Subject: Beaver Lake Road birding
Date: Apr 14 14:47:36 2003
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com


Birders,

While birding along Beaver Lake Road, near Kelowna, BC, this morning, I was
reminded of why this is one of my favorite birding areas. The birding was
excellent along this 16 km route, which runs from Hwy 97 in Winfield, E. to
Beaver Lake. I bumped into Hank Vanderpol, another Kelowna birder, and we
birded together for a while. Here's what I found today (year birds = * good
birds in capitals)

Turkey Vulture 4
Mallard
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 3
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 8
GOLDEN EAGLE 2
American Kestrel 3
Ring-necked Pheasant
RUFFED GROUSE 2 (one seen at km 4.5 and one drumming at km 10.7)
*BLUE GROUSE 1 giving single "hoot" at km 9.8.
Killdeer
California Gull 10 flying E., low over frozen boreal forest at 1200 m.
Herring Gull
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL 1 at km 13.5
BARRED OWL 1 calling at Beaver Lake
Red-naped Sapsucker many drumming in aspen groves
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker 4
Say's Pheobe 1
Gray Jay 6 at Beaver Lk
Steller's Jay 6 at Beaver Lk
Clark's Nutcracker
Black-billed Magpie
Common Raven
HORNED LARK flock of 11 on grasslands
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chicadee
BOREAL CHICKADEE 2 with other chickadees near Beaver Lk
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper 2 singing birds (km 16 and 10.7)
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird 6
Mountain Bluebird 2
Townsend's Solitaire 1
American Robin
Varied Thrush 30+
European Starling
*American Pipit 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
*Vesper Sparrow 10 singing on grasslands
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Western Meadowlark
PINE GROSBEAK 2 singing birds near Beaver Lake
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
EVENING GROSBEAK 1 calling overhead at km 6
House Sparrow

The total of 60 species is impressive, considering that there are no
wetlands or ponds along this route (only waterbird was a Mallard). Km 10.7
was very active, with 6 Red-naped Sapsuckers, 2 Pileateds, a drumming Ruffed
Grouse etc. The boreal forest was very productive (Barred Owl, Boreal
Chickadee, Gray Jay, Pine Grosbeak). Overall, very enjoyable morning of
birding.

Chris Charlesworth (up to 150 for year list in valley)
Avocet Tours
Kelowna, BC, Canada
www.avocettours.com

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