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Post by Dave on May 12, 2007 16:32:47 GMT -8
Hello fellow birders,
My Dad and I just got back from the Merritt area and had a great time, even though we did not find Williamson's Sapsucker, my target bird for the trip. We did find 67 other species though.
We spent the whole morning on Midday and Lindley Creek Roads, with two hours at one location (where the roads meet 8 km up Midday Valley Road). With excellent advice, I went to an awesome grove of aspen, full of woodpeckers. It was a rather intense time, chasing around at least 6 Red-Naped Sapsucker, 3 Downys and 1 Hairy, wondering if I am missing my life bird. The Downy and Hairy's knocking is easy to exclude, but I lack the experience to seperate a Red-naped knocking pattern compared to a Williamson's. I often thought that the knocking was slower than the previous Red-naped I stalked out, but everytime it was another Red-naped.
I must admit that I got distracted on occasion by the loads of warblers: Yellow-rumped, Yellow, Townsends, Orange-crowned, and Nashville were all clearly visible. My Dad is 95% sure he saw a tail-flicking Palm Warbler, and he knows his stuff, especially since he flew in last night from birding Point Pelee, Ontario.
Anyway, with nuthatches, Chipping Sparrows, and other typical Ponderosa Pine birds kicking around, it was not a boring place.
On Lindley Creek Road we had crippling views of Nashville Warbler, 15+ Mountain Bluebird, Dusky and Hammond's Flycatcher, and others.
Definitely a place to return to and get to know better,
Dave Beeke
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Post by JeffOver on May 12, 2007 18:41:32 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2007 11:12:35 GMT -8
Hi, Dave and everyone.
Sounds like you had a great trip to Merritt. Sorry you missed your target species.
I just came across a file I had saved from last year, and thought it might be useful to you if you're still on the chase for Williamson's Sapsucker. This was written in March, 2006 by Richard Cannings, the guru of Okanagan birders. It includes suggested locations for several species that might interest you or others.
The "Okanagan Falls Forest Service Road" Richard mentions is the same one I referred to in my earlier message as the road going up the south side of Shuttleworth Creek from OK Falls. His directions for finding it are much more helpful than mine.
As I thought but couldn't remember for sure, the Venner Meadows Road (R200) turns to the right off the main road at km 12.5, so to get to the location at km 15 where the sapsuckers are being reported this spring you would follow Venner Meadows Road for around 2.5 km from that junction.
The locations for Gray Partridge and Chukar are probably good to try in any year. I suspect the same is true for the Boreal Chickadee suggestion. The sapsucker locations are specific nesting locations so may vary from year to year. But your chances are a lot better where they are known to be nesting. The km 13 area Richard mentions would probably be worth checking out also, as this is an area they seem to like regularly and may be nesting there this year also.
The Gray Flycatcher site at km 5 on the main road up is also a fairly regular nesting area so your chances should be good there, too.
Incidentally, Road 22 that Richard mentions is a short road that goes east off Hwy 97 between Osoyoos and Oliver. It crosses the valley bottom and connects to Black Sage Road that thingy mentions. It used to be, at least, a good location for Long-billed Curlew and Bobolink. There are hayfields on the left (north) side, and the curlews were usually seen perched on the irrigation pipes. The Bobolink males would be seen doing their fluttery flights anywhere in the fields.
Unfortunately, that area has recently been developed on the south side of Road 22 and this location is probably finished for those two specialty species. However, it gives access to oxbows and dykes along both sides of the Okanagan River as well as the dry mountain slopes on the east side of the valley, and it is still a great place for birding.
Stan
Here's what Richard wrote --
Gray Partridge: "Good" places (you'll still need a bit of luck) are White Lake (drive the roads early in the morning or late in the afternoon, especially the road out towards Twin Lakes that goes by White Lake Ranch); Black Sage Road, particularly the sandy hills just south of Road 22; the north end of Okanagan Lake (fields north of the gated retirement subdivision there).
Chukar: Rock cliffs at Vaseux Lake; also the rocky slopes on the west side of Richter Pass, along Hwy. 3 west of Osoyoos.
Williamson's Sapsucker: Larch forests along the R200 logging road east of Okanagan Falls. Take the Okanagan Falls Forest Service Road (starts at the Weyerhaeuser mill, go around the mill to the south on the mill bypass) to km 12.5, turn right onto R200, aka the Venner Meadows Road. Stop at km 13 and walk up the road, listening for sapsuckers drumming (short bursts of drumming in a series).
Boreal Chickadee: After looking for the sapsuckers, get back on the main road up from Okanagan Falls and continue east and north to km 22.5. From there to about km 28 the spruce-fir forests are good for Boreal Chickadees.
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2007 11:18:52 GMT -8
Gord, what kind of filter software does your website have? It doesn't like the shortened name Richard Cannings goes by.
His name isn't "thingy" and that's not what I wrote!!
Ain't technology grand!?
Stan
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2007 11:23:40 GMT -8
So as the writer of the post I've gone in and modified it to show his name as Richard. The "thingy's" that the software replaced his usual name with, as I originally wrote it, are gone (Ooops, all but one, that I missed).
Sorry folks for all the commotion.
Stan
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Post by Gord on May 14, 2007 12:50:30 GMT -8
Stan, Ill go remove the safegaurds that does that. I think we're a mature enough group not to require it.
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Post by Dave on May 15, 2007 22:12:54 GMT -8
Thanks a million for sharing, Stan. I really enjoyed looking for the bird in the Merritt area, even though I was unsuccessful. I am planning to return there sometime, but also go to the Vaseaux, Shuttleworth Creek area (probably first week of July). I have seen Chukar at the rock cliffs of Vaseaux two winters ago, and really like the area. I did spend a day in the summer there last July, but did not go after Williamson's Sapsucker. If you hear of more info about them in the Okanagan between now and the beginning of July, let me know (via this website, of course Thanks again, Dave
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