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All photo Credits: Neil Bousquet
Saturday, April 20 was drenched with sunshine and a light breeze for our spring walk along the Okanagan river from the Road #22 bridge to where the slow moving water enters the northern tip of Osoyoos Lake.
There were numerous birds including Osprey, Cliff Swallows, Flickers, Jays and Northern Harriers both near the river and roaming above the fields.
We also witnessed two fishermen in a brightly coloured motorized watercraft at a safe distance below the weir.
As well, we saw two cowboys on horseback rescue a baby calf trapped in the long grass in the middle of a field. Apparently, the herd of cattle was being moved to greener pastures and the youngster got left behind. A few minutes earlier, we heard a louder-than-normal moo from a cow, which we believe was the frantic bellow from a mom to the cowboys, that her baby was missing.
Hoping more member will lend there expertise for future walks and hikes with the Oliver Osoyoos Naturalists Club.
Please connect with Skip King, skipking@eastlink.ca, 250-485-0263
Oliver-Osoyoos Christmas Bird Count 2023
Downy Woodpecker – Photo Credit: Dwayne Flexhaug
30 December 2023
Mild and calm; extensive fog in morning, clearing to high overcast in afternoon with patchy fog. 1 to 4C, no snow in valley and mid-elevations, 8 inches at summit of Mount Kobau (which was accessible by car). All valley lakes and ponds open, Kilpoola and Blue Lake almost entirely frozen. Viewing conditions on lake exceptional. 35 observers in 14 to 16 parties, 106 party-hours, 558 party-kilometres.
Cackling Goose | 3 |
Canada Goose | 1605 |
Trumpeter Swan | 32 |
Wood Duck | 9 |
Gadwall | 21 |
American Wigeon | 58 |
Mallard | 1185 |
Northern Shoveler | 98 |
Northern Pintail | 3 |
Green-winged Teal | 33 |
Canvasback | 1 |
Redhead | 45 |
Ring-necked Duck | 62 |
Greater Scaup | 91 |
Lesser Scaup | 85 |
Bufflehead | 276 |
Common Goldeneye | 130 |
Barrow’s Goldeneye | 78 |
Hooded Merganser | 29 |
Common Merganser | 318 |
Red-br. Merganser | 2 |
Ruddy Duck | 3 |
California Quail | 1567 |
Chukar | 18 |
Ring-necked Pheasant | 18 |
Ruffed Grouse | 7 |
Dusky Grouse | 2 |
Common Loon | 11 |
Pied-billed Grebe | 15 |
Horned Grebe | 50 |
Red-necked Grebe | 18 |
Eared Grebe | 1 |
Western Grebe | 10 |
Great Blue Heron | 19 |
Golden Eagle | 2 |
Northern Harrier | 4 |
Sharp-shinned Hawk | 11 |
Cooper’s Hawk | 13 |
Northern Goshawk | 1 |
Bald Eagle | 52 |
Red-tailed Hawk | 42 |
Rough-legged Hawk | 2 |
Virginia Rail | 1 |
American Coot | 483 |
Wilson’s Snipe | 2 |
Ring-billed Gull | 317 |
California Gull | 7 |
Herring Gull | 8 |
Glaucous-winged Gull | 3 |
gull, sp. | 42 |
Rock Pigeon | 116 |
Eurasian Collared-Dove | 346 |
Mourning Dove | 5 |
W. Screech-Owl | 1 |
Great Horned Owl | 9 |
Northern Pygmy-Owl | 8 |
N. Saw-whet Owl | 3 |
Belted Kingfisher | 13 |
Downy Woodpecker | 21 |
Hairy Woodpecker | 29 |
Am. 3-t. Woodpecker | 3 |
Black-b. Woodpecker | 2 |
Northern (R-sh.) Flicker | 311 |
Pileated Woodpecker | 3 |
American Kestrel | 10 |
Merlin | 10 |
Northern Shrike | 4 |
Canada Jay | 1 |
Steller’s Jay | 47 |
Black-billed Magpie | 208 |
Clark’s Nutcracker | 7 |
American Crow | 27 |
Common Raven | 158 |
Black-capped Chickadee | 184 |
Mountain Chickadee | 76 |
Boreal Chickadee | 2 |
Red-breasted Nuthatch | 44 |
White-br. Nuthatch | 11 |
Pygmy Nuthatch | 46 |
Brown Creeper | 5 |
Canyon Wren | 13 |
Pacific Wren | 1 |
Marsh Wren | 13 |
Bewick’s Wren | 11 |
American Dipper | 2 |
Golden-crowned Kinglet | 7 |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 7 |
Western Bluebird | 201 |
Townsend’s Solitaire | 3 |
American Robin | 51 |
European Starling | 3565 |
Bohemian Waxwing | 329 |
Cedar Waxwing | 8 |
American Tree Sparrow | 1 |
Dark-eyed (Ore)Junco | 778 |
Dark-eyed (Sl-c) Junco | 4 |
Golden-cr. Sparrow | 1 |
White-crowned Sparrow | 262 |
Song Sparrow | 153 |
Spotted Towhee | 4 |
Red-winged Blackbird | 91 |
Brewer’s Blackbird | 101 |
Pine Grosbeak | 4 |
House Finch | 1210 |
Cassin’s Finch | 3 |
Red Crossbill | 8 |
White-winged Crossbill | 2 |
Common Redpoll | 2 |
Pine Siskin | 15 |
American Goldfinch | 87 |
Evening Grosbeak | 4 |
House Sparrow | 771 |
TOTAL INDIVIDUALS | 16315 |
TOTAL SPECIES | 110 |
Cedar Waxing – Photo Credit: Dwayne Flexhaug
White Breasted Nuthatch – Photo Credit: Dwayne Flexhaug
House Finch – Photo Credit: Neil Bousquet