The California Gull breeding grounds northeast of Negit Island in Mono Lake.

Last July, in a chicken-wire fenced plot on an islet known as Little Tahiti, California Gull banders Kristie Nelson and Nora Livingston spotted one notable adult gull among the masses. It had both a white plastic band and a metal ID band above its ankle, on the “drumstick” part of its leg (though that may be an unsavory description). Odd, they thought, no one bands that part of the leg these days.  Kristie, who has headed up the gull banding on Mono Lake’s islets since 2005, remembered seeing this distinctive bird in the same corner of this particular study plot during other seasons, too. She suspected it was an old bird and knew that, in early banding days on Mono Lake, researchers had placed colored bands—white, say—on chicks from different  islets.

The banding scene on the Mono Lake islets is well-described as calm and collected chaos. While the adult gulls scream bloody cacophony, two banders, including Kristie, sit on overturned crates, sheets spread across their laps like aprons. Then, brave assistants such as Nora (more…)

Did you catch an Osprey in flight with a fish in its talons … a beautiful sunset in a tufa grove … a flower show up Lundy Canyon … a natural history mystery … a beautiful rainstorm over the Mono Craters?  There are 86,400 seconds in a day, which means there are about that many great photographs to be taken at Mono Lake every day.  We know there are some amazing photographs taken by Mono Lake Committee members and friends, and we’d love to see them.

So, you can now share your Mono Lake photos on the Mono Lake Website!

It’s simple: upload your photos to the Mono Lake Flickr group, and they are randomly chosen to appear (more…)

It has been an unusual summer for water. With just 104% of average runoff forecasted for the Mono Basin, sudden warmth the first week in June brought peak flows down the creeks more typical of a wet year. But despite the high flows in the creeks during June and July, the total volume is not representative of a wetter year.

Grant Lake Reservoir spilled from July 3rd until the (more…)

It was hot and dry down at the Mill Creek culvert last Wednesday — perfect weather for a party! An invasive plant pulling party, that is.  Volunteers and interns enjoyed free snacks and sunshine as we worked, and whenever we needed a break the icy cold creek water invited us to wade right in.  After only two hours the four of us had uprooted sixty pounds of woolly mullein and sweet clover!

Defeating invasive weeds in the Mono Basin may seem like a lost cause, but even an hour or two of pulling can make a huge difference in (more…)

The Ooolation Singers will perform tonight at the Forest Service Visitor Center in Lee Vining, beginning at 7:00pm as the sun sets. Admission is free, and you’ll want to arrive early to get a good seat! This concert celebrates the splendor of the Eastern Sierra with splashes of dulcimer, dance, and percussion in songs from all over the world—it’s not to be missed.

What is Ooolation? Ooolation is a summer vocal experience made up of teenage and young adult singers. They come from across the country to camp in the mountains above Mono Lake for two intense weeks of singing, percussion, and performance. (more…)