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

Sightings for Sunday, January 16 - 10:00 PM update

Featured Birds include:

GYRFALCON (Kelowna)
HARRIS'S SPARROW (Kelowna)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

Cedar Waxwing
ROCK WREN
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Tree Sparrow
Northern Shrike
YELLOW-BILLED LOON
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
Northern Flicker
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
Western Bluebird


Sightings for January 16

Trevor Forder's feeders on Black Road in the Ellison area of Kelowna had an
imm. HARRIS'S SPARROW and the wintering WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (TF).

A gray-phase GYRFALCON was found perched on a cottonwood snag at Rotary
Marshes in downtown Kelowna (RT,CC). This is probably the wintering bird
from Marshalls Feedlot.

Over the Kelowna yacht club were up to 15 CEDAR WAXWINGS (RT,CC).


Sightings for January 10

A ROCK WREN was found along the Old Okanagan Hwy, S. of Vernon, in a rocky
outcropping near the Kalamalka Lake Lookout on January 9 (TF).

The imm. HARRIS'S SPARROW and about 5 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were again in
the weedy fields at the Capital News Centre on Gordon Road (CC,RT). The
birds were in the weeds near the NW. corner of the building.

Along Mission Ck, between Casorso Road and Gordon Road in Kelowna, two
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were found (RT).

At the S. end of Duck Lake in Kelowna, a NORTHERN SHRIKE was reported (JM).


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).

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Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; CS - Chris Siddle; RT - Ryan
Tomlinson; DB - Doug Brown;
TF - Trevor Forder; 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