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

Sightings for Sunday, September 29th - midnight update

The featured birds include:

PACIFIC LOON (Kelowna)
SANDERLING (Westbank)

Other birds mentioned:

Mew Gull
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Pectoral Sandpiper
Common Loon
Townsend's Solitaire
Spruce Grouse
Horned Lark
Great Horned Owl
American Pipit
PEREGRINE FALCON
Northern Goshawk
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
American Kestrel


Sightings for September 29th

A PACIFIC LOON was reported on Okanagan Lake, in Kelowna, from a lake access
on Bluebird Road, off Lakeshore Road on Sept 27 (HV).

Up to ninety COMMON LOONS are on Okanagan Lake, near Kelowna, off Okanagan
Mountain Park (LL,SK,HV). These birds annually congregate in this area to
feed on Kokanee. Watch also for possible Pacific and Yellow-billed Loons,
which often occur as well. The best viewing location is from Lakeshore Road,
in Okanagan Mtn Park, where the road turns to gravel. Also in Okanagan Mtn
Park were two TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES (LL,SK).

A female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD and 500 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD were at the
Marshall's Feedlot on Hwy 97, in Kelowna, S. of McCurdy Road (LL,SK).

Two SANDERLINGS were at the mouth of Power's Ck, in Gellatly Bay (Westbank)
on the 24th and 25th of Sept (BC,LR). Also there were 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS
and an imm. MEW GULL (LR).


September 23rd

Large numbers of HORNED LARKS are being noted in the Kelowna region, with
the largest flock being of 200 birds along Bulman Road in the Ellison area
(RT). Fifteen were seen in the weedy fields along Acland Road, along with 6
AMERICAN PIPITS (HV).

On September 22nd a female SPRUCE GROUSE was seen at km 4 on the Gillard
FSR, off Chute Lake Road in Kelowna's Mission area (TF).

The GREAT HORNED OWL is still frequenting the barn at the intersection of
Old Vernon Road and Bulman Road in Ellison (TF).


September 20th

Excellent weather conditions (NW winds) produced another minor raptor
migration at Black Mountain, E. of Kelowna. Today an adult PEREGRINE FALCON
of the Tundra race was seen, as well as two imm NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, 4
SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 1 COOPER'S HAWK, 1 SWAINSON'S HAWK, 4 RED-TAILED HAWKS,
1 AMERICAN KESTREL, 1 TURKEY VULTURE and 1 OSPREY (CC).

An adult breeding plumage PACIFIC LOON was seen on Kelowna's Westside at the
mouth of Green Bay, visible from Boucherie Road (EF).

15 TURKEY VULTURES were seen along Swamp Road in Kelowna's Mission area
(RM).


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; RM - Richard Mooney; EF - Elke Fischer;
HV - Hank Vanderpol; TF - Trevor Forder; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; SK - Sandra
Kinsey; LL - Laird Law; BC - Bill Cutfield.


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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