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

Sightings for Tuesday, September 17th - 8:00 PM update

The featured birds include:

PEREGRINE FALCON (Kelowna)
PACIFIC LOON (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Black Swan (exotic)
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Osprey
Cooper's Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Northern Harrier
American Kestrel
Turkey Vulture
CLARK'S GREBE
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
SANDERLING
SABINE'S GULL
FRANKLIN'S GULL
TENNESSEE WARBLER
Northern Goshawk
Lazuli Bunting
Common Nighthawk
MacGillivray's Warbler
Western Wood Pewee
Vaux's Swift
Sandhill Crane
Black Tern
Lapland Longspur
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
Long-billed Dowitcher
Horned Lark
American Pipit
Wilson's Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Merlin
Virginia Rail


September 17th

A minor hawk migration was noted at Black Mountain, E. of Kelowna. Included
in this flight was a PEREGRINE FALCON, 9 AMERICAN KESTRELS, 6 OSPREYS, 2
COOPER'S & 3 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 2 SWAINSON'S HAWKS, 4 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 2
NORTHERN HARRIERS and 1 TURKEY VULTURE (CC). These birds were seen over
Black Mtn from the top of Swainson Road on the Rutland Bench.

An imm. PACIFIC LOON was on Okanagan Lk, in Kelowna, at Rotary Beach on
Lakeshore Road, on Sept 16 (CC).

Up to 15 TURKEY VULTURES were roosting in the cottonwoods along Mission Ck,
in Kelowna, upstream from Casorso Road (CC,JR). Also along this stretch of
creek was a PILEATED WOODPECKER, DOWNY WOODPECKER and an OSPREY (CC,JR).

An exotic BLACK SWAN is feeding on Okanagan Lk in Kelowna at Sutherland Park
(LRo). This may mean there are two or three Black Swans present in the
southern interior, since single birds have been seen in Kelowna, Salmon Arm
and Vaseux Lake.


September 8th

A trip to the Salmon Arm area proved very productive. From the dog park at
the foot of Narcisse Road, a TENNESSEE WARBLER was seen with large numbers
of other migrants (CC,CS,DC,m.ob). Other noteworthy birds seen from the foot
of Narcisse Road included a juv. AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, 4 SANDERLINGS, 4
FRANKLIN'S GULLS and a LAPLAND LONGSPUR (CC,CS,DC,m.ob). Interesting birds
seen from Christmas Island included a CLARK'S GREBE, a SABINE'S GULL, 2
LAPLAND LONGSPURS and two BLACK TERNS (CC,CS,DC,m.ob).

47 SANDHILL CRANES were flying W. over Okanagan River Channel in Penticton
(LN). W. of Penticton, a juv. NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen at the ski trails on
Nickleplate Mountain (LN). Large numbers of migrant VAUX'S SWIFTS are being
reported throughout the region (LN,CC,m.ob) and passerine migration appears
to have picked up at such locations as the Chichester Bird Sanctuary in
Kelowna, where today there was a LAZULI BUNTING, 4 WESTERN WOOD PEWEES, 4
MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS, and a COMMON NIGHTHAWK (CC,YL,RM,CoC).


September 7th

An adult PEREGRINE FALCON was seen N. of Vernon, along Otter Lake Road,
opposite the slaughter house (CS). Also in Vernon, a flock of 11 GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen from the trailer park at the Head of the Lake
(CS).

An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was present from Sept 4-6 at the mouth of Bellevue
Ck in the Mission area of Kelowna (fide MK). The bird was not seen on the
7th, however.

In a recently plowed field on the north side of Cornish Road, in Rutland,
were 30 AMERICAN PIPITS and a HORNED LARK (CC).

Interesting sightings at the Chichester Bird Sanctuary in Rutland included 2
MACGILLIRVRAY'S, 1 WILSON'S and 4 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, 5 COMMON
YELLOWTHROATS, good numbers of SAVANNAH, LINCOLN'S and WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROWS, a MERLIN and a VIRGINIA RAIL (CC).

An exotic species, a BLACK SWAN was discovered in Mud Bay, at the foot of
Francis Ave in Kelowna (HV,JL,CC). Also at this location were two
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS on September 5 (LN,LR).


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; CS - Chris Siddle; LN - Laure Neish; LR
- Lesley Robertson; HV - Hank Vanderpol; DC - Don Cecile; MK -Michelle Kam;
Judy Latta; YL - Yvan Larche; RM - Richard Mooney; CoC - Connor
Charlesworth; JR - Jeff Reddekkop; LRo - Laurie Rockwell.


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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