The wonderful Okanagan Valley...
This tour is scheduled for the best time of year for birding in the Okanagan Valley. The Okanagan is home to many specialties that are most reliably found in Canada here, species such as Flammulated Owl, Williamson's Sapsucker, White-throated Swift, Canyon Wren, Gray Flycatcher and Sage Thrasher. Other highly coveted species we hope to encounter include Chukar, California Quail, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Common Poorwill, Western Screech-Owl, Lewis's Woodpecker, Western Bluebird, Pygmy Nuthatch, Lazuli Bunting and Black-headed Grosbeak. For this five day tour, we will be based out of one location in Kelowna.
Tour Information
Dates: May 22-26, 2025
Start\End Location: Kelowna, BC
Tour Leader: Gavin McKinnon
Cost: $590/person + GST (includes professional guiding services)
Group Size: 6-12 participants
Start\End Location: Kelowna, BC
Tour Leader: Gavin McKinnon
Cost: $590/person + GST (includes professional guiding services)
Group Size: 6-12 participants
Itinerary
May 22: Arrive in Kelowna
Today we will arrive in Kelowna and meet in the evening for a group dinner at a restaurant near our hotel. After our meal we will have the opportunity to venture out for a night birding session where we hope to detect species such as Common Poorwill, Western Screech-Owl and the specialty Flammulated Owl.
May 23-25: Birding Okanagan
The first day of the tour will be spent locally around Kelowna. We the morning near Lake Country where we hope to add species such as Black-chinned Hummingbird, Western Bluebird, Cassin's Finch, Bullock's Oriole and Lazuli Bunting in the open country. In the forests, we will be on the lookout for both Hammond's and Dusky Flycatchers, Pacific Wren and Townsend's Warbler. We will aim to visit Robert Lake in the late morning where species such as Ruddy Duck Virginia Rail, American Avocet should be present. We will also be sure to visit the mouth of Mission Creek where it flows into Lake Okanagan, here we have the chance to see a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds and gulls. In the afternoon, we bird around the outskirts of Kelowna, we hope to find Canyon Wrens on the rocky outcrops and Lewis's Woodpeckers at Bear Creek PP.
On the second full day of the tour, we will spend the morning birding along Shuttleworth Creek Road. Along this road we will be sure to encounter more California Quail, Pygmy Nuthatches, Cassin's Vireos and Nashville Warblers. Our primary target this morning will be Williamson's Sapsucker which we will stake-out for near Venner Larches. In the afternoon we will visit White Lake, the most reliable location in Canada to find both Sage Thrasher and Gray Flycatcher. Returning to Kelowna in the late afternoon, we will stop at Vaseux Cliffs where we hope to see White-throated Swifts and more Lewis's Woodpeckers.
On our final full day of birding in the Okanagan we will visit the southern valley near Osoyoos. Starting off at "The Throne" we hope to find the range restricted Chukar, an introduced species. We will then spend the remainder of the morning birding along the famous Road 22. Here we will have the chance to see a wide variety of species including Bobolink, Yellow-breasted Chat and Lark Sparrow. In the afternoon we will slowly work our way back to Kelowna, we will have another opportunity to try for Sage Thrasher and Gray Flycatcher if we missed them on the previous day.
May 26: Depart from Kelowna
We will spend the last morning of the tour birding in the vicinity of Kelowna. The plan will remain flexible so that we can look for any birds that we may have missed on the previous days. The tour will come to an end at 10 am.
May 22: Arrive in Kelowna
Today we will arrive in Kelowna and meet in the evening for a group dinner at a restaurant near our hotel. After our meal we will have the opportunity to venture out for a night birding session where we hope to detect species such as Common Poorwill, Western Screech-Owl and the specialty Flammulated Owl.
May 23-25: Birding Okanagan
The first day of the tour will be spent locally around Kelowna. We the morning near Lake Country where we hope to add species such as Black-chinned Hummingbird, Western Bluebird, Cassin's Finch, Bullock's Oriole and Lazuli Bunting in the open country. In the forests, we will be on the lookout for both Hammond's and Dusky Flycatchers, Pacific Wren and Townsend's Warbler. We will aim to visit Robert Lake in the late morning where species such as Ruddy Duck Virginia Rail, American Avocet should be present. We will also be sure to visit the mouth of Mission Creek where it flows into Lake Okanagan, here we have the chance to see a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds and gulls. In the afternoon, we bird around the outskirts of Kelowna, we hope to find Canyon Wrens on the rocky outcrops and Lewis's Woodpeckers at Bear Creek PP.
On the second full day of the tour, we will spend the morning birding along Shuttleworth Creek Road. Along this road we will be sure to encounter more California Quail, Pygmy Nuthatches, Cassin's Vireos and Nashville Warblers. Our primary target this morning will be Williamson's Sapsucker which we will stake-out for near Venner Larches. In the afternoon we will visit White Lake, the most reliable location in Canada to find both Sage Thrasher and Gray Flycatcher. Returning to Kelowna in the late afternoon, we will stop at Vaseux Cliffs where we hope to see White-throated Swifts and more Lewis's Woodpeckers.
On our final full day of birding in the Okanagan we will visit the southern valley near Osoyoos. Starting off at "The Throne" we hope to find the range restricted Chukar, an introduced species. We will then spend the remainder of the morning birding along the famous Road 22. Here we will have the chance to see a wide variety of species including Bobolink, Yellow-breasted Chat and Lark Sparrow. In the afternoon we will slowly work our way back to Kelowna, we will have another opportunity to try for Sage Thrasher and Gray Flycatcher if we missed them on the previous day.
May 26: Depart from Kelowna
We will spend the last morning of the tour birding in the vicinity of Kelowna. The plan will remain flexible so that we can look for any birds that we may have missed on the previous days. The tour will come to an end at 10 am.