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

Sightings for Sunday, March 23rd - 8:00 PM update

Featured birds include:

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (Oliver)
EURASIAN WIGEON (Vernon)
DUNLIN (Vernon)
GYRFALCON (Kelowna)
BOREAL OWL (OK Falls)
WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER (OK Falls)
SNOW BUNTING (Vaseux)

Other birds mentioned:

Boreal Chickadee
Pine Grosbeak
Gray Jay
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Eared Grebe
Ruddy Duck
Lesser Scaup
Cassin's Finch
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Western Screech-Owl
Canyon Wren


Sightings for March 23

A pair of adult GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were on a small pond on the E.
side of Hwy 97, S. of Oliver at Road # 20 (EF,CC,m.ob). The bird was feeding
in a field near the pond with CANADA GEESE and AMERICAN WIGEON.

Eight SNOW BUNTINGS were seen along Irrigation Ck Road, E. of Vaseux Lake
(LN).

An owling trip on the Shuttleworth Ck Road, E. of Ok Falls, produced a
BOREAL OWL and 2 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS (CC,m.ob). The Boreal was at the
traditional location at km 23. A daylight excursion into this area produced
3 BOREAL CHICKADEES, a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL and numerous GRAY JAYS and PINE
GROSBEAKS (CC,m.ob). Three male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS were drumming along
the Venner Meadows Road between km 14-15 (CC,HV,m.ob). The Venner Meadows
Road heads S. off the Shuttleworth Ck Rd at km 13.

In Kelowna, the gray-morph GYRFALCON, seen earlier this winter, was again
seen at the Marshall's Feedlot, on the W. side of Hwy 97, S. of McCurdy Rd
(CS).

Two EURASIAN WIGEON were in Vernon at the Head of the Lake, where 3 DUNLIN
were also seen (DC).


Sightings for March 21

A single SNOW BUNTING was at the intersection of Carmi Rd and Beaverdell
Road, E. of Penticton (LN).

On the 20th, a breeding plumage EARED GREBE was on Okanagan Lake, in
Kelowna, at Sutherland Park (GW). Another spring arrival, a RUDDY DUCK was
at Goldie's Pond, next to the Rose Valley Elementary School in Westbank
(GW,m.ob).

A pair of LESSER SCAUP were on Mahoney Lake, along Green Lake Road, W. of Ok
Falls and a pair of CASSIN'S FINCHES were near the Boy Scout Camp along the
Fairview - White Lk Road, W. of Ok Falls (LN) on the 20th.


Sightings for March 19

A male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was found in the marshes near Robert Lake, in
Kelowna (RT). Also in the Robert Lake area were up to 4 GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE (RT).

A WESTERN SCREECH-OWL was heard along McCulloch Road, near Kelowna, on the
evening of the 18th (CC). The bird was at the first bridge encountered after
the road turns gravel. This bridge crosses K.L.O Ck. A trail heads upstream
from McCulloch Rd at K.L.O Ck, passing by large cliffs where a CANYON WREN
was heard last week (JM).

In the South Okanagan, 2 CASSIN'S FINCHES were at Max Lake on Penticton's
West Bench (LN).


Observers - CC - Chris Charlesworth; RT -Ryan Tomlinson; CS - Chris Siddle;
LN - Laure Neish; JM - Joyce Mervyn; GW - Gwynneth Wilson; HV - Hank
Vanderpol; EF - Elke Fischer; DC - Don Cecile.

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.

Chris Charlesworth
Avocet Tours
725 Richards Road
Kelowna, BC, Canada
V1X 2X5
www.avocettours.com
c_charlesworth at avocettours.com

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