enhance the remaining habitats for wildlife. During the winter season, 

 several species of birds utilize the beaches during migration, including 

 the whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus , the sanderling, Crocethia alba , the 

 long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus , and the American golden 

 plover. Pluvial is dominica . 



On the rocky shore portion of the coast, Bass Rocks and rocks off 

 Point Mugu are used as roosting sites for seabirds. More important are 

 the two Channel Islands, Anacapa and San Nicholas. These two islands 

 provide major breeding sites for western gull, Larus occidental is , black 

 oyster catcher, Haematopus bachmani , and the endangered California brown 

 pelican. In 1970 Anacapa was the only known pelican nesting site on 

 the California coast (California Department of Fish and Game). San 

 Nicholas Island is a hauling ground for sea lions, Zalophus 

 californicus . 



The Ventura coast also features four bays, estuaries and marshes: 

 McGrath Lake, the Santa Clara River, Mugu Lagoon, and the mouth of the 

 Ventura River, totaling some 2,290 acres, support vast populations of 



migrating and resident waterfowl. Usage is estimated at 2.5 million 



19 

 bird days per year or 1,000 bird days per acre. The Natural Areas 



Coordinating Council lists 25 acreas as either unique for scientific 

 or educational interests, or representative of the various biotic com- 

 munities of the Southern California coastal ecosystem. Ten of these 

 areas are on the coast, including McGrath Beach, Ormond Beach, and 

 the mouths of the Santa Ana and Ventura Rivers. 



Direct threats to the Ventura coast from oil and gas industrial- 

 ization have been identified at Ormond Beach (a refinery and an LNG 



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