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

Sightings for Sunday, July 14th - Monday AM update

The featured birds include:

WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER (Ok Falls)
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER (Ok Falls)

Other birds mentioned:

Yellow-breasted Chat
Bobolink
Least Flycatcher
Great Horned Owl
Barred OWl
CASPIAN TERN
RUSTY BLACKBIRD
Brown Creeper
Three-toed Woodpecker
Boreal Chickadee
Rock Wren
Grasshopper Sparrow
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Hooded Merganser
Semipalmated Sandpiper
American Avocet
Lark Sparrow
Purple Finch
Alder Flycatcher
American Redstart
Long-billed Dowitcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper

Sightings for July 14th

A female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was observed along the Dutton Ck Forest
Service Road, E. of Okanagan Falls (LN). This road branches off the Venner
Meadows Road near km 13. The woodpecker was found 5 km from this
intersection.

On the 12th, 3 YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS were heard along River Road, N. of
Oliver (JL). A few BOBOLINKS remained in the uncut fields along Road 22, N.
of Osoyoos (JL).

A male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER was observed calling along the Venner Meadows
Road at the Browning Ck Road turnoff, near Km 15 on July 11th (LN).

On the Vernon Commonage, a LEAST FLYCATCHER was heard calling in an aspen
grove and two young GREAT HORNED OWLS were seen in the tree farm on Bench
Row Road (JL).


Sightings for July 9th

A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was briefly seen at Dee Lake, on the plateau E. of
Winfield (CC,RT). From Winfield, travel approx. 15 km up the Beaver Lake
Road, turn left onto Dee Lake Road just before the Beaver Lake Lodge, and
continue 11.7 km to the lake. Also here were three PINE GROSBEAKS (CC,RT).

Also along Dee Lake Road, 2.2 km from its intersection with Beaver Lake
Road, was a female THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, a BOREAL CHICKADEE and a BROWN
CREEPER (CC,RT). Another THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was at Lost Lake, 7.5 km from
Beaver Lake Road (CC,RT).

At Alki Lake in Kelowna, a ROCK WREN was heard singing on the cliffs near
the NE. corner of the lake, while up to 4 AMERICAN AVOCETS were on the lake
itself (CC,RT).

Shorebirds at Robert Lake in Kelowna, included 4 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 10
LEAST SANDPIPERS, and both GREATER & LESSER YELLOWLEGS (CC,RT,MF).

Along Mission Ck, upstream from Casorso Road in Kelowna, a LEAST FLYCATCHER
was singing (CC,RT).

At Goose Lake, in Vernon, a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was heard singing in the
grasslands and a PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER was heard along the BX Creek Trail
(CC,RT).

Rose's Pond on the Vernon Commonage had a single ad. LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER
and two HOODED MERGANSERS (CC,RT).

On July 8th, a CASPIAN TERN was observed at Vaseux Lake in the South
Okanagan (DoW).

A BARRED OWL was observed in Okanagan Mountain Park, near Kelowna, on July 7
(SH). It was seen along the Goodes Basin Trail.


Sightings for July 7th

E. of Winfield, on the Beaver Lake Road grasslands, two LARK SPARROWS were
found near bluebird box # 22 (TF). This species is very rare in the Okanagan
N. of Penticton.

The first southbound shorebirds of the season were reported yesterday at
Robert Lake in Kelowna. These included a GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHER and 3 LEAST SANDPIPERS (BC).

An extensive search for the CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR near Wells Gray Park
was unsuccessful on July 5th, however a few other species of interest were
found along Clearwater Valley Road, N. of Clearwater in the Thomson River
Valley. These were numerous AMERICAN REDSTARTS, 3 PURPLE FINCHES, a LEAST
FLYCATCHER and an ALDER FLYCATCHER (CC,RT).


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; TF - Trevor Forder; HV - Hank Vanderpol;
BC - Bill Cutfield; SH - Steven Hornstein; DoW - Doreen Wierenga; JL - Judy
Latta; LN - Laure Neish.


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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