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

Sightings for Friday, January 21 - 8:00 PM update

Featured Birds include:

LONG-EARED OWL (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

American Tree Sparrow
Red-tailed Hawk
BARN SWALLOW
Northern Pintail
GYRFALCON
HARRIS'S SPARROW
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
Cedar Waxwing


Sightings for January 21

Three roosting LONG-EARED OWLS were found near Munson's Pond in Kelowna
(RT,CC). From the end of Munson's Road walk W. along the dyke to a large
grove of willows. The three owls were roosting here. Please DO NOT enter the
woods, but search for the birds from the edges so as to not disturb them.
They can be very hard to see, but search for them at about eye level in the
thickets.

At the Capital News Centre along Gordon Road, over 20 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS
were seen in the weeds near the NE. corner of the building (CC,RT,JL). Also
in this area was an adult HARLAN'S RED-TAILED HAWK (CC,RT,JL).


Sightings for January 20

Two BARN SWALLOWS were found feeding over Okanagan Lake at Gellatly Bay in
Westbank (BC,CC,GW,PL,m.ob). The birds were frequenting the area around the
aquatic park and the dock, but also straying towards the mouth of Power's
Creek and slightly to the N. of the aquatic park.

On the 19th, a male NORTHERN PINTAIL was in Holiday Park at the N. end of
Duck Lake in Kelowna (JM).

Six AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were along Lakha Road just S. of Lipkovitz Road
in a weedy field (CC,RT).


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).

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Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; TF - Trevor
Forder; JM - James Macgregor; BC - Bill Cutfield; PL - Pam Laing; GW -
Gwynneth Wilson;

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