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

Sightings for Thursday, October 10th - 7:30 PM update

** RARE BIRD ALERT for PARASITIC JAEGER (Kelowna)

The featured birds include:

SURF SCOTER (Penticton)
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (Westbank)
FRANKLIN'S GULL (Westbank)
MEW GULL (Kelowna)
ICELAND GULL -- possible (Kelowna)


Other birds mentioned:

Lapland Longspur
Pectoral Sandpiper
Wilson's Warbler
Spruce Grouse
Ruffed Grouse
Golden Eagle
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
Black-bellied Plover
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Peregrine Falcon
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
Glaucous-winged Gull
Virginia Rail
Gray Partridge
Rough-legged Hawk


Sightings for October 10th

An imm. intermediate morph PARASITIC JAEGER was observed by many birders, as
it harassed gulls at Mud Bay and the Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary at the foot
of Francis Ave in Kelowna (CC,GW,m.ob). A birder who returned to Maude Roxby
in the afternoon saw a bird fitting the description of a second winter
ICELAND GULL (LR). Confirmation is requested on this gull.

In Westbank, a winter plumage FRANKLIN'S GULL was on the sandbar at the
mouth of Power's Ck, beside the yacht club on Gellatly Bay (EF). A PECTORAL
SANDPIPER was seen on the same sandbar on Oct 9 (EF).

The ad. MEW GULL continues in the MacDonald's parking lot at the
intersection of Hollywood Road and Hwy 33 in Rutland (CC).

Two SURF SCOTERS remain at the SS Sicamous in Penticton (LN), where on the
9th, there were briefly up to 5 SURF SCOTERS and a single WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER (GW,LR).

A rather tardy WILSON'S WARBLER was along River Road, N. of Oliver (LN) and
heard overhead at the Rotary Marshes, in Kelowna, on the 10th, was a LAPLAND
LONGSPUR (CC).


Sightings for October 7th

The two SURF SCOTERS were again on Okanagan Lake in Penticton near the SS
Sicamous (JL).

A RUFFED GROUSE and a SPRUCE GROUSE were seen on the Shuttleworth FSR, E. of
Okanagan Falls (JL).

In Westbank, a GOLDEN EAGLE was observed on October 5th over Mt. Boucherie
(JL).


Sightings for October 6th

The Salmon Arm foreshore continues to be the birding hotspot in the region.
Included in today's sightings from Salmon Arm are two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GEESE, an adult PEREGRINE FALCON, a BLACK-BELLIED and two juv. AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVERS and 2 FRANKLIN'S GULLS (DC).

Four GOLDEN EAGLES and the first ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK of the fall were reported
at the Black Mountain "hawkwatch" in Kelowna (DC). These birds can be
viewed, although distantly, from the intersection of Treetop Road and
Swainson Road.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and 2 VIRGINIA RAILS were along River Road, S. of
Vaseux Lake and at Road 22, N. of Osoyoos, there were 5 LAPLAND LONGSPURS
(DC).

At Osoyoos Lake was an adult MEW GULL and an adult GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL
(DC).

On October 4th, 13 GRAY PARTRIDGE and 40 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were seen in the
White Lake area (LN).

On the Lower Mainland, the province's second PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, an adult
male, was present at the Reifel Refuge in Ladner on October 5-6
(RT,MM,m.ob). Call the Vancouver RBA at (604) 737-3074 for updates.


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; LN - Laure Neish; MM - Mitch Meredith;
RT - Rick Toochin; DC - Don Cecile; JL - Judy Latta; LR - Lesley Robertson;
GW - Gwynneth Wilson; EF - Elke Fischer.


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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