From lesserroadrunner@earthlink.net Tue Jun 16 17:25:30 1998
County Birding Enthusiasts,
The following is my response to Steve Rovell's plea for birding information for Napa County. I grew up there and I hope that I can remember back to the 1970's when I last birded the county for more than one day every three years.
Steve will be visiting Napa this weekend, so this response is tailored mostly for the early summer season with few fall/winter sites thrown in.
Part 1
A few lingering shorebirds and gulls may be found along Hwy. 37 (or elsewhere south of the town of Napa). The Napa County line comes close to the highway near the bridge over the Napa Slough which is where the Sonoma, Solano and Napa county lines meet. This general area can be great for terns. One July back in 1978 or 79, Mike and John Parmeter, Kent Van Vuren and I found Black, Common, Forster's, Caspian, Elegant and Least Terns in both Napa and Solano Counties. Brown Pelicans sometimes occur, numerous ducks nest in the marshes and rails including Clapper and Black Rails can be heard from there and north to Cuttings Wharf along the Napa River. I have seen Short-eared Owls there in fall, but they could easily breed nearby so keep an eye open for them. We used to be able to walk along one of the dikes that borders one of the two large, shallow ponds, but this area has been fenced off for years. Parmeters had a Little Blue Heron in nearby Solano County near Mare Island and I believe that Black Skimmers have occurred also. Other rarities that I know about include Stilt Sandpiper, Laysan Albatross and jaegers. There must be more. This is a very birdy area with tremendous potential for rare birds.
The next good location is also along the Solano/Napa County line. Take Meadow Rd left at the stoplight along Hwy. 29 (this is the second light before the Napa County line. Proceed west and wind your way to the end where you can see the large power lines(the county line). This can be great in winter (Glaucous Gull, many Thayer's Gulls), fall (Ruff), and in summer a few ducks and possibly some lingering shorebirds. Check the palm trees in the residential area for Hooded Orioles (this is in Solano County).
Proceeding north to Napa along Hwy. 29, check the area near Jameson Canyon Rd (hwy. 12) intersection for Golden Eagle. Both Yellow-headed and Tricolored Blackbirds have been found in the fields along Green Island Road, just south of the Hwy. 12 intersection. You can check the Napa River at the end of this road in winter for Surf Scoter, loons etc...The dump near Oat Hill (I forgot the name of the road) is good for gulls in winter. White-tailed Kites may be found anywhere in this area or theNapa Valley, especially in winter.
Along Hwy. 221 which is a right turn just before the main bridge over the Napa River on Hwy. 29, is the JFK park. Moorhen, Swamp Sparrow can be found here in winter. Look for good geese--I once saw 4 Ross' nearby in winter, but over-summering geese are not unheard of. The golf course could be an excellent migrant trap so check it in early summer if you have the time.
If you wish to check the Napa Sewage Ponds, you can obtain permission by phoning ahead of time. This can be good in fall/winter for Swamp Sparrow, Thayer's Gull and rarities such as Little Gull. The nearby Suscol Creek looks good as a migrant trap.
On the west side of Napa, along Partrick Road, a male Indigo Bunting was found a few years ago. A few singing Grasshopper Sparrows were also there and I suspect that they may occur there somewhat regularly, maybe even annually.
You can check Big Ranch Road north of Napa for Cattle Egret (I found the first county record in 1976), and the palms in the residences along El Centro Road and vicinity for Hooded Oriole (they nest in my sister's backyard there). Proceed north from there along Silverado Trail after checking the riparian along the Napa River for goodies such as Willow Flycatcher, Swainson's Thrush, and Yellow-breasted Chat (all tough but possible). Bewick's Wren is common. Northern Rough-winged Swallows nest in banks along the river at spots throughout the length of the valley. Green Heron, Wood Duck, Black-crowned Night Heron can sometimes be found along the river.
Take a left off the Silverado Trail onto the Yountville Crossroad and park at the nature preserve about halfway to the town of Yountville. This is a remnant patch of valley floor vegetation. There is a record of a singing Chestnut-sided Warbler from there! It is a good spot to walk around and look for basic birds including American Goldfinch and Western Kingbirds.
Part 2 will be the area north of Yountville.
Part 2 of my Napa County birding tips.
Hope that this helps some of you. Feel free to send me questions for more details. Remember, I have not really birded there much since 1979, so I may not be of much help for questions pertaining to current conditions and locations of birds.
Lake Hennesey is one of the hot spots for rarities with Tufted Duck, Swamp Sparrow, Parasitic Jaeger, Oldsquaw and others found there. Bald Eagle is regular in winter along with large rafts of diving ducks, gulls and Lewis' Woodpeckers. Rufous-crowned Sparrows are also common. The easiest access to this lake is from Hwy. 128 off Silverado Trail. Roadrunner has been seen at this intersection. To reach the north end of the lake continue north on Silverado Trail and turn right on Howell Mountain Road, take another right on Conn Valley Road and proceed to its end. This is where the jaeger was in the late 1970's. Lawrence's Goldfinches are sometimes found in the hills on this eastern side of Napa Valley. They are highly irregular in occurrence but some years are found in large numbers throughout the area. So always keep an eye and ear open for them.
The pond at the Phelps Winery just east of Silverado Trail and south of the Howell Mountain Road turnoff, can be great in winter for Wood Duck, Redhead, Hooded Merganser and many other ducks.
One of my favorite birding locations is the St. Helena Sewage Ponds at the end of the road (forgot the name) that is the right turn (to the east) directly north of the Martini Winery on Hwy. 29. Lots of good birds have been found here when I was checking them regularly from 1972-1979. A flock of ~20 Tundra Swans on New Year's Day, 1980 was a real treat. I have seen Vesper and White-throated Sparrows, several Barrow's Goldeneye, White-fronted Goose, Surf Scoter, Baird's Sandpiper, Marsh Wren (once), Common Tern, American Avocet, Blue-winged Teal, Short-billed Dowitcher, Semipalmated Plover, Whimbrel among the 120 species that occurred there in the 1970's.
The Napa River from the Deer Park Road Bridge south to the Pratt Ave. Bridge can be good for Yellow-breasted Chat (the only ones that I have seen anywhere along the river). There is also a record of Cattle Egret from the Deer Park Road and Silverado Trail intersection. Watch for Golden Eagle in this area.
Bothe State Park is great for forest species such as Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Hutton's Vireo, Black-throated Gray Warbler etc.... You may also find the resident Spotted Owls, check with the Park Naturalist. Pileated has also been seen here as well as in the deeply forested canyon along White Sulphur Springs Road (west of St.Helena). I have also seen this species sporadically along forested canyons on the east side of the valley.
The Calistoga Sewage Ponds can also be good for waterbirds. It is directly across the street from the entrance to Sterling Winery (no relation, shucks). Additionally, there are numerous farm ponds that can be loaded with ducks in the winter. There are too many to describe here, but the rule of thumb is to check every pond that you can find.
Keep your eyes open for Vaux's and White-throated Swifts as well as for Purple Martins. All can be found with luck, unfortunately I do not know of any location where they nest.
Robert Luis Stevenson State Park on the slopes of Mt. St. Helena can be good for forest species including Pileated Woodpecker and Red Crossbill. The trailhead for the climb to the top of the mountain is here. This hike is great in the winter (beware of storms though, it can snow there). The views can be spectacular. One can see the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island, San Francisco, Tomales Point, Mount Lassen, the Sierras, Mount Diablo and Tamalpais etc..... In winter Townsend's Solitaire is common and I have seen the large-billed Fox Sparrow on the summit. Winter/fall possibilities include Cassin's Finch, Clark's Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee and other extreme rarities. In summer, you may find Black-chinned Sparrow along with Lazuli Bunting,Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Rock Wren, maybe Canyon Wren, California Thrasher, and with luck Roadrunner. It is a long walk to the top.
The other good area for birding is Howell Mountain/Pope Valley. Take Deer Park Road from the Silverado Trail. You will pass through some good Douglas fir forest (check for Pileated Woodpecker), then through some great chaparral. Check for the usual species. California Thrasher is common there. Proceed up the hill to Angwin. Pygmy Nuthatches are common in the Ponderosa Pine forest. Look for Red-breasted Nuthatch and Red Crossbill too. There is an old record for Flammulated Owl and this species should be looked for. I have seen Swainson's Thrush in the riparian on the road to Lake Henne and there is a small pond/sewage ponds that have Virginia's and Sora Rails. The pond at the Angwin Airport has had Eurasian Wigeon regularly in winter. The airport itself once harbored a vagrant Bobolink in the early 1970's (I missed it). Some winters Evening Grosbeaks are found on Howell Mountain and sometimes even downslope to the Napa Valley floor.
Continue to Pope Valley and turn left on Pope Valley Road towards Aetna Springs. Go as far as you can on Aetna Springs Road. You should be able to reach the large rocky cliffs that are home to Rock and Canyon Wrens. This can be great in spring for migrating warblers, Hermit, Nashville, MacGillivray's and Townsend's. Check for Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Mountain Quail are common (easily heard at dawn). Pope Valley can be great for wintering flocks of Lewis' Woodpeckers. Also keep an eye open for Roadrunner and Phainopepla (very rare). Go back to Pope Valley (very tiny town) and continue towards the north shore of Lake Berryessa. Keep an eye open for Tricolored Blackbirds that sometimes nest. There is a spot along the road where large Valley Oaks are near the road in a large meadow in a canyon (this is along Pope Creek on Pope Canyon Road). This is the only spot where Yellow-billed Magpies have been found. A small colony was there in the late 1970's and I wouldn't doubt if they are still there. Also check for Burrowing Owl in Pope Valley as well as Ferruginous Hawk (winter), Rough-legged Hawk (winter) and Prairie Falcon. The north shore of Lake Berryessa is good for loons and anything can show up there. This is also a prime location for Bald Eagle. I have seen small flocks of Vesper Sparrow in winter at the northeast corner of the lake. Northern Parula was found on one recent June day (1991?) in a riparian area on the east side of the lake (private property I believe). The Knoxville Road has incredible chaparral habitat and should be checked.
The final location that I know of is the Monticello Dam area. Most birds here are in Solano and Yolo Counties but it should be checked anyway. White-throated Swifts are regular in winter as well as Rock and Canyon Wrens, Golden Eagle, Dipper and Rufous-crowned Sparrow. The famous 1977 Snow Bunting was there in all 3 counties (yeah) and Townsend's Solitaire was also found at that time. Two winters ago, a Red-naped Sapsucker was in the trailer park at Wragg Canyon Road off Hwy. 128 on the south side of the lake.
--
John Sterling
Wildlife Biologist
http://www.si.edu/smbc/start.htm
Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
National Zoological Park
Washington, DC 20008
202-673-4908
FAX 202-673-4916
lesserroadrunner@earthlink.net