Andrew Iwaniuk

FFS. Thank you for letting us know so that I can avoid them. Then again, maybe I should do a slow roll and give them the finger as I am sure that's what some of them did to me and my kid at one of the teachers rallies.

That sucks. Every time I see them it’s a day that’s ruined.

#birds #ornithology

I hate them. They prevent me from enjoying anything outside. And the dogs still need to head out to the off leash park or a walk so I can’t avoid being in it. All I can do is try to pick times when it isn’t quite as bad (eg around dawn)

People who don’t get headaches, migraines or otherwise, with these high winds have lived here for too long or there is something wrong with them.

These days it’s the fault of the Laurentian elites in Ottawa. Because the Liberals invented chemtrails…

An extreme wind warning indicating that 100 km/h winds that cause utility outages and property damage will be occurring from early Saturday morning until Sunday night

We consistently have the worst weather in Canada. So much for birding this weekend…
#yql

I’m not so sure. There are a large number of people in Lethbridge (where I live) and Clearwater and Wetaskiwin counties (where I sometimes work) that I inherently do not trust. And that number is increasing as I see more Alberta flags flying.

The only North American record of the extinct Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris Alexander L. Bond, Paige R. Langle Abstract An historical record of the extinct Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris from Ontario, Canada, is quite exceptional, being the only North American record. Its inclusion in North American, Canadian, or Ontarian avifaunal lists is patchy, and the specimen has not been assessed against current identification criteria. We show that the specimen is extant, in the collection of the Buffalo Museum of Science, and is indeed a Slender-billed Curlew. Here, we compile the history of the specimen and its collector in the wider context of the ornithology of the Niagara Region.

New paper in @britornitholclub.bsky.social - Paige Langle and I highlight (and confirm the identity!) of the only North American record of the now-extinct Slender-billed Curlew (1/4) bioone.org/journals/bul... #ornithology

Six all white swans with prominent black beaks (and some with a little triangle of yellow at the base of their beaks) are sitting on the frozen ice of a lake. In the background is a field of tall dried grasses.

Tundra swans have arrived so spring is definitely on its way.
#Alberta #birding #birds 🪶🇨🇦

On the plus side your Dean sounds infinitely more interesting than any of our administrators

I only know of this happening for NSERC so far but it was across multiple program officers

So Picard does NOT recommend working at a post secondary institution

Pine Bunting standing on snow with its feathers fluffed up. The bird faces slightly to the right, with brown streaked upperparts, a pale belly, and small bits of snow on its bill. 雪の上に立つシラガホオジロ。羽毛を膨らませており、体はやや右向き。褐色の縞のある上面と淡い腹部が見え、嘴の周りに小さな雪が付いている。

Fluffed up in the sea breeze 😊🪶
#モフ曜日 蔵出しのシラガホオジロです
#nature #photography #animals #wildlife #PineBunting #シラガホオジロ #birds #野鳥

Among academics it is not helped by:
- so many people not understanding the many issues of using AI
- tricouncil staff advising PIs to use AI to help with their grants, which then becomes interpreted as “use AI as much as you want wherever you want”

I completed my PhD before I received my high school diploma.

China’s Pacific squid fishery rife with labor, fishing abuses: Report Labor abuses including violence, debt bondage and withheld wages and medical care, overfishing, shark finning, marine mammal killings: A new report exposes bad practices and a weak regulatory…

A new report by the Environmental Justice Foundation alleges forced labor, shark finning and illegal fishing on Chinese vessels targeting jumbo flying squid in the Southeast Pacific.

The findings draw on interviews with 81 fishers, mainly Indonesians who worked on 60 vessels between 2021 and 2025.

So no one in higher education wants to learn anything from the past 6 years? Relying on foreign student enrolments was terrible for 🇨🇦 and 🇦🇺 universities, with large financial issues for multiple institutions even now.

White−crowned Hornbill, Wrinkled Hornbill and Bushy−crested Hornbill for
#BirdsSeeinIn2026
#birds
#Borneo

An American Goldfinch grips the metal bars of a bird feeder. Overlay text reads Cats and Birds: Exploring the science behind this complex conservation issue

Cats are considered the number one threat to birds in Canada. It's a fascinating and complex conservation issue.

Tune into The Warblers podcast with @juliakilgour.bsky.social and @jonathanjojochu.bsky.social to hear some expert insights on human behaviours and cat research.

Canadian LNG out of step with Europe's clean energy shift: EU official Senior Brussels diplomat Belén Martinez Carbonell says renewables and nuclear power win out over fossil fuels to help meet EU economic and emissions reduction goals.

Ahem www.nationalobserver.com/2026/03/02/n...

Mike is an expert in circadian rhythms and it would be refreshing if Alberta could make a decision based on science for a change. I 100% support Mike.

And this is exactly why we shouldn’t have a tundra swan hunting season: tough to get clear IDs sometimes and they can occur at the same place at the same time. I really hope ECCC listens and does not open up a swan hunting season.

I spotted maybe 10 and it’s quite possible they are snows that stayed overwinter and I just happened to see today. The winds and work have not been conducive to much birding for me lately!

Saw snow geese along the west side of the QE2 yesterday too, just north of Fort MacLeod

I know Mike Antle but didn’t think to provide the link. Poor Mike has to answer questions about this every f-ing year.

Circadian rhythm expert cautions Albertans against permanent daylight savings time Oct. 18 referendum neglects permanent standard time, the right option for public health, says UCalgary psychologist

Here is a good synopsis from a neuroscientist about why it's not a good idea. Essentially, it will further separate us from our natural rhythms, especially in the winter, making waking up and paying attention in the morning difficult and not healthy.

arts.ucalgary.ca/news/circadi...

I don’t get their obsession with DST but it’s not the one to stick with for a variety of reasons, not the least of which will be a lot more going to work and school in the dark

Danielle Smith looking to ditch clock changes as B.C. moves to permanent daylight time | CBC News Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says with the province's neighbours to the west moving to adopt year-round daylight time, it's once again time to consider abandoning the practice of changing clocks twi...

Dear provinces,

I agree that we need to ditch changing clocks but switching to DST permanently is actually the wrong one to stick with based on science….

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Courtesy of @evolsara.bsky.social: me introducing @alexophir.bsky.social with the story about how we both interviewed for the same job and one of the faculty members called me Alex for half a day