Birders flock to Gray Lodge

A bright cacophony of warbling, chirping and honking sounds out above the reeds and marsh as birdwatchers pause to admire thousands of birds preening, swimming and taking flight.

The recent and ongoing arrival of snow geese marks a special time of year for Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. Almost a million birds are calling the 9,182-acre preserve home right now, and within a few weeks, that figure will double.

"It's shoulder to shoulder out there on a good day," said Deirdre Goodfriend, scientific aide with the California Department of Fish and Game. Thanksgiving to Christmas is typically peak season for Gray Lodge as waterfowl make their annual migrations. Now is the perfect time for a visit, whether for first-timers or ongoing birdwatchers, Goodfriend said as she gave a tour Saturday.

Chico resident Myrna Vandenplas visits at least once a year to enjoy open space, bird song and freedom.

"I'm just enveloped in the feeling of it," she said. "I was here years ago at sunrise as the light strikes the birds on the water and they just came to life. It's a riot."

A similar sight unfolds at dusk.

As the sun begins to set, occasional V-shaped flights of birds form in the sky when the waterfowl set out in search of food. The terra-cotta glow bordering the coastal range highlights their black silhouettes, and the night vibrates with a humming heartbeat of wings in motion.

Nestled just west of Live Oak and Gridley and surrounded by agricultural lands, Gray Lodge is known as the jewel of the Pacific Flyway. Visitors can enjoy educational programs, exhibits, self-guided nature trails and seasonal guided tours.

Patrick Tso and his father, Yee Tso, drove up from Fremont for a three-day trip take in Gray Lodge and other Northern California sights. The wildlife area has the highest concentration of birds they have ever seen in northern California, they said.

"We heard so much about all the birds, the wildlife, the fowl," Patrick Tso said. "This is definitely a gem."

The small tour group paused to admire Northern harriers and red-tailed hawks soaring in the thermals as the pops of guns sounded in the distance.

More than two-thirds of the area is set aside for hunting and angling on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during hunting season. Gray Lodge, like other wildlife areas, depends on hunters and anglers for more than 90 percent of its funding.

Hunters eager for opening day of pheasant season can often be spotted in orange and camouflage on the fringes of the wildlife area, walking through the fields with their shotguns and bird dogs.

But the gunfire does little to disturb the birds in the 2,500-acre refuge.

"The first shots fire at sunrise and they say 'Oh yeah, today's a hunting day,' and they hop into the sanctuary," said Lori Dieter, a naturalist with the Department of Fish and Game.

By midday, Doug Beauchamp, his 10-year-old son, Scott, and some friends were driving through the sanctuary for their first time, even though they visit Gray Lodge about four times a year.

"Since we did not have any luck hunting, we had to do something to salvage the trip," the Stockton resident said. "It was just so amazing to see so many birds and the variety."

About 230 species call Gray Lodge home at some point during the year.

Beauchamp also likes any opportunity to share the wonder of wildlife with his son, he said. Refuges are a crucial part of protecting the species and being sportsmanlike.

"We want to get them interested in this so maybe they'll pass it on one day or do things to protect the environment," he said.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ashley Gebb at 749-4724 or agebb@ appealdemocrat.com.