Subject: Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - May 24 update
Date: May 24 20:07:03 2003
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com


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

Sightings for Saturday, May 24 - 8:00 PM update


The Featured Birds Include:

GREAT EGRET (Kelowna)
CASPIAN TERN (Vaseux)
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

Three-toed Woodpecker
Boreal Chickadee
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Brown Creeper
Fox Sparrow
Pine Grosbeak
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Canyon Wren
Black-headed Grosbeak
American Avocet
SURF SCOTER
Lark Sparrow
Black Swift
ARCTIC TERN
PACIFIC LOON
FRANKLIN'S GULL
Western Grebe
Common Tern
Black Tern
White-winged Scoter
Red-necked Phalarope


Sightings for May 24th

The GREAT EGRET continues to be seen at Acland Pond in Kelowna (CC,m.ob).
>From Hwy 97, in the N. end of the city turn E. on Edwards Road. Make a left
on Acland Road and look for a pond behind mounds of dirt to the east.

At Scandia Golf and Games, along Hwy 97, in N. Kelowna, the male
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE was reported (CC,RT,CoC).

At Vaseux Lake there was a CASPIAN TERN (LN,DT).

Birding in the upper elevation forest along Big White Road, E. of Kelowna,
was productive. From Kelowna take Hwy 33 E. to the turnoff to the Big White
Ski Resort. A male THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was excavating a nest hole approx.
150 M. beyond the first cattleguard. The nest tree is on the S. side of the
road, up a gravel bank in a fir (CC,RT). Other interesting birds found along
the Big White Road included numerous HERMIT and SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, 10
BOREAL CHICKADEES, 6 FOX SPARROWS, a PINE GROSBEAK, and 2 BROWN CREEPERS
(CC,RT).

A CANYON WREN was heard singing on Layercake Mtn, on McCulloch Road, near
Kelowna (CC,RT). Also along McCulloch Road, 2 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS and
a VEERY were where the road intersects Hydraulic Creek (CC,RT).

Two AMERICAN AVOCETS were at Robert Lake in Kelowna (CC).

In Westbank, a male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was singing in the riparian woods
along Elk Road (CC,RT,CoC).


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).


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; DoC - Don Cecile; CoC -
Connor Charlesworth; DT - Danny Tyson.


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

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