In winter, California is for the birds

Blackbirds fly between the reeds that protrude from the swampy water. A bald eagle sits in a tree, far above groups of floating ducks. In a mesmerizing display, hundreds of snow-white geese take off in an undulating flock that speckles the gray sky.

This is the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, one of a number of places in California for birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway, a migratory path that stretches from Alaska to the tip of South America. Millions of migratory birds, representing more than 100 species, visit or pass through the Golden State each year.

“If you're interested in migratory birds for any reason, California is the place to be,” John Eadie, who teaches conservation biology at the University of California, Davis, told me.

The Pacific Flyway is one of the four major North American bird migration routes, and California has been a major destination on the Flyway for thousands of years.

Some experts estimate that in the early 20th century, 60 million birds migrated to California's wetlands each winter. The Central Valley was a hot spot. When the eminent ornithologist Frank Chapman visited Los Banos in 1903, he wrote, “I have never seen so many birds.”

But that was before California drained more than 90 percent of its wetlands for agriculture and development, eliminating much of the habitat the birds depended on. For example, an ancient destination for birds was Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. By the mid-20th century, the lake had all but disappeared, transformed into an empire of farms (at least until an exceptionally rainy winter arrived).

The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, just off Interstate 5 about 80 miles northwest of Sacramento, was created in the 1930s by flooding dry land to restore habitat for birds that would otherwise eat crops. The refuge typically hosts 250 species of birds each year, with as many as 500,000 migratory ducks and 250,000 geese visiting between November and January.

Nat Seavy, director of migration science for the National Audubon Society's Migratory Bird Initiative, told me that preserving places in California where birds can spend the winter is a complicated balancing act that takes into account water supplies, agriculture, habitat of other animals and nature. people's needs.

“Bird stewardship depends on everyone's story along that flyway,” he said.

Seavy pointed to the Yolo Bypass Scenic Area in Davis, a 16,600-acre bird refuge created in the late 1990s with two goals: restoring wetland bird habitat and providing a flood plain for the Sacramento River. I visited the preserve recently and saw ducks with emerald collars preening and small long-legged shorebirds scurrying across the riding path.

Longtime Davis resident Rebecca Ryland had set up an easel and watercolors that morning to paint the glistening wetlands. She told me she had already seen two huge flocks of geese flying overhead, pulling visitors' heads skyward.

“It's amazing,” said Ryland, who comes to the park every day. “Sometimes I just say, 'Take it easy. You have a long journey. ''

A (not at all comprehensive) list of places to see birds in California this winter:

• Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, about 80 miles northwest of Sacramento. This is a hotspot for waterfowl, and viewing is best between October and March.

• Gray Lodge Nature Reserveabout 40 miles south of Chico.

• Tijuana Estuary, about 15 miles south of San Diego. The estuary supports 370 species of birds and is supervised bird walks are available.

• The Salton Sea, about 50 miles southeast of Palm Springs, is one of the main Pacific Flyway stops. In January, the wings of more than 400 species of migratory birds form living clouds in the crystal clear sky.

• Suisun Swampapproximately 50 miles northeast of San Francisco, it accounts for more than 10 percent of California's remaining natural wetlands and provides habitat for more than 220 bird species.

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Tell us

Today we ask about love: not whose you like but What you love your corner of California.

Email us a love letter to your California city, neighborhood or region – or to the Golden State as a whole – and we might share it in an upcoming newsletter. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com.

And before you go: good news

Love hit Kelsey Kiyota and Elliott Lin like a high-speed car.

The pair had been friends for six years when they discovered their shared love for the “Fast and Furious” film franchise at a mutual friend's party in San Francisco in 2018. Sparks flew (and the engines revved and the wheels turned).

“This could be my chance,” Lin remembered thinking after the conversation. “This could be him.”

Lin was so impressed by the connection that he asked Kiyota out after the party. A few months later, the two had their first date — at a Korean barbecue in San Francisco — and bonded over more shared loves: food and restaurants.

From there, the two fell in love over many meals, long walks near Lake Tahoe and a trip to Kiyota's childhood home in Colorado. Lin popped the question in January 2023 and the two started planning a wedding in Hawaii, where Kiyota has a family connection. The couple married there this month in a ceremony with friends and relatives.

Thank you for reading. I'll come back tomorrow. — Soumya

PS Here it is today's mini crossword.

Maia Coleman and Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. You can reach the team via CAtoday@nytimes.com.

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