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


Sightings for Saturday, December 27 - 10:00 PM update.

The Featured Birds Include:

PACIFIC LOON (Osoyoos & Lake Country)
GYRFALCON (Kelowna)
ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD (Kelowna)
HARRIS'S SPARROW (Oliver)
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW (Lake Country)
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Oliver)
RUSTY BLACKBIRD (Oliver)

Other birds mentioned include:

White-crowned Sparrow
Thayer's Gull
GREAT GRAY OWL
SORA
DUNLIN
Glaucous Gull
HERMIT THRUSH
WILSON'S WARBLER
Winter Wren
Spotted Towhee
Western Meadowlark
Varied Thrush
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Wilson's Snipe
Virginia Rail


Sightings for December 27

The Oliver / Osoyoos CBC was held today and under breezy and chilly
conditions, birders managed to find an impressive 106 species.

A HARRIS'S SPARROW was found, with a flock of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, in
Oliver along the E. side of the Okanagan River, just S. of Road 18 (RC).

Also along the river channel in Oliver, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was between
Road 9 and 18 (fide DCa).

At the Southern Plus Feedlot, off Black Sage Road, near Oliver, a winter
male RUSTY BLACKBIRD was discovered (MF).

Seen on Osoyoos Lake, N. from the bridge on Hwy 3 was a PACIFIC LOON (DCa),
and an adult THAYER'S GULL was at the Osoyoos Landfill (DCa)

On December 26, scouting for the Lake Country CBC, which will be held
tomorrow, Dec 28th, produced a PACIFIC LOON at the S. end of Woods Lake
(CC,SK,LL,DW).

Along the East Hill Road Trail, in Lake Country, an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW
was discovered (CC,SK,LL,DW).

In Kelowna, the female ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD made regular visits to the feeder
at 680 Drummond Court in the Mission area on December 26 (RM).

The GYRFALCON continues at the Marshall's Feedlot on the W. side of Hwy 97
at McCurdy Road in Kelowna, where it was observed as it devoured a pigeon on
the 26th (CC,SK,LL,DW).


Sightings for December 21

On Friday, Dec 19, a possible GREAT GRAY OWL was described along Glenmore
Road, N. of Kelowna (fide LR). The bird was near the most northerly pond on
Glenmore Road, called Slater Pond by some.

The Kelowna Christmas Bird Count was held on Dec 20 and the preliminary
total is 100 species.

Potentially the best bird found on the count was a selasphorus hummingbird,
of the Rufous / Allen's type at 665 Drummond Court (DW,CS). The view was
brief, but good enough to determine the bird was not an Anna's. The female
ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD was, however, also seen at 665 Drummond Court on count
day (CS,DW).

Another excellent find was a HERMIT THRUSH along Mission Creek (CC,WA,HP).
To find this bird, park near the green mailboxes on Hollywood Road S, just
S. of the its intersection with East Kelowna Road. Follow the trail down
towards the creek and walk until the you find a spring flowing down off a
steep hillside. The thrush, along with a WINTER WREN and a SPOTTED TOWHEE,
were in the brush near this spring. Feeding in the wet vegetation at the
base of the hill were 4 WILSON'S SNIPE (CC,HP,WA).

The long-staying GYRFALCON was tallied at the Marshall's Feedlot along the
W. side of Hwy 97, at McCurdy Road (RV,DP) and the PACIFIC LOON was again
seen in Sutherland Bay in the North End (GW,EF,m.ob).

At Rotary Beach along Lakeshore Road, 2 DUNLIN were present and an adult
GLAUCOUS GULL was found amongst other gulls (RT,JL,m.ob).

Three VARIED THRUSH were in Woodhaven Regional Park in the Mission area, and
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were reported from various locations (m.ob).

At the Chichester Bird Sanctuary, in Rutland, 2 VIRGINIA RAILS were found
and 7 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were noted in the Ellison area (TF,RG).

On the 21st, a male WILSON'S WARBLER was found along the foot and bike path
between Oliver and the Hwy 97 bridge, N. of Oliver (WC).

The Vaseux Lake CBC was held on the 21st, with a prelminary total of 99
species. Highlights included a SORA at Hack's Pond, which was found on the
20th (BM), and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD in N. Oliver (fide DCa).


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Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; CS - Chris Siddle; TF - Trevor
Forder; DW - Don Wilson; HB - Howard Bryan; WA - Wilf Akerlund; HP - Hugh
Philips; DC - Don Cecile; RG - Rick Gee; DW - Doreen Wierenga; LR - Lesley
Robertson; DP - Dwayne Pahl; RV - Rick Vargassy; GW - Gwynneth Wilson; EF -
Elke Fischer; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; JL - Judy Latta; WC - Wilma Coriveau; BM
- Bob Mackay; DCa - Dick Cannings; RC - Russell Cannings; MF - Michael
Force; LL - Laird Law; SK - Sandra Kinsey; RM - Richard Mooney.

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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