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

Sightings for Sunday, January 30 - 8:00 PM update

Featured Birds include:

NORTHERN HAWK OWL (Armstrong)
SPRUCE GROUSE (Lake Country)
GYRFALCON (Kelowna)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Kelowna)
HARRIS'S SPARROW (Kelowna)

Other birds mentioned:

Boreal Chickadee
Black-backed Woodpecker
Long-eared Owl
American Tree Sparrow
Red-tailed Hawk


Sightings for January 30

Seen on Jan 27 and 29th, a NORTHERN HAWK-OWL is frequenting the intersection
of Sleepy Hollow Road and Highland Park Road in Armstrong (HM).

A displaying male and a female SPRUCE GROUSE were 7 km N. of Beaver Lake
Road on Dee Lake Road E. of Winfield (CC,RT,CoC). At km 5 were 3 BOREAL
CHICKADEES (CC,CoC,RT).

Trevor Forder's feeder on Black Road in Ellison had the WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW and the HARRIS'S SPARROW (TF). A NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL has been
calling routinely in the evenings from his yard as well (TF).

The GYRFALCON was at Marshall's Feedlot, along the W. side of Hwy 97 S. of
McCurdy Road in Kelowna (CC,RT,CoC).


Sightings for January 29

A male BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was found in the boreal forest at km 15 on
the Postill Lake Road, E. of Kelowna (TF). A flock of 4-5 BOREAL CHICKADEES
were also in this area (TF).

The HARRIS'S SPARROW continues at Trevor Forder's feeder on Black Road in
the Ellison area of Kelowna (TF).

On the 27th, an adult GLAUCOUS GULL was along the Okanagan Lake waterfront
in Penticton near the Yacht Club (DB,BM).


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).



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


Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; TF - Trevor
Forder; BM - Bob McKay; DB - Doug Brown; HM - Hylda Mayfield; CoC - Connor
Charlesworth.

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