Connecting People with Birds

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

Welcome to Napa Solano Audubon Society!

Bird of the Week – Bell’s Sparrow
Found at the top of Mix Canyon Road along Blue Ridge 
Select to learn more about this bird 

NSAS Spring 2025 College Scholarship Awards Program:

This Spring, NSAS will continue providing a one year, $2,000 Scholarship for two High School Seniors from Napa & Solano Counties who will be enrolled in the Fall of 2025 at a Community or 4-year College pursuing a course of study in ornithology, wildlife, conservation, environmental studies or related fields. If you know of any seniors living in either Napa or Solano counties who are continuing their education in one of these fields of study please let them know they can apply for one of our scholarships. To be considered, applications must be submitted by April 30, 2024. Click here for more information and eligibility requirements.

Upcoming Field Trips – All Members, Family & Friends of NSAS are Welcome to Join!

Field Trip Announcements: Beware our Field Trip eBlasts may end up in your Spam Folder!

Weekly Field Trips to Napa & Solano County Hotspots with Andrew Ford

NSAS offers Weekly Bird Walks on Saturday mornings with Andrew Ford to birding hotspots in Napa or Solano County, beginning at 8 a.m. and ending around noon. Come join in all the fun and have a great morning learning about birds. To look at some of our favorite weekly walk outings see Saturday Walks! A typical trip attracts approximately 20 birders. Through the seasons we try to catch the local “spectacles” of birding: spring shorebirds at American Canyon, winter raptors and Mountain Plovers in the Solano prairie, or fall warblers at Lagoon Valley. Locations are subject to change due to the changing of bird population and influx of migrants.

Beginner Field Trips to American Canyon Wetlands with Karina Garcia, Carol Boykin and Tom Slyker

So, if you are dipping a toe into birding, or dusting off a pair of binoculars for the first time in a while and you want some company as you learn about birding, we’d be delighted to have you join us for our Beginners Bird Walks.  We hold Beginner’s Walks at  the American Canyon Wetlands Edge Park on two Sundays each month beginning at 9:00 a.m.  No reservations are necessary, just plan to show up and enjoy being outdoors for a little while. Sign up for Field Trip Notices by clicking on the Activity Sign-up Button at the top of our Home Page or Check our Calendar for the next Beginner’s Bird Walk. These walks are open to birders of all levels and ages. It’s free, it’s fun, and loaner binoculars are on hand if you need them.  Napa Solano Audubon membership is not required.  Karina Garcia, Carol Boykin, and Tom Slyker lead these walks.  They are citizen science volunteers and participate in the Napa Solano Audubon’s CA Birdseasons project at this wetlands park 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. They have been observing numerous species of waterfowl, a variety of shorebirds including American Avocets and Black Necked Stilts, as well as a variety of raptors, while looking and occasionally spotting the secretive Sora and Virginia Rails.

May Field Trip to Pepperwood Preserve with Bruce Thomsen & Mark Stephenson
Saturday, April 5, 2025

Date: Saturday May 3, 2025 
Time: 8:00 AM to 2:00 or longer 
Meet: Meet at Pepperwood Preserve, 3450 Franz Valley Road, Santa Rosa
Leaders: Bruce Thomsen & Mark Stephenson
Carpool: Meet 6:45 at River Park shopping center.
What to bring: Binoculars, spotting scope, water, lunch, sturdy shoes, layered clothing.

Pepperwood Preserve: Located in the heart of Sonoma County – a globally recognized biodiversity “hotspot” – Pepperwood Preserve is a 3,200-acre biological reserve and research station. The preserve is an important refuge for more than 900 species of native plants and wildlife. Over 150 species of birds have been documented at Pepperwood, 37 of which are listed as species of special concern by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The federally threatened northern spotted owl has also been seen at the preserve. A few species we may find could include Ash-throated Flycatcher, Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow, Acorn Woodpecker, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

Registration Information:  A Field Trip Registration Form will be sent out on Saturday, April 19 at 9:00 a.m. If you’re interested in participating in this trip, complete the Registration Form and click the Submit Button. We encourage you to sign-up early as this trip is popular and bound to fill up quickly. This field trip has a limit of 15 NSAS Members. The first 15 members to register will be active participants in this outing and additional registrations will be placed on a waiting list. 

Click Here for Registration Link for NSAS Pepperwood Preserve May Field Trip

NSAS Presents: The Land Trust of Napa Valley with Mike Palladini
May 8th at 7:00 p.m. at the Napa Valley Lutheran Church

About the Program: In addition to an overview of the Land Trust and our preserve system, Mike will present on a broad cross section of LTNC land stewardship projects and activities relating to habitat restoration, wildfire and climate resilience, rare, threatened, and endangered species conservation, and recovery, watershed restoration, biological resources assessment and monitoring, along with the Land Trust’s field trips, public access, education and outreach programs.

About the Presenter: Mike Palladini is the Stewardship Director at the Napa Land Trust, where he oversees the stewardship of over 20,000 acres across 23 protected natural areas. His responsibilities include managing habitat and watershed restoration, conducting biological resource assessments and monitoring, advancing conservation science research, and enhancing wildfire and climate change resilience. Additionally, Mike plays a key role in ensuring public access to the Land Trust’s preserves. Before joining the Land Trust, he served as a Land Steward for a watershed conservation group in northwest Montana’s Swan River Valley, where he worked closely with private landowners to develop conservation plans and implement restoration projects. 

Searching for Volunteers

We are looking for volunteers to help support our beginning bird walks that take place in our local parks. Please consider helping out with this rewarding activity. We are also looking for supporters to assist us with Education Programs in our Schools, Tabling for Community Events such as Earth Day and in a number of Citizen Science activities from Monitoring Bluebird Boxes to Christmas Bird Counts. 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  for more details.