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

Sightings for Sunday, May 25 - 11:00 PM update


The Featured Birds Include:

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (Osoyoos)
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (Vernon)

Other birds mentioned:

Least Flycatcher
Black Tern
GREAT EGRET
CASPIAN TERN
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE
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


Sightings for May 25th

N. of Osoyoos, a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was discovered on the W. side of Black
Sage Road, 100 meters N. of Meadowlark Road (RC,DC,MH). The bird was singing
in the patch of wild sagebrush habitat, near the Burrowing Owl Information
Kiosk.

A singing LEAST FLYCATCHER was in the woods on the E. side of the river
channel at the bridge on Road 22 (DC,RC,MH).

In Vernon, two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were on Swan Lake at Meadowlark Lane
(CS). Three BLACK TERNS were at Rose's Pond, on the Vernon Commonage (CS).


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).


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; CS - Chris Siddle; DC - Dick Cannings;
RC - Russell Cannings; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; LN - Laure Neish; DoC - Don
Cecile; CoC - Connor Charlesworth; DT - Danny Tyson; MH - Margaret Holm.


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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