This is the Okanagan Valley (BC) Bird Alert sponsored by the Central
Okanagan Naturalists Club.

Sightings for Monday, June 20 11:00 PM update

**RARE BIRD ALERT continues for DICKCISSEL (Sorrento)

Featured birds include:

CASPIAN TERN (Osoyoos)
WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER (OK Falls)
SAGE THRASHER (Oliver, Osoyoos & OK Falls)
LEAST FLYCATCHER (Osoyoos)

Other birds mentioned:

American Redstart
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
SABINE'S GULL
Western Screech-Owl
Barred Owl
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Rusty Blackbird


Sightings for June 20

As of June 19, the male DICKCISSEL was still singing on territory E. of
Sorrento near the settlement of Balmoral (WW). From Hwy 1 head south on
Notch Hill Road, E. of Sorrento. Make an immediate left onto White Creek
Frontage Road and then another right onto Peterson Road. Follow Peterson a
short distance and the road becomes gravel. The bird is being seen on the
telephone wires and in bushes 100-200 meters beyond the end of the pavement,
but before the small pond.

Four SAGE THRASHERS were seen today with two singing males at the
intersection of the White Lake Road and the Twin Lakes Road, near OK Falls
(CC,MP,RC,AK), a singing male between km 5-6 on the Camp McKinney Road, E.
of Oliver (CC,MP) and another along Nighthawk Road at the Chopaka Border
Crossing (CC,MP).

A CASPIAN TERN was feeding at the N. end of Osoyoos Lake, visible from the
S. end of Black Sage Road (CC,MP).

A pair of WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS are feeding large chicks in a nest in the
Venner Meadows area E. of Ok Falls. From the Shuttleworth Ck Rd take the
Venner Meadows Road fork at km 12. At km 15 turn right down the Browning Ck
Rd. A short distance down the road you'll come to a cattleguard. The birds
are nesting in the first large Western Larch behind the cattleguard (CC,MP).

A number of LEAST FLYCATCHERS were heard along the W. dyke N. of Road 22
(CC,MP).


Sightings for June 17

The male DICKCISSEL was again seen E. of Sorrento, just outside of the
Okanagan Valley (CC,RT,PG).

In Salmon Arm, two male AMERICAN REDSTARTS were seen and heard along Sandy
Point Road, just W. of town off Hwy 1 (CC,RT).


Sightings for June 16

A male DICKCISSEL is present approx 10 km east of Sorrento BC near the
Balmoral area (TH,ED).

On June 15, a SABINE'S GULL was on the beach in Penticton near the SS.
Sicamous (AT)

Two AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS and a BARRED OWL were found along the
Bata Forest Service Road in Ellison on June 15 (TF).

Okanagan Birders should be on the lookout for NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS since
recent reports have come from the Revelstoke area (AA) and the Williams Lake
area (fide PR).

A WESTERN SCREECH-OWL was found roosting along the Garnet Valley Road, W. of
Summerland (LN). The bird was two km beyond the end of the pavement.

A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was at Venner Meadows, E. of Okanagan Falls on June 12
(JJ).


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If you have any questions about birding in the Okanagan Valley call Chris
Charlesworth in Kelowna at (250) 718-0335, Dick Cannings in Naramata at
(250) 496-4019, or Phil Gehlen in Vernon at (250) 542-8053.

Observers Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; LN Laurie Neish; AT - Andreas
Taschler; PR - Phil Ranson; AA - Allison Alvorado; TH - Ted Hillary; ED - Ed
Dahl; JJ - Jukka Jantunen; TF - Trevor Forder; PG - Phil Gehlen.


Chris Charlesworth
Avocet Tours
725 Richards Road
Kelowna, BC
V1X 2X5
Email: tours at avocettours.com
Website: www.avocettours.com
Phone: (250) 718-0335