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

Sightings for Monday, May 20 - 8:30 PM update


The Featured Birds Include:

GREAT EGRET (Kelowna)
SURF SCOTER (Vernon)
LARK SPARROW (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

Black Swift
ARCTIC TERN
PACIFIC LOON
FRANKLIN'S GULL
Western Grebe
Common Tern
Black Tern
White-winged Scoter
Red-necked Phalarope
Baird's Sandpiper
Bonaparte's Gull
Wilson's Phalarope
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Semipalmated Plover
Pectoral Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper


Sightings for May 20th

In Kelowna, the GREAT EGRET continues at Acland Pond (CC).

Rare north of Penticton, a LARK SPARROW was along McCulloch Road, in
Kelowna, at km 4 (CC).

Seen from the Meadowlark Lane access, a pair of SURF SCOTERS were on Swan
Lake, in Vernon (CS). Fifty BLACK SWIFTS were observed overhead at Swan LAke
(CS).


Sightings for May 19th

On May 18th, the Okanagan Big Day Challenge was held. Teams tallied 192
species collectively. The biggest highlight was an ARCTIC TERN seen from
Meadowlark Lane at Swan Lake in Vernon (RC,DC,RT,CG). Also there was a
COMMON TERN and numerous BLACK TERNS as well as good numbers of BLACK SWIFTS
overhead (CC,GD,DN).

A non-breeding plumage PACIFIC LOON was seen on Okanagan Lake, along Hwy 97,
N. of Penticton near the Pyramid Park (RF).

The GREAT EGRET was again at Acland Pond, in Kelowna (LR,GR,m.ob).

At the Head of the Lake, in Vernon, 6 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were on the lake
with a flock of WESTERN GREBES (CC,DC,m.ob).

A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was seen on Mahoney Lake, near Okanagan Falls on May
17 (LN). It was again there on the 18th (CC,GD,DN) and some were also on
Swan Lake and Okeefe Pond in Vernon(RC,RT,DC,CG).

In Kelowna, on May 19, a FRANKLIN'S GULL was at the Maude Roxby Bird
Sanctuary (BC).


Sightings for May 11

The GREAT EGRET was again at Acland Pond, in Kelowna (CC).

Two SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were on the turf fields immediately N. of Acland
Pond (CC).

At Robert Lake, in Kelowna, was a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, 3 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS,
a LEAST SANDPIPER, a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, 2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, a
WILSON'S PHALAROPE and 5 KILLDEER (CC).

Ten BONAPARTE'S GULLS were on the pond at the entrance to the Kelowna
Landfill, on Glenmore Road (CC).



Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; CS - Chris Siddle; DC - Dick Cannings;
RC - Russell Cannings; CG - Carlo Giovanella; GD - Gary Davidson; DN - Dean
Nicholson; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; RF - Roger Foxall; LR - Laurie Rockwell; GR
- Glenda Ross; BC - Bill Cutfield; LN - Laure Neish.


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
St, in Penticton.

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

_________________________________________________________________
The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE*
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail