Subject: Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - Dec 6th update
Date: Dec 6 22:15:29 2002
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com


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

Sightings for Friday, December 6th - 10:00 PM update

Featured birds include:

BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Osoyoos)
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Osoyoos)
THAYER'S GULL (Osoyoos)

Other birds mentioned:

Winter Wren
Great Horned Owl
Rough-legged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
GYRFALCON
HARRIS' SPARROW
MEW GULL
PACIFIC LOON
Redhead
Pileated Woodpecker
Gray Jay
Varied Thrush
Western Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Northern Pygmy Owl
Thayer's Gull


Sightings for December 6th

A male BLUE-WINGED TEAL, casual in the winter, was seen in the marsh at
Haynes Point Provincial Park, in Osoyoos (DB). Seen at the tip of Haynes
Point were two male RED-BREASTED MERANSERS, a THAYER'S GULL and a WINTER
WREN (DB).


Sightings for December 5th

In Kelowna's Ellison area, an immature HARRIS' SPARROW was seen at 2580
Lakha Road, where a bird also spent the winter last year (GW). Also in the
Ellison area, 10 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 2 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, 1 MERLIN and an
AMERICAN KESTREL were tallied (GW).

At Marshall's Feedlot in Kelowna, along Hwy 97, S. of McCurdy Road, the
GYRFALCON and a MERLIN were again seen (GW).

A GREAT HORNED OWL was found roosting along Mission Creek, in Kelowna,
between Casorso Road and Gordon Drive (RM).


Sightings for December 4th

At the Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna, a second year MEW GULL and an
adult THAYER'S GULL were seen (BC).

The GYRFALCON and a MERLIN were reported at the Marshall's Feedlot, along
Hwy 97, in Kelowna, S. of McCurdy Road (CC,TF,BD).

On Kelowna's Westside, a NORTHERN PYGMY OWL made a visit at 2700 Lakeridge
Road (EF).

A PACIFIC LOON was reported on Woods Lake, in Lake Country, earlier this
week (AS).

In the sunshine, E. of Penticton, a GRAY JAY, a VARIED THRUSH and a PILEATED
WOODPECKER, which was calling and drumming, were reported along Carmi Road
(LN).

Near Summerland, a WESTERN GREBE and a RED-NECKED GREBE were with a large
raft of REDHEADS off the Pyramid Park (LN).


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; GW - Gwynneth Wilson; EF - Elke Fischer;
BC - Bill Cutfield; TF - Trevor Forder; LN - Laure Neish; BD - Brenda
Darchuk; AS - Andy Stepniewski; RM - Richard Mooney; DB - Doug Brown.


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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