Alston Park

Alston Park is one of Napa’s Open Space Parks located West of Dry Creek Road consisting of 157 acres  of Grassland, Oak Woodland, and Riparian Creek habitats bordered on the West by Redwood Road’s mixed deciduous and Redwood Forests. Vineyards are located on the South and North sides and suburban home tracts to the East. It is home to many resident birds and migrants are frequently observed in the Spring and Fall. Napa Solano Audubon has placed 35 Bluebird Boxes throughout the park and the park contains a few Barn Owl boxes as well. Don’t forget to visit the far North end of the park where the trail goes along the dry creek bed to the North and Chaparral to the South where you can see California and Spotted Towhees, Bushtits, and numerous Oak Titmice.

Common Resident and Breeding Birds: California Quail, Oak Titmouse, White-Breasted Nuthatch, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Western Bluebird, Black Phoebe and Ash-throated Flycatchers, Bewick’s Wrens, Tree, Tree, Violet-green and Cliff Swallows, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Song, Savannah, and Lark Sparrows, Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch, Brewer’s and Red-winged Blackbirds, California Scrub Jays and Spotted and California Towhees are common resident birds. Northern Harriers and White-tailed Kites can be seen hovering above the grasslands in search of voles. Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Cooper’s hawks frequent the Oak Woodlands and can be observed riding thermals high above the hills. On occasion, American Kestrels, Northern Harriers and White-tailed Kites can be seen passing through as well. Recently, Wrentits have moved into the park following fires in the surround hills and can be heard giving their bouncing calls

Migrants: During the Fall and Spring migration, look for Ash-throated Flycatchers calling from the Chaparral. If you take the trail down to Redwood Creek you may be treated to Swainson’s and Varied Thrush, House Wrens, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatch acorn and Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, as well as Black-headed Grosbeaks and Western Tanagers singing along the forested edges of Redwood Creek.