Subject: [Tweeters] Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - Dec 31 update
Date: Jan 1 01:27:18 2005
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com


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

Sightings for Friday, December 31 - 11:30 PM update

Featured Birds include:

GYRFALCON (Kelowna)
GREAT GRAY OWL (Oliver)
SAVANNAH SPARROW (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

Pileated Woodpecker
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
EURASIAN WIGEON
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
Red-breasted Merganser
HARRIS'S SPARROW
SWAMP SPARROW


** The Lake Country CBC will be held on Sunday, January 2. Please call
Trevor Forder at (250) 870-6617 to participate.

Sightings for December 31

A GREAT GRAY OWL was seen along Shrike Hill Road, off McKinney Road, E. of
Oliver (JT).

The wintering GYRFALCON in Kelowna has been seen daily at Marshall's Feedlot
along the W. side of Hwy 97, S. of McCurdy Road (CC,CS).

Two SAVANNAH SPARROWS were found in the extensive weedy field behind the
Capital News Sports Centre along Gordon Road in Kelowna (CS).

At the N. end of Duck Lake, in Kelowna, a PILEATED WOODPECKER visited a suet
feeder at Holiday Park (JM).


Sightings for December 27

With 98 species seen, the Vaseux Lake CBC was held on the 27th. Highlights
included a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT at Gallagher's Lake, S. of Vaseux Lake
(ED), 2 female RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS at the S. end of Skaha Lake in OK
Falls (CC,TF,SK), a male EURASIAN WIGEON at Vaseux Lake (RM,GR) and a
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in the Willowbrook area (MF).


Sightings for December 23

An imm. HARRIS'S SPARROW was found in the extensive weedy field on E. side
of the new Capital News Sports Centre on Gordon Road in Kelowna (CC). It was
in the company of about 20 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS.

At Munson's Pond in Kelowna, the SWAMP SPARROW was again seen (CC). From the
west end of Munson's Road, walk W. along the dyke, past the grove of willows
then turn N. and search for the sparrow along the dyke that backs on to the
housing complex.

On the 22nd, the imm. CHIPPING and the WHITE-THROATED SPARROW were again
seen at the end of Aspen Road off Lakeshore Road in the Kelowna Mission
(MF).



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; MF - Mike Force; ED - Eva Durance; RM
- Richard Mooney;
GR - Glenda Ross; SK - Skip King; JM - James McGregor; CS - Chris Siddle; JT
- John Theberge.


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