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

Sightings for Friday, May 21 -7:30 PM update.

**RARE BIRD ALERT for BLACK-THROATED SPARROW (Kelowna)

Featured birds include:

BLACK TERN (Vaseux)
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned include:

Veery
Yellow-breasted Chat
Bobolink
Black Swift
American Bittern
Sage Thrasher
Grasshopper Sparrow
Swainson's Thrush
Gray Catbird
Least Flycatcher
Western Sandpiper
Bonaparte's Gull
Long-billed Dowitcher
Common Yellowthroat


Sightings for May 21

A BLACK-THROATED SPARROW briefly visited Gwynneth Wilson's backyard pond on
Poplar Point in Kelowna's North End (GW). The bird bathed in the pond just
before 4 PM then flew upslope to the dry hillside on the W. face of Knox
Mountain. Gwynneth's house is at 397 Herbert Heights Road.

Along McCulloch Road a singing PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER and VEERY were in
the riparian woods at Hydraulic Creek (CC).

Small groups of BLACK TERNS have been noted over the past several days at
Vaseux Lake (BL).


Sightings for May 19

The hayfields along Road 22, N. of Osoyoos produced the first BOBOLINKS of
the spring (DB).

YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS have been heard along River Road over the past week,
first being reported on May 15 (CC,RT,RM).

Also on the 15, a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and the continuing SAGE THRASHER were
at White Lake (CC,RT,RM).

Good numbers of BLACK SWIFTS have been reported at Swan Lake in Vernon in
the afternoons (CS).

Along McCulloch Road, in Kelowna, a SWAINSON'S THRUSH was heard (CC) and at
the Vaseux Banding Station, GRAY CATBIRD and VEERY have been banded recently
(fide BL). An AMERICAN BITTERN was heard from the banding station early in
the week as well (fide BL).


Sightings for May 11

At the Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna, a LEAST FLYCATCHER was found
in the big willow beside the parking area at the foot of Francis Ave (MF).
Also at Maude Roxby were 2 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, a WESTERN SANDPIPER and a male
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (CC,RT,MF).

A good sized flock of 44 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were at Robert Lake in
Kelowna (CC,RT).


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


Observer Initials: MF - Mike Force; CC - Chris Charlesworth; RT - Ryan
Tomlinson; CS - Chris Siddle; RM - Richard Mooney; MF - Mike Force; DB -
Doug Brown; BL - Barry Lancaster; 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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