Anaheim Coves at Burris Basin

Anaheim, CA

Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 9:00am

The January weekday field trip to the Burris Basin (Anaheim Coves Trail) holds the promise of new discovery.  This 14-acre park was opened to public access a just few weeks ago on November 15, 2011, and is touted to be a potentially great birding spot.  This linear park lines the perimeter of Burris Basin in Anaheim (a facility owned and operated by the Orange County Water District).  Burris Basin itself is a 125-acre groundwater recharge basin, immediately adjacent to the Santa Ana River , and stretches approximately one mile between Ball Road on the south and Lincoln Avenue on the north.

The new park is confined to Burris Basin 's somewhat narrow perimeter.  Although the park lies along the western perimeter of Burris Basin , it connects to a trail that runs along the berm separating the Santa Ana River from Burris, which can potentially offer additional birding opportunities. The western edge of Burris already supports a narrow growth of riparian habitat, and the Anaheim Coves Trail has been planted with native riparian and upland vegetation to compliment the habitat that was already present.

Seasonally, and depending on the water levels currently being maintained in the Basin, Burris can be an interesting birding site for a variety of water birds. It typically gets wintering flocks of American White Pelicans (as many as 500) and Common Mergansers.  This venue is great for using a scope, as the vistas overlooking the water are wide open.  So if you have a scope, you should bring it.

To get to the venue, take the 57 Fwy to Lincoln Avenue exit in Anaheim .  Go east on Lincoln and turn right into the parking lot located just before you reach the Basin   If you would prefer to carpool, please meet at the south end of the El Dorado Branch Library, on Studebaker Road just south of Spring Street, at 8:00am.  Otherwise, meet at the field trip site at 9:00am.  Sadly, rain cancels the trip.

Malibu Creek State Park (and Lagoon)

1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas (and Malibu ), CA

Saturday, January 21, 2012, 9:00am

The weekend field trip for January will be to beautiful Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas, followed by a stop at Malibu Lagoon.  Over 250 species of birds have been observed at the park and the lagoon.  Just 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles , the park features hiking, fishing, bird watching and horseback riding opportunities. The park was the center of Chumash Native American life for centuries.  There are 15 miles of streamside trail through oak and sycamore woodlands on chaparral-covered slopes.  Twenty-five miles long, Malibu Creek is the principal watercourse of the Santa Monica Mountains , from Boney Mountain to Malibu Lagoon.  Don’t worry; we will not be traversing the whole 25 miles.  The trail along Malibu Creek explores the heart of the state park and is an easy, nearly level walk that visits a dramatic rock gorge, Century Lake and several locales popular with moviemakers and television producers.  Numerous movies and TV shows, such as Planet of the Apes, Tarzan, Swiss Family Robinson, and M*A*S*H were all filmed here.

Directions to trailhead:  From Pacific Coast Highway, turn inland on Malibu Canyon Road and proceed 6.5 miles to the park entrance, 0.25 mile south of Mulholland Highway .  Or you could take the Ventura Freeway (101) north to the Las Virgenes Road exit.  Go south on Las Virgenes and continue four miles to the park entrance.  If you would prefer to carpool, please meet at the south end of the El Dorado Branch Library, on Studebaker Road just south of Spring Street, at 7:30am.  Otherwise, meet at the field trip site at 9:00am.  Sadly, rain cancels the trip.  This will be an all day event so bring some snacks and a lunch!  It should be a lot of fun, so try to make it!

Hiking Suggestions: From the parking area, follow the wide fire-road.  You’ll cross the all-but-dry creek.  The road soon forks into a high road and a low road.  Go right and walk along the oak-shaded high road, which makes a long, lazy left arc as it follows the north bank of Malibu Creek.  You’ll reach an intersection and turn left on a short road that crosses a bridge over Malibu Creek.

You’ll spot the Gorge Trail and follow it upstream a short distance to the gorge, one of the most dramatic sights in the Santa Monica Mountains . Malibu Creek makes a hairpin turn through 400-foot volcanic rock cliffs and cascades into aptly named Rock Pool.  Return to the trailhead or retrace your steps back to the high road and bear left toward Century Lake .  As the road ascends you’ll be treated to a fine view of Las Virgenes Valley.  When you gain the crest of the hill, you’ll look down on Century Lake .  Near the lake are hills of porous lava and topsy-turvy sedimentary rock layers that tell of the violent geologic upheaval that formed Malibu Canyon .  You can call it a day here, or continue on the fire road past Century Lake .  You’ll pass the location of the now-removed set for the “M*A*S*H” television series. The prominent Goat Buttes that tower above Malibu Creek were featured in the opening shot of each episode.

112th Annual CBC

By Carolyn Vance, CBC Co-chair

CBC is right around the corner!  Plan on joining us on Monday, December 26th – what better way to de-stress from the holidays than to get out in the field and look at birds!  We need people to not only identify the birds, we also need spotters, tally-ers, and drivers.

To help make this year’s the best ever, here are some suggestions:

Bring binoculars & field guides.  If you have a scope, bring it along.

Remember to bring a pen and/or pencil with erasure for the tally sheet.  Some people like a clipboard as well.

Thomas Guide or GPS unit.  Our Count Circle is a 15 mile diameter from approximately the intersection of the 605 Fwy & 91 Fwy.

$5 donation per adult participant, to help off-set the costs of publication and web upkeep.  If you bird at your feeder, it’s free.  Just e-mail me the results at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

CBC ends at 4:00 p.m. or whenever you get your area(s) done.  We will then meet for dinner at Straw Hat Pizza, 6522 Spring St., Long Beach at 4:30 p.m. and  the recap.  We have reserved the room to the right when you come in the door.  There will be signs posted.

El Dorado’s Count Circle always does extremely well.  Last year we placed 33rd out of the 1,714 circles in the U.S. and Mexico with 169 species counted we had the highest count of Swan Goose (11) in the entire CBC!  Last year’s entire CBC has 2,215 count circles, 61,359,451 birds counted and 62,624 observers both in the field and at feeders. Let’s try to beat last year’s numbers!

To be pre-assigned an area, call Donna at 562-743-6399 or meet Carolyn at the Library parking lot at 7:30 a.m.  For more information, visit our website at www.eldoradoaudubon.org.  We do CBC rain or shine!