The Valley Scouter
$135per person
A focused introduction to the sounds, movement, and overlooked life waking up around the valley. The right length for a first outing or a morning with somewhere else to be.
Select This Tour
Napa Valley & Sonoma County
You've tasted this valley. Now go meet what lives in it.
Private, naturalist-guided birding and nature walks through Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Any hour, any season, Willie knows exactly where to look.
Napa Valley based & owned · 25 years in hospitality
Your Guide
A lifetime outside. A career in hospitality.
I've been chasing birds since I was a kid. Long before Big Willie's Birding Tours existed, I was the person noticing what was moving through the trees, what was calling from across a field, and what changed with the seasons.
Professionally, I spent 25 years in wine and hospitality. That career taught me how to take care of people, read a guest, adjust the pace, pay attention to the details, and make an experience feel personal rather than programmed. Big Willie's brings those two parts of my life together.
The Other Side of Wine Country
Napa and Sonoma are known around the world for what grows in the vineyard. I want to introduce people to everything living around it. Oak woodland, vineyard edges, wetlands, creeks, ridgelines and redwoods all support different birds and wildlife, often within a surprisingly short distance.
Private by Design
Every outing is private to your group. I scout locations, watch seasonal movement, and build the day around the people I'm guiding. Some guests are experienced birders. Others have never really looked through binoculars before. The goal isn't to race through a checklist. It's to send you home noticing more than you did when you arrived.
You've tasted this valley. Now go meet what lives in it.
At a Glance
- Napa's oak woodland, riparian, vineyard-edge, wetland and redwood habitats
- Sunrise through late afternoon, with custom timing available
- Binoculars provided, no experience required
- Routes and pace built around your group
Tours & Pricing
Choose your time in the field.
Every tour is private to your party and built around your schedule, not a fixed morning slot. Pick a length below, or ask about a custom route for a specific bird, habitat, or occasion.
A $50 per person deposit is required to book a reservation.
Special pricing available for children—please inquire below.
The Valley Deep-Dive
$225per person
Time to follow the changing light across two or three habitats and actually sit with the birds that make Napa feel alive, rather than just pass through.
Select This TourThe Elite Flock
$360per person
An unhurried half day across hillsides, creeks, and open sky, built for groups who want the fuller picture and the time to actually get it.
Select This TourLocals Happy Hour, Monday–Thursday
20% off every tour for Napa Valley locals, Monday through Thursday. Just mention it when you book.
You don't have to already be a birder.
Most guests aren't. Some have never held binoculars before. The pace, the explanations, and the route all adjust to whoever shows up, whether that's a curious first-timer or someone chasing a very specific species for a life list.
Corporate & Groups
Corporate outings, team offsites & large groups.
A naturalist-guided walk works great for corporate offsites, bachelorette and bachelor parties, and wedding welcome groups across Napa, Sonoma, and Healdsburg.
How It Works
How it's priced. Flat rate to the group, up to 30 guests, not per person. Additional guides join as the party grows.
Good fits. Offsites, bachelorette and bachelor weekends, wedding welcomes, hospitality partners, and family gatherings.
Good to Know
What to expect in the field.
- Meeting point. Trailhead, vineyard entrance, or your property, if you've got real acreage, just ask.
- Gear. Binoculars provided, bring your own if you'd rather.
- Pace. Walking pace, flat to rolling terrain. Mobility needs accommodated, just mention them.
- Weather. Rain or shine. Unsafe conditions get rescheduled free.
Where We Go
The parks and trails Willie knows best.
These are some of Willie's favorites, the ground he walks regularly, knows the seasonal patterns of, and can put a name to nearly everything moving through. Open to intermediate Napa spots too, and beyond Napa, Willie also guides in Sonoma County and around Healdsburg, just ask.
1
Oat Hill Mine Trail
Ridge views and chaparral above Calistoga, with the main trailhead at the edge of Lincoln Avenue and Silverado Trail.
View park location ↗
2
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
Redwoods, Douglas-fir, and Ritchey Creek between St. Helena and Calistoga, with reliable year-round variety.
View park location ↗
3
Alston Park
Open grassland and oak woodland on Dry Creek Road, just west of the city of Napa.
View park location ↗
4
Tolay Lake Regional Park
Seasonal lake, grassland and open ridges southeast of Petaluma, drawing waterfowl and raptors on the Sonoma side.
View park location ↗
Field Guide
Six ways into the birds of wine country.
Each outing moves through a different mix of habitat, season and light. These are the six broad families of encounters Willie watches for.
Songbirds
Warblers · Thrushes · FinchesSmall birds moving through canopy, creek edges and garden habitat, often found first by voice and then by a flash of color.
Raptors
Hawks · Falcons · EaglesLook to vineyard posts, oak-lined ridges and open sky for hunters working the thermals or holding perfectly still.
Waterbirds
Herons · Egrets · WaterfowlWetlands, reservoirs and seasonal lakes bring a quieter pace, long reflections and birds built for the water's edge.
Woodland Birds
Woodpeckers · Owls · CreepersOak woodland and redwood shade reward slower looking, with birds working bark, cavities and the layered forest understory.
Vineyard & Grassland Birds
Quail · Meadowlarks · BluebirdsVineyard rows, fence lines and open fields hold the birds that make the working landscape feel alive.
Seasonal Specialties
Migrants · Winter Visitors · NestersThe cast changes through the year. Migration, rain and nesting season each bring birds that are only here for a while.
Field Notes
Right now in the valley.
Fall migration is quietly the best season to book, raptors moving through the ridgelines, songbirds swelling in number, and the crowds gone.
Reserve a Fall Date
Questions
Worth answering up front.
Do you provide transportation or pickup?
Not as part of the standard tour. Guests meet Willie directly at the trailhead or tour location. If you need help coordinating transport from a hotel or winery, mention it when you inquire and it can sometimes be arranged separately.
Do I need my own binoculars?
No. A set of binoculars comes with every tour at no extra charge. If you have a pair you already love using, bring them.
Is this suitable for kids, or for people who've never birded before?
Yes to both. Tours are private to your party, so the pace and depth adjust to whoever's along, whether that's a curious eight-year-old or a lifelong lister chasing one specific bird.
What's the cancellation policy?
Full details are confirmed at booking. In general, advance notice gets a full refund or an easy reschedule, weather-related cancellations are always rescheduled at no charge.
Can you accommodate mobility limitations or other accessibility needs?
Yes. Let Willie know when you inquire, and the route, pace, and terrain will be planned specifically around it. Most tour locations offer flatter, more accessible alternatives to the standard trail.
Do you run tours for wineries or corporate groups?
Yes, this is a growing part of the business. Wineries and hospitality properties can offer guided birding as a guest experience add-on, priced as a flat fee to the property. Reach out through the contact form for details.
Reserve
Your time in the field.
Fill in a few details and Willie will follow up personally with availability and meeting details, usually within a day.
A $50 per person deposit is required to book a reservation.
Notice
Accessibility statement
This site is designed for readable contrast, keyboard navigation, and screen-reader-friendly structure. If you hit a barrier, reach out at willie@bigwilliesbirdingtours.com or 707-948-6742. Tour accommodations, mobility needs, pacing, and terrain can be planned around your group, just mention them when you inquire.