Phalarope phever!

This post was written by Erik Lyon, 2011 Mono Lake Intern.

Visit the shores of Mono Lake this weekend, and you’ll be in for a treat. Driving north of town along Highway 395, you might see shimmering clouds moving low over the lake in the morning sun. Make your way closer, perhaps down to the South Tufa boardwalk, and you’ll see that these clouds are flocks of tiny birds—phalaropes—that have stopped in at Mono Lake’s All-You-Can-Eat Fly & Shrimp Buffet.

Wilson’s and Red-Necked Phalaropes are here in numbers that have not been seen in many years, and the result is a spectacular sight on the lake. Vulnerable alone, phalaropes fly around the lake in great flocks before settling on a location to take their next meal. They are an aerial school of fish, rising, dipping, and swooping in what looks to be a highly coordinated dance. As the flock turns, they expose their white undersides one after the other, sending a flash of light across the flock.

Unfortunately for the little birds, predators do sometimes get the best of them. Last Saturday, July 23rd, one fleet of Mono Lake Committee canoes spotted a Peregrine Falcon picking off a phalarope that was separated from its flock! Also look out for these beautiful birds in the water, swimming in tiny loops to stir brine shrimp up to the lake’s surface. Phalaropes are magnificent birds, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have them in such great numbers, so come out to Mono Lake before they head south to South America for the fall and winter.

To see these birds and more from the water, sign up for your own guided canoe tour on Mono Lake!