Subject: [Tweeters] Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - Oct 27 update
Date: Oct 27 22:09:55 2004
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com


This is the Okanagan Valley (BC) Bird Alert (250-491-7738), sponsored by
Avocet Tours.

Sightings for Wednesday, October 27 - 10:00 PM update


Featured Birds include:

PACIFIC LOON (Osoyoos)
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (Ok Falls)

Other birds mentioned:

Chukar
Northern Shrike
Bohemian Waxwing
RED-THROATED LOON
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
SNOW GOOSE
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
Merlin
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Sandhill Crane
Varied Thrush
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
CATTLE EGRET


Sightings for October 27

WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were noted on two small lakes, W. of Okanagan Falls
along Green Lake Road. There was one at Green Lake on the 27th (DB) and 4
were at Mahoney Lake on the 26th (ED).

On the 26th, up to 4 PACIFIC LOONS, along with 1 COMMON LOON, were on the
pond on the E. side of the dyke S. of Road 22, near Osoyoos (JL).

At the Elkink Ranch, W. of Osoyoos on Hwy 3, numerous CHUKAR were found and
a single NORTHERN SHRIKE was present on the 26 (JL).


Sightings for October 24

Single juvenile RED-THROATED LOONS were seen at Swan Lake, in Vernon (from
the trailer park at the S. end. TF) and at Vaseux Lake (CC,RT). Also at
Vaseux was a juv. PACIFIC LOON (RT,CC). Two PACIFIC LOONS found along Road
22 on the 23rd (LN) were again seen on the 24th (CC,RT).

Over 60 TUNDRA SWANS and at least 5 TRUMPETER SWANS have gathered in the
shallow bay at the N. end of Vaseux Lake (CC,RT,LN). At the Vaseux Cliffs
were 2 CANYON WRENS and a singing ROCK WREN (CC,RT).

The ad. SNOW GOOSE continues at Tuc-el-nuit Lake in Oliver. It was seen
along the E. side of the lake feeding with CANADA GEESE, in an orchard
(CC,RT), while a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was at Otter Lake, N. of Vernon
(TF).

On the 23, 2 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were on the E. side of Skaha Lake, S.
of Penticton (LN).

The Summerland Research Station had a female VARIED THRUSH and an adult
NORTHERN SHRIKE on the 24 (CC,RT).

Atop Mount Kobau, W. of Osoyoos, a small migration of raptors was noted in
the late afternoon, including 2 imm. GOLDEN EAGLES, 3 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, a
male NORTHERN HARRIER and a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (CC,RT). Two NORTHERN
PYGMY-OWLS, a RUFFED GROUSE, and a female CASSIN'S FINCH were along the
Kobau Road, 8.4 km from Hwy 3 (CC,RT).

On the 23rd, a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL and 7 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were at km 6 on
Beaver Lake Road, E. of Winfield (CC).

Also on the 23rd, an imm. SANDHILL CRANE was at Munson's Pond in Kelowna
(CC) and a MERLIN was at the N. end of Duck Lake (JM).


Sightings for October 22

Two ad. CATTLE EGRETS were seen in flight over the Cherry Lane Mall in
Penticton on the 21 (DCa). The birds were later found resting on Skaha Beach
in Penticton (LN).


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Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; TF - Trevor Forder; LN - Laure
Neish; DCa - Dick Cannings; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; JM - James MacGregor; JL -
Judy Latta; DB - Doug Brown; ED - Eva Durance.

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