Existing comment:
Oasis in the Desert
Walking on Water?
Look around this inlet for the birds pictured here. From late June through August, you may glance up to see huge flock of Phalaropes flashing in the sun. By late October, Eared Grebes gather in such tremendous numbers that you could imagine walking across the water on their backs.
Historically, over a million waterfowl visited Mono Lake; however, their populations have drastically declined with the loss of wetlands habitat as the lake level dropped. Currently, efforts are being made to restore these valuable estuaries in the hopes that Mono Lake may once again provide a haven for a variety of migratory birds.
International Visitors:
Nearly two million birds, including 100 different species, use Mono Lake as an "avian gas station" on their north-south migrations. Some travel from the Arctic all the way to the tip of South America!
To recognize Mono Lake's international importance, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network designated it as a reserve in 1991. Mono Lake has a sister reserve located at Laguna Mar Chiquita, Argentina, where some of Mono Lake's Wilson's Phalaropes winter. Through their flights, shorebirds remind us that international cooperation is crucial to the future of our shared biodiversity. |