Events
Tundra Swan Tours Return to Yuba County Rice Fields This November
A winter wildlife outing north of Marysville offers a chance to see tundra swans without a long hike.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s seasonal swan tours return in November, taking visitors through flooded rice fields in Yuba County. There is no admission charge, and advance registration is required.
The tours are offered with Mathews Rice Operation in an area known as District 10, where migrating swans share the fields with ducks, geese and other birds.
A tour from your vehicle
A department naturalist leads each outing, which lasts about two hours. Participants travel in a vehicle caravan, use radios to stay connected and stop for wildlife viewing where conditions allow.
Little or no walking is involved. Each tour is limited to eight vehicles.
The regular schedule lists Saturday departures at 9:30 AM and 1 PM from November into early January. Available dates and spaces should be checked through registration rather than assuming every Saturday has an opening.
Bring clothing suited to the weather, drinking water and snacks. Binoculars can make distant birds easier to enjoy.
For families looking for a different kind of seasonal outing, the attraction here is the landscape itself: working rice fields that also provide winter habitat along the Pacific Flyway.