Birders,

Today was a great day to be birding, apparently anywhere! Chris Siddle and I
started the day in the pouring rain in Vernon. By mid-morning the clouds
broke and sun began peering through, yet temperatures remained cool.
Migrants were everywhere and I finished the day with 105 species!

Mouth of Vernon Creek

While standing under a dripping wet willow Chris and I found at least 3
COMMON TERNS feeding and resting on bouys not far from shore. 30 GREATER
SCAUP, the first I've heard reported this fall were in a tight flock near
the S. end of the bay. Two female RUDDY DUCKS swam together amongst the
scaup.

Rose's Pond

The rain continued to fall, but started to ease a little while we stood at
Rose's Pond. Passerines became more active and we found single
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, LINCOLN'S SPARROW and MERLIN.
Also of note were at least 2 singing WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. Four HOODED
MERGANSERS displayed in the waters near the E. end of the pond.

Gully near the Vernon City limits on Commonage Rd

Rain again falling steadily, but birds very active. The trees held a HERMIT
THRUSH, a WESTERN TANAGER, 3 GRAY CATBIRDS, a DOWNY WOODPECKER, and numerous
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS.

Swan Lake (Meadowlark Rd)

The rushes seemed to be alive with at least 15 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS when I
"pished". A few waterbirds present; 8 WESTERN GREBES, 1 RED-NECKED GREBE, 2
COMMON LOONS.

Rugg Road and the Gray Canal Trail (Vernon)

This area was fantastic! The deciduous shrubbery and berry bushes were
hopping with migrants including:

Warbling Vireo 1
Cassin's Vireo 1
Orange-crowned Warbler 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler 20
MacGillivray's Warbler 4
Wilson's Warbler 8
Common Yellowthroat 1
Lincoln's Sparrow 5
White-crowned Sparrow 30
Western Tanager 1
Swainson's Thrush 1
American Robin 15
Hammond's Flycatcher 4
House Wren 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Spotted Towhee 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 12
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1

Cool's Pond

The big surprise here was a juv. RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. Also on the pond were
BLUE-WINGED and GREEN-WINGED TEAL, REDHEAD, BUFFLEHEAD and HOODED MERGANSER.
A late WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE was flycatching from a cottonwood snag on the N.
side of the pond. A CHIPPING SPARROW was seen briefly.

Alki Lake (Kelowna Dump)

Although Alki Lake has virtually no water remaining the weedy lake bed was
full of birds; 100 + AMERICAN PIPITS, a HORNED LARK, 10 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS
and SAVANNAH SPARROWS. The gull flock yielded nothing exciting, just
RING-BILLED, HERRING and CALIFORNIA GULLS.

Robert Lake

Water levels getting ever higher, the birding continues to be good here. The
highlight was the juv. AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and 4 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS
that were found by Trevor Forder yesterday. The wet field just W. of Robert
Lake was chalk full of shorebirds including 30 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 3
BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, a LEAST SANDPIPER, 2 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and 2
WILSON'S SNIPE. On the lake were 7 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. Overhead were 10
HORNED LARKS.

Chichester Bird Sanctuary

Lots of birds as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary other than a VESPER
SPARROW, a CINNAMON TEAL, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and both HAMMOND'S and DUSKY
FLYCATCHERS.

Acland Rd and Hereron Rd (N. Kelowna)

The combination of wet fields, turf farms and a bird feeding station at this
location has been great for attracting birds this fall! Today the highlights
included a female RUSTY BLACKBIRD in with a flock of RED-WINGED,
YELLOW-HEADED and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS. Many shorebirds were on the tiny pond
in the weedy field including 48 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 8 KILLDEER, a
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, 15 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 5 WILSON'S SNIPE and 2 LEAST
SANDPIPERS. A MERLIN and an AMERICAN KESTREL sat nearby watching the
activity.

Bulman Rd Turf Farm

There were at least 100 HORNED LARKS and 200 AMERICAN PIPITS here. I stopped
to scan through the pipits but could find nothing else exciting.

Pond at SE Corner of Kelowna Springs Golf Course

Possibly the best bird of the day was seen here! In the weeds surrounding
this productive little cattail marsh was a bunting, at first thought to be a
Lazuli. However, upon closer inspection I believe the bird was a fall female
INDIGO BUNTING. The bird had a buffy upper breast, not unlike a typical
Lazuli Bunting, however across the breast was diffuse vertical streaking. I
also noted a whitish throat! Upon consultation of my Sibley Guide both of
these marks are good for Indigo Bunting. I'll be back there in the morning
searching for that bird again! Hopefully others will be there too. To find
the spot take Old Vernon Rd E. from Hwy 97. Just after you make the 90
degree turn to the north, watch for a long driveway on the left. There will
be a sign for Kelowna Springs Golf Course here. Take this little paved road
all the way until you see cattails and the pond on the left. The bunting was
feeding on seed heads between the cattails and row of large cottonwoods on
the N. side of the pond. Also there was a late SOLITARY SANDPIPER of the
"Solitarius" race.

Mill Creek, N. from Fenwick Road

This was my final stop of the day. Migrants were dripping from the trees.
Chasing after the migrants were 2 imm. COOPER'S HAWKS, an imm. male
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and a female MERLIN.

Orange-crowned Warbler 120
Wilson's Warbler 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler 15
Townsend's Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 10
MacGillivray's Warbler 1
Cassin's Vireo 2
Warbling Vireo 10
Hammond's Flycatcher 3
Gray Catbird 5
Spotted Towhee 5
American Robin 50
Savannah Sparrow 1
Lincoln's Sparrow 10
White-crowned Sparrow 150
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 15
Western Tanager 4

What a day!

Sincerely,

Chris Charlesworth
Kelowna, BC

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