Subject: Final Via Rail run
Date: Feb 24 21:47:50 2002
From: David Allinson - goshawk at telus.net


On Saturday 23rd, my girlfriend and I took a nostalgic trip on what was likely one of the last runs for the VIA Rail train service on Vancouver Island. We went from Victoria to Qualicum Beach (two-hour stopover there for lunch). While by no means a birding trip, it quickly became apparent that birding from the train could be fun and surprisingly productive!

Even without binoculars, I was impressed that I managed to tally 66 species on the day! High water levels and flooded farm fields meant lots of waterfowl. By far one of the most numerous species seen were American Robins which are fond of right-of-ways (but they don't seem too fond of train's loud horn!).

Highlights:
4 Pacific Loon
2 Common Loon
1 Pied-billed Grebe
500+ Trumpeter Swan
1 Tundra Swan
1 Gadwall
3 Northern Shoveler
All three mergansers
1 Merlin
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Virginia Rail
14 American Coot
8 Black Oystercatcher
3 Pileated Woodpecker
1 Savannah Sparrow

David Allinson
President, Rocky Point Bird Observatory
572 Atkins Road
Victoria, BC
V9B 3A3
Ph. (250)478-0493

Web site: www.islandnet.com/~rpbo
273 species and counting!
Look for a bargraph checklist coming soon.

"Not everything that can be counted counts,
and not everything that counts can be counted."
Albert Einstein
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