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

Sightings for Wednesday, August 25 - 10:00 PM update

**RARE BIRD ALERT for RED PHALAROPE (Osoyoos)

Featured Birds include:

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (Salmon Arm)
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (Salmon Arm)
SABINE'S GULL (Salmon Arm)

Other birds

Red-necked Phalarope
Northern Pintail
FRANKLIN'S GULL
American White Pelican
STILT SANDPIPER
Peregrine Falcon
Sandhill Crane
SANDERLING
RUSTY BLACKBIRD
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Spruce Grouse
Black Swift
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
UPLAND SANDPIPER
American Redstart
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
MEW GULL
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER
UPLAND SANDPIPER
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT


Sightings for August 25

At the Osoyoos Sewage Ponds, two RED PHALAROPES were reported (DB). An adult
and a juvenile were reported at the lagoons which can be accessed from the
club house of the Osoyoos Golf Club. Walk east across a fairway towards the
sewage ponds which are surrounded by a chain-link fence. It would be smart
to obtain permission to cross the fairway from the clubhouse.

In Salmon Arm, up to 9 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, tying the province's
highest count ever, were present at the mudflats off the Nature Park at the
foot of Narcisse Road. Also here were 48 STILT SANDPIPERS, 2 juv.
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, an adult PEREGRINE FALCON, 2 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS,
2 SANDHILL CRANES, and 16 juv. FRANKLIN'S GULLS. Particularly stunning was
an adult SABINE'S GULL (DC).

A juv. FRANKLIN'S GULL was also seen on the 24th from the dyke W. of the
Vaseux Banding Station (LRock).

Robert Lake, in Kelowna, has filled up with water once again and is
attracting large numbers of birds, including up to 23 STILT SANDPIPERS, many
NORTHERN PINTAIL and good numbers of RED-NECKED PHALAROPES (CC).


Sightings for August 24

One of the two juv. BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS was again seen in Salmon Arm,
on the mudflats, from the Nature Park at the foot of Narcisse Road on Aug 23
(TF).

Two male RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were found at the intersection of Hereron Rd and
Acland Rd in N. Kelowna (CC). The birds were feeding on seed with BREWER'S
BLACKBIRDS, in the drive way of the white trailer on the N. side of the
intersection.

A SANDERLING, first found on Aug 22, was again seen on the 24 in the ponds
along Kilpoola Lake Road, W. of Osoyoos (DB).

Up to 9 BLACK SWIFTS were seen, during a rain shower, flying low over the
Chichester Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna (CC).

A hike through the Myra Canyon end of the trestles, an area ravaged by last
summer's wild fires produced two AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS and a
number of other woodpecker species. A SPRUCE GROUSE was also seen in the
area (ST).


Sightings for August 22

Birding continues to be great in Salmon Arm, especially with the arrival of
a cold front. Two juv. BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were seen on the mudflats
off the Nature Park at the foot of Narcisse Road
(DC,RH,SR,TH,EM,CC,DW,RT,JB,RM). Also seen far out on the flats from the
nature park was a juv. BLACK TURNSTONE (DC,m.ob). An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
continues on the flats as do up to 20 STILT SANDPIPERS, 2 SANDERLINGS, 7
FRANKLIN'S GULLS, an adult MEW GULL, and 2 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS
(DC,m.ob).

In Kelowna, an adult and a juvenile SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER were at Munson's
Pond (CC), and migrant songbirds were dripping from the trees at the
Chichester Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna. Highlights were an AMERICAN REDSTART,
an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, a LEAST FLYCATCHER and an UPLAND SANDPIPER
calling overhead (CC,RT).

Eleven RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were at Mahoney Lake in the South Okanagan
(LN).

--------------------------------------------------------


Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; TF Trevor Forder; DB - Doug
Brown; DC - Don Cecile; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; LRock - Laurie Rockwell; RH -
Rick Howie; RM - Richard Mooney; TH - Ted Hillary; EM - Ed MacDonald; JB -
Jack Bowling; SR - Syd Roberts; ST - Scott Thompson.

If you have any questions about Okanagan birding call Dick Cannings, in
Naramata, at (250) 496-4019, Chris Charlesworth in Kelowna (250) 718-0335,
or Phil Gehlen, in Vernon at (250) 542-8053.

Chris Charlesworth
Avocet Tours
725 Richards Road
Kelowna, BC, Canada
V1X 2X5
(250) 718-0335
c_charlesworth at avocettours.com
www.avocettours.com

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