Hi All

Well things have been pretty dead riding the rails lately, what with wet
weather and working nights but I did see my first swallows of the year
today at both Silvermere Lake and Albion along the north side of the
Fraser River. They were a little too high to make out whether they were
Trees or Violet Greens. I couldn't get a long enough look. There may
have been both as they are both common in each area.

Just west of Mission I also spotted a Western Meadowlark flying across
the tracks in front of us. Last evening some Common Snipe flushed out of
one of the puddles in the rail yard as we moved our engines out to tie
on to our train.

As I see the Salmon Berries are coming into bloom and although it is a
slim chance for those west of the Cascades it might be an idea to check
them out for Calliope Hummingbirds. The only time I have seen one it was
flying low down close to the ground in a clump of Salmon Berry bushes
that were in about 3/4 leaf. I just caught the bird as it flitted in and
out from behind the leaves. One little glimpse of it's gorget and it was
gone. This was in the Pitt Meadows area of BC. No... this was not from
the train.

Roger Craik
Maple Ridge BC
Conductor CP Rail