Welcome to Napa Solano Audubon Society!

Our mission is to share the fun of birding, promote conservation and scientific understanding of wild birds and their habitats, and offer engaging, science-based education emphasizing the communities of Napa and Solano counties. Learn more about us

Calling All Volunteers to participate in our Benicia and Angwin Christmas Bird Counts!

The 76th Benicia CBC - Monday, December 18th, 2023.


The Benicia Count was founded by Benician Emerson Stoner in 1930; 93 years ago! This year, Tom Slyker will be assisting Robin Leong in organizing this fun event! The Benicia CBC circle includes the communities of Benicia, East Vallejo, Cordelia, West Suisun City, as well as parts of Grizzly Island. If all goes well, we’ll even send a boat out into Grizzly Bay! We have many teams, with experienced leaders and various levels of hiking/walking difficulty so let Robin & Tom know which type of team you’d like to join. We encourage everyone to participate regardless of your level of birding expertise. Our compilation dinner will be held at the Florence Douglas Senior Citizen Center located at 333 Amador St. Vallejo, CA 94590. For details & how to participate contact Robin Leong at Robin_Leong@sonic.net or 707-643-1287.

The 51st Angwin CBC - Monday, January 1, 2024.


Start the New Year off with a blast by participating in the Angwin CBC! Birding opportunities are available throughout the count circle including the Napa Valley, Pope Valley, Lakes Berryessa, Hennessey, and Angwin. We have an excellent crew of experienced area leaders so everyone is encouraged to take part. The count is an important measure of local birdlife, and has gained added importance as a tool to monitor changes in numbers and distribution of birds in the wildfire burn zone that impacted about forty percent of the count circle in 2020. Our compilation dinner will be held at the Carnegie Building located at 1360 Oak Ave. St. Helena, CA 94574 at the corner of Oak Ave & Adams St. For details & how to participate contact Murray Berner at vireocity@hotmail.com

Christmas Bird Count 4 Kids - Sunday, December 17th 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Connolly Ranch


Children, bring your parents and come join us to look for birds in Napa's local Parks on Sunday, December 17th. The fun begins at 9:00 a.m. at Connolly Ranch. Participants will sign in, review birding strategies, have a binocular training, and break into small teams. Teams will then travel with their parents by car to nearby parks throughout Napa. Participants will hike with their team leaders, bird guide, checklist, and binoculars for 90 minutes of fun birding along a specific trail to record species and count birds. Children will experience the thrill of adding new birds to their list and keeping an accurate count of the birds they see. We will reconvene at Connolly Ranch at 12:00 Noon to share observations, tabulate birds, enjoy lunch, and meet a special surprise guest! This half-day CBC4Kids is modeled on the traditional CBC’s geared largely towards experienced birders, but is a less rigorous citizen science adventure, designed as a fun activity for kids aged 7-16. Parents and their youngsters will join experienced birding leaders in Celebrating Nature, the Fun of Birding, and the Value of Citizen Science.

  • Preregister at Eventbrite.com https://tinyurl.com/3xjrrzvf or email Tammy Saunders at nsasedcoordinator@gmail.com with any questions.
  • What to bring: Children ages 7-16, a pair of binoculars, brown bag lunch, drinks. Suitable walking shoes and clothing for the weather. (Loaner binoculars available).
  • Time & Location: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Sunday, December 17th at Connolly Ranch - 3141 Browns Valley Rd. Napa, CA - Parking Lot is on Thompson Ave.

Participants will need to sign a liability waiver for Connolly Ranch and Napa-Solano Audubon Society.

NSAS's Next Monthly Speaker Series: Thursday, January 11, 7:00 p.m.: Raven Predation of Snowy Plover Nests with the Cal Poly Humboldt Wildlife Department.

The U.S. Pacific Coast population of the Western Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) has declined due to loss and degradation of coastal habitats, predation, and human disturbance. In 1993, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the subspecies as threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to the population declines and habitat loss. Predation of nests and chicks has been identified as an important cause of historic population declines, and thus, most predator management actions for this subspecies are focused on reducing this pressure. In recent years, common ravens have become the most common and pervasive predators of plover nests and chicks, especially in areas with subsidized food sources for ravens and sites without predator management. Harriers and Peregrines have an impact to a lesser degree. You may have encountered roped off areas along the coastal dunes or even Cages, that are designed to protect Plover nests from Ravens by keeping them away from their chicks. Join us for a fun evening of learning more about our Western Snowy Plovers. Come join us for this inspiring presentation!

Monthly Field Trips: Saturday, December 2nd - The Sutter Buttes.

The Sutter Buttes are remnants of a volcano that was active approximately 1.5 million years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch. The central core of the Buttes is characterized by lava domes—piles of viscous lava that erupted onto the surface and were built higher with each successive layer. The Buttes rise out of the Central Valley between Colusa on the West and Yuba City that borders on the east. This land was once a place of refuge to the surrounding native tribes, the Maidu and Nissenan who considered the land sacred. The Buttes were the place where the souls of their ancestors would rest before journeying on to the after life. Our Leader, Middle Mountain Interpretive Hikes Coordinator Laura Lush, will guide us along trails at the Dean's Ranch which has great mixed habitat and micro-climates that bring in a variety of migrating birds as well as residents. Possible birds may include a number of raptors - Red-tailed, Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks and Burrowing Owls, and a variety of sparrows that frequent the grasslands and open pastures. We also hope to observe Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Acorn and Lewis' Woodpeckers, Oak Titmouse, Bushtits, White-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's and Rock Wrens that reside in the Oak Chaparral and Rocky Cliffs of the Buttes. The Dean's Place has been in the Dean family for 4 generations. Mrs. Sands, an accomplished horsewoman owns the ranch, as her mother did before (inherited from her father), and her daughter and especially granddaughter will be the ranch's future. It is a working ranch with about 100 head of cattle. We will hike 3-5 miles along varied terrain on trails and across meadows edged by bramble to blue oak savannah/woodland, small riparian corridors, a live oak thicket, and open craggy hillsides. For more trip details, look for Wendy Cole's eBlasts.

Weekly Bird Walks with Andrew Ford

NSAS sponsors weekly birding walks led by ornithologist Andrew Ford. Andrew has a wealth of information regarding birds, plants and just about anything else you might happen to come across on the weekly birding trip. Sign up for the Field Trip eBlast on the link entitled "Subscribe to email updates" located in the left hand column of this Homepage and select Interested in Field Trips Announcements. Andrew will send out the weekly destination for each Bird Walk. All Bird walks take place in our near Napa and Solano Counties to help birders become familiar with our local birding hotspots!

Beginner's Bird Walk: December 3, American Canyon Wetlands

NSAS Sponsors Regular Beginner's Bird Walks with Carol Boykin and Karina Garcia. Both Carol and Karina are citizen science volunteers who have each participated in a variety of projects, including the Napa Solano Audubon’s CA Birdseasons project at the wetlands location. NSAS has been monitoring birds at this site every Monday morning since 2016. This monitoring has provided the participants with a wealth of knowledge about the birds you might see at this location. Our fall Beginner's Bird Walks continue to be full of a variety of species, from waterfowl to raptors and everything in between. A few highlights from our last couple of trips have been seeing and hearing Virginia Rails and Soras, American Kestrels hunting, and numerous Western Bluebirds. For this Sunday’s walk, we will continue to spot the birds that will call the wetlands their winter home. Are you dipping a toe into birding, or dusting off a pair of binoculars for the first time in a while?  If you want company as you learn about birding, we’d be delighted to have you join us for our Beginners' Bird Walk at the American Canyon Wetlands Edge Park. The American Canyon Wetlands is restored marsh land along the Napa River. Many aeration ponds and treatment ponds make up the waters where the Napa River Bay Trail meanders around. Many waterfowl and shorebirds are within the marshes. Cinnamon Teal, Marbled Godwit, Willet, American Kestrel, American Avocet, Black-Necked Stilt, Black-Crowned Night-Heron and American White Pelican are some of the likely birds to be seen. Fall migration will also bring in a number of passerine birds that inhabit the Eucalyptus forest and grasslands as well. We will be walking approximately 2 miles over paved trails so comfortable walking shoes will be needed. Bring binoculars if you have them. If not, we will have extra binoculars for you to use. Carol, and Karina will have spotting scopes for better views of some of the more distant birds. Be on the look-out for our next Beginner's Bird Walk!

Stay tuned to our Website and Field Trip eBlasts for information on future field trips. Our Monthly Field Trips are usually limited to 12-15 NSAS members to accommodate car caravans. Due to size limitations birding activities will be reserved for Members and only open for non-members if Space Permits. We encourage all non-members to become a Member by clicking on the JOIN Button. Membership only costs $25 for Individuals and $35 for Families. Don't miss out on these great Birding Experiences and become a NSAS Member Today!

For Everyone’s Health and Safety, We encourage all participants on NSAS Walks and Field Trips be vaccinated. In accordance with National Audubon Policies, Field Trips will be taken at your own own risk, and participants must sign the NSAS Release of Liability Form on the day of the trip.

Conservation Advocacy: Why Napa-Solano Audubon Society Opposes the Solano County Flannery Development Project!

Solano County has long been one of the jewels of the Bay Area. Despite significant development in Fairfield, Vacaville, and Dixon, large portions of Solano County lands have been held as family farms for many generations. This farmland, “historically used for grazing cattle and sheep,” is in the middle of Solano County which also produces wheat, hay, and alfalfa, and encompass small vineyards and orchards of apples and walnuts. In addition to supplying our markets with food and textiles, these farms have been the residence and wintering grounds of a number of rare plants and endangered animal species. With acres of grasslands and unique vernal pools that make up this habitat, a number of endemic plants and birds call this land their home. To continue reading the entire article: click here

Searching for Volunteers

We are looking for volunteers to help lead beginning bird walks for families, once a month in local parks. Please consider helping out with this fun activity. We are also looking for Supporters to assist us with Education Programs in our Schools and Communities and in a number of Citizen Science activities. If you are interested in serving in any of these areas in any capacity, please click on the volunteer opportunities link below or contact Mark Stephenson at NapaBirder@gmail.com for more details.

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We are a registered 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization.
California tax ID: 94-2375760
Federal tax ID (EIN): 237325783

Brown Creeper © 2013 Dave McMullen Brown-headed Cowbirds © 2013 Dave McMullen White-breasted Nuthatch © 2013 Dave McMullen Northern Flicker © 2013 Dave McMullen Black-throated Gray Warbler © 2013 Dave McMullen

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