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

Sightings for Wednesday, January 1st - 10:00 PM update.


Featured birds include:

GLAUCOUS GULL (Kelowna)
LONG-TAILED DUCK (Osoyoos)
GREAT GRAY OWL (McCulloch)
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW (Kelowna)
SWAMP SPARROW (Kelowna)


Other birds mentioned:

Mew Gull
Northern Pintail
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE
PACIFIC LOON
DUNLIN
BARN OWL
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
RUSTY BLACKBIRD
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
Cassin's Finch
Winter Wren
Great Horned Owl
Brown Creeper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Varied Thrush
Canyon Wren
Western Screech-Owl
Spotted Towhee
White-winged Crossbill
Golden Eagle
Northern Pygmy-Owl
ROCK WREN
Short-eared OWl
HARRIS' SPARROW
EURASIAN WIGEON
LINCOLN'S SPARROW
Trumpeter Swan
Killdeer


Sightings for January 1st

E. of Kelowna, a GREAT GRAY OWL was found at the McCulloch Cross Country Ski
Trails on December 30th (DWi,LW). The bird was seen at 2 in the afternoon
along the Hawk Hill Trail. The ski area can be accessed on McCulloch Road
off Hwy 33, about 50 km E. of Kelowna.

At the Chichester Bird Sanctuary, in Kelowna, a female NORTHERN PINTAIL was
reported on New Years Day (BC) and 4 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and 1 SWAMP
SPARROW were in the weedy fields behind Thomson-Brook Pond on Gordon Road in
Kelowna (CC).

The male GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE put in an appearance at the Orchard Park Mall
in Kelowna, making this the 4th consecutive year birders could count him on
their year lists (CC).

On December 31st an adult GLAUCOUS GULL and a first year MEW GULL were at
the Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna (CC,CS,MF).

Also on the 31st, the LONG-TAILED DUCK was again reported at the Osoyoos
Sewage Lagoons (DB).


Sightings for December 29th

The Oliver / Osoyoos CBC tallied an amazing 112 species on Sat. the 28th,
with numerous highlites.

In the Similkameen Valley, a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, 2 ROCK WRENS, 20
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES and a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL were reported (DB).

At the N. end of Osoyoos Lake, a DUNLIN was on the sandbar at the mouth of
the Okanagan River (DW,RT) and a BARN OWL was seen after dusk along the
river channel just S. of Road 18 (DCa).

At a feeder along the road to the Osoyoos Dump a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was
seen (ED) and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD was at the Southern Plus Feedlot near Oliver
(LRo,EDu).

In Oliver, a HARRIS' SPARROW was found near the intersection of No. 6Rd and
Sawmill Rd (MF) and a SHORT-EARED OWL was observed in the Richter Pass, W.
of Osoyoos (DB).

The fist annual Lake Country CBC was held on Dec 29th with a preliminary
total of 82 species.

Three SWAMP SPARROWS were seen within the count circle! Two were along the
railroad tracks on the E. side of Wood Lake (CC,CS,RM) and one was along
Goldie Road, in Carrs Landing (DW,RG,RT). A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and an
immature GOLDEN EAGLE were also seen in Carrs Landing (DW,RG,RT).

At least 14 SPOTTED TOWHEES were tallied on the count (CC,RT,DB,m.ob).

The adult PACIFIC LOON was found at the N. end of Wood Lake (CC,CS,RM) and a
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was called in along the East Hill Road Trail (RM,CC,CS)
and 5 more were seen along Westside Road (DB).

On the Fintry delta, a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL and a CANYON WREN were located
and also seen in the Westside area were a total of 36 VARIED THRUSHES, a
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, 3 CASSIN'S FINCHES, 3 WINTER WRENS and a GREAT HORNED
OWL (DB).

At the Beaver Lake Lodge, 2 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen amongst good
numbers of RED CROSSBILLS (HV,HW,PW,BT) and although not in the count
circle, two SHORT-EARED OWLS were along Bench Row Road, on the Vernon
Commonage (PB).


Sightings for December 27th

In the South Okanagan, a single DUNLIN was with a KILLDEER at the N. end of
Osoyoos Lake, on a sandbar on the 26th (DB). Also on the 26th along the west
dyke of the Okanagan River, S. of Road 22, a RUSTY BLACKBIRD was with a
flock of other blackbirds and LINCOLN'S SPARROW was S. of Road 21, along the
railroad grade (DB).

In Kelowna, two TRUMPETER SWANS and a EURASIAN WIGEON were at Kinsmen Park
on the 26th (BC).

The HARRIS' SPARROW was again seen at 3390 East Kelowna Road on Christmas
Day and on Boxing Day (SB).


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; RM - Richard Mooney; RT - Ryan
Tomlinson; DB - Doug Brown; CS - Chris Siddle; BC - Bill Cutfield; SB -
Sylvia Blackburn; DW - Don Wilson; DCa - Dick Cannings; ED - Elaine Dickson;
LRo - Laurie Rockwell; EDu - Eva Durance; MF - Mike Force; RG - Rick Gee; HV
- Hank Vanderpol; HW - Hugh Westheuser; PW - Pat Westheuser; BT - Brenda
Thomson; PB - Peter Blokker.


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.

Thanks for calling the bird alert and happy birding.

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