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


Sightings for Thursday, August 7 - 7:30 PM update.


Featured Birds Include:

WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL (Vernon)


Other birds mentioned include:

Boreal Chickadee
Three-toed Woodpecker
Pine Grosbeak
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER
Semipalmated Plover
CLARK'S GREBE
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope
Pectoral Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Red-necked Phalarope
Northern Goshawk
Solitary Sandpiper
Peregrine Falcon
Common Tern
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Merlin
Wilson's Snipe


Sightings for August 7

High elevation birding was productive at the Sovereign Lake area of Silver
Star Mountain, near Vernon. At least 5 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen,
along with 3 BOREAL CHICKADEES and a THREE-TOED WOODPECKER (CC,GW,m.ob).
Along the gravel road to Sovereign Lake, half a dozen PINE GROSBEAKS were
observed (CC,m.ob).


Sightings for August 5

An adult SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER of the "hendersoni" race was at Mahoney
Lake, on Green Lake Road, W. of Okanagan Falls (LN).

In Vernon, a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER was at the Mackay's Reservoir on the
commonage (CS,PB).

As water levels rapidly drop at Salmon Arm, shorebird numbers are climbing.
Today, about 600 shorebirds were on the flats visible from the dog park at
the foot of Narcisse Road. Included were many KILLDEER, GREATER and LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, and SEMIPALMATED, LEAST and BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS as well as 35
RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, 10 WILSON'S PHALAROPES, 5 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and 35
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS (CC).

The adult CLARK'S GREBE was again seen from the pier in Salmon Arm (CC).


Sightings for August 4

Shorebirding continues to be good at Mackay's Reservoir on the Vernon
Commonage. Today there were 2 juv. WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 2 SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPERS, 8 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 1 juv. BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, 2 SOLITARY
SANDPIPERS, 3 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, 1 WILSON'S SNIPE, 1 juv. RED-NECKED
PHALAROPE, 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS and 15 KILLDEER
(CC,CoC,TF). A PEREGRINE FALCON was at the reservoir on August 2 (HV).

At Rawlings Lake, near Lumby, there were 2 ad. LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, along
with WESTERN, LEAST and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and 2 juv. RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES (CC,CoC).

The E. pond at the Chichester Bird Sanctuary, in Kelowna, had 3 SOLITARY
SANDPIPERS and an early migrant WILSON'S WARBLER and a YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLER. A male MERLIN was closely watching the Solitary Sandpipers from the
top of a willow (CC,CoC).

W. of Penticton, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was along the Shatford Ck FSR, off the
road to Apex Ski Resort (LN).

On August 2, an adult COMMON TERN was seen flying over the log booms off
Sutherland Park in Kelowna (HV).


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Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; LN - Laure Neish; HV - Hank
Vanderpol; CoC - Connor Charlesworth; TF - Trevor Forder; PB - Peter
Blokker; CS - Chris Siddle; GW - Gwynneth Wilson.


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.


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

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