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

Sightings for Thursday, February 6th - 11:00 PM update

Featured birds include:

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Westbank)
GREAT GRAY OWL (McCulloch)
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted form)
Tundra Swan
American Dipper
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored form)
Three-toed Woodpecker
GLAUCOUS GULL
Thayer's Gull
Trumpeter Swan
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Pileated Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE
SWAMP SPARROW
Western Bluebird
Wood Duck
Pine Grosbeak
Boreal Chickadee
American Tree Sparrow
Cedar Waxwing
American Robin


Sightings for Feb 6

On Okanagan Lake, seen from Stewart's Vineyard, N. of Sunnyside in Westbank,
the male RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was again reported. At the same location was
a "YELLOW-SHAFTED" FLICKER (GW,m.ob)

At the Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary, 15 TUNDRA SWANS were seen in Mud Bay
(BC).

Along Mission Ck, upstream from Casorso Road, in Kelowna, a single
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET foraged with BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES and 2 AMERICAN
DIPPERS fed in the cold waters (CC).

Reported on Feb 5, the GREAT GRAY OWL was seen at the McCulloch Nordic Cross
Country Ski Trails, S. of Kelowna. The bird was seen along the Log Cabin
Trail, near the first intersection with the Jackrabbit Trail (BT,JT,DW). A
THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was observed along the Chickadee Loop (DW,JL).

A "SLATE-COLORED" JUNCO was reported at Mill Ck Regional Park, in the
Ellison area of Kelowna on Feb 4 (ST).


Sightings for February 2

An adult GLAUCOUS GULL, 3 ad. THAYER'S GULLS and an ad. TRUMPETER SWAN were
seen at the Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary, in Kelowna (CC,RT).

S. of Kelowna, in Okanagan Mountain Park, 2 NORTHERN PYGMY-OWLS, a
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH and a PILEATED WOODPECKER were observed (CC,RT).

In the Joe Rich area, E. of Kelowna, three CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES were
along Philpott Road, 3.8 km from Hwy 33, near the mailboxes (CC,RT).

The male GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE continues along Hwy 97 at Cooper Rd in Kelowna
(CC).


Sightings for February 1

A pair of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were reported on Okanagan Lake, at Green
Bay in Westbank (EF). Another pair were seen in the bay on the N. side of
Haynes Point in Osoyoos and a single female was at the N. end of Osoyoos
Lake (CC,CS,DW,TF).

Unusually common this winter, a SWAMP SPARROW was seen N. of Osoyoos in the
Rd 22 area (CC,CS,DW). Take the E. dyke S. from Road 22 and search for the
bird in the small marsh on the N. side of the large cattle pasture. Also
here were three AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS. A single AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was
at the end of the boardwalk at Haynes Point marsh (CC,DW,CS,TF). On the pond
at Haynes Point were two WOOD DUCKS and a CEDAR WAXWING fed on Russian Olive
berries with AMERICAN ROBINS (CC,CS,TF,DW).

Fifteen or more WESTERN BLUEBIRDS were along Hwy 97, S. of Summerland
(CC,CS,DW,TF). The birds were on telephone wires on the W. side of the hwy,
just N. of the Pyramid Park.

East of Okanagan Falls, along the Shuttleworth Ck Road, 3 BOREAL CHICKADEES
were at km 23. Along Venner Meadows Road at km 15, up to 18 PINE GROSBEAKS
and a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL were seen. Along the Dutton Ck FSR, an additional 2
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWLS were found (CC,CS,DW,TF).


Observers - GW - Gwynneth Wilson; BC - Bill Cutfield; CC - Chris
Charlesworth; DW - Don Wilson; BT - Bitten Tisdale; JT - Jim Tisdale; DW -
Don Wilson; JL - Judy Latta; ST - Scott Thompson; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; EF -
Elke Fischer; TF - Trevor Forder; CS - Chris Siddle

If you have any questions about Okanagan Valley birding, contact Chris
Charlesworth (250) 718-0335, Dick Cannings at (250) 496-4019 ,or Phil Gehlen
(250) 542-8053.

This update has been sponsored by the TUMBLEWEED NATURE STORE at 67 Front St
in Penticton.

Thanks for calling the bird alert and happy birding.

TRANSCRIBED BY:

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

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