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

Sightings for Sunday, December 29th - 10:00 PM update.


Featured birds include:

PACIFIC LOON (Lake Country)
DUNLIN (Osoyoos)
BARN OWL (Osoyoos)
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD (Similkameen Valley)
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH (Similkameen Valley)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Lake Country)
SWAMP SPARROW (Lake Country)
RUSTY BLACKBIRD (Osoyoos)
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (Osoyoos)


Other birds mentioned:

Cassin's Finch
Winter Wren
Great Horned Owl
Brown Creeper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Varied Thrush
Canyon Wren
Western Screech-Owl
Spotted Towhee
White-winged Crossbill
Golden Eagle
Northern Pygmy-Owl
ROCK WREN
Short-eared OWl
HARRIS' SPARROW
EURASIAN WIGEON
LINCOLN'S SPARROW
Trumpeter Swan
Killdeer
GLAUCOUS GULL
LONG-TAILED DUCK
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE


Sightings for December 29th

The Oliver / Osoyoos CBC tallied an amazing 112 species on Sat. the 28th,
with numerous highlites.

In the Similkameen Valley, a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, 2 ROCK WRENS, 20
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES and a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL were reported (DB).

At the N. end of Osoyoos Lake, a DUNLIN was on the sandbar at the mouth of
the Okanagan River (DW,RT) and a BARN OWL was seen after dusk along the
river channel just S. of Road 18 (DCa).

At a feeder along the road to the Osoyoos Dump a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was
seen (ED) and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD was at the Southern Plus Feedlot near Oliver
(LRo,EDu).

In Oliver, a HARRIS' SPARROW was found near the intersection of No. 6 Rd and
Sawmill Rd (MF) and a SHORT-EARED OWL was observed in the Richter Pass, W.
of Osoyoos (DB).

The fist annual Lake Country CBC was held on Dec 29th with a preliminary
total of 82 species.

Three SWAMP SPARROWS were seen within the count circle! Two were along the
railroad tracks on the E. side of Wood Lake (CC,CS,RM) and one was along
Goldie Road, in Carrs Landing (DW,RG,RT). A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and an
immature GOLDEN EAGLE were also seen in Carrs Landing (DW,RG,RT).

At least 12 SPOTTED TOWHEES were tallied on the count (CC,RT,DB,m.ob).

The adult PACIFIC LOON was found at the N. end of Wood Lake (CC,CS,RM) and a
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was called in along the East Hill Road Trail (RM,CC,CS)
and 5 more were seen along Westside Road (DB).

On the Fintry delta, a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL and a CANYON WREN were located
and also seen in the Westside area were a total of 36 VARIED THRUSHES, a
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, 3 CASSIN'S FINCHES, 3 WINTER WRENS and a GREAT HORNED
OWL (DB).

At the Beaver Lake Lodge, 2 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen amongst good
numbers of RED CROSSBILLS (HV,HW,PW,BT) and although not in the count
circle, two SHORT-EARED OWLS were along Bench Row Road, on the Vernon
Commonage (PB).


Sightings for December 27th

In the South Okanagan, a single DUNLIN was with a KILLDEER at the N. end of
Osoyoos Lake, on a sandbar on the 26th (DB). Also on the 26th along the west
dyke of the Okanagan River, S. of Road 22, a RUSTY BLACKBIRD was with a
flock of other blackbirds and LINCOLN'S SPARROW was S. of Road 21, along the
railroad grade (DB).

In Kelowna, two TRUMPETER SWANS and a EURASIAN WIGEON were at Kinsmen Park
on the 26th (BC).

The HARRIS' SPARROW was again seen at 3390 East Kelowna Road on Christmas
Day and on Boxing Day (SB).


Sightings for December 22nd

At the mouth of Vernon Ck, in Vernon was a second yr GLAUCOUS GULL
(DC,CS,JL,DT), however, the Lesser Black-backed Gull couldn't be found.

The LONG-TAILED DUCK continues on the sewage ponds near the Osoyoos Golf
Course (DB).

In Kelowna, the field behind Thompson-Brook Pond, was inundated with
sparrows. In total, 2 SWAMP SPARROWS, 6 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, 10
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS and 80 SONG SPARROWS were found here (CC). This area
is found on the E. side of Gordon Rd, in Kelowna, south of Mission Ck. Walk
behind the wetlands in the weedy fields to find these birds.

An immature HARRIS' SPARROW was found at Munson's Pond in Kelowna (CC).

The male GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE continues around the Orchard Park Mall, at the
intersection of Hwy 97 and Cooper Road in Kelowna (DT,JL).


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; RM - Richard Mooney; RT - Ryan
Tomlinson; DB - Doug Brown; DT - Danny Tyson; JL - John Luce; CS - Chris
Siddle; BC - Bill Cutfield; SB - Sylvia Blackburn; DW - Don Wilson; DCa -
Dick Cannings; ED - Elaine Dickson; LRo - Laurie Rockwell; EDu - Eva
Durance; MF - Mike Force; RG - Rick Gee; HV - Hank Vanderpol; HW - Hugh
Westheuser; PW - Pat Westheuser; BT - Brenda Thomson; PB - Peter Blokker.


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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