Subject: Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - July 4th update
Date: Jul 4 22:49:14 2002
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com


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

Sightings for Thursday, July 4th - 10:45 PM update.


Rare Bird alert continues for out of valley CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR
(Wells Gray Park)

The featured birds include:

HARLEQUIN DUCK (OK Falls)
WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER (OK Falls)
BOREAL CHICKADEE (OK Falls)
LEAST FLYCATCHER (OK Falls)


Other birds mentioned:

Lewis' Woodpecker
Canyon Wren
Fox Sparrow
Brown Creeper
Chukar
Three-toed Woodpecker
White-winged Crossbill
Golden Eagle
Swainson's Hawk
Pine Grosbeak
Veery
Northern Saw-whet Owl
American Redstart
Red-naped Sapsucker
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Cassin's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Western Tanager
Winter Wren


Sightings for July 4th

The breeding male CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR, first discovered on July 1st,
was again seen near Wells Gray Park (RTo). To reach the bird follow Hwy 5 N.
from Kamloops to Clearwater and turn towards Wells Gray Park on Clearwater
Valley Road. Follow this road for about 25 km until you see large signs on
the right advertising the Nakiska Ranch. Turn on this road (Trout Ck Road)
and proceed .9 km, putting you in the middle of a hayfield. The longspur
seems to prefer the uncut field on the left hand side of the road, but will
also perch on fenceposts and telephone wires in the area.

A male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER was seen at km 15 on the Venner Meadows Road,
E. of Okanagan Falls (DC,RC,CC,PL,CW,m.ob).

Near Rabbitt Lake, between km 20-25 on the Shuttleworth Ck FSR, E. of
Okanagan Falls, two BOREAL CHICKADEES, 3 FOX SPARROWS and a BROWN CREEPER
were in the spruce forest (CC,PL,CW,m.ob).

A male HARLEQUIN DUCK was found on the Okanagan River off the campground at
Okanagan Falls (CW,PL,CC,m.ob). The bird was feeding actively in the rapid
waters.

A CHUKAR was observed calling from the Vaseux Cliffs, while numerous LEWIS'
WOODPECKERS, 4 CANYON WRENS and many other birds were in the same general
area (RC,DC,CC,PL,CW,m.ob).

Along the Twin Lakes Road, about 2 km W. of its intersection with the White
Lake Road, a LEAST FLYCATCHER was seen in a grove of aspens (CC,PL,CW,m.ob).


Sightings for July 3

The CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR, seen on the 1st and 2nd of July was again
seen near Wells Gray Park (RH,m.ob).

Various interesting species were reported along McCulloch Road, near Kelowna
over the past week. Km 0 for this route is traditionally at the bridge over
K.L.O Ck. At km 5, a bird thought possibly to be a GRAY FLYCATCHER was heard
(HV). In the high elevation forest near McCulloch Lake, two male THREE-TOED
WOODPECKERS, 2 PINE GROSBEAKS, and 2 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were observed
(HV). From between km 3-5, 2 ad. GOLDEN EAGLES, 2 SWAINSON'S HAWKS and a
WHITE-THROATED SWIFT were seen over Layercake Mountain (CC). A VEERY was at
km 3.2 along Hydraulic Ck and a BROWN CREEPER was seen at km 15.2 (CC).


Sightings for June 27

Nesting NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS were found along the Gilliard Creek FSR, off
Chute Lake Road in Kelowna (GW). From where the Gilliard FSR meets the old
Kettle Valley Railway tracks, turn left and walk 100 M. along the tracks.
You will see two large aspens on the left. In one of these trees, a juv.
Saw-whet was seen, while also in the same tree was a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER
NEST. Other birds noted along the Gilliard CK FSR were YELLOW-RUMPED,
NASHVILLE, ORANGE-CROWNED and MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS, CASSIN'S, WARBLING
and RED-EYED VIREOS, WESTERN TANAGER and WINTER WREN (GW).

E. of the Okanagan Valley, along Blythe-Rhone Road, off Hwy 33, N. of
Westbridge, 4 singing male AMERICAN REDSTARTS and a singing LEAST FLYCATCHER
were found (CC,TF).

On June 24th, a flock of 23 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were at the N. end of
Vaseux Lake (CD).




Observers: GW - Gwynneth Wilson; CC - Chris Charlesworth; TF - Trevor
Forder; CD - Chris Dale; HV - Hank Vanderpol; CR - Clara Ritcey; PL - Paul
Lehman; CW - Chris Woods; RC - Russel Cannings; DC - Dick Cannings; RTo -
Rick Toochin.


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