Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Free bird walks at Mono Lake County Park have begun

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

This post was written by Krista Fanucchi, 2019 Birding Intern.

Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us for a free bird walk at Mono Lake County Park at 8:00am on Fridays and Sundays.

A male Northern Flicker in its cavity nest. Both sexes take turns with egg incubation. Photo courtesy of Rick Spanel.

The dawn chorus has been offering a beautiful mix of Western Meadowlarks, House Wrens, Yellow Warblers, Bullock’s Orioles, and many more feathered friends. Other exciting observations have included multiple Wilson’s Snipes and a few Wilson’s Phalaropes (MANY more phalaropes to come later).

Birding during the breeding season is a great time to observe a variation in nesting behavior that is both fascinating and complex. It is also a good reminder at this time to always observe nests from a safe distance—this is when our binoculars and scopes really come in handy!

During the bird walks we take a leisurely stroll through a variety of habitats including sagebrush scrub, ageing woodland with dead snags, towering cottonwoods, willows, and lakeshore/wetland. Sign up to join us here, or meet us at the County Park parking lot and bring sunscreen, plenty of water, a hat, and binoculars (if you have them). All experience levels are welcome!