Look for waterfowl on the lagoon, particularly in the winter. Shorebirds gather along the sandy beaches and move to mudflats along the edges of the lagoon especially during high tide, when less foraging habitat is available on the beach. Trees at Pearl Chase Park (here) often host migratory birds in fall. Small wetlands at the northwest end and north central borders of the lagoon feature some willows, bulrushes, and other plants which can attract unique species. 

Please note that there are a separate hotspots for seawatching from Campus Point, for birding the main campus away from the Lagoon, for Manzanita Village to the west of the Lagoon, and for East Beach to the east (south of Goleta Slough).

Ducks, fish-eating birds, and songbirds associated with sage scrub, oaks, and non-native trees. Some years the lagoon hosts many Red-breasted Mergansers and Forster's Terns. Tropical Kingbird has become regular at this site in the last several years. Many rare birds have wintered here, including Eurasian Wigeon. 

The UCSB Lagoon was most likely once connected to the ocean and experienced tidal phenomena similar to current conditions at Devereux Slough or Goleta Slough. However, in the 1940s it was modified by the United States Military with permanent dams at the outlets which prevented incoming seawater. After the university purchased the land in 1950, it began actively pumping seawater into the lagoon to maintain its levels and prevent smelly conditions and fish kills during dry periods. Today, the lagoon receives a combination of pumpted-in seawater and runoff from main campus. This leads to seasonally varying salinity, ranging from mostly salty during the summer to brackish in winter and spring. 

Numerous restoration projects have been conducted around the lagoon by the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological restoration. These include prescribed burns on 'Lagoon Island' every other year, removal of invasive ice plant, and restoration to native sage scrub and oak woodland. The Cheadle Center has also conducted monthly bird surveys here continuously for more than a decade.

Most parking near the lagoon requires a parking permit. Consider Lot 6 or Lot 22, which both have $8 daily visitor parking passes available. There are also numerous bike racks all over campus. 

A trail runs around the entire border of the lagoon, including along both the north and south ends of the Lagoon Island. The Cheadle Center provides a virtual walking tour with information on sights to watch out for.