It’s not every day that your dreams and scientific research converge, but sometimes the stars—or the grebes—align, and something magical happens. That’s exactly what happened on September 20, 2025, when I had the unique opportunity to join one of the…
Last week Wilson’s Phalaropes, the small shorebirds that rely on saline lakes like Mono Lake, inched toward protection under the Endangered Species Act. The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) released a “positive 90-day finding,” which advances the birds to…
The Mono Lake Christmas Bird Count (CBC) took place on December 16, 2025. This was the 46th Mono Lake CBC and the 126th year of the event overall. Twenty volunteer birders counted every bird they could see or hear in the 15-mile diameter CBC circle centered on…
This gorgeous short film shows an inside look at phalarope research at Mono Lake with researchers Ryan Carle and Nora Livingston. It’s worth a watch to see the research from the water, view great footage of birds on Mono Lake,…
If you like the holidays, birds, and know how to count, then the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is for you! The 2025 CBC marks the 126th year that the National Audubon Society has organized this international community science event. Every…
On a string of August nights, a team of researchers from the science non-profit Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge* successfully captured, tagged, and released seven Red-necked Phalaropes and four Wilson’s Phalaropes at Mono Lake. Ten of the 11 birds have been detected…
After more than six years of collaboration, permitting, and piecing together logistics, the Mono Lake Committee has successfully installed three new Motus arrays around Mono Lake. This marks a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to better understand the migratory movements…
Productivity of alkali flies, brine shrimp, and birds threatened by increased salinity Water diversions by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) began more than 80 years ago, depriving Mono Lake of water and upending the hydrologic balance…
Until last fall, the Mount Lyell shrew (Sorex lyelli) was the only known mammal in California that had never been photographed alive, despite being scientifically identified more than 100 years ago. That changed in November 2024 when three researchers successfully…
If you like the holidays, birds, and know how to count, then the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is for you! The 2024 CBC marks the 125th year that the National Audubon Society has organized this international community science event. Every…
