February 3

Amid sunny skies, mild temperatures and a steady sea breeze, Caroline and I take a midday stroll along a favorite stretch of beach around Malaga Cove. Close to the urban sprawl of Torrance and Redondo Beach, this narrow corridor of sand has towering Palos Verdes cliffs on one side and the vast Pacific Ocean on the other. While Caroline searches for seashells, I approach a gathering of California gulls, including white-headed adults and grey-headed juveniles. After seeing tracks of gulls and humans on the moist sand, I spot a formation of Brown Pelicans flying low above the surf. Like Bald Eagles, these birds nearly disappeared from North America because of pesticides entering their food chain. In 1970, Brown Pelicans were listed as endangered. The plight of these birds led to a ban on DDT in 1972 allowing their numbers to rise enough to be delisted by 2009. However, since then, a drastic decline in their main food source (sardines) is threatening the species again. Further down the shoreline, I watch a group of Willets probing the sand for crabs, worms and insects as well as large clumps of Kelp washing up. Moving away from the water, I investigate a pile of sun-dried Kelp teeming with Kelp flies. The entire life cycle of these tiny dipterans is only 30 days while living exclusively on Kelp. Further ahead, I come upon a moderately fresh Pelican carcass. Proceeding from a sandy to a rocky beach, I pause to watch a Spotted Sandpiper searching for food. Among the various rocks are those with holes produced by boring clams that use a set of ridges or “teeth” on the outer surfaces of their shells to grind into the hard surface (stock photo). Turning around, I begin to explore the steep coastal cliffs where, not one but two Red Tailed Hawks perch against the rock face. Nearby, I watch ravens soar above the rock wall against the azure blue sky and a single Says Phoebe perch on a dead stalk. Approaching the car, I notice, among the lush ground vegetation, a stand of Pampas grass as well as blossoms of Beach Suncup, Sea Rocket and California poppy.

Beach concert

Ocean quartet

Stage is ready

Maestro is set

Sand Piper solo

Along the shore

Gulls serenade

As they soar

Lapping waves

Melodic winds

Percussive surf

Encore begins

D. DeGraaf