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

Sightings for Friday, August 24th - midnight update

The featured birds include:

PACIFIC LOON (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

STILT SANDPIPER
RUSTY BLACKBIRD
Boreal Chickadee
Three-toed Woodpecker
Brown Creeper
Common Tern
Great Horned Owl
Merlin
Wood Duck
Baird's Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Red-necked Phalarope


A couple of brief announcements: The 2002 version of the Okanagan Valley
Checklist is now available. In Kelowna you can get a copy at Art Knapps
Plantland on Springfield Rd and in Penticton they are available at the
Tumbleweed Nature Store.

The Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory is seeking volunteers to assist with
banding and bird censusing. The observatory will be operating through August
and September. Contact Dick Cannings at 250-496-4019 if you can help.


Sightings for August 24th

A breeding plumage PACIFIC LOON was observed on Okanagan Lake, in Kelowna,
from the foot of Francis Ave, which is just S. of the Maude Roxby Bird
Sanctuary (HV).


Sightings for August 18th

Two juv. STILT SANDPIPERS continue at Robert Lake in Kelowna (CC,RT,YL).

A female RUSTY BLACKBIRD was seen at Dee Lake, on the plateau E. of Winfield
(CC,RT,YL). To reach this area take Beaver Lk Road, E. from Winfield. Turn
left onto Dee Lake Road at km 15 on Beaver Lk Rd and Dee Lake is found about
10 km N. Other noteworthy sightings along Dee Lk Road included two
THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS at km 3.6, six BOREAL CHICKADEES at km 3 and a BROWN
CREEPER at km 7.5 (CC,RT,YL).

Two ad. COMMON TERNS were feeding on Okanagan Lk in Kelowna, off the Rotary
Marshes (CC,RT,YL).

A GREAT HORNED OWL is regularly being seen in a barn on the N. side of the
Old Vernon Road, Bulman Road intersection in the Ellison area of Kelowna
(TF). Two young and an adult GREAT HORNED OWL were reported from a gully on
Black Mountain, E. of Kelowna (DW,JM).


Sightings for August 17th

At Robert Lake in Kelowna were three juv. STILT SANDPIPERS, 4 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES, 27 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS and 7 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS (CC,RT).

Thirty COMMON TERNS were counted along Okanagan Lake, in Penticton, from the
SS Sicamous (LN).

At the Chichester Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna highlites included a MERLIN and
a WOOD DUCK (CC,RT).



Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; LN - Laure Neish; RT - Ryan Tomlinson;
TF - Trevor Foder; DW - Doreen Wierenga; JM - Joyce Mervyn; YL - Yvan
Larche; HV - Hank Vanderpol.


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.

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