[Additional Notes on the Birds of Laguna Beach]
LEON L. GARDNER
In accordance with the general plan of the Laguna Marine Laboratory, a part of the work was with the birds of the locality.
As mentioned in the First Annual Report of the Laboratory, Laguna Lakes, about four miles up Laguna Canyon; Balboa, eight miles up the coast, and the surrounding rocky wild hills of Laguna, afford rich and varied collecting. Perhaps the richest area of bird life lies between Laguna and Balboa, in the Irvine Ranch. This is a large tract of land comprising many thousands of acres, extending about seven miles up the coast from Laguna and eleven miles inland. The canyons here are steep and, in some localities, very wooded in contrast to the more open canyons farther down the coast. For years this land has been given over to cattle grazing, and the Irvine company, in order to safeguard the stock, have allowed no one, except their own range riders, to enter the property. In the years 1911 and 1912 this was a state game preserve, and there is considerable rumor among local residents that it was stocked with some kind of pheasants. However, I have neither seen nor heard of a specimen taken. In all events, the protection afforded the birds has been taken advantage of, and quail, road-runners, many species of hawks and all of the smaller birds thrive in abundance and safety.
The fifteen days of collecting were spent largely in covering as large an area as possible, to obtain the widest range of representative species, with field notes, etc., to be placed in the Laboratory building, as a nucleus for greater collections and for the benefit of the local residents or summer visitors who are interested in the work of the College.
The additions to the first list, published in the First Annual Report, as mentioned before, are as follows:
Gavia immer (Brünnich) Common Loon
A specimen taken in Balboa Bay, July 6, 1914. This is rather an unusual record, as the Loon is only a winter visitant; however, some are known to remain throughout the summer. Mr. Swarth tells me that this specimen had lost the power of flight during its molt. He thinks this seems to indicate that Loons lose the ability to fly during molting, as do the Anseres.
Gavia pacifica (Lawrence.) Pacific Loon
June 27, I found a dead Pacific Loon cast up on the beach. The specimen was in very worn and oddly colored plumage. On examination Mr. Swarth said it was a partial albino and had skipped a regular molt.