On Thanksgiving morning, the Malibu Lagoon naturally breached at the best and lowest point on the sand berm, closest to the Colony. This was not because of the sand deposits trucked in and bulldozed by beaches and harbors from Zuma Beach.
A whole new wetland dynamic has transformed the lagoon as wildlife adapts to the new tidal conditions of an open berm. During low tides, shore birds and pipers have moved into the mud flats and are picking things out from the sand. Dozens of egrets and herons have relocated to new fishing holes depending on the tide elevations. Ruddies, mallards, coots and grebes are still sticking to the shallows near the winter ramp and, lo and behold, the lone Canada goose finally got a mate to hang out with and they are hanging out near the ramp, too.
Large fish are still swimming around in the deeper pools and I got to witness an osprey dive for a good-sized fish today. It managed to airlift it to a sycamore tree over the Perenchio Golf Course and picked away at it piece by piece.
Huge numbers of lagoon creatures have been feasting better than they have in decades! It has been a bountiful Thanksgiving for the feathered ones!
Steve Woods