Open house at observatory

Photo: Chelsea Powrie

A bird leaving the Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory after being banded in August.

Interested in birds? The Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance is hosting its annual open house at the Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory on Sunday.

The event gives visitors a chance to see birds being banded and walk with nature interpreters to learn about birds and migration.

The day focuses on three themes: bird adaptation to migration, bird conservation issues and threats, and bird banding. In addition to the open house, OSCA also offers programming to regional schools.

“These school and public programs have become so popular and we are very fortunate to have the continued support of Nature Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada who provide funding to run the programs. This year the VLBO has seen record numbers of birds travelling through our region so it should be very exciting,” says Janet Willson, OSCA chair.

The Okanagan is a bird watching hot-spot in Canada and is an important summer nesting area for many species. Birds that have bred in the boreal forest and northern parts of B.C. funnel through the Okanagan Valley on their way south to the USA, Central and South America, using Vaseux Lake area as a migration stopover to refuel on insects or seeds.

The open house takes place Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Vaseux Lake observatory — 3 km south of Okanagan Falls. The site is not wheelchair accessible but has a portable washroom. Parking is available on the west side of Hwy 97 at a roadside pull-out just north of the site. The event runs rain or shine.