November 2013 California Department of Fish and Wildlife Calendar

Elkhorn Slough

Weekends — Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve. Docent-led walks are scheduled every Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Binoculars and bird books are available for the public to borrow at no cost. The visitor center and main overlook are fully accessible. Day use fee is $4.32 per person, age 16 and older. Groups of 10 or more should schedule a separate tour. For more information, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region4/elkhorn.html.

Mondays (except holidays) — Volunteer Stewardship Field Crew Mondays at Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Royal Oaks (95076), 10 a.m. to noon. Help preserve natural habitat by doing seed collection, planting, trail maintenance and weeding introduced species. For more information, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region4/elkhorn.html or www.elkhornslough.org.

Weekends — Guided Wildlife Tours at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 12:30 to 2 p.m., Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948). Each walking tour through this premier birding spot highlights the migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife. The cost is included in the wildlife area entrance fee. Tours are canceled in the event of heavy rain. No reservations are necessary for groups of less than 12 people. For more information, please call (530) 846-7505 or email Lori.Dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.

Weekends — CDFW Sandhill Crane Wetland Tours at Woodbridge Ecological Reserve. Tours are available each month October through February. They are timed to begin in the late afternoon when the crane “fly-in” for the evening roost can be observed. For more information, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/delta/cranetour/ or call (209) 234-3435. Tours fill quickly. Self-guided tours are also available to view the cranes and other wetland birds.

Saturdays — Salmon Tours on the Lower Yuba River East of Marysville, 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The tour will focus on the salmon life cycle and its natural history. For more information, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/regions/2/salmontours/.

Saturdays — Swan Tours in Yuba County, 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. The event explores an area called District 10, a 23,000-acre expanse of privately owned rice fields and restored habitat. This area boasts one of the largest seasonal concentrations of tundra swans in the Central Valley as well as a variety of other species, including ducks, geese, shorebirds, herons, egrets and raptors. For more information, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/regions/2/swantours/