Beginner’s Bird Walk American Canyon Wetlands – Sunday, September 29th 9:00 a.m.

After a summer hiatus, our Sunday Beginner’s Bird Walks have resumed!  This Sunday, September 29 we will be making another visit to the Wetlands Edge Park in American Canyon.   It is now peak migration season which is an exciting time for birders.  We are starting to see a wide variety of dabbling ducks and a plethora of recently returned shorebirds.  We are also seeing the early arriving White-crowned and Gold-crowned Sparrows and are hoping to see some Yellow-rumped Warblers and maybe a Flicker or two as they should be arriving soon. It is the beginning of a very exciting time and anyone who has joined our walks before knows that the wetlands are a great place to be during migration!

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 Beginner’s Bird Walk this Sunday, September 29 at the American Canyon Wetlands Edge Park.  No reservations are necessary, just plan to show up and enjoy being outdoors for a little while.

Can’t make this trip? Not a problem as we plan on holding more Beginners Bird Walks throughout the Fall and next Spring.  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.  If you have questions about this outing, please e-mail Tom Slyker at .

What you might see: Last fall we were able to see Green Winged Teals by the hundreds, a variety of shorebirds including American Avocets and Black Necked Stilts, as well as a variety of raptors, while always keeping our eyes peeled for the secretive Virginia Rails and Soras. If you check out the American Canyon Wetlands eBird hot spot at https://ebird.org/hotspot/L650670 you’ll see the checklists of birds that have been recently seen at this location.  Usually, these checklists will document 50 – 60 species being seen during an outing at this time of year.

Meeting time and location:  We will meet at 9 AM on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at the parking lot for the Wetlands Edge Park, which is located at 2 Eucalyptus Drive in American Canyon.  We expect that the walk will take between 2 – 3 hours and we should be finished by noon.

Directions: From Vallejo, take Hwy 29 north towards Napa.  Turn left off of Hwy 29 onto Rio Del Mar.  There is a stop light at this location.  Immediately after turning onto Rio Del Mar, turn right onto Eucalyptus Drive.  Continue west on Eucalyptus until you reach the parking lot.  From Napa, drive south on Highway 29 till you reach Rio Del Mar.  Turn right onto Rio Del Mar and immediately turn right onto Eucalyptus Drive.  Continue west on Eucalyptus until you reach the parking lot.  From eastern Solano County take Hwy 80 to American Canyon Road.  Go west on American Canyon Road until it ends at Wetlands Edge Road.  Turn right on Wetlands Road and go north until you hit Eucalyptus Road.  Turn left on Eucalyptus Road and you will be at the Wetlands Edge Park parking lot.

Leaders:  Tom Slyker, Karina Garcia, and Carol Boykin will be leading this walk.  Both Carol and Tom are citizen science volunteers who participate in 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.

What to bring:  Hats, sunscreen, and layers are a good idea as this location can be both sunny and windy.  We will be walking ~ 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.  We will also have spotting scopes on hand for better views of some of the more distant birds.  Water and snacks are items you should plan to carry with you.

Health & Safety: NSAS requests that all participants be vaccinated for Covid-19, with updated boosters.  All participants will sign a Field Trip Waiver and Waiver of Liability.