A group of volunteers conducted monthly bird surveys at San Elijo Lagoon, San Diego County, California, over a ten-year period from November 1973 to October 1983. This paper summarizes the data gathered during those surveys and includes non-count records from before, during, and after the survey period to provide a comprehensive picture of the lagoon's avifauna through April 1987. The large number of surveys (120), conducted on a regular basis, allows for a quantitative assessment of each species' status.