First Terrible Hairy Fly since 1948 found in Kenya

[Eldritch]

To think that at one time, Los Angeles had threatened to gulp down the rivers that fed Mono lake, in its never ending need for water in an arid region.

Well, as bird lover I'm obviously very glad that did not happen.

I probably couldn't bring myself to lament the passage of the alkali fly in more than an academic sense, but this is another story altogether (from Wikipedia):

Nearly 2,000,000 waterbirds, including 35 species of shorebirds, use Mono Lake to rest and eat for at least part of the year. Some shorebirds that depend on the resources of Mono Lake include American avocets, killdeer and sandpipers. Over 1.5 million eared grebes and phalaropes use Mono Lake during their long migrations.

Late every summer tens of thousands of Wilson's phalaropes and red-necked phalaropes arrive from their nesting grounds, and feed until they continue their migration to South America or the tropical oceans respectively.

California gull–Larus californicusIn addition to migratory birds, a few species spend several months to nest at Mono Lake.

[Alison]

They serve a purpose. I'm also a bird-lover. My garden is very bird friendly, and I'm woken to birdsong every morning. It's bliss.