Mono Lake, the jewel of the Eastern Sierras, is alive and well, and home to hundreds of bird species! The great lake, known for its unique tufa formations, is at the eastern edge of the Sierras and surrounded by the rolling sagebrush country of the high plains. This Ice Age lake is almost a million years old and still forming under volcanic action, with lava domes, hot springs and volcanic craters nearby. Snow-capped peaks line the horizon. Birds such as Sage grouse, Clark’s nutcracker, Black-billed Magpies, Brewer’s sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Mt. Bluebird, Mt. Chickadee and White-headed woodpeckers are among the many found in the surrounding area. Also included among the 70-80 species we expect to see are many warbler, woodpecker, raptor, shorebird and wildfowl species. We will stay at Boulder Lodge in the village of June Lake, and visit sites such as Bridgeport Reservoir, the ghost-town of Bodie, Mammoth Lakes, Lee Vining and Mono Lake itself. This combination of birdlife and mountain scenery is unique in California.