Subject: Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - July 22nd update
Date: Jul 23 01:36:32 2002
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com


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

Sightings for Monday, July 22nd - midnight update.

The featured birds include:

MEW GULL (Kelowna)
SPRUCE GROUSE (Penticton)
PEREGRINE FALCON (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

White-winged Crossbill
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
Ruffed Grouse
Blue Grouse
American Dipper
Solitary Sandpiper
Wilson's Phalarope
Long-billed Dowitcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Glaucous-winged Gull
American Avocet
Black-backed Woodpecker
Yellow-breasted Chat
Bobolink
Williamson's Sapsucker
Great Horned Owl
Rusty Blackbird
Caspian Tern
Barred Owl
Brown Creeper
Three-toed Woodpecker
Boreal Chickadee
Rock Wren
Grasshopper Sparrow
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Hooded Merganser
Semipalmated Sandpiper


Sightings for July 22nd

At Robert Lake in Kelowna, an adult MEW GULL, the first July record for the
valley, was observed (CC).

On July 20th, the following shorebirds were reported at Robert Lake: 2
AMERICAN AVOCETS, 10 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 3 GREATER & 1 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, 1 SOLITARY SANDPIPER, 6 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 2 WILSON'S PHALAROPE
and many KILLDEER and SPOTTED SANDPIPERS (HV).

A pair of GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS had two chicks on Jim Grant Island in Lake
Country (HV).

A female SPRUCE GROUSE was seen on the Hedley-Nickleplate FSR, which is just
past the Apex Resort, W. of Penticton (LN). The bird was seen 450 m the road
with 5 chicks on July 19th.

A bird thought to be a PEREGRINE FALCON was seen in Kelowna at the
intersection of Gordon and Cameron (BC).

Along the road to the Vista Pass, near Vernon 2 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were
seen near km 14. Three GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES were observed at the height
of land on the pass, known as the pinnacle, which is at approx. 2050 m
elevation. Other noteworthy sightings along this route included a RUFFED
GROUSE, a female BLUE GROUSE and an AMERICAN DIPPER at Pinnacle Lake (ScH).


Sightings for July 15th

A female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was observed along the Dutton Ck FSR, which
branches off the Venner Meadows Road at km 13, E. of Okanagan Falls (LN).
The woodpecker was seen at km 5 on the Dutton Road.

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

A male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER was seen at km 15 on the Venner Meadows Road,
at the Browning Ck FSR turnoff on July 11th (LN).

On the Vernon Commonage, a LEAST FLYCATCHER was heard calling from an aspen
grove and two young GREAT HORNED OWLS were 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 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.


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; HV - Hank Vanderpol; BC - Bill Cutfield;
SH - Steven Hornstein; DoW - Doreen Wierenga; LN - Laure Neish; Scott
Hobson; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; MF - Mike Force; JL - Judy Latta.


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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