Mayne Wildlife
Gulls of Mayne Island (and beyond)
Living on the coast, gulls are part of our viewscape and soundscape but few people know them beyond ‘seagulls’. They are conspicuous and gregarious and seem equally at home in urban, agricultural and marine areas. Most of the gull species are in one family and all are similar in colour Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
What’s a Grebe?
This is the latest instalment in our series of articles on the remarkable diversity of birds that visit Mayne Island’s shores in winter. Grebes Grebes are similar to loons, superficially, but are smaller, have lobed toes (as opposed to webbed) set far back on their bodies, and have longer, thinner Read more…
Kelp Bed Monitoring
Bugles and Baselines
Bugles and Baselines – Nine Years of Bull Kelp Mapping around Mayne Island, B.C. Kelly Fretwell and Rob Underhill Have you ever made a bugle horn from a piece of washed-up bull kelp? If not, you’re missing out on a fine West Coast experience! Now is a good time to Read more…
Important Bird Area
The Loons of Winter
Loons are large, bulky waterbirds with a distinct dagger-like bill, short neck, and long wings. Their feet are set well back on their body for maximum propulsion underwater, but make for poor mobility on land. Most people know the ethereal call of the loons, often heard on small lakes and Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
Mayne’s Marine Winter Birds: Diving Ducks
Mayne Island’s surrounding waters are a good place to look for diving ducks. This group of ducks are also known as sea ducks and on Mayne Island we have records for nine different species, some quite rare. They are the Bufflehead, the Harlequin Duck, the Barrow’s and Common goldeneye, the Read more…
Caring for the Land
2018 – A Year of Action
We’ve had a busy and productive year at the Mayne Island Conservancy. Here are some of the ways we’ve worked to conserve the ecology of Mayne Island for future generations. We’d like to thank you for all of your support in 2018. Please consider supporting us through your year-end giving.
Mayne Wildlife
Marine Winter Birds of Mayne Island
Editor’s note: we are delighted to present a series of articles by our own Michael Dunn, featuring the winter marine birds of Mayne Island. Be sure to attend Michael’s hands-on birding workshop on December 1st. The Salish Sea—our home— is an important place for marine birds and shorebirds. Did you Read more…
Our Shorelines
Ocean and Beach Scenes: Our Photo Contest Entries
Here are our entries (and winners) from the category Ocean and Beach Scenes from our annual photo contest. Thanks to all for their excellent work.
Mayne Wildlife
Mayne’s Magical Moon Snail
There are many mysterious creatures living along Mayne Island’s shores. Our intertidal shorelines are home to thousands of creatures that we rarely see. One of the most interesting is the Lewis’ moon snail, a species found all along our Pacific coast. Here on Mayne, we see them along Navy Channel Read more…
Our Shorelines
Why I’m a Shoreline Care Volunteer
After a dozen years as a regular visitor to Mayne Island, I became a fulltime resident. As a boater and scuba diver I was attracted to the rich marine setting and shoreline that invites peaceful, restorative walks, access to nature for recreation and the occasional tasty treat. Shorty after moving here, Read more…
