Subject: Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - July 19 update
Date: Jul 19 11:45:56 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 Monday, July 19 - morning update.

**RARE BIRD ALERT for LARK BUNTING (Summerland)

Featured Birds include:

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Vaseux)
CASPIAN TERN (Vaseux)
TUNDRA SWAN (Vaseux)
GREAT EGRET (Kamloops)

Other birds mentioned include:

Black-necked Stilt
Long-billed Dowitcher
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Sandhill Crane
Least Sandpiper
Killdeer
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Sage Thrasher
Three-toed Woodpecker


Sightings for July 19

A male LARK BUNTING was reported on the grounds of the Pleasant View Motel,
along Hwy 97 in Summerland, opposite the IGA grocery store (IC). The bird
was seen on July 17, and there have been no further reports.

At the N. end of Vaseux Lake, 23 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 4 CASPIAN TERNS
and an unseasonal TUNDRA SWAN were reported (NH).

In Kamloops, a GREAT EGRET is being seen at Tranquille Pond (RR) and the
BLACK-NECKED STILTS continue to raise their young at T'kmlups Marsh in
Kamloops (fide RH).

Amongst other shorebirds at the Mackay's Reservoir on the Vernon Commonage
was an adult LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (TF).


Sightings for July 11

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).


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


Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; TF - Trevor Forder; DCa - Dick
Cannings; RC - Russell Cannings; BT - Bev Thomas; FP - F. Pollock; BC - Bill
Cutfield; GW - Gwynneth Wilson; NH - Nathan Hentze; IC - Ian Cooke; RR -
Ralph Ritcey; RH - Rick Howie.

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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