As efforts to conserve bird populations at Owens Lake are ramping up, it is ever more important to get a better idea of what birds are there and in what numbers. That was the logic behind the April 19 Owens Lake Spring Big Day. Thirty participants in 8 parties counted across the entire lakebed and tabulated 58,589 birds, and 73 different species. It was a beautiful day with no wind. Birders hailed from Weldon, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Dana Point, Marin, Mammoth Lakes, Bishop, and Berkeley. The event was coordinated by Debbie House (LADWP) and Mike Prather, Eastern Sierra Audubon. See below for more specific bird numbers and more photos (all by Andrea Jones).

95 Black-bellied Plovers

8200 American Avocets

7754 Least Sandpipers

153 Greater Yellowlegs

14 Lesser Yellowlegs

1617 Gadwall

23,248 California Gulls

3 Blue-winged teal

1 Red-breasted Merganser

1 Bittern

3 Herring Gulls

5 Franklin Gulls

2 Burrowing Owls

And many more!