----- Original Message -----
From: Wayne C. Weber <contopus at shaw.ca>
To: BCINTBIRD <bcintbird at yahoogroups.com>; BC BIRDING
<bcprovbirding at yahoogroups.com>; NCENBIRD
<ncenbird at strider.pgfn.bc.ca>; KAMLOOPS NATURALISTS
<knc-info at jsthrower.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2002 10:34 AM
Subject: NICOLA VALLEY BIRDING, OCTOBER 5 & 6


> Birders,
>
> I spent much of the day on both October 5 and October 6 birding the
> Nicola Valley near Merritt, B.C.-- to make up for my lack of
coverage
> in late September. Despite marginal birding conditions on both days
> (brisk winds in most areas-- good for windsurfers on Nicola Lake,
but
> not for birding!), I had lots of interesting sightings.
>
> On October 5, I birded the old railway line between Shulus and
Coyle;
> the eastern half of the Sunshine Valley Road and adjacent roads
(west
> of Lower Nicola); and various point along Nicola Lake. On the 6th, I
> birded Stump Lake, Guichon Flats, and the hotspots on Nicola Lake
> again.
>
> Noteworthy sightings over the 2 days included the following:
>
> PIED-BILLED GREBE-- Large numbers, including 25 at the S end of
Stump
> Lake (Oct 6); 6 at Pennask Bay on both Oct 5 and 6.
>
> HORNED GREBE-- 60 at the S end of Stump Lake, Oct 6
>
> EARED GREBE-- 3 at the S end of Stump Lake, Oct 6; 1 at Pennask Bay,
> Oct 6.
>
> MUTE SWAN-- The usual bird at the south end of Stump Lake, Oct 6.
>
> GREEN-WINGED TEAL-- 500 at Guichon Flats, Oct 6
>
> BLUE-WINGED TEAL-- 10 at Guichon Flats, Oct 6 (getting late)
>
> GADWALL-- 250 at Guichon Flats, Oct 6
>
> CANVASBACK-- 50 at the S end of Stump Lake and 6 at Pennask Bay,
> Oct 6.
>
> REDHEAD-- 4 at the Nicola L. rest area, Oct 5, and 3 there on Oct 6.
>
> RING-NECKED DUCK-- About 300 in Nicola L. near the rest area, both
> days.
>
> GREATER SCAUP-- At least 12 with Ring-necks near the Nicola L. rest
> area both days; fall arrival. All other scaup seen were Lesser.
>
> LESSER SCAUP-- 800 at Stump Lake, Oct 6
>
> SURF SCOTER-- 1 at the S end of Stump Lake, 3 at the N end of
Nicola
> Lake, and 3 at the Nicola L. rest area, all on Oct 6. All were in
> female/immature plumage.
>
> WHITE-WINGED SCOTER-- 3 in female/immature plumage at "Pennask
Bay",
> Nicola Lake, Oct 6.
>
> HOODED MERGANSER-- Good numbers, including 30 at the W end of
Nicola
> L., Oct 6.
>
> COMMON MERGANSER-- 81 at the Nicola R. mouth, Oct 5.
>
> NORTHERN HARRIER-- One along the Sunshine Valley Road, Oct 5--
dived
> at, but missed, a BELTED KINGFISHER. Two at Guichon Flats, Oct 6.
>
> COOPER'S HAWK-- One perched and flying near the Sunshine Valley
bridge
> over the Nicola R., Oct 5.
>
> MERLIN-- one along the Nicola R. near Shulus, Oct 5
>
> VIRGINIA RAIL-- Two heard calling (response to tape) at the "rail
> pond" on Highway 5A, north of the Tullee Marshes, after sundown on
Oct
> 5.
>
> GREATER YELLOWLEGS-- two at Pennask Bay, Oct 6.
>
> LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER-- 8 on mud near the W end of Nicola L., Oct 6.
>
> FRANKLIN'S GULL-- The same bird as on Oct 2, seen again at the
Nicola
> R. mouth on Nicola L., Oct 5. Not seen there Oct 6. My latest date
for
> the valley.
>
> BONAPARTE'S GULL-- 5 on Nicola L., west of the rest area, Oct 6.
>
> RING-BILLED GULL-- 5 at the Nicola R. mouth, Oct 5 and 6, and
> scattered ones and twos elsewhere.
>
> CALIFORNIA GULL-- 12 at the Nicola R. mouth, Oct 5, and 10 there
the
> next day
>
> HERRING GULL-- 3 at the Nicola R. mouth, Oct 6 (none there Oct 5).
>
> GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL-- After remarking on 3 immatures at the Nicola
R.
> mouth on Oct. 2, I saw 6 there on Oct 5 and at least 11 (!) on Oct
6.
> These guys must have E-mail or something to tell each other about
the
> Kokanee run. The Nicola R. mouth is starting to look like the
Kelowna
> waterfront these days, with all the Glaucous-wings!
>
> MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD-- One at Coyle (near Lower Nicola) and 6 along the
> Sunshine Valley Road, both Oct 5. Getting late.
>
> AMERICAN PIPIT-- flock of 30 along Highway 8 just east of Shulus,
Oct
> 5. Another flock of 30 on Highway 5A at Separation Lake, and 10 at
> Stump Lake, Oct 6. A few scattered singles and small groups seen
> elsewhere.
>
> YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER-- Still quite a few moving through, e.g. 6 at
> Shulus, Oct 5 and 5 at Pennask Bay the same day.
>
> LINCOLN'S SPARROW-- One at Shulus, Oct 5. My latest ever for the
> valley.
>
> WESTERN MEADOWLARK-- One at the N end of Stump Lake, Oct 6. Getting
> late.
>
> YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD-- One at Guichon Flats, Oct 6 (my latest for
> the valley by almost 2 weeks)
>
>
> An interesting mammal sighting was a Yellow Pine (Northwestern)
> Chipmunk along Highway 5A just west of the Nicola Lake rest area on
> October 6. This is probably my latest ever sighting for the valley--
> he should be hibernating by now! Also of note were at least 4
Pacific
> Tree-Frogs heard lazily croaking (as they often do in fall) at
Shulus
> on October 5.
>
> That's all for now!
>
> Wayne C. Weber
> Kamloops and Merritt, BC
> contopus at shaw.ca
>
>
>
>