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Mono Lake, one of the most important lakes for wildlife in North America, offers a vast food resource for breeding gulls and other birds in summer and an essential refueling stop for countless migrating shorebirds and grebes in autumn. Join veteran bird photographer Marie Read as she follows Mono Basin's birds in the wild through her camera lens, revealing their behaviors and fascinating lives. David W. Winkler, ornithologist and cofounder of the Mono Lake Committee, invites us in his Introduction to Sierra Wings: Birds of the Mono Lake Basin to come wander this magical land. Located in California's spectacular Eastern Sierra, Mono Lake is an oasis in the dry Great Basin and a vital stop on the Pacific Flyway providing habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds. By midsummer abundant alkali flies and brine shrimp provide an endless food supply while stream delta and near-shore wetland habitat also provide good bird habitat. Mono Lake is a small, integral part of the big migration picture. Because large numbers of phalaropes, gulls, and grebes depend on the lake, along with approximately 100 species of other birds, Mono Lake was designated as a part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) .