-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Gehlen <philip_gehlen at telus.net>
To: bcintbird <bcintbird at egroups.com>
Date: Sunday, September 10, 2000 12:49 PM
Subject: [bcintbird] Rare Bird Alert - Piping Plover


Fellow Birders,
This morning, September 10, at 11:40am I saw what I am certain was a
Piping Plover at Topperchak's Ponds north of Swan Lake, Vernon.
I had just checked out the ponds, where there were 3 LBDO, 2 PESA and
a single SOSA, and was on my way back to the car parked near the
toilet buildings when I heard a call which I didn't recognize, a loud
"peep lo" or "peep luo". I turned and saw a very pale plover land
briefly on the mud shore of the main pond. The bird appeared to be
slightly larger than a Semipalmated Plover and extremely pale on the
back. The single breast band was just noticeably broken at the center
of the breast. The bill was bi-colored as with semipalmated and the
legs were very bright orange. A narrow frontal bar went from eye to
eye over the crown.
The bird stopped only briefly and then took off flying higher and
higher until I lost it in my binoculars over the north end of Swan
Lake.
Please be on the lookout for this bird down the valley.

Phil Gehlen
Vernon, BC