On the Wing

Harlequin ducks in the bay. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: Wind, wave, and swell height

By Margo Hearne The winds of morning brought thousands of birds to…

  • Oct 31, 2018
Harlequin ducks in the bay. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
A Short-eared Owl in Delkatla — Happy Halloween. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: El Niño, La Niña and Crows

By Margo Hearne Is El Niño on its way? It is predicted…

  • Oct 25, 2018
A Short-eared Owl in Delkatla — Happy Halloween. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
A trio of Sandhill Cranes wear reddish brown on their feathers after preening with iron-rich mud. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: Night migration and crane colours

By Margo Hearne A small flock of White-fronted geese flew over this…

  • Oct 19, 2018
A trio of Sandhill Cranes wear reddish brown on their feathers after preening with iron-rich mud. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
Lapland Longspur in the seaweed. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: Waxwings, robins, and longspurs

By Margo Hearne The call of the wild. A flock of geese…

  • Oct 5, 2018
Lapland Longspur in the seaweed. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
Common murres on the lookout. (Ron Knight/Flickr)

On the Wing: Murres and birds of prey

By Margo Hearne Flat calm and clear. That’s the best way to…

  • Sep 28, 2018
Common murres on the lookout. (Ron Knight/Flickr)
A Wandering Tattler, wandering on its own. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: Comings and goings

By Margo Hearne Mornings are a little chilly, evenings are getting darker.…

  • Sep 21, 2018
A Wandering Tattler, wandering on its own. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
Sanderlings and waves (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: Of time and tide, fish and birds

By Margo Hearne The sun is out and it’s cool and breezy.…

  • Sep 13, 2018
Sanderlings and waves (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
Artists for Conservation painted hundreds of bird portraits for a mural at the International Ornithological Congress, held in Vancouver from Aug. 19 to 26. (International Ornithological Congress/Facebook)

On the Wing: Integrating birds and people around the world

By Margo Hearne A heron flaps across the water. Its long down-curved…

  • Sep 7, 2018
Artists for Conservation painted hundreds of bird portraits for a mural at the International Ornithological Congress, held in Vancouver from Aug. 19 to 26. (International Ornithological Congress/Facebook)
From left to right, a Glaucous-winged Gull and a California Gull. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: The quiet of the year with gulls

By Margo Hearne The birds keep on going south. Yesterday small flocks…

  • Aug 24, 2018
From left to right, a Glaucous-winged Gull and a California Gull. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
A Black Turnstone (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: Heatwaves, forests and shorebirds

By Margo Hearne The dog days of summer continue. It’s been hot…

  • Aug 17, 2018
A Black Turnstone (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
Eagles young and old. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: Masset in the forties and songbirds goodbye

The wild world appreciates a little rain.

  • Aug 10, 2018
Eagles young and old. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
Canada Geese return. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: Flycatcher names and climate change

By Margo Hearne The northwest winds continue to blow and seem to…

  • Aug 3, 2018
Canada Geese return. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
A Caspian tern in flight. (Matt MacGillivray/Flickr)

On the Wing: Sunny days, gulls and terns

Many summer birdsongs are starting to fade, but Swainson’s Thrush still sing out in the evenings

  • Jul 13, 2018
A Caspian tern in flight. (Matt MacGillivray/Flickr)
Rosamund and Jim Pojar, organizers of Botany BC, stand together with Margo Hearne and Peter Hamel at the Nature Centre. (Submitted)

On the Wing: Botany BC pays a visit

By Margo Hearne Botany BC is an annual meeting of botanists and…

  • Jul 6, 2018
Rosamund and Jim Pojar, organizers of Botany BC, stand together with Margo Hearne and Peter Hamel at the Nature Centre. (Submitted)
A Common Cuckoo, or Cuculus canorus, seen a ways from Haida Gwaii at Borit, Gojal, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. (Imran Shah/Flickr)

On the Wing: Fabulous birds and bears

By Margo Hearne A fabulous bird showed up on Haida Gwaii recently.…

  • Jun 29, 2018
A Common Cuckoo, or Cuculus canorus, seen a ways from Haida Gwaii at Borit, Gojal, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. (Imran Shah/Flickr)
On the Wing: The next generation

On the Wing: The next generation

It’s been all go. Visitors from Ireland – they loved it –…

  • Jun 22, 2018
On the Wing: The next generation
A Swainson’s Thrush (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: Cool days and short nights

By Margo Hearne It’s windy and wet and the birds are staying…

  • Jun 8, 2018
A Swainson’s Thrush (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
Peter Hamel explaining the finer points of biofilm. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: Big birds and The Little Powerful One

By Margo Hearne The songbird of summer is back. The first “whit”…

  • Jun 1, 2018
Peter Hamel explaining the finer points of biofilm. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
White-fronted geese, facing a disturber. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: What are all those Brown Geese?

By Margo Hearne The little brown geese are everywhere. At first there…

  • May 18, 2018
White-fronted geese, facing a disturber. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)
White-fronted Geese gather in Delkatla. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)

On the Wing: More than the sum of their parts

By Margo Hearne Out in the garden the little warblers sing. They…

  • May 11, 2018
White-fronted Geese gather in Delkatla. (Margo Hearne/Haida Gwaii Observer)