Richard we had this BOOK for long time. we also own 3 value of :The BIRDS
of BRITISH COLUMBIA which is by Wyne Campbell, Neil k.Dawe,Ian Mc
Taggart-Cowan,John M Cooper, and others
Ruth
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net

----------
> From: PAGODROMA <PAGODROMA at aol.com>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Cc: R.J. Cannings & M. Holm <mholm at vip.net>
> Subject: Re: WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS bonanza!!!
> Date: Saturday, January 03, 1998 2:14 PM
>
> Good afternoon Tweets --
>
> Here's an interesting update on WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS. I received a
very
> interesting and informative message from Richard J. (Dick) Cannings
yesterday
> from the adjacent Okanagan^*^ areas of south-central British Columbia.
Andy
> Stepniewski has apparently been forwarding some of my Washington
Okanogan^*^
> related posts to him.
>
> Dick sent me results of the CBC's for Penticton and Vaseux which so far I
have
> been unable to translate or convert into readable format. Nor is it in
> 'French' either '-) He did note that "White-wings are common on both
sides of
> the valley [there]; the hundreds seen on the Vaseux count were all seen
by one
> observer (!) on the east side" despite the fact that "the 'high country'
> wasn't covered very well." Dick also notes that during a short skiing
holiday
> west of Penticton (Apex), that "both WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and PINE
> GROSBEAKS were common." The Oliver-Osoyoos CBC along the international
border
> across from Oroville is being conducted 'today' and that expectations
were
> optimistic for good high country coverage. So perhaps another update may
be
> forthcoming shortly.
>
> All this inspired me last night to pull out my copy of "Birds of the
Okanagan
> Valley, British Columbia" 1987, by R.A., R.J., and S.G. Cannings, which I
read
> from cover to cover again last night until 2am. The 'Forward',
'Preface', and
> 'Introduction' first, then the rest "Japanese style" from reverse, finch
> first. This is a brilliant and inspiring piece of work, all 420 pages of
it!
> I had kind of forgotten some of the species specific details when I've
been
> going on and on and making generalizations about birding possibilities up
in
> the Washington Okanogan these past few years or so just on instinct. It
seems
> that perhaps my instincts are not at all off the mark. I maintain my
thoughts
> and ideas on the three northern owls and Hoary Redpoll (refer again to
the
> original WWCB Tweeters posting on 12/29).
>
> As for the WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, even up in the BC Okanagan and as of
1987
> publication, the WWCB is described as "rarely seen in the Okanagan"
preferring
> spruce forests further north and above elevations of 1000 m. However,
there
> are periodic and irregular irruptions, and the winter 1997-98 is
beginning to
> look like one of those in a very big way!
>
> PINE GROSBEAKS are very much similar and this may prove to be a
Washington
> irruption year for them as well but perhaps on a much smaller comparative
> scale. HOARY REDPOLLS, as 'the Okanagan bible' further notes, "are most
often
> seen during the cold weather of late winter", mixed in with flocks of
Commons,
> and my guess is that in Washington, Chesaw *is* the place!
>
> If this doesn't get Washington birders from around the state excited,
then
> just getting your hands on the remarkable works of the Okanagan born and
> raised Cannings family most certainly should. No one knows this special
area
> more intimately then they. Just the first sentence and first page in the
> 'Forward' says it all and should light a fire under even the most timid
of
> adventurist winter birders. Then, there is all the rest of the Okanogan
year
> to consider as well!
>
> Anyone keenly interested in the birds of the Okanogan and Washington must
have
> this book in their library. I think I may have heard once that the book
may
> actually be out of print, but I'm not certain. Best place to check would
> probably be downtown Seattle's "Flora & Fauna Books" in Pioneer Square
and
> perhaps Michael Price has ideas and suggestions in Vancouver.
>
> On that note, anyone know how or where I might be able to obtain a copy
and
> become a proud owner of Jewett, et.al. 1953, "Birds of Washington State".
> I'll gleefully accept it even a belated Christmas present :-)) Reply
> *privately* please '-)
>
> *^*NOTE*^* I only discovered this minor little detail this morning.
> All Washington references to this area spell it "Okanogan" with an
'o'.
> All BC and Canadian references spell it "Okanagan" with an 'a'.
> Which is it or are both okay? I've spelled it interchangeably in the
above
> message in the vein to which country, USA vs Canada, I was referring at
the
> time and to try and keep everyone happy. You know how grumpy and
incensed we
> can get over such the tiniest of things '-) Oh brother! No wonder
everyone
> who listens to insomniac late night radio "Art Bell" too much in the
North
> Cascades and the Okanogan/Okanagan is panicked about 'black helicopters'
and
> an international conspiracy, eh '-)
>
> Richard Rowlett (Pagodroma at aol.com)
> 47.56N, 122.13W
> (Seattle/Bellevue, WA USA)