This is the Okanagan Valley Rare Bird Alert, sponsored by Avocet Tours
(www.avocettours.com).

Sightings for Tuesday, February 15 - 8:00 PM update.

Featured Birds include:

NORTHERN HAWK-OWL (Armstrong)
HARRIS'S SPARROW (Kelowna)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

Merlin
Western Screech-Owl
Spotted Towhee
Golden Eagle
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Killdeer
American Tree Sparrow
Northern Pintail
ICELAND GULL
GYRFALCON


Sightings for February 15

The NORTHERN HAWK-OWL was again along Highland Park Drive, N. of Armstrong
(PB). The bird was seen atop a coniferous tree just S. of the Sleepy Hollow
Road intersection.

In Westbank, 2 male SPOTTED TOWHEES were at the S. end of Sunnybrae Road in
the Sunnyside neighbourhood (CC,RT).

An adult GOLDEN EAGLE was patrolling the hillside on the S. side of Shannon
Lake in Westbank (CC,RT).

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS have been reported at three locations along Mission
Ck. One was in the woods behind the St. Charles Garnier Church on Benvoulin
Road on Feb 13 (CC,CS). Two were upstream from K.L.O Road on the 14th
(CC,RT).

The WESTERN SCREECH-OWL has been seen in a cavity along Mission Creek in
recent days (JM). From K.L.O Road walk upstream on the W. side of Mission
Creek to the first bench. About 50 meters beyond the first bench on the
right hand side of the path look for a large woodpecker hole on the W. side
of a cottonwood. The owl has been roosting here, but if present it can be
very hard to find because of camoflage.

Both the HARRIS'S SPARROW and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW were still at Trevor
Forder's feeder on Black Road in Ellison as of Feb 15 (TF). Call Trevor at
870-6617 to arrange a time to see the birds.

Although increasingly common in the Okanagan, a pair of MERLINS were watched
around a nest site near the Rutland Seniors Centre by Athens Pool (DA).


Sightings for February 10

The NORTHERN HAWK-OWL was again seen along Highland Park Drive, S. of Sleepy
Hollow Road on the N. side of Armstrong on Feb 9 (PL).

Two or more AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were on the W. side of Lakha Road at
Lipkovitz Road in the Ellison area (CC,RT,m.ob).

A SPOTTED TOWHEE was along Swainson Road on the Rutland Bench (LRo,CC,m.ob).

A female NORTHERN PINTAIL was at the Chichester Bird Sanctuary in Rutland
and a KILLDEER was in the field behind the St. Charles Garnier Church on
Benvoulin Road in Kelowna (CC,m.ob).


Sightings for February 9

An adult "Kumlein's" ICELAND GULL was again seen with other gulls roosting
on the ice at Shannon Lake in Westbank (MF,CC,RT,LRo,EF). Also there was a
gray-morph GYRFALCON, a different bird from the Marshall's Feedlot bird
(CC,RT,MF).

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Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; MF - Mike Force;
LRo - Lesley Robertson; PL - Pam Laing; TF - Trevor Forder; JM - Jim
Mitchell; PB - Peter Blokker; EF - Elke Fischer; DA - Doug Arthur.

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