Boats dot the Carteret County waters of, from left, Gallants Channel, Taylors Creek and Bulkhead Channel Thursday, with, in the foreground, Pivers Island, home to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Beaufort Laboratory and the Duke University Marine Lab; Front Street in Beaufort at top left; the Rachel Carson Reserve, center-left; Shackleford Banks, top-center and part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore; and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. Photo: Dylan Ray
birds
Leaving home
An osprey takes flight, leaving chicks in a nest on a leaning piling above the waters of Midden Creek near Tusk in Down East Carteret County. Photo: Dylan Ray
Morning meal
A lone Ibis hunts near a ridge of oysters near low tide on a recent morning in Marshallberg. Photo: Dylan Ray
Research on migratory shorebirds a ‘massive effort’
Brian O’Shea, ornithology collection manager for N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, said the research network on long-distance migratory shorebirds, many of which we see on the N.C. coast, encompasses the entire Western Hemisphere.
Cape Fear Audubon seeks volunteers for NC Bird Atlas
Wildlife Resources officials will be in Wilmington March 14 to explain how to record field observations for the statewide North Carolina Bird Atlas.
Slow-motion takeoff
A great blue heron takes flight from an oyster bed at low tide near Russell Creek in Carteret County. These large birds, often called cranes, walk and beat their wings slowly and can be found near all kinds of waters all over North America, according to the Audubon Field Guide. Photo: Dylan Ray
Standing still for a meal
A tricolored heron watches for prey in the water at Roanoke Island Marshes Dedicated Nature Preserve in Wanchese. Photo: Kip Tabb
Feeding frenzy
Flocks of pelican and cormorant chase a bait ball of fish along the shoreline of Atlantic in Down East Carteret County. Photo: Dylan Ray
Shrimp buffet
A wedge of egrets hunts shrimp in the salt marsh along the Newport River in Mill Creek in Carteret County. Photo: Dylan Ray
Potentially infectious migratory birds returning for winter
Officials from North Carolina natural resources and public health agencies remind waterfowl hunters to be observant and careful when handling wild birds during hunting season.
Inner coast: Lake Mattamuskeet draws outdoor enthusiasts
In the first of a series exploring North Carolina’s mainland coastal region, the waters of Mattamuskeet are a draw for waterfowl and adventurers.
Small sparrow’s plight in focus for grant recipient Allie Best
Allie Best, a graduate student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, is one of two recently named recipients of the North Carolina Space Grant and North Carolina Sea Grant, a fellowship awarded to students whose research explores challenging coastal problems.
Final NC waterfowl conservation print, stamp available
With more license and permit purchases made online, collector interest has declined, leading the Wildlife Resources Commission to end the stamp program and the annual prints.
Delivery service
An endangered red-cockaded woodpecker flies in to his nesting cavity with a spider in in his beak for the awaiting chicks inside. Red-cockaded woodpeckers are an endemic species of the longleaf pine forest and were placed on the endangered species list due to the destruction of nesting habitat. Longleaf pine forests once covered an area the size of the Amazon across the southeastern United States. But today, less than 10% of this forest remains. Photo: Jared Lloyd
Frequent flyers
A trio of great crested flycatchers gather momentarily Saturday in a tree at Sandy Run Park in Kitty Hawk. According to the Audubon Guide to North American Birds, flycatchers are more often heard — especially the males’ loud calls — than seen, as they prefer wooded areas. Photo: Kip Tabb
Handsome eastern towhee had bit part in early NC history
The good-looking bird better known for its varied vocal stylings and found in coastal regions, including Ocracoke Island’s thickets, was depicted in the drawings of John White, the Colonial governor, mapmaker and artist.
