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

Sightings for Sunday, October 31 - 10:00 PM update


Featured Birds include:

PACIFIC LOON (Kelowna & Osoyoos)
CACKLING GOOSE (Kelowna)
GYRFALCON (Salmon Arm)
BARRED OWL (Vernon)
SWAMP SPARROW (Osoyoos)
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW (many locations)
SNOW BUNTING (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

Peregrine Falcon
Lapland Longspur
Northern Pygmy-Owl
White-winged Scoter
Chukar
Northern Shrike
Bohemian Waxwing
RED-THROATED LOON
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
SNOW GOOSE
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
Merlin
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Sandhill Crane
Varied Thrush
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle


Sightings for October 31

With the arrival of cooler weather, many northern species are now arriving
in the Okanagan Valley. Four PACIFIC LOONS were on the pond along E. dyke,
S. of Road 22, near Osoyoos (DB). In Kelowna, a basic plumage PACIFIC LOON
was seen on Okanagan Lake off the Grand Hotel (RT).

Migrant flocks of CANADA GEESE should be checked right now, since small
numbers of CACKLING GEESE are beginning to arrive. Today, 4 were in with
Canadas in the fields along Cornish Road in Rutland (CC,TF), and another was
along Valley Road in Kelowna, near Cross Road (GW).

Huge numbers of migrant ducks and geese along the foreshore in Salmon Arm
are no doubt what attracted a gray-phase GYRFALCON to the area on the 30th
(CC,RM,TF,DW). The bird was harassing ducks over Christmas Island. At the
Nature Park, in Salmon Arm, an adult PEREGRINE FALCON was observed
(CC,RM,TF,DW).

AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS have just arrived in good numbers, with one on
Christmas Island on Oct 30th (CC,m.ob), 2 at the N. end of Otter Lake, N. of
Vernon (CC,m.ob), 1 in a weedy field along K.L.O Road (CC), and 6 along the
E. dyke S. of Road 22 (DB). Also along this stretch of the river channel, a
SWAMP SPARROW was found in the extensive marshes (DB).

E. of Kelowna along Hwy 33 at Pyman Road, a scan of the Black Mountain
Grasslands produced a small flock of SNOW BUNTINGS (CC). A NORTHERN
PYGMY-OWL was at km 1 on Philpott Road in this area as well (CC).

At Robert Lake, a LAPLAND LONGSPUR was observed (RT) and on the Vernon
Commonage, along Bailey Road, a BARRED OWL was in the first large copse of
trees encountered W. of the hwy (TF).


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).


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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; DW - Don Wilson; GW -
Gwynneth Wilson; RM - Richard Mooney;

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