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

Sightings for Monday, May 24 - 7:30 PM update.

**RARE BIRD ALERT for AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER (Vernon)

Featured birds include:

PARASITIC JAEGER (Vernon)
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (Vernon)
GREAT GRAY OWL (OK Falls)
SANDERLING (Osoyoos)
AMERICAN REDSTART (Osoyoos)
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW (Oliver)
RUSTY BLACKBIRD (OK Falls)

Other birds mentioned include:

Spruce Grouse
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Baird's Sandpiper
Common Tern
Black Tern
Red-necked Phalarope
BLACK-THROATED SPARROW


Sightings for May 24

Topperchuck's Pond on L & A Cross Road, N. of Vernon, had an adult breeding
plumage AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER on the evening of May 23 (RF,AF,CG). This is
the first spring Okanagan record.

Also in Vernon, 2 PARASITIC JAEGERS were seen soaring overhead at Coldstream
(CS). Unfortunately they were migrating so a location cannot be given. A
jeager was bound to show up given the number of terns in the valley over the
weekend. Stormy weather undoubdetly had a hand in producing large number of
BLACK TERNS and COMMON TERNS at most of the valley's larger lakes including
Osoyoos, Vaseux and Swan.

An imm. male WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was of interest at Mackay's Reservoir on
the Vernon Commonage (CC,RC,RT,RM).

A GREAT GRAY OWL was found along Shuttleworth Ck Road, E. of Okanagan Falls
(RS,DH). The bird, which was at an unusually low elevation for this time of
year, was at approx. km 5.

Also unusually late, an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was at Coteay Meadows on
McKinney Road, 22 km E. of Oliver (LR,ED,BM,GR). Along a trail to the
settling pond at the Mount Baldy Ski Resort, a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was found
on May 24 (CG). A THREE-TOED WOODPECKER nest was also found in a powerpole
along McKinney Road near the ski resort (CG).

A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was found at the Ellis Reservoir E. of Okanagan Falls on
May 22 (MT,KK,CK). The reservoir is at approx. km 36 on the Shuttleworth Ck
Road. Various big day groups reported SPRUCE GROUSE along Shuttleworth
between km 21-30 (CC,m.ob).

At Hardy Falls S. of Peachland a roosting WESTERN SCREECH-OWL was found in a
pine behind the bathrooms near the parking area (JL).

Owlers found numerous FLAMMULATED OWLS at traditional locations such as
Irrigation Ck Road, near Vaseux Lake, Mac's Lake near Penticton, Kilpoola
Road, near Osoyoos and McKinney Road E. of Oliver (m.ob).

In Osoyoos an unknown observer found a SANDERLING along the beach behind (n.
of) the Super 8 Motel on May 22 (fide CC). The same observer had a male
AMERICAN REDSTART along the E. dyke S. of Road 22 on the 23 (fide CC).

RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were reported from a variety of ponds and lakes
including Robert Lake, in Kelowna, Swan Lake, in Vernon and Kilpoola Lake
near Osoyoos (m.ob).

First reports of OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (km 14 on Venner Meadows Road -
CC,RT,RM,RC) and RED-EYED VIREO near Osoyoos (RS,DH).

Unconfirmed reports from over the weekend include a probable RUDDY TURNSTONE
at Kilpoola Lake (fide DC) and a bird fitting the description of a
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at the small pond on the N. side of Road 22 near Hwy
97 (BL). The bird flushed before a definite ID could be made.


Sightings for May 22

At the Vaseux Cliffs a PEREGRINE FALCON was seen soaring overhead (LN).


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.

Sighted several times in recent months, a GREAT GRAY OWL was again seen this
evening in the Joe Rich area E. of Kelowna (PH). The bird was seen along
Goudie Road at Jack Pine Road.

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


Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; CS - Chris
Siddle; RM - Richard Mooney; BL - Barry Lancaster; GW - Gwynneth Wilson; PH
- Paddy Hann; BM - Bob Mackay; LN - Laure Neish; RF - Roger Foxall; AF -
Andrew Foxall; CG - Carlo Giovanella; RC - Russ Cannings; RM - Richard
Mooney; RS - Roger Simms, DH - Donna Heard; LR - Laurie Rockwell; GR -
Glenda Ross; ED - Eva Durance; MT - Mike Toochin; KK - Ken Klimko; CK -
Chris Klimko; JL - Judy Latta; DC - Dick Cannings.

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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