Sand dollars are fragile, so finding an intact one on the sand is a thrill for beachcombers, but they are also fascinating creatures with features that are the stuff of legends.
Wildlife & Nature
Summer Brings Southern Rarities, Songbirds
While some migratory shorebirds can still be spotted on the Outer Banks, Jeff Lewis says birders can find plenty of breeding terns and gulls as well as songbirds this time of year.
Beachcomber’s View: Science of Sea Glass
Sea glass, or pieces of glass from broken bottles or other items worn smooth by the ocean, is growing in popularity as a collectible but getting harder to find on beaches.
Warblers and Shorebirds and Terns, Oh My!
Outer Banks birder Jeff Lewis writes that spring birding on the Outer Banks is awesome in May, when songbirds, shorebirds and wading birds are in their most beautiful plumage.
Plymouth Set to Celebrate Black Bears
The N.C. Black Bear Festival, set for May 31-June 2, honors the hefty creature so abundant in the state’s northeast and commemorates National Black Bear Day with bear-themed fun.
Beachcomber’s View: Whelks Versus Conchs
Longtime Outer Banks beachcomber Kristin Hissong explains the myriad differences between conchs, which typically prefer tropical waters, and whelks that are often found on Outer Banks beaches and a favorite of collectors.
Trail Supporters Set to Converge on Surf City
The nonprofit Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail is accepting registrations for its annual gathering, to be held for the first time on the N.C. coast in March.
Audubon NC Expands Native Plant Guide
Audubon North Carolina has released an updated list of 700 recommended native plants to help gardeners, landscapers and others make selections that help birds and pollinators.
October Brings More Migrants Heading South
Birder Jeff Lewis runs through the possibilities of birds that may be spotted this month along the coast and invites fellow bird lovers to the 22nd annual Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival Oct. 16-21 on the Outer Banks.
It’s August, So Let the Fall Migration Begin
With August here, fall shorebird migration is in full swing, says Jeff Lewis, an Outer Banks birder.
That Which We Call A ‘Starfish’
What’s in a name? Would the creatures we know as “starfish” or “sea stars” be as stellar if called something else? Our Jared Lloyd wades into the debate over how best to refer to these echinoderms.
Ocracoke’s Trumpeter Swan Has Flown On
Ocracoke recently hosted for two months a rare avian visitor, the trumpeter swan. Peter Vankevich with the Ocracoke Observer shares observations and photos of the swan that hasn’t been spotted since May 2.
April Brings Beloved Birds Back to NC Coast
What is your favorite bird? Outer Banks birder Jeff Lewis says this month brings a variety of newly arrived songbirds from which to choose.
March Birding: Fewer Species this Month
Though March is a transitional month for birdwatchers, there are a handful of birds to keep an eye out for including the swallow-tailed kite, Bonaparte’s gulls, yellow-throated warblers, cedar waxwings and more.
February’s Wind, Cold Draw Great Birds
Outer Banks birder Jeff Lewis encourages bird watchers to bundle up and see what birds the cold weather brings to the area during February.
Coastal Owls: Mysterious, Misunderstood
Outer Banks birder Jeff Lewis shares his enthusiasm for the owls of eastern North Carolina, creatures he says are fascinating but misunderstood.
