I’m looking forward to telling you more later this week about the official opening of the Owens Trails installation at the lake, but in the meantime I thought I’d share some images from this year’s spring migration.  Every species has a different migration pattern–some make stunningly long journeys, others less so; it’s the range of bird life on the lake in spring that’s truly impressive, however.  This is just a small sampling of the hundreds of species who use the lake as a migratory stopover.

Brine Flies – The Lake’s Primary Food Source

California Gull Feeding on Brine Flies

A Group of Coots (sometimes called Mudhens)

American Avocets and Black-Necked Stilt

Resting Avocets

Avocet in Flight

Avocets Embody Elegance and Precision in Flight

Snowy Plover, Key Species at the Lake

Sleepy Western Sandpipers

Eared Grebe in Breeding Plumage

Eared Grebes Dancing Across the Water

Lesser Yellowlegs

Loggerhead Shrike

Whimbrel (in the Curlew Family)

Semipalmated Plover

Bonaparte’s Gull

California Gulls in Flight