It’s not a sea turtle but its home is aquatic and its future in peril. Our Sam Bland recently joined area wildlife researchers on a quest to document the diamondback terrapin’s abundance in coastal N.C. waters.
Sam’s Field Notes: ‘Let ’em Rest, Let ’em Nest’
It’s that time of year when beachgoers should watch where they step and take other precautions to protect nesting shorebirds, as our Sam Bland explains in his photo essay.
Coastal Scenes: The Pitcher Plant
The carnivorous pitcher plant features a “pitcher” – a modified leaf creating the tube and an overhanging lid – where a sweet, nectar-like liquid collects and attracts insects. Downward-pointing hairs and slippery walls keep the insect trapped in the pitcher, where it eventually slips into the liquid and is dissolved by enzymes so it may be absorbed by the plant. Pitcher plans live in soils poor in nitrogen. They evolved by getting the necessary nitrogen from insects. Photo: Sam Bland
Sam’s Field Notes: Sandhill Cranes
Our Sam Bland shares his adventures trying to catch a glimpse of a pair of sandhill cranes that made a stop in Beaufort during their fall migration to the wintering grounds in Florida.
Puffer Prize
Sam Bland captured in Emerald Isle this photo of a gull with a puffer fish trapped in its beak.
Winter Home for Snow Geese
Snow geese take flight over the Pungo Unit of the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern North Carolina. Photo: Sam Bland
White Cliffs of Bogue Banks
Our Sam Bland captured Thursday this image of snow-capped dunes at the Point in Emerald Isle, the westernmost tip of Bogue Banks.
Sam’s Field Notes: The Balloon Problem
Balloon releases at concerts, games, weddings and other events have … well, ballooned in popularity but, as Sam Bland explains, coastal wildlife often suffers when they’re sent skyward, whether intentionally or not.
Sam’s Field Notes: Bats Get A Bum Rap
They’re the stuff of ghost stories and Halloween scares, but bats are not the blind, blood-sucking demons they’ve been made out to be. However, they are in trouble.
Sam’s Field Notes: National Estuaries Week
Our Sam Bland writes about the importance of estuaries in celebration of National Estuaries Week, Sept. 16-23, a time set aside to raise awareness and appreciation of our coastal natural heritage.
Sam’s Lens: Sandy Path to the Milky Way
Our Sam Bland captured this image of the Milky Way Aug. 20 from a public beach access boardwalk near the point of Bogue Banks in Emerald Isle.
A Coastal View of the Eclipse
Our Sam Bland captured this image of the solar eclipse near its peak Monday at the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s headquarters near Newport.
Sam Bland Shines light on Aug. Eclipse
Sam Bland reminisces about experiencing with two of his friends a solar eclipse in 1970 eastern North Carolina, explores the myths surrounding the natural phenomenon.
Sam’s Field Notes: Coquina Clams
Our naturalist, Sam Bland, recently enjoyed a late-afternoon walk on the beach in search of his favorite critters, the coquina clams, 1-inch, colorful, wedge-shaped mollusks found at water’s edge.
Sam’s Field Notes: Baby Bald Eagles
Our naturalist Sam Bland recently spent a day in a kayak near Oriental, watching as young bald eagles learned to spread their wings and fly.
‘Awash In Color’
The late-afternoon sunlight casts rich hues over the dunes at Bogue Inlet in Emerald Isle. Photo: Sam Bland
