Birders,

This morning I met Mike Force at White Lake at 6 AM. Upon arrival a SAGE
THRASHER was singing loudly beside the road, .6 km S. of the Twin Lakes Road
turnoff. The bird did not move from its perch for over half an hour! Mike
and I then drove down the Twin Lakes Road and did some birding, finding
LAZULI BUNTING, BLUE GROUSE, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, YELLOW WARBLER and WESTERN
KINGBIRD along the road. Mike left and I returned to the Sage Thrasher
location and was happy to find a second singing male in a neighbouring
territory. The birds engaged in elaborate flight displays swooping up then
dipped into the sage and repeating over and over. The bird's tail was
flared, showing the white corners and the bird sang while doing the display.
It was quite impressive.

I then birded at Okanagan Falls Campground. Birds were quite active and some
spring arrivals were noted. The highlights were BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK,
BULLOCk'S ORIOLE, YELLOW WARBLER, WILSON'S WARBLER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER,
MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, VAUX'S SWIFT, WARBLING VIREO,
SPOTTED SANDPIPER and many swallows.

I drove up the Macintyre Ck Road next and noted CANYON and ROCK WRENS at the
Vaseux Cliffs. A LEWIS'S WOODPECKER was flycatching from a pine near the
base of the cliffs. Driving through the scorched canyon produced many
woodland birds like CASSIN'S VIREO, HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, DUSKY FLYCATCHER,
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES and WESTERN TANAGER. Butterflies were all over the
road including Painted Ladies, Juba Skipper, Common Checkered-Skipper,
Two-tailed Swallowtail and Sara Orangetip.

Along River Road the "famous" feeders had both male and female RUFOUS and
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRDS, but no Black-chinned. I met up with Nathan Hentze
along River Road and we birded McKinney Road. At km 4 there was a
cooperative LONG-BILLED CURLEW on the sage flats. At the traditional GRAY
FLYCATCHER location near km 10 there was a singing male. There were at least
two more singing males GRAY FLYCATCHERS along the Wolf Cub Road too.

I left Nathan and birded Road 22 on my own. LARK SPARROWS were singing at
the Haynes Lease Eco Reserve. At the N. end of the lake were many ducks
including NORTHERN SHOVELER, AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD, WOOD DUCK,
RING-NECKED DUCK, GADWALL, COMMON MERGANSER, LESSER SCAUP and REDHEAD. MARSH
WRENS and both SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL called from the marshes. NORTHERN
HARRIERS soared over the fields and OSPREYS called from their nests.

My total number of species for the day was 117.

Chris Charlesworth
Kelowna, BC

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