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

Sightings for Sunday, January 9 - 9:00 PM update

Featured Birds include:

YELLOW-BILLED LOON (Osoyoos)
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Osoyoos)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

Northern Flicker
American Tree Sparrow
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
Cedar Waxwing
Western Bluebird
Golden Eagle
GYRFALCON
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
HARRIS'S SPARROW
White-crowned Sparrow
Northern Shoveler


Sightings for January 9

A YELLOW-BILLED LOON was found along Lakeshore Road, along the E. side of
Osoyoos lake, S. of town, on Jan 6 (DB,m.ob). A search of the area on Jan 9
failed to locate the bird. A female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was in this area
however (CS,CC,RT).

Along Black Sage Road, S. of Road 22, up to 30 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were
seen (RT,CS,CC).

At the Esplanade Trails near the Penticton Yacht Club, a short walk produced
2 "Audubon's" type YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 12 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 14 WESTERN
BLUEBIRDS, a GOLDEN EAGLE and a "YELLOW-SHAFTED" NORTHERN FLICKER
(CC,RT,CS).

On January 8th, the WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was again at Trevor Forder's
feeder on Black Road in the Ellison area of Kelowna (TF).


Sightings for January 5

Two GOLDEN EAGLES were seen feeding on a deer carcass along the W. dyke of
the Okanagan River Channel, N. of Road 22, near where the first powerlines
cross the river (WC).

In Kelowna, the resident wintering GYRFALCON was again at Marshall's Feedlot
along Hwy 97, S. of McCurdy Road (TF).


Sightings for January 3

The imm. HARRIS'S SPARROW, first found on Dec 23, was relocated today in the
weedy fields behind the Capital News Centre on Gordon Road in Kelowna
(CC,MF). It was in the weeds immediately on the E. side of the building
amongst some portable trailers. On the NW. side of the building, near the
parking area were 5 or more AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS (RT,MF,TF,CC). In the wet
ditch separating these weedy fields from Michealbrook Golfcourse was a
female NORTHERN SHOVELER (CC,MF).

N. of Vernon, a winter male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was again seen in the
mixed blackbird flock at the corner of Thomas Hayes Rd and Otter Lake Cross
Road (CS).


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Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; CS - Chris Siddle; RT - Ryan
Tomlinson; DB - Doug Brown;
TF - Trevor Forder; WC - Wilma Coriveau; MF - Mike Force;


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