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

Sightings for Wednesday, April 30th - 7:30 PM update

The Featured Birds Include:

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Peachland)
LONG-TAILED DUCK (Osoyoos)
SPRUCE GROUSE (Ok Falls)
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER (Ok Falls)
WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER (Ok Falls)

Other birds mentioned:

Lewis' Woodpecker
Canyon Wren
White-throated Swift
Blue-winged Teal
Long-billed Curlew
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE
Swainson's Hawk
Western Kingbird
Bank Swallow
Spotted Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Gray Flycatcher
Lazuli Bunting
HARRIS' SPARROW
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Cassin's Vireo


Sightings for April 30

A flock of 17 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were watched as they busily fed on
Okanagan Lake off the S. end of Peachland in the early morning (CC,MF,RT).

A female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was found along the Venner Meadows Road, E.
of Okanagan Falls, at km 14. Also here was a male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER
(CC,MF,RT,NH). Along the Shuttleworth Ck Road, at km 21.5 a female SPRUCE
GROUSE was seen on the side of the road (CC,MF,RT,NH).

The female LONG-TAILED DUCK, which has been present for almost six months,
continues at the Osoyoos Sewage Ponds, near the Osoyoos Golf Course (DB).

At the Vaseux Lake Cliffs were 4 CANYON WRENS, 20 or more WHITE-THROATED
SWIFTS and a LEWIS' WOODPECKER (CC,MF,RT).

Two BLUE-WINGED TEAL were noted at Belgo Pond, on Walburn Road, in Rutland
(PL).

In a late report for the 29th, two LONG-BILLED CURLEWS were seen in the
fields along Road 22, N. of Osoyoos (JL).


Sightings for April 29

Present in its fourth consecutive year, the male GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE
continues to be seen at Scandia Golf & Games on Hwy 97 N. in KElowna
(CC,NH).

The first WESTERN KINGBIRD of the year was seen along Booth Road, off
Anderson Road, in Kelowna's Ellison area (CC,NH).

Other first of the year sightings included a BANK SWALLOW, a SPOTTED
SANDPIPER and a SWAINSON'S HAWK at Robert Lake, in Kelowna (CC,NH).


Sightings for April 28

In a late report for April 27, up to eleven AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were on
Okanagan Lake, on the N. side of the Fintry delta (AN).

In Vernon, the HARRIS' SPARROW that spent the winter at the Bishop Bird
Sanctuary, on Coldstream Ck Road, continues to be seen. The bird is now
almost in full breeding plumage (MC).

The first CASSIN'S VIREO of the spring was reported S. of Kelowna, in
Okanagan Mountain Park (CC,MF).

In Kelowna, Robert Lake had two LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS (LRo) and the Maude
Roxby Bird Sanctuary had two THAYER'S GULLS, a BONAPARTE'S GULL, and three
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS (CC,MF).

An early LAZULI BUNTING was seen in Summerland, at Canyon View Road and the
Kettle Valley Railway (LR).

Behind the Summerland Research Station, 5 arrival GRAY FLYCATCHERS were seen
and heard at the ecological reserve (LR).


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; BL - Barry Lancaster; RT - Ryan
Tomlinson; JL - Judy Latta; MF - Mike Force; LR - Laurie Rockwell; LRo -
Lesley Robertson; AN - Aaron Nelson; MC - Mary Collins; NH - Nathan Hentze;
DB - Doug Brown; PL - Pam Laing.


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
St, in Penticton.

CHRIS CHARLESWORTH
AVOCET TOURS
725 RICHARDS ROAD
KELOWNA, BC
V1X 2X5 CANADA
WWW.AVOCETTOURS.COM

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