The wet winter of 2016-17 was followed by a fairly dry spring in the Tehachapi Mountains, so I was unsure what effect it would have on food plants and the wildlife that depend on them. Despite the shortage of late rain, the earlier rainfall must have done a lot of good, because this ended up being a bumper year for many creatures, especially the California Quail.

http://www.tehachapinews.com/lifestyle/pen-in-hand-california-quail-this-has-been-a-year/article_3ef8a538-a723-11e7-966a-cbcb06b6179f.html

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-administration-denies-endangered-species-protection-for-25-species/ar-AAsV4Qx?ocid=ob-fb-enus-280

Local farmers once again have teamed up with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to offer free swan tours to the public. Exploring privately owned rice fields and restored habitat just north of town, the tours are held on Saturdays and run November through mid-January.

http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/travel/article177260511.html

Flooding rice fields after harvest during the winter creates seasonal wetlands that are essential for the survival of the millions of birds that travel the Pacific flyway annually. With only 5 percent of the Central Valley’s traditional floodplains remaining, flooded rice fields are a lifeline for these birds and also benefit struggling native fish populations such as salmon and smelt.

http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article177978241.html

"Fire is something animals have to deal with constantly," said Tira. And after a wet fall and winter, the region's waterways should provide ample drink to Mother Nature's creatures. If you do see an animal in distress, contact San Francisco Animal Control at (415) 554-9400.

http://m.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Wild-animals-fleeing-wildfire-on-your-doorstep-12271373.php

Christine Medak, a biologist with Fish and Wildlife, outlined the agency’s concerns in an email to the city Oct. 2. Her comments are related to “all events during the nesting season of approximately February through September of each year,” Hatch wrote in his memo.

http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-fairview-park-events-20171013-story.html

https://patch.com/california/burlingame-hillsborough/wildlife-victims-north-bay-fires-being-treated-peninsula

Due to the wildfires raging in the North Bay, a barn owl and raven that were recuperating at the Bird Rescue Center of Santa Rosa have been evacuated to the Lindsay Wildlife Experience.

http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/10/13/avian-wildfire-evacuees-land-in-walnut-creek/

While most migratory birds have a natural sense of navigation, fewer are able to orient themselves.

http://www.pressherald.com/2017/10/15/birding-innate-traits-help-some-birds-with-orientation/

Birds, their feathers dusted with ash and their lungs choked by smoke, are turning up in Bay Area parks and backyards in droves as wildfires continue to sizzle across Northern California, experts say.

http://m.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-wildfires-birds-fleeing-12285070.php