It’s in our our blood, part of our very being. It connects us to our watery past. Here, on the edge of the sea, life adapts to it or perishes.
Wildlife & Nature
The Scotch Bonnet’s 50th Anniversary
North Carolina was the first state to declare an official state shell 50 years ago this year. The elusive Scotch bonnet is, however, a rare find for beachcombers.
Sand Waves: Juggernauts of the Outer Banks
Large, moving mountains of sand helped shape the northern Outer Banks. Whole communities slowly disappeared beneath them. Two bicycle makers from Ohio made history atop one of the them.
Beaver Moon Doesn’t Disappoint
The cloud cover lifted and the hearts on the boat soared. A full moon hung over Bogue Sound, inspiring the artistic souls of the nature photographers on board.
A Ringside Seat to an Ancient Ritual
Bird watchers gather on Ocracoke each fall to scan the skies for migrating kestrels, hawks and other raptors.
Sea Pansies and Blue Buttons
Our naturalist Sam Bland spotted these two unusual finds that washed up from the deep ocean on a beach walk in Emerald Isle.
Horseshoe Crabs: Our Coast’s Living Fossils
Conch fishermen, little shorebirds called red knots and flu vaccinations all share something in common. That’s right. Horseshoe crabs.
Thunder Moon
Our naturalist Sam Bland explores the lure of full moons on coastal animals and residents and takes stunning photos of a recent “supermoon.”
A Wetland for Wood Storks
Our naturalist Sam Bland kayaks through a wetland along our southeast coast and into the heart of a wood stork rookery. Here are his story and amazing photos.
Great Blue Heron
Statuesque and graceful in movement, the great blue heron is one of North America’s most familiar and adaptable wading birds.
A Spring for the Birds
Ungainly brown pelicans, stately blue herons and boldly patterned oystercatchers are just some of the birds you can see on cruises sponsored by the N.C. Coastal Federation this spring.
The Coming of Spring
Baby goslins, snapping turtles looking for nests, green anoles hunting mates. All are signs that spring is coming to the freshwater marshes of the coast.
A White Christmas at Hatteras
The unusual appearance of a snowy owl has excited birders flocking to Cape Hatteras. Our naturalist, Sam Bland, joined them.
The Resiliency of Jellies
Moon jelly fish stranded on an autumn beach seemed like a sad story of dislocation and abandonment, but they were also testaments to the resiliency of nature.
B95 the Red Knot: The Tale of a Famous Flyer
A red knot known as B95, aka Moonbird, has been delighting bird watchers almost 20 years. Its epic migrations are almost equal to a round-trip to the moon.
A Sign of Autumn: Fall Webworms
Look for the white, cottony webs in the trees this fall. Inside are hundreds of caterpillars munching on leaves, fattening up for a winter’s hibernation. They will emerge as moths next spring.
