Abbotts Lagoon is a lagoon on the northwestern coast of the Point Reyes National Seashore, southwest of Tomales Point, in California, United States. The inland portion of the lagoon receives freshwater runoff, but the lagoon may be brackish from occasional winter tidal exchange along its western edge. The eastern shore of the lagoon is covered with old growth northern coastal scrub including coyote bush, yellow bush lupine, sword fern and California blackberry.Stallcup, Rich & Pitkin, Melissa Discovering Birds at Point Reyes (2007) Point Reyes National Seashore Association pp. 35–37
Geology Abbotts Lagoon is usually separated from the Pacific Ocean by dune sand to the west. The eastern side of the lagoon is bordered by Miocene marine sediments to the north and Pliocene marine sediments to the south from sedimentary rock formations on the western side of the San Andreas Fault.Koenig, James B. Geologic Map of California:Santa Rosa Sheet (1976) State of California Resources Agency Santa Margarita Sandstone atop the Monterey Formation forms a ridge along the southern side of the valley containing the lagoon inland of the pedestrian bridge, and is exposed along the eastern shoreline of the lagoon seaward of the pedestrian bridge.
History Coast Miwok lived in the area before 19th-century European colonization. The lagoon land was used for cattle and dairy ranching by the 1870s. Abbotts Lagoon was variously identified as Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Target, Abbott's Lagoon Target Area, Abbott's Lagoon Bombing Range, and Bombing Range Number Two while used as a dive bomber practice area by pilots from Alameda Naval Air Station and Santa Rosa outlying field from 1941 to 1952. The lagoon was designated part of Point Reyes National Seashore in 1962.
Recreation Walking trails provide access to observe the birds and wildflowers of the locally unique habitats surrounding Abbotts Lagoon.Bay Area Hiker: Abbotts Lagoon Brush rabbits, black-tailed jackrabbits, pocket gophers, muskrats, river otter and black-tailed deer may be seen around the lagoon. Coyote, bobcat, gray fox, long-tailed weasel, striped skunk, raccoon, badger, and cougar are rarely seen.Stallcup, Rich & Pitkin, Melissa Discovering Birds at Point Reyes (2007) Point Reyes National Seashore Association p.39
Birding
Bird species observed at Abbotts Lagoon include: Auks - common murre - pigeon guillemot Blackbirds - Brewer's blackbird - brown-headed cowbird - red-winged blackbird - tricolored blackbird Cormorants - Brandt's cormorant - double-crested cormorant - pelagic cormorant Ducks - American wigeon - bufflehead - cinnamon teal - common goldeneye - common merganser - gadwall - greater scaup - green-winged teal - lesser scaup - mallard - northern pintail - northern shoveler - red-breasted merganser - ring-necked duck - ruddy duck - surf scoter Eagles - golden eaglepoint Reyes National Seashore Falcons - merlin - peregrine falcon - prairie falcon Finches - American goldfinch - house finch Geese - black brant Grebes - black-necked grebeAdam Paul - Clark's grebe - horned grebe - pied-billed grebe - western grebe Gulls - California gull - common gull - glaucous-winged gull - Heermann's gull - herring gull - ring-billed gull - Thayer's gull - western gull Hawks - Cooper's hawk - ferruginous hawk - northern harrier - osprey - red-shouldered hawk - red-tailed hawk - rough-legged buzzard - sharp-shinned hawk - white-tailed kite Herons - American bittern - great blue heron - great egret - snowy egret Hummingbirds - Allen's hummingbirdStallcup, Rich & Pitkin, Melissa Discovering Birds at Point Reyes (2007) Point Reyes National Seashore Association pp. 36–37 - Anna's hummingbird Larks - shore lark - western meadowlark Loons - black-throated loonSutton Center - common loon - Pacific loon - red-throated loon Owls - barn owl - burrowing owl - short-eared owl Pelicans - brown pelican - great white pelican Phoebes - black phoebe - Say's phoebe Pipits - buff-bellied pipit Plovers - grey plover - western snowy plover - killdeer (The western snowy plover is considered "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.) QuailRockskipper Rails - American cootPoint Reyes Light - Virginia rail Raven Sandpipers - greater yellowlegs - marbled godwit - sanderling - willet - Wilson's snipe Sparrows - fox sparrow - golden-crowned sparrow - grasshopper sparrow - Savannah sparrow - song sparrow - spotted towhee - white-crowned sparrow Swallows - barn swallow - cliff swallow - northern rough-winged swallow - tree swallow - violet-green swallow Swans - trumpeter swanFog - tundra swan Terns - Caspian tern - elegant tern Thrushes - western bluebird Vulture Warblers - common yellowthroat - ruby-crowned kinglet - yellow-rumped warbler Woodpeckers - northern flicker Wrens - Bewick's wren - marsh wren Wrentit
Flora Abbotts Lagoon is the location of the single remaining natural population of the endangered plant species Sonoma spineflower (Chorizanthe valida).USFWS. Chorizanthe valida Five-year Review. August 2010.
See also List of lakes in the San Francisco Bay Area List of lakes in California
References
External links River otter in Abbotts Lagoon Abbotts Lagoon: Calflora Great Places to View Native Plants