For ten of the last fifteen years, we have conducted a breeding bird count at Mono Lake and we’re looking for participants for 1998. Our area (the "Christmas count circle") is centered in Lee Vining. This includes much of the western shore of Mono Lake, as well as parts of Lundy and Lee Vining Canyons. This project was first initiated by David Gaines in the late 1980s, and Mono Lake birders have celebrated his memory by continuing to conduct this count.

Last year, on June 14 with Mono Lake’s level at 6,382 feet, over a dozen intrepid counters braved an unseasonably late snowstorm to participate in the 1997 count. Enduring rain, snow, and hail, we set a new record with 117 total species counted (the old record was 113 in 1989), confirmed nesting for two new species for the count (blue grouse and vesper sparrow), and observed four new species (peregrine falcon, California quail, indigo bunting, and northern mockingbird). During the past eleven years, we have tallied a grand total of 177 species in the breeding bird count circle.

Summary data on confirmed nesting species has been forwarded to the Point Reyes Bird Observatory, which will be compiling this information into GIS maps to document declining riparian and songbird species in California. These maps can be viewed at their web site (www.prbo.org/prbo).

We hope you can join us on Saturday, June 13, for the 1998 count. Participants need to have a working knowledge of common California birds. Be sure to bring food, water, binoculars, and a clipboard; a spotting scope and a 4WD vehicle could be useful. Expect Mono’s birds to be at the height of song and activity. Abundant Mono Lake species at this time of year include green-tailed towhees, sage thrashers, house wrens, red-breasted sapsuckers, and Brewer’s sparrows.

To participate, contact Emilie at emilie@stillwatersci.com or (510) 540-8749 for more information. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by June 1.