Whitbourne

History

Whitbourne is named after Sir Richard Whitbourne, one of the most colourful early settlers of Newfoundland. Whitbourne, unlike most communities on the Island of Newfoundland is inland. It was founded in about 1880 during the construction of the Newfoundland Railway and is considered Newfoundland's first inland town. The railway continued to be an important employer in the town until its abandonment in 1988, although its economic significance declined gradually throughout the twentieth century. Sir Robert Bond, the prime minister from 1900 to 1909, played a role in the expansion and planning of the Town and developed an elaborate country home, the "Grange", there. The house is no longer in existence, but part of the estate is now Sir Robert Bond Park, which is noted for an unusual abundance of northern lichens including the relatively rare blue felt lichen (Degelia plumbea).

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  264
• Dark-eyed Junco

  Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  199
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  181
• American herring gull, Smithsonian Gull

  Larus smithsonianus Coues, 1862 · Aves
  171
• White-throated Sparrow

  Zonotrichia albicollis (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  145
• Yellow-rumped Warbler

  Setophaga coronata (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  141
• American Black Duck

  Anas rubripes Brewster, 1902 · Aves
  139
• Common Loon

  Gavia immer (Brunnich, 1764) · Aves
  131

Most recent

• M 3.3 — 2009-04-29
  28 km SW of Bay Roberts, Canada