Subject: Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - March 1 update
Date: Mar 1 19:08:15 2004
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com
This is the Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert (250-491-7738).
Sightings for Monday, March 1 - 7:00 PM update.
Featured birds include:
WESTERN SCREECH-OWL (Kelowna)
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (possible in Kelowna)
GLAUCOUS GULL (Kelowna)
SNOW BUNTING (Kelowna)
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH (Kelowna)
Other birds mentioned include:
Brown Creeper
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Pileated Woodpecker
Horned Lark
GLAUCOUS GULL
Mountain Bluebird
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
Western Grebe
Mew Gull
Pine Grosbeak
Killdeer
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Sightings for March 1
On Feb 29, a bird fitting the description of a third winter LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL was reported with the gull flock on the N. side of the
Rotary Marshes in downtown Kelowna (RT). The bird was seen in the late
afternoon, but could not be found this morning. Please keep an eye out for
this dark backed gull and report it to the alert if found.
A hike through the grasslands in the Black Mountain area E. of Kelowna
produced 60 SNOW BUNTINGS, 20 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES and 5 HORNED LARKS
(CC). Park at the intersection of Swainson and Treetop roads on the Rutland
bench and walk through the gate to the powerlines. Follow the powerlines N.
for approx 1.5 km. Please respect private property.
Along Mission Ck, a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL was found roosting in a Pileated
Woodpecker cavity, upstream from K.L.O Road (EC). The tree was on the W.
side of the trail, approx. 50 yards beyond the first bench. Also there was a
BROWN CREEPER (EC).
Ten NORTHERN PINTAILS were sleeping on the outer sandbars in Mud Bay, at the
foot of Francis Ave in Kelowna (CC). Feeding in the mud close to shore were
a dozen GREEN-WINGED TEAL (CC).
Sightings for February 29
The first MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD of the season was a male reported at White Lake
on Feb 28 (JT,DT).
In Kelowna, a SNOW BUNTING was at the Rotary Marshes, as was a second winter
GLAUCOUS GULL (CC,CS).
S. of Kamloops off Hwy 5, ten HORNED LARKS and 250 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen
along Rose Hill Road (TF).
Sightings for February 28
Up to 50 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES were seen along the Old Okanagan Hwy, S.
of Vernon (TF,m.ob). The birds, of which both coastal and interior races
were noted, were foraging on an open hillside approx. 1 km S. of the Kal
Lake lookout.
Raptors were on the move, with good numbers of RED-TAILED HAWKS and a few
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS noted around the Vernon area (LR,CC,m.ob).
A NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was seen along Sovereign Lakes Road, off Silver Star
Road, E. of Vernon (LR). Another NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was heard at Crystal
Mountain near Westbank (RM). Along the road to Crystal Mountain were 2 PINE
GROSBEAKS (RM).
A flock of WESTERN GREBES were noted on Okanagan Lake, off Rotary Beach in
Kelowna on Feb 26 (PL,GW,m.ob). Also at Rotary Beach was a first year MEW
GULL (GW,m.ob)
KILLDEER flocks have been noted in open fields throughout the Kelowna area
(m.ob).
A male RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was seen on Osoyoos Lake, at the Hwy 3 bridge
in Osoyoos (TF,HV,JV).
---------------------------------------------------------
Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; TF - Trevor Forder; RM -
Richard Mooney; JV - John Vooys; GW - Gwynneth Wilson; LR - Lesley
Robertson; PL - Pam Laing; EC - Eileen Chappel; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; JT - J.
Turnbull; DT - D. Turnbull.
If you have any questions about Okanagan birding call Chris Charlesworth, in
Kelowna at (250) 718-0335, Dick Cannings, in Penticton, at (250) 496-4019,
and Phil Gehlen, in Vernon at (250) 542-8053.
This update has been sponsored by the TUMBLEWEED NATURE STORE at 67 Front
Street in Penticton.
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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