Subject: Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - May 1
Date: May 2 02:09:17 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 Saturday, May 1 - midnight update.

Featured birds include:

MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER (Kelowna)
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER (Kelowna)
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned include:

Great Horned Owl
Western Screech-Owl
Bonaparte's Gull
Blue-winged Teal
American Avocet
Northern Pygmy-Owl
PACIFIC LOON
DUNLIN
Western Sandpiper
Cassin's Vireo
Dusky Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Wilson's Warbler
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
Golden-crowned Sparrow
American Pipit
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Least Sandpiper
Western Tanager
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
BLACK-NECKED STILT
SNOW GOOSE
ICELAND GULL
Cliff Swallow
Vaux's Swift


Sightings for May 1

A male MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER was at km 6.3 on McCulloch Road, near Kelowna
(CC,DW,CS,RM). Km 0 along this route is the bridge over K.L.O Ck. Many male
TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS were singing along McCulloch Road from km 9 onwards
(CC,CS,RM,DW).

Along the road to Big White, a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was found about 3 km from
Hwy 33. At this same location were at least 2 CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES.
Further along the road, BOREAL CHICKADEES were encountered (CC,CS,DW,RM).

At the Maude Roxby Bird Sanct. in Kelowna were 2 AMERICAN AVOCETS, 25
BONAPARTE'S GULLS and BLUE-WINGED TEAL (GW).

COMMON POORWILLS were heard in the evening along the White Lake Road, along
with GREAT HORNED and WESTERN SCREECH-OWLS (CC).


Sightings for April 28

At Mud Bay, in Kelowna, a breeding plumage DUNLIN, 2 WESTERN SANDPIPERS and
16 LEAST SANDPIPERS were foraging on the shore (CC,MF,DB). WESTERN
SANDPIPERS and AMERICAN PIPITS were reported at Slater Pond, the
northern-most pond on Glenmore Road in Kelowna (PL).

At 4281 Black Road in the Ellison area of Kelowna was an adult
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and a GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (TF). Both birds were
visiting a feeder with many other migrants.

Migration was very evident in Kalamoir Park on Kelowna's Westside, where
there was a CASSIN'S VIREO, 2 WARBLING VIREOS, 2 DUSKY FLYCATCHERS, a
WILSON'S WARBLER, a few NASHVILLE WARBLERS and many ORANGE-CROWNED and
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (CC,MF). These birds were mostly seen in the
deciduous brush near the main parking lot off Collins Hill Road. Seen
offshore from the parking lot at Kalamoir was a PACIFIC LOON heading into
breeding plumage (MF,CC).

Migration was also in full swing at Sutherland Hills Park in Kelowna where
many of the same species reported at Kalamoir were present. Of note,
however, was a PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER (CC,MF).


Sightings for April 27

Robert Lake, in Kelowna had three BLACK-NECKED STILTS today, as well as an
imm. SNOW GOOSE (CC,m.ob), which was found on the 26 (EF). Other shorebirds
present included LEAST SANDPIPERS, LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER
and 2 AMERICAN AVOCETS (CC,m.ob).

Strong winds undoubtedly had a hand in blowing a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
into Mud Bay at the Maude Roxby Sanct. in Kelowna (CC). With two second yr.
THAYER'S GULL was a pale first year ICELAND GULL (CC,LR). In the marsh at
Maude Roxby were 2 cooperative SORAS (CC,LR).

In Westbank the first WARBLING VIREO of the spring was noted at Shannon Lake
Park (MF) and the first reported WESTERN TANAGER, a male, was at the N. end
of Duck Lake in Kelowna (JM).

Along the south side of Mission Ck, downstream from the bridge at the
Eco-Centre, good numbers of migrants were noted including NASHVILLE
WARBLERS, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, CLIFF SWALLOWS and VAUX'S SWIFTS (CC).

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


Observer Initials: MF - Mike Force; LR - Lesley Robertson; JM - James
McGregor; EF - Elke Fischer; CC - Chris Charlesworth; PL - Pam Laing; TF -
Trevor Forder; DW - Don Wilson; RM - Richard Mooney; GW - Gwynneth Wilson;
CS - Chris Siddle.

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

_________________________________________________________________
Free yourself from those irritating pop-up ads with MSn Premium. Get 2months
FREE*
http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-ca&page=byoa/prem&xAPID=1994&DI=1034&SU=http://hotmail.com/enca&HL=Market_MSNIS_Taglines