CAPT OF A B737-400 FOUND DAMAGE TO THE #1 ENG DURING POSTFLT INSPECTION CAUSED BY A BIRD STRIKE DURING DEP AND CONTACTED COMPANY MAINT FOR INSPECTION AND SUBSEQUENT GROUNDING OF THE ACFT. HOWEVER; HE FORGOT TO MAKE A WRITE-UP IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK BEFORE LEAVING THE ACFT.

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ON POSTFLT INSPECTION AFTER ARR AT SNA; DISCOVERED EVIDENCE OF BIRD STRIKE ON THE #1 ENG. I IMMEDIATELY RADIOED COMPANY OPS AND TALKED TO THE GATE AGENT. I THEN MADE A PHONE CALL TO COMPANY MAINT CTL IN SEA. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE I MET WITH THE CONTRACT MECH AT THE #1 ENG. THE CREW AT THAT TIME WAS INFORMED THAT COMPANY HAD ANOTHER INBOUND FLT AND THAT WE WERE TO REMOVE OUR BELONGINGS FROM THE AIRPLANE; AS IT WAS ABOUT TO BE TOWED FROM THE GATE TO REMOTE PARKING. I THEN CALLED CREW SCHEDULING TO SEE WHAT THEY PLANNED FOR US. I ALSO ANSWERED A PHONE CALL FROM SNA ARPT OPS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE BELIEVED THE BIRD STRIKE OCCURRED ON TKOF FROM OAK AND NOT AT SNA. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I WAS INFORMED BY OPS THAT COMPANY MECHS WERE DRIVING FROM LAX TO COME AND FIX THE AIRPLANE AND THEN WAS TOLD TO DEADHEAD HOME TO SEA BY CREW SCHEDULING. AFTER THE 'DUST HAD SETTLED;' AS WE WERE RIDING HOME; I REALIZED AS PIC I HAD NOT ENTERED THE DISCREPANCY IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK; PRIMARILY DUE TO THE BREAK OF ROUTINE OF THE AIRPLANE BEING TOWED FROM THE GATE; WITH THE LOGBOOK IN THE AIRPLANE. UPON LNDG AT HOME BASE I AGAIN CALLED MAINT CTL TO ENSURE MY OBSERVATIONS WERE RECORDED. ALTHOUGH IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT ANOTHER CREW WOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED THE AIRPLANE; I STILL SHOULD HAVE LOGGED IT FIRST TO ENSURE THE DAMAGE NOT BEING OVERLOOKED.