway eastward, stopping frequently to observe birds in the seas and rocks below. A large pod of perhaps one-hundred dolphin were seen about 1.5 mi. offshore, moving northwestward at the surface. No other marine mammals were observed on or offshore.
Birdlife around the interpretive center was fairly active and diverse, particularly in native coastal sage plantings, lawns and clearings beneath pines. Judging from the relative abundance and conspicuousness of birds in the park during peak visiting hours, it appeared most species were habituated to human presence, even when accompanied by leashed dogs. Fortunately, as in CBP, the relative tameness of birds allowed us to obtain close-up images of several species.
BIRDS NOTED
- Surf Scoter (m,f; ad., imm) gregarious; small flocks swimming together, scattered around in the harbor and pier, CBP (photo); a large flock of about 30 birds (m,f; ad., imm) flying eastward in V-formation, low over the surface, offshore about 1 mile, PV.
- Bufflehead 12 (mf) greg. a fairly cohesive flock in open water near shore in the harbor, CBP.
- Pied-billed Grebe 1 in the northeast harbor backwater – seen while driving out of the northeast gate.
- Eared Grebe 3 swimming/diving in open water around the pier, CBP.
- Western Grebe 4 individuals resting in open water mostly beyond 0.1 mi. from the pier, CBP.
- Feral Rock Pigeon 3 in flight over the parking lot, CBP.
- Eurasian Collared Dove 2 in pines and flying around near the main entrance, CBP.
- Anna’s Hummingbird 2 (f) in pines around the bathhouse, CBP.
- Western Snowy Plover 2 (bsc. plmg.) greg. with SEPL at the high tide wrack line of outer the cove shore, CBP (photo).
- Semipalmated Plover 12 (bsc. plmg.) greg. a partly cohesive flock keeping to the upper shore and high tide wrack line, CBP (photo).
- Whimbrel 4 greg. foraging near tidepool rocks on the outer shore, CBP.
- Marbled Godwit 1 resting at the high tide wrack line on the outer shore, CBP (photo).
- Ruddy Turnstone 1 in breakwater rocks of outer shore, CBP.
- Spotted Sandpiper, 1 bsc. plmg. flushed from breakwater rocks to the shore; noting the relatively heavy tarsi and bill, this bird was initially mistaken for a tattler, CBP (photo).
- Willet 25 greg. small flocks on outer shore and breakwater rocks, CBP.
- Heermann’s Gull 11 (ad.; imm C2) greg. on shore of main (harbor) beach, in mixed species flock with WEGU, CAGU, RBGU and SBGU, CBP.
- Short-billed Gull 8 (ad. bsc. plmg.; imm. C2,C3) loosely greg. in msf with other gulls on shore of main (harbor) beach, CBP (photo).
- Ring-billed Gull 15 (ad.,bsc.; trans. alt. plmg.; imm. C1, C2, C3), loosely greg. on outer shore and main (harbor) beach in msf with other gulls, CBP (photo).
- Western Gull 14 (ad., bsc. plmg.; imm (C1-C4), greg. most individuals in msf with other gulls on inner harbor shore; several in water off outer shore, CBP.
- California Gull 8 (ad. bsc. plmg,; imm. C1-C3) on inner harbor shore in msf with other gulls, CBP.
- Royal Tern 3 (ad., imm.) vocal in flight over harbor bay, CBP.
- Elegant Tern 1 (imm) in distant flight near inner harbor shore, CBP.
- Pacific Loon 1 in distant, low flight n across harbor bay, CBP.
- Brandt’s Cormorant 3 on large partly submerged rocks in tidepool with a DCCO and PECO, PV.
- Pelagic Cormorant 2 on large tidepool rock with DCCO and BRCO, PV.
- Double-crested Cormorant 10 in low, rapid flight offshore, CBP; 2, on tidepool rock with BRCO, PV.
- Brown Pelican 20 (ad., imm.) small flocks in flight offshore and over harbor bay, CPB (photo); 20 distant small flocks flying low offshore, PV.
- Northern Harrier ? 1 ID: harrier profile in flight, showing long wings and tail; flying low over roadside clearing on Palos Verdes Dr., PV.
- Red-tailed Hawk 1 (ad.) seen as we were leaving PT, soaring over park and Palos Verdes Drive., PV.
- Downy Woodpecker 1 (f) initially seen on upper trunk of an ornamental yucca tree, then moving to the trunk of an adjacent palm, CBP (photo).
- Peregrine Falcon 2 a pair flying low, fast from offshore to cliff face below lighthouse. One falcon with a small waterbird (storm petrel size) in its talons. Reportedly nesting on the east side of the cliffs and out of view from PV park, PV.
- Black Phoebe 6 individuals sallying to shore, breakwater rocks, lawns and gardens, CBP; 3, individuals sallying to ground and lawns from fences and low tree limbs, PV.
- Say’s Phoebe 1 sallying from outdoor shower post to lawn and wrack high tide line, CBP; 2, individuals sallying to lawns from low limb and fence perches, PV (photo).
- Cassin’s Kingbird 3 vocal; greg., a pair on a light pole platform above the main parking lot, CBP.
- American Crow 5 greg. vocal, in flight over parking area and outer shore, CBP.
- Common (Northern) Raven 1 vocal on outer shore, CPB.
- Bushtit 16 greg. foraging in an ornamental pine next to the bathhouse, CBP (photo).
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 active in an interpretive center garden saltbush and cactus, CBP (photo).
- Rock Wren 4 vocal, greg., individuals and a pair active on a large, rock barrier wall between a lawn and walkway, PV (photo).
- European Starling 12 greg. vocal, in flight over parking lot; perched on utility poles, CBP.
- House Finch 6 (m,f) greg. on shore and edge of breakwater; gardens, CBP.
- White-crowned Sparrow 12 (ad., imm) in shrubs and trees, CBP; 12 in gardens, on lawns and in coastal sage scrub cliff margins, PV.
- Golden-crowned Sparrow 2 (imm.) individuals foraging with nearby WCSP on lawns beneath pines, PV (photo).
- Savannah Sparrow 1 foraging on lawn in picnic area, PV (photo).
- Song Sparrow 1 in garden next to interpretive center, PV.
- California Towhee 2 greg. a pair at roadside exit beneath ornamental plantings and coastal sage CBP; 4 greg. pairs on ground in and around gardens and marginal coastal sage, PV.
- Western Meadowlark 2 greg. a pair in ruderal, roadside field, PV.
- Orange-crowned Warbler 1 in flight between pines, PV.
- Common Yellowthroat 1 in msf with CATO, WCSP on shaded ground beneath pines and marginal coastal sage scrub, PV.
- Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler 6 (m,f) greg., vocal (calls) in a wide variety of shrubs and trees, CBP; 5 vocal, greg. mostly in pines and on lawns with WCSP, PV.
- Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler 1 foraging in msf with YR(A)WA in pines next to bathhouse, CBP.
- Townsend’s Warbler 1 (m) foraging in loquat tree at edge of main entrance, CBP.