The California Gull (Larus californicus), the iconic gull species at Mono Lake and the state bird of Utah, is in trouble. These soaring and gregarious birds have nested in large numbers for millennia at Mono and Great Salt Lake, returning…
This winter has exceeded all expectations in terms of snowfall at Mono Lake. From the Mono Basin’s tallest mountains to the low-lying shores of the lake, the snowpack is deep and persisted through the month of March in an unprecedented…
April 2023 update: Record wet winter at Mono Lake will help protect California Gulls in 2023 This winter has exceeded all expectations in terms of snowfall at Mono Lake. Read more about what this means for protecting California Gulls this…
An emergency situation now exists for nesting birds and water quality at Mono Lake. The lake level has fallen a foot and a half since spring and is alarmingly low due to a legacy of Los Angeles Department of Water &…
Low lake means California Gulls will need protection from coyotes next spring As California weathers another drought and Mono Lake’s level continues to drop, the landbridge from the mainland to one of the world’s largest California Gull nesting colonies is…
As California weathers another drought and Mono Lake’s level continues to drop, the landbridge from the mainland to one of the world’s largest California Gull nesting colonies continues to re-emerge—and with it—concern for the gull population put at risk of…
Each autumn Mono Lake Committee staff optimistically hope for a wet and snowy winter, but cautiously prepare for drought. Last fall, drought contingency planning included the possibility of re-deploying the mile-long temporary electrified fence to protect California Gulls; no small…
Each spring tens of thousands of California Gulls migrate inland to their nesting grounds on Mono Lake’s islets. Because of the lake’s current low level, the landbridge to the islets is once again becoming exposed, which increases the threat of…
California Gulls at Mono Lake can’t catch a break. Another drought year and a legacy of excessive water diversions are increasing the threat of coyotes crossing the emerging landbridge to Twain Islet and reaching vulnerable eggs and chicks during the…
In late August last year, California State Parks and the Mono Lake Committee joined forces to remove the remains of the 1980s-era coyote fence that once protected Negit Island’s nesting California Gull colony. Taking advantage of the low lake level,…
