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


Sightings for Wednesday, October 15 - 10:30 PM update.


The Featured Birds Include:

AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (Kelowna)
PEREGRINE FALCON (Kelowna)
SURF SCOTER (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned include:

Greater Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Pectoral Sandpiper
STILT SANDPIPER
DUNLIN
FRANKLIN'S GULL
Thayer's Gull
Long-billed Dowitcher
Black-bellied Plover
Red-tailed Hawk (Harlan's race)
Northern Shrike
Sandhill Crane
Lapland Longspur
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
Evening Grosbeak
Red Crossbill
Horned Lark
Violet-green Swallow
Osprey


Sightings for October 15

The plover at Maude Roxby, again present today, has been identified as a
juv. AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (CC). The bird has been feeding on the mudflats
in Mud Bay at the foot of Francis Ave in Kelowna. Also present in Mud Bay
were numerous KILLDEER, a late GREATER YELLOWLEGS and a PECTORAL SANDPIPER
(CC,HV). Overhead were a PEREGRINE FALCON and an imm. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
(CC). 6 BONAPARTE'S GULLS were also in Mud Bay (CC), and a single
BONAPARTE'S was at Sutherland Park in Kelowna's North End (HV).

The ad. male SURF SCOTER continues on the Kelowna Waterfront at Rotary Beach
on Lakeshore Road (HV).


Sightings for October 14

A juv. AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was on the sandbar in Mud Bay, at the foot of
Francis Ave in Kelowna (CC,RT,HV).

Three juv. AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were on the Salmon Arm Foreshore on the
E. side of the pier (CC,RT). With them was a juv. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER
(CC,RT). A winter plumage FRANKLIN'S GULL was seen from the tip of the pier
with many other gulls and overhead, 4 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were seen and heard
in flight (CC,RT). A few shorebirds remain on the shoreline in Salmon Arm,
visible from the tip of the pier. Included were 70 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS,
10 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, a DUNLIN and a winter plumage STILT SANDPIPER
(CC,RT).

In Vernon, an adult "Harlan's" race RED-TAILED HAWK and an adult NORTHERN
SHRIKE were at the N. end of Swan Lake (CC,RT). The two SANDHILL CRANES
continue to be seen in the fields along Hwy 97C, just S. of L & A Cross Road
in Vernon (CC,RT).

Large numbers of gulls were loafing on the logbooms off Sutherland Park in
Kelowna. Amongst the more common species were two adult THAYER'S GULLS
(CC,RT).


Sightings for October 13

An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen and heard over Thomson Pond on Gordon
Road, in Kelowna (HV). The bird was first heard calling, then seen circling
over the disturbed fields near the pond, possibly landing.

A CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE was noted at the traditional km 4 location on
Philpott Road, off Hwy 33, E. of Kelowna (CC). Also along Philpott Road, at
approx km 6 where the pavement ends were 20 EVENING GROSBEAKS and many RED
CROSSBILLS (CC).

A late OSPREY was all that was seen at the "hawkwatch" at Swainson Rd and
Treetop Road in Rutland (CC) and surprisingly, 15 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS were
feeding above Munson's Pond in Kelowna (CC).

Two SANDHILL CRANES have been seen, for the past two days, in fields along
Hwy 97C, just S. of L & A Cross Road in Vernon (PG,PB).

On Oct 12, a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen in the weeds at the NE corner
of Alki Lake, at the landfill, in Kelowna (RT). Also at the Landfill was an
adult NORTHERN SHRIKE (RT). An immature NORTHERN SHRIKE was at Robert Lake
in Kelowna on the 12th (RT).

Seen at Thomson Pond, in Kelowna, were 4 LAPLAND LONGSPURS and a HORNED LARK
(RT).




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Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; HV - Hank Vanderpol; RT - Ryan
Tomlinson; PB - Peter Blokker; PG - Phil Gehlen.

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.


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

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