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

Sightings for Saturday, September 18 - 10:30 PM update

**RARE BIRD ALERT for SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER (Salmon Arm) & INDIGO BUNTING
(Kelowna)

Featured Birds include:

AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (Kelowna & Salmon Arm)
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (Salmon Arm)
RUSTY BLACKBIRD (Kelowna)

Other birds

Bobolink
Peregrine Falcon
Horned Lark
Fox Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Common Tern
Long-billed Dowitcher
Black-bellied Plover
Pectoral Sandpiper
SANDERLING
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
Clay-colored Sparrow
Mew Gull
Franklin's Gull
CLARK'S GREBE
STILT SANDPIPER
DUNLIN
Willow Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Western Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Semipalmated Plover
American Pipit
BLACKPOLL WARBLER
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER
MAGNOLIA WARBLER
GREEN HERON


Sightings for September 18

A fall plumage INDIGO BUNTING was seen near a small pond at the S.E corner
of the Kelowna Springs Golf Course in N. Kelowna (CC). From Hwy 97 head E.
on Old Vernon Road. Just after the 90 degree bend to the N. watch for a
long, narrow road heading W. There will be a sign for the Kelowna Springs
Golf Course here. Take this road to its end where you'll find a small
cattail marsh. The Indigo Bunting was feeding on seed heads along the N.
edge of the cattails. This would be the first record for the Okanagan, so a
second observer would be required for addition to the checklist.

In Salmon Arm, a juvenile SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER was found amongst many
PECTORAL SANDPIPERS (DC). From the Nature Park at the foot of Narcisse Road
walk along the shoreline to the visible pond. Also here was a BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER, 14 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, 134
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and 12 juv. SANDERLINGS (DC). Overhead was a BOBOLINK
(DC). Up to 4 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were at Christmas Island in Salmon Arm (DC).
Patrolling the waterfront were 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS (DC).

At Robert Lake in Kelowna 4 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and a juv. AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER were seen (CC). On the 17th the AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was
accompanied by 12 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS (TF).

At the intersection of Hereron and Acland Rd. in N. Kelowna was a female
RUSTY BLACKBIRD in the company of a mixed blackbird flock (CC,TF). The birds
were feeding beside the white trailer on the N. side of the intersection.
The wet field on the N. side of the intersection had 50 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS
and 15 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS (CC,TF).

At the Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna was a late SORA (TF,RM).

A FOX SPARROW was found in a brush pile near the base of the Vaseux Cliffs
along Irrigation Ck Rd(TF,RM).

COMMON TERNS were reported at the mouth of Vernon Ck in Vernon (CC,CS) and
at the Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna (TF,RM). On the 14th of Sept
there were 6 COMMON TERNS feeding at the N. end of Duck Lake in Kelowna
(JM).

HORNED LARKS were reported from many locations with the largest
concentration of over a hundred at the turf farms along Bulman Rd in Kelowna
(CC,TF).


Sightings for September 10

One juv. BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was found on the mudflats at the mouth of
the Salmon River in Salmon Arm (CC). The area can be accessed by wading
through the mudflats off of the Nature Park at the foot of Narcisse Road.
This can be dangerous so take caution. Two juv. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and 3
STILT SANDPIPERS were also near the mouth of the river on the flats. In
shrubs near the mouth of the Salmon River were 2 imm. WHITE-THROATED
SPARROWS and a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (CC). An adult MEW GULL and at least 3
juv. FRANKLIN'S GULLS were in the mixed gull flock at the mouth of the
river. Seen on the flats to the N. of the Wharf in Salmon Arm was a juv.
SANDERLING (CC). Three more SANDERLINGS were on the flats off the Nature
Park (CC).


Sightings for September 7

A single RUSTY BLACKBIRD remains amongst the BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS at the
intersection of Acland and Hereron Rd in N. Kelowna. Also there were 12
AMERICAN PIPITS (LRock,ED).

Shorebird numbers have gone down at Robert Lake, however, 5 LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHER, 3 STILT SANDPIPERS, 12 DUNLIN, 3 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, many BAIRD'S
SANDPIPERS, 9 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and 7 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were noted on
the 7th (LRock,ED,CC).

Many migrants were seen at the Chichester Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna
including a WILLOW FLYCATCHER (LRock,ED) a PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER
(CC,RM,TF), many warblers and sparrows and a single VAUX'S SWIFT (CC,RM,TF).
A bird fitting the description of a CUCKOO was seen on the 6th but could not
be relocated.

At Maude Roxby in Kelowna a single COMMON TERN was reported (LRock,ED).

On the 3rd of September the Vaseux Banding Station produced some great birds
including a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, a MAGNOLIA WARBLER and a BLACKPOLL
WARBLER (RC) as well as a GREEN HERON (DB).


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Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; ED - Eva Durance; LRock -
Laurie Rockwell; RM - Richard Mooney; TF - Trevor Forder; RC - Russell
Cannings; DB - Doug Brown; CS - Chris Siddle; DC - Don Cecile; JM - James
MacGregor.

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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