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

Sightings for Saturday, October 16 - midnight update

*RARE BIRD ALERT for RED-THROATED LOON (Salmon Arm)

Featured Birds include:

PACIFIC LOON (Kelowna)
SURF SCOTER (Salmon Arm)
SHORT-EARED OWL (Summerland)
WILD TURKEY (Oliver)

Other birds mentioned:

SANDERLING
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
Black-bellied Plover
Sandhill Crane
Peregrine Falcon
SNOW GOOSE
EURASIAN WIGEON
HARRIS'S SPARROW
SWAMP SPARROW
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH
American Dipper
Spotted Sandpiper
American Avocet
Chukar
Blue Grouse
Clark's Grebe
Thayer's Gull
Northern Shrike
Chipping Sparrow
MacGillivray's Warbler
Mountain Bluebird
Western Bluebird


Sightings for October 16

An imm. RED-THROATED LOON was found on Shuswap Lake, in Salmon Arm, on the
N. side of Christmas Island (CC,RM,TF,CS). Also in Salmon Arm, 4 imm. SURF
SCOTERS were at the mouth of the Salmon River (CC,CS). An adult PEREGRINE
FALCON was hunting at Christmas Island and 4 SANDHILL CRANES could be seen
in the grasses W. of the Nature Park at the foot of Narcisse Road
(CC,CS,RM,TF). Two juv. AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS and 4 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS
also continue along the foreshore and were seen at the wharf and at the
mouth of the Salmon River (CC,CS,RM,TF). Also at the mouth of the Salmon
River were a SANDERLING and a FRANKLIN'S GULL (CC,CS).

In Kelowna, an adult PACIFIC LOON was seen with the congregation of COMMON
LOONS on Okanagan Lake, off Okanagan Mountain Park on the 15th (TF).

Also on the 15th, a migrant SHORT-EARED OWL was seen over Trout Creek Point
in Summerland (RC).

On October 13, 3 WILD TURKEYS were seen at km 11 on Camp McKinney Road, E.
of Oliver (EM). These birds presumably arrived on their own from the growing
population in the Kootenays.


Sightings for October 14

On Vaseux Lake, single RED-THROATED and PACIFIC LOONS have been reported on
the 13th and the 14th (DB).

The SNOW GOOSE continues at Tuc-el-nuit Lake S. of Oliver (DB).


Sightings for October 10

On the 9th, up to 7 SURF SCOTERS were on Okanagan Lake in Penticton, at the
SS Sicamous (CC,RM,CoC,TF), while 8 more at Christie Beach on Skaha Lake, S.
of Penticton (DB,BM).

Two BLUE GROUSE were found on Baldy Mountain E. of Oliver on the 9th (LN).

A SNOW GOOSE was at Tuc-el-Nuit Lake in Oliver on the 9th (DB) and up to 20
CHUKAR were at the base of the Vaseux Cliffs (HB,TF).

A number of AMERICAN DIPPERS were at Okanagan Falls along the river near OK
Falls Prov. Park, along with a very late SPOTTED SANDPIPER (DB,BM).

At the Summerland Research Station on Oct 9th were numerous WESTERN and
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, a late MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER and a late CHIPPING
SPARROW (CC,RM,CoC).

On the 10th, an imm. HARRIS'S SPARROW was in the small woodlot near the
Nature Park at the foot of Narcisse Road in Salmon Arm (CC). Another imm.
HARRIS'S SPARROW was along the lakeshore pathway approx. 1 km N. of
Christmas Island (CC,TF, RM, m.ob). If you are following the path N. from
Christmas Island you'll have to walk on two wooden boardwalks. The HARRIS'S
SPARROW was at the N. end of the 2nd boardwalk in the weeds towards the
lake. Also along the same path was an imm. NORTHERN SHRIKE and a SWAMP
SPARROW (CC,m.ob). It was approx 700 meters N. of Christmas Island just
before the first boardwalk. Two ad. CLARK'S GREBES were also seen in the
vicinity of Christmas Island and 7 lingering AMERICAN AVOCETS were on the
small pond visible to the W. of the Nature Park (CC,m.ob).

A male EURASIAN WIGEON was with an assemblage of ducks on Kilpoola Lake in
the Richter Pass, W. of Osoyoos (DB).

Thirty-six GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES were along the forest road to Brent
Mountain in the South Okanagan (LN). The birds were identified as the
coastal race. On the 9th, 100 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES were at Mount Kobau
W. of Osoyoos (DB).

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Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; TF - Trevor Forder; RM - Richard
Mooney; DB -Doug Brown; CoC - Connor Charlesworth; HB - Howard Braun; LN -
Laure Neish; RC - Russell Cannings; EM - Elizabeth Mann;

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