This is the Okanagan Valley (BC) Bird Alert (250-491-7738),
sponsored by The Land Conservancy of BC, for April 22, 2004..

Featured birds include:

MEW GULL (Kelowna)
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (Kelowna)
BONAPARTE'S GULL (Kelowna)
AMERICAN AVOCET (Kelowna)
GRAY FLYCATCHER (Summerland)
COMMON POORWILL (Summerland)
GREATER YELLOWLEGS (Kelowna)
LESSER YELLOWLEGS (Kelowna)
SOLITARY SANDPIPER (Vernon)

Other birds mentioned include:

American Pipit
Nashville Warbler
Red-breasted Merganser
Sandhill Crane
Hooded Merganser
Sora
Virginia Rail
Swainson's Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Cinnamon Teal


Sightings for April 22

An adult MEW GULL was seen roosting with other gulls
at Mud Bay, Maude Roxby Sanctuary in Kelowna (BC, MF).
Also here were 66 BONAPARTE'S GULLS (MF), an adult
THAYER'S GULL (MF) and 11 CINNAMON TEALS (MF). At the
drying remains of what's left of Alki Lake, at the
Kelowna landfill were 6 AMERICAN AVOCETS and 1 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS (BC). From the south Okanagan near Okanagan
Falls were about 4 WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS at the
traditional location at around kilometre 14 to 15 on
the Venner Meadows forest service road (PB).


Sightings for April 21

At 10:00 AM this morning a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER was on
the exposed mudflats at the Maude Roxby Sanctuary in
Kelowna. Seven BONAPARTE'S GULLS were also at Maude
Roxby; a scattering of CINNAMON TEAL was also reported
from this location (all EF).


Sightings for April 19

A light morph SWAINSON'S HAWK was seen in the late
evening near the BX Firehall along Silver Star Road
and East Vernon Road, in Vernon (CS)


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 COMMON
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); 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.

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Observer Initials: AB - Aim Beaulieu; PB - Peter
Blokker; 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 transcript was prepared by Michael Force and distributed by
Wayne Weber.

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