Subject: Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - July 11 update
Date: Jul 11 20:45:32 2004
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com


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

Sightings for Sunday, July 11 - 8:30 PM update.

Featured Birds include:

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Kelowna)
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (Kelowna & Vernon)
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned include:

Sandhill Crane
Least Sandpiper
Killdeer
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
BLACK-NECKED STILT
Sage Thrasher
Three-toed Woodpecker
ALDER FLYCATCHER
FORSTER'S TERN
American Redstart
Pectoral Sandpiper


Sightings for July 11

Southbound shorebirds are now appearing at local lakes and ponds in good
numbers. The best traditional shorebirding areas include Robert Lake in
Kelowna, Mackay's Reservoir in Vernon, Rawlings Lake near Lumby and perhaps
Mahoney Lake near Okanagan Falls. When visiting shorebirding locations try
to arrive early in the morning or an hour before sunset to avoid heat haze.

At Robert Lake on July 11 there were at least a dozen SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPERS, numerous LEAST SANDPIPERS, both GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS
and 5 ad. LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS (CC). Alki Lake is very dry and only a few
KILLDEER were present (CC).

Rawlings Lake E. of Lumby had a pair of SANDHILL CRANES, as well as both
yellowlegs species on July 10 (BC). Mackay's Reservoir on the Vernon
Commonage had SEMIPALMATED and LEAST SANDPIPERS on the same day (BC).

At the Chichester Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna, SOLITARY SANDPIPERS are now
appearing (CC).

A flock of 15 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen by various observers on July
5 as they flew over the downtown area of Kelowna (BT,FP).

The BLACK-NECKED STILTS appear to have abandoned their nest at Alki Lake and
were last seen at Robert Lake on July 1 (GW).


Sightings for July 2

A singing male SAGE THRASHER was found in the White Lake area, near Okanagan
Falls on July 1 (DCa,RC). The bird was singing along the Twin Lakes Road, a
short distance W. of its intersection with White Lake Road. About 100 meters
E. of a 30 km per hour sign, warning of a sharp turn ahead, the thrasher was
singing near bluebird box number 7.

A THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was observed along Postill Lake Road, near Kelowna,
on July 1 (TF).


Sightings for June 13

The ALDER FLYCATCHER could not be relocated at the intersection of Hwy 6 and
Learmouth Road in Lavington, but a singing male was found along the path to
Christmas Island in Salmon Arm (CC). The bird was singing from power lines
along the railroad track that parallels the path between the parking area
and the outhouse.

Also in Salmon Arm, two adult FORSTER'S TERNS were seen from the pier (CC).

Numerous male AMERICAN REDSTARTS were in the riparian woods along Sandy
Point Road, just W. of Salmon Arm (CC).

In Kelowna, BLACK-NECKED STILT nesting was confirmed at Alki Lake (RT). This
is the breeding record for the Okanagan. Also at Alki were some lingering
shorebirds including a GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a SOLITARY SANDPIPER and a
PECTORAL SANDPIPER (RT).

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


Observer Initials: RT - Ryan Tomlinson; CC - Chris Charlesworth; TF - Trevor
Forder; DCa - Dick Cannings; RC - Russell Cannings; BT - Bev Thomas; FP - F.
Pollock; BC - Bill Cutfield; GW - Gwynneth Wilson.

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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