This is the Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert (250-491-7738),
sponsored by The Land Conservancy of BC, for Wednesday, April 14.

Featured birds include:

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Kelowna)
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (Vaseux Lake)
AMERICAN AVOCET (Kelowna)
LINCOLN'S SPARROW (Penticton)
BLUE GROUSE (Westside)
SPRUCE GROUSE (Winfield)
BLACK-NECKED STILT (Kamloops)

Other birds mentioned include:

Horned Grebe
Mountain Bluebird
Cinnamon Teal
Cassin's Finch
Townsend's Solitaire
Golden Eagle
Rough-legged Hawk
Blue Grouse
Rufous Hummingbird
Eurasian Wigeon
Sandhill Crane


Sightings for April 14

None


Sightings for April 13

A flock of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS spent most of the
day at Mud Bay at Maude Roxby in Kelowna (KS, EC).
Also at the Maude Roxby Marsh was a SANDHILL CRANE
(EC). At Robert Lake in Kelowna, a large assortment of
ducks included a pair of NORTHERN PINTAILS. Also here
were 4 AMERICAN AVOCETS and a GREATER YELLOWLEGS (RM).
More spring arrivals as WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS and
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS move into the valley.


Sightings for April 12

A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen at the north end of
Vaseux Lake on the east side of the river just north
of where the west dike ends in the marsh (ED). Note
that this is a correction from the previous message
that erroneously gave Road 22 as the location. Outside
of the valley, 2 BLACK-NECKED STILTS were again seen
at T'Kumlups Marsh in Kamloops (fide RH). This is the
location where the first nesting of Black-necked Stilt
in British Columbia was recorded in 2002.


Sightings for April 11

At Robert Lake in Kelowna was a pair of HORNED GREBES
and 2 CINNAMON TEAL (CC)
The Bald Range area off Bear Creek Road on the
Westside was busy with plenty of CASSIN'S FINCHES,
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and other species typical of the
pine forest. Highlights include a close range view of
a displaying male BLUE GROUSE and a pair of MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRDS (CC, CS, RM, MF).
A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was heard singing at the Penticton
Yacht Club (RC, RuC).
An adult female SPRUCE GROUSE was seen 3 KM up the Dee
Lake Road (JM).


Sightings for April 10

A flock of 400 SANDHILL CRANES was seen circling over
White Lake (PL) and 4 male EURASIAN WIGEON continue on
Munson's Pond, Kelowna (MF)

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Observer Initials: AB - Aim Beaulieu; RC - Richard
Cannings; RuC - Russell Cannings; EC - Eileen
Chappel; CC - Chris Charlesworth; ED - Eva Durance; TF
- Trevor Forder; MF - Mike Force; TG - Terry Granger;
LG - Les Gyug; JH - Joel Herr; RH - Rick Howie; SK -
Sandra Kinsey; PL - Pam Laing; LL - Laird Law; TL -
Tim Leahy; JM - James MacGregor BM - Bob McKay; HM -
Hylda Mayfield; RM - Richard Mooney; LN - Laure Neish;
LRock - Laurie Rockwell; LR - Lesley Robertson; Karen
Steward; CV - Christine Vadai; HV - Hank Vanderpol; BV
- Brooke Vermeer; m.ob - multiple observers.


This RBA transcript was prepared by Michael Force (filling in for
Chris Charlesworth while he's away) and distributed by Wayne Weber.

Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net