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


Sightings for Friday, August 8 - 8:30 PM update.


Featured Birds Include:

FRANKLIN'S GULL (Salmon Arm)
BLACK TERN (Salmon Arm)

Other birds mentioned include:

Merlin
Red-necked Phalarope
Solitary Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Northern Waterthrush
Bonaparte's Gull
CLARK'S GREBE
Semipalmated Plover
White-winged Crossbill
Boreal Chickadee
Three-toed Woodpecker
Pine Grosbeak
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope
Western Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs


Sightings for August 8

An adult basic plumage FRANKLIN'S GULL was with hundreds of other gulls on
the mudflats visible from the dog park at the foot of Narcisse Road in
Salmon Arm (CC,RT,DW,CS). Also here was a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER and 2 juv.
BONAPARTE'S GULLS (CC,CS,DW,RT).

Three BLACK TERNS and the adult CLARK'S GREBE were seen from the pier in
Salmon Arm (CC,CS,DW,RT).

At the E. pond at the Chichester Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna, were two
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES and three SOLITARY SANDPIPERS (CC,RT,DW).

Mahoney Lake, in the South Okanagan, along Green Lake Road, had a PECTORAL
SANDPIPER and 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES (LN).

On the 7th, a family of MERLINS was along Lakeshore Drive in Penticton (LN).


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).


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Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; LN - Laure Neish; TF - Trevor
Forder; PB - Peter Blokker; CS - Chris Siddle; GW - Gwynneth Wilson; DW -
Don Wilson; RT - Ryan Tomlinson.


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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