Subject: [Tweeters] Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - March 15 update
Date: Mar 16 07:40:14 2005
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com
This is the Okanagan Valley Rare Bird Alert, sponsored by the Central
Okanagan Naturalists Club.
Sightings for Tuesday, March 15 - 10:30 PM update.
Featured Birds include:
COMMON TEAL (Kelowna)
EURASIAN WIGEON (Kelowna)
SANDHILL CRANE (OK Falls)
TURKEY VULTURE (Vernon)
GYRFALCON (Kelowna)
Other birds mentioned:
Chukar
Northern Shoveler
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Green-winged Teal
Golden Eagle
Northern Goshawk
Western Grebe
Blue Grouse
Black-backed Woodpecker
Golden-crowned Sparrow
RUSTY BLACKBIRD
White-winged Crossbill
Brown-headed Cowbird
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Sightings for March 15
The male "COMMON" GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen at Robert Lake in Kelowna on
March 14 (CC) and 15 (LR). Also at Robert Lake on the 15th was a male
EURASIAN WIGEON and a NORTHERN SHOVELER (LR).
Flights of SANDHILL CRANES were noted over Willowbrook, W. of OK Falls on
March on March 14 (fide JG) .
A TURKEY VULTURE was seen over the Foothills Subdivision at the base of
Silver Star Mountain on March 12 (CS). A female AMERICAN THREE-TOED
WOODPECKER was along Forsberg Road off Silver Star Road, E. of Vernon
(CC,CS).
On the 12th, 3 CHUKAR and two ad. GOLDEN EAGLES were at the Vaseux Lake
Cliffs in the South Okanagan (CC,RL,KS).
On March 11, the GYRFALCON was again seen at the Marshall's Feedlot in
Kelowna (CC,RM). The feedlot is along the W. side of Hwy 97, S. of McCurdy
Rd in Kelowna.
Sightings for March 10
A male Eurasian GREEN-WINGED TEAL was with "American" GREEN-WINGED TEALS at
Robert Lake in Kelowna (CC,TF). An assortment of other ducks were also
present.
An adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen along Maquinna Road in the Hall Road
subdivision of Kelowna (CC,RT). An imm. NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen at km 5 on
Beaver Lake Road, E. of Winfield (CC,m.ob).
On Okanagan Lake, off Summerland, a flock of 305 WESTERN GREBES were seen on
March 9 (LRo).
An AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was seen along Huckleberry Road, off
Goudie Road in the Joe Rich area, E. of Kelowna (JB).
Sightings for March 6
BLUE GROUSE were noted at a number of locations today. Most were giving
single "hoot" call notes. Two were along the Twin Lakes Road, near White
Lake (CC,RT). One was along White lake Road, just N. of the lake (CC,RT).
One was heard near Summerland (LRo) and another was heard in the Richter
Pass (CC,RT). A female was seen on Anarchist Mountain (CC,RT). Also on
Anarchist, at the top of Long Joe Road was a RUFFED GROUSE (CC,RT). A hike
from the top of Long Joe Road produced many woodpeckers including a pair of
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS (CC,RT).
South of Road 22 (near Osoyoos) the blackbird flock along the W. dyke near
where the big powerlines cross the river, produced some good birds. Amongst
hundreds of BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS were up to 8
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, a female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (CC,RT,DB) and a
female RUSTY BLACKBIRD (CC,RT). At this same location in the marsh near the
woods on the W. side of the trail was a GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (RT,CC).
A flock of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were found at the base of Black Mountain,
accessed from the top of Swainson Road in Rutland (LR).
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Observers: CC - Chris Charlesworth; LR - Lesley Robertson; RT - Ryan
Tomlinson; DB - Doug Brown; LRo - Laurie Rockwell; JB - Joanne Beaulieu; RM
- Richard Mooney; JG - Jim Ginns; CS - Chris Siddle; KS - Karin Schneider;
RL - Robyn Lowery;
If you have any questions about Okanagan birding call Dick Cannings, in
Naramata, at (250) 496-4019, Ryan Tomlinson, in Kelowna, at (250) 712-2416,
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