Clouds settle over Town Marsh in Beaufort during a recent summer evening. Photo : Dylan Ray
nature
Summer thyme
An assassin bug sets a trap for its prey near a blooming thyme plant in Beaufort. Photo: Dylan Ray
Mighty cypress
A cypress tree stands tall just off the shoreline of the Neuse River near James City. Photo: Dylan Ray
Fox boxing
Fox kits roughhouse in a clearing on the edge of the Croatan National Forest. Photo: Dylan Ray
Quiet calm
A lone paddleboarder moves over the slick waters of Onslow Bay near the Bogue Inlet Pier in Emerald Isle. Photo: Dylan Ray
Pea Island welcomes Canada goslings
Canada goslings are among the newest residents of Pea island National Wildlife Refuge Most of the Canada geese on the refuge during the winter months are migratory and have already migrated out. But over the years, a few pairs have stayed on refuge all year. Canada geese are known for flying in V-formation and for their loud honking. Most Canada goose pairs stay together for life. The goslings may stay with the parents for their entire first year.
Wildlife Commission says snakes are out too, so coexist
If you see a snake on the trail, in the yard or on the street, don’t worry, just give it room, but state officials ask you to report if you spot rattlers or pine snakes.
Flock party
Judy L., of Morehead City, who says she’s also known as “the Bread Lady,” feeds the gulls at Fort Macon State Park on the east end of Bogue Banks.
Weakfish prolific spawners in North Carolina waters
It’s estimated that weakfish can spawn as many as 66 times per season, which is longer in North Carolina than in areas to the north.
Led to water, but not to drink
Wild mares enter the salty water between Town Marsh and Carrot Island in the Rachel Carson Reserve along Taylor’s Creek in Beaufort. Photo: Dylan Ray
Herons on the hunt
Herons, shown in the foreground, look for prey along the shore of the Newport River near Crab Point in Morehead City. Photo: Dylan Ray
Winter bloom
A yellowjacket climbs the winter bloom of a Fatsia japonica, or paper plant, in a Beaufort garden. Photo: Dylan Ray
Currituck catbird
A gray catbird surveys its snow-covered surroundings Saturday at the Currituck Banks National Estuarine Research Reserve north of Corolla. Photo: Kip Tabb
After the rain
A rainbow commands the sky over the Newport River and the Radio Island Fishing Pier Wednesday in Carteret County. Photo: Dylan Ray
December sunset
The sun sets over the Newport RIver in Carteret County on a calm December evening.
NC Bird Atlas to help prioritize conservation efforts
Volunteers are helping with a five-year project known as the North Carolina Bird Atlas that began this past spring to catalog the size and distribution of the state’s bird populations.
