Subject: Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - August 14th update
Date: Aug 14 22:22:27 2002
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com


This is the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Rare Bird Alert
(250)491-7738.


Sightings for Wednesday, August 14th - 10:30 PM update.

RARE BIRD ALERT for probable MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD (Osoyoos)

The featured birds include:

PEREGRINE FALCON (Kelowna)
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (Vaseux Lk)

Other birds mentioned:

FRANKLIN'S GULL
Prairie Falcon
SANDERLING
Red-necked Phalarope
Western Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Bonaparte's Gull
Golden Eagle
Bufflehead
Solitary Sandpiper
Semipalmated Plover
Hooded Merganser
Northern Waterthrush
Bullock's Oriole


Sightings for August 14th

A probable MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD has been discovered at a feeder in
Osoyoos (LH,GH). The bird, a female, has been present since August 7th and
has been seen almost daily at 12504 Pinehurst Place, near the Osoyoos Golf
Course. The bird, described to be twice the size of other local hummers, is
more reliable in the morning. Contact Lee and Gaye Horn at (250) 495-6626
for more information and permission to view the bird. This would be a first
record for BC, so confirmation is highly requested.

On Tuesday, the 13th, a PEREGRINE FALCON was seen in flight over Huckleberry
Road, near Joe Rich, E. of Kelowna (JB,GW).

N. of Vaseux Lake, the imm. DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT was again seen flying
over the river channel from the banding station on Monday the 12th
(CC,GD,LR,m.ob).


Sightings for August 11th

In a late report for Aug 10th, a PRAIRIE FALCON was seen in flight over
Oswell Road in the Black Mountain area of Kelowna (TF).

The juv. FRANKLIN'S GULL, present since Aug 8th, was again seen on the pond
at the entrance to the Kelowna Landfill on Glenmore Drive (CC,RT).


Sightings for August 10th

A juvenile FRANKLIN'S GULL, present since August 8th (BL) was again seen on
the pond at the entrance to the Kelowna Landfill on Glenmore Drive as was a
juv. BONAPARTE'S GULL (CC,RT,BC,BL,CS). A HOODED MERGANSER, two BUFFLEHEADS
and a GOLDEN EAGLE were also at that location (CC,RT,BC,BL).

At Robert Lake in Kelowna an adult SANDERLING, molting into non-breeding
plumage was found (CC,DC,RT,CS,m.ob). Also there, a juv. RED-NECKED
PHALAROPE, up to 200 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 40 SEMIPALMATED and 150 LEAST
SANDPIPERS, 2 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER and 3 PECTORAL
SANDPIPERS amongst other shorebirds (CC,CS,DC,RT,m.ob) Ten WESTERN
SANDPIPERS and two SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS were at Thomson-Brook Pond on
Gordon Drive in Kelowna (CC,RT).

SOLITARY SANDPIPERS were noted in good numbers at various locations. Belgo
Pond in the Rutland area had 5, Thomson-Brook Pond on Gordon Drive had 3,
and a pond near Kelowna Springs Golf Course, as well as a pond in Sutherland
Hills Park each had single Solitary Sandpipers (CC,RT). Six SOLITARY
SANDPIPERS were seen on the sewage pond near Rose's Pond on the Vernon
Commonage (DCa,RC,GD). Also in Sutherland Hills Park, migrant passerines
included 10 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES and a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (CC,RT).



Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; BC - Bill
Cutfield; BL - Barrie Lancaster; DCa - Dick Cannings, CS - Chris Siddle; RC
- Russell Cannings; GD - Gabe David; TF - Trevor Forder; LH -Lee Horn; GH -
Gaye Horn; LR - Laurie Rockwell; JB - Joanne Beaulieu; GW - Gwynneth Wilson.


If you have any questions about Okanagan Valley birding, contact Chris
Charlesworth, in Kelowna at (250)-718-0335, Dick Cannings in Penticton at
(250) 496-4019, or Phil Gehlen in Vernon at (250) 542-8053.

This update has been sponsored by the TUMBLEWEED NATURE STORE at 67 Front
Street in Penticton.

Thanks for calling the bird alert and happy birding.

_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com