#117 Lincoln's Sparrow - Date: Apr 24. Location: Road 22, Oliver.
The Sibley guide describes this sparrow as common but inconspicuous. I added it to my life list a few years ago, but this was only the third time I've seen one.
#118 Yellow-headed Blackbird - Date: Apr 24. Location: Road 22, Oliver.
This is a common Okanagan bird, you can see it some years at Iona Regional Park in Richmond. This photo was taken on my May Golf trip at Black Mountain Golf Course in Rutland, just outside Kelowna.
#119 Golden Eagle- Date: Apr 24. Location: Vaseux Lake Cliffs near Okanagan Falls.
Our biggest and most majestic raptor, my first sighting in a number of years.
#120 White-throated Swift - Date: Apr 24. Location: Vaseux Lake Cliffs near Okanagan Falls.
I've been hoping to see this bird for years since my dear departed friend Nick told me about them in the early 90's. I had made a few visits to Vaseux Lake but did not have the optics or a tour guide to point them out. This time, one of the guides spotted some overhead and I was able to get some shots with the telephoto lens. This cropped image was the best of them.This was lifer #364.
#121 Canyon Wren - Date: Apr 24. Location: Vaseux Lake Cliffs near Okanagan Falls.
The Vaseux Lake cliffs are also know for Canyon and Rock Wrens. We did not see any of the former, but Chris C managed to summon up a Canyon Wren. I saw it through a spotting scope, but could not spot it using the telephoto lens. The photos will have to wait until the next visit.
This was lifer #365.
#122 Black-billed Magpie - Date: Apr 24. Location: Vaseux Lake Cliffs near Okanagan Falls.
A very common Okanagan resident. Their colouring makes them hard to photograph. My best shot was taken on the golf trip at Shadow Ridge Golf course in Kelowna in May.
#123 Western Meadowlark - Date: Apr 24. Location: Vaseux Lake Cliffs near Okanagan Falls.
One of my favourite birds, nice appearance and beautiful song. They always remind me of my father, who could whistle to imitate the song. Although associated with the Okanagan and prairies, these birds winter in the lower Mainland in Delta and Richmond along the dykes. However, they are silent here and go largely unnoticed.
This photo was taken in July at Road 22 near Oliver.
#124 Long-eared Owl - Date: Apr 24. Location: Vaseux Lake near Okanagan Falls.
Earlier in the day our group had met Russell Cannings who owns the BC Big Year record of 373 birds seen in 2010. You can read about it here: BC Big Year
He told Chris C about a location near Vaseux Lake where a Long-eared Owl was sitting on a nest. The group was led to the destination and Chris S set up a spotting scope on the bird (from a good safe distance). We were allowed to come in one-by-one and have a look, no photos. It wasn't much of a look, but was my only sighting until late December when I took the photo below on the Boundary Bay dyke. On New Year's day 2014 I got some much better shots, but they will need to wait until next year's blog.
#125 Great-Horned Owl - Date: Apr 24. Location: Road 22 near Oliver.
After dinner we went out owling again. This time Chris C was able to find a Great Horned Owl and shine a giant spotlight on it as we drove by. However, once again no photos. The photo below was taken in 2008 at Reifel Bird Sanctuary.
#126 Red-Naped Sapsucker - Date: Apr 25. Location: Three Gates Farm near Okanagan Falls.
Our last day of the tour started with a visit to this location, a nature themed Bed and Breakfast. We had been here at night and seen a Saw-whet Owl. This morning it was quite busy. One of the highlights was this bird, Lifer #366.
#127 Say's Phoebe - Date: Apr 25. Location: Three Gates Farm near Okanagan Falls.
This is a small flycatcher often seen in the Okanagan. I did not catch a great photo of it.
#128 Western Bluebird - Date: Apr 25. Location: White Lake Road near Okanagan Falls.
At our next stop, we encountered a pair of Western Bluebirds at a nesting box on the side of the road.This was life list addition #367 and completed my collection of Bluebirds. I had seen Mountain's quite a few time and saw the Eastern a couple of years ago near Atlanta.
#129 Mountain Bluebird - Date: Apr 25. Location: Gray Lake Road near Okanagan Falls.
A bit farther along we turned onto Gray Lake Rd where we spotted a Mountain Bluebird. However, i could not get close enough for a decent photo. This one below is a male taken in 2012 near Calgary.
#130 Cinnamon Teal - Date: Apr 25. Location: Gray Lake near Okanagan Falls.
We only saw this beautiful duck through a spotting scope here. The photo below is a of a pair taken at the Iona Sewage Ponds on Sea Island.
#131 Calliope Hummingbird - Red Roost Gift Shop near Penticton.
This gift shop is located on Hwy 3A which runs between Penticton and Keremeos. They have all sorts of bird feeders up and a good variety of birds. Some of the photos in other 2013 posts were taken there. I had hoped to see this bird on our tour and had to wait until the last moment to do so. I did not see a male, but got good shots of this female for lifer #368.
So ended our Okanagan Bird and Owl Tour. However, I did add a few more 2013 birds in April, so this post is not quite done.
#132 Savannah Sparrow - Date: Apr 28. Location: River Rd in Ladner.
Always a sign that spring has fully arrived, I did not get this bird as early in the year as usual. This bird is so photogenic that I had to include two of my favourite photos. The first was taken near Hope Airport in May
and the second was taken on the Iona Jetty in September.
#133 Barn Swallow - Date: Apr 28. Location: Westham Island Bridge in Ladner.
The great thing about the more common birds it that one gets more opportunities to take great photos of them. I had a few good choices for Barn Swallow, the best one was taken at Colony Farms Regional Park in Coquitlam in June.
#134 Cliff Swallow - Date: Apr 28. Location: Westham Island Bridge in Ladner.
This was a lucky sighting.With my first barn swallows was a third bird which I assumed was a Barn Swallow as well. I then read someone's posting that they had seen a Cliff Swallow in downtown Ladner. I re-checked my photos and saw enough evidence to post it online for confirmation. It was indeed a Cliff Swallow, a bird I usually see in Alberta. With the flooding there this year, this was my only sighting for the year.
#135 Mute Swan - Date: Apr 28. Location: Westham Island Bridge in Ladner.
The Mute Swan is what most people think of when they hear the word Swan. However, these are a European bird which were imported to North America many years ago and are considered an invasive species in parts of the US. I assume this bird is wild, given its location but it may not be countable using ABA rules.
#136 Marsh Wren - Date: Apr 28. Location: Westham Island Bridge in Ladner.
Our most common Wren, easily heard in Marshes in Spring but more difficult to see and photograph. I took this photo from the bridge deck looking down on the Wren.
#137 Least Sandpiper - Date: Apr 28. Location: Westham Island Bridge in Ladner.
Another shot taken looking down from the bridge deck. This bird earns it name by being the smallest sandpiper commonly seen in North America.
Well that's it for April, a very busy month. As the year progresses, it becomes more difficult to add new species, and summer is usually very slow for birding in general. However, there will be posts for each month coming.
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