This is the Okanagan Valley (BC) Bird Alert (250-491-7738),
sponsored by The Land Conservancy of BC, for April 18, 2004


Featured birds include:

GRAY FLYCATCHER (Summerland)
POORWILL (Summerland)
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Vernon)
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Peachland, Osoyoos)
AMERICAN AVOCET (Kelowna)
GLAUCOUS GULL (Kelowna)
THAYER'S GULL (Kelowna)
BONAPARTE'S GULL (Kelowna)
EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE (Keremeos)
GREATER YELLOWLEGS (Kelowna)
LESSER YELLOWLEGS (Kelowna)
SOLITARY SANDPIPER (Vernon)

Other birds mentioned include:

Sandhill Crane
Sora
Chipping Sparrow
American Pipit
Nashville Warbler
Hooded Merganser
Sora
Virginia Rail
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle

Sightings for April 18

A number of reports today included spring arrivals of
a number of species. Two record early spring arrival
GRAY FLYCATCHERS were found in a traditional location
behind the Agricultural Research station in Summerland
(LRock). Other spring firsts today include a POORWILL
heard in the morning at Garnet Lake, north of
Summerland (Mark Gardiner), an AMERICAN PIPIT at the
Mackay Reservoir on the Vernon Commonage (CS); two
BONAPARTE'S GULLS in the morning at Mud Bay, Maude
Roxby Sanctuary in Kelowna (EF) while at Robert Lake
were LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS (EF).

Sightings for April 17

A pair of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were seen at 11:00
am at Kalamalka Lake Park, Vernon (BC). Migrating
SANDHILL CRANES have been conspicuous in the valley
the last couple of days as evidenced by the frequent
widespread reports of calling birds overhead. A
SOLITARY SANDPIPER was seen near Gregory's Marsh which
is a pond alongside Highway 97 about a km west of
O'Keefe's Pond just north of Vernon (CS). A late
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was along Hwy 97 at O'Keefe Ranch
and a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS graced Rose's Pond on
the Commonage.

Sightings for April 16

A lucky observer in transit saw a flock of about 20
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS off Peachland (BL).

Sightings for April 15

This year's high count of AMERICAN AVOCETS was
obtained at Alki Lake when 18 were tallied (BC). A
SORA was seen at Thompson Slough along Gordon Ave (BC)
and VIRGINIA RAILS were noted at Belgo Pond and at
Chichester, all in Kelowna (BC). Our first spring
reports of CHIPPING SPARROW and NASHVILLE WARBLER came
in today when they were seen in the Richter Pass area
west of Osoyoos (JG, BM). Also in Richter Pass was a
GOLDEN EAGLE at Spotted Lake (MGS). From out of the
valley came a report of a EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE near
Boundary Road at the west end of Keremeos (MGS). Three
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were on Osoyoos Lake at the
mouth of the Okanagan River seen from Road 22 (MGS). A
flock of roosting gulls at the Maude Roxby Sanctuary
in Kelowna contained 6 species including a second year
GLAUCOUS GULL and an adult THAYER'S GULL (MF).

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Observer Initials: AB - Aim Beaulieu; RC - Richard
Cannings; RuC - Russell Cannings; EC - Eileen
Chappel; BC - Bill Cutfield; ED - Eva Durance; EF -
Elkie Fisher; TF - Trevor Forder; MF - Mike Force; JG
- Jim Ginns; TG - Terry Granger; JH - Joel Herr; PL -
Pam Laing; BL - Barry Lancaster; TL - Tim Leahy; JM -
James MacGregor BM - Bob McKay; HM - Hylda Mayfield;
RM - Richard Mooney; LN - Laure Neish; LR - Lesley
Robertson; LRock - Laurie Rockwell; MGS - Michael
Shepard; CS - Chris Siddle; KS - Karen Steward; CV -
Christine Vadai; BV - Brooke Vermeer; m.ob - multiple
observers.

If you have any questions about Okanagan birding call
Dick Cannings in Naramata at (250) 496-4019, Michael
Force in Westbank at (250) 768-0334, or Phil Gehlen in
Vernon at (250) 542-8053.


Michael Force
3245 McIver Road
Westbank BC
V4T 1G1
(250)768-0344
pagodroma at yahoo.com


This RBA transcript was prepared by Michael Force, and forwarded by
Wayne Weber

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