Ocracoke’s unexpected visitor

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April 2013  by Pat Garber Ocracoke Island had an unexpected visi­tor on the afternoon of Monday, January 21. An­nounced by the pings from her tracking device,...

Observed on Ocracoke: peregrine falcons, lots of ‘em

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Jann & Gil Randell on the dunes of Ocracoke Photo by P. Vankevich November 2014 By Peter Vankevich Peregrine falcons are spectacular birds. To see one in flight,...

Spotted on Ocracoke: Gulls in the ‘ hood – or  maybe...

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September 2011 Text and Photos by Peter Vankevich  The Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla, is the most common black-hooded gull that can easily be seen along the coasts...

Alien in the waters of Ocracoke: The Octopus

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By Pat Garber It was another daring prison escape. Lounging in my Ocracoke window seat and listening to NPR one recent morning, I was intrigued.    The escapee,...

From the archives: Remembering Mr. Bob, an Ocracoke pony

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  This article was originally published in the October 2010 Ocracoke Observer By Pat Garber; photos by Barbara Adams ...If such a place there be, an island...

Shell identification on Ocracoke, N.C., beaches

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The images below were created by John Tinnerman of the North Carolina Shell Club to help beachcombers identify the shells found on Ocracoke beaches,...

Released balloons: the scourge of the beach and seas 

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This is the first of a series of stories regarding the ecological and economic harm of marine debris. By Peter Vankevich and Caroline Branan The magnitude...

Christmas Bird Count the oldest wildlife census in the world

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We don’t need too much birdlore, do we,
 To tell a flamingo from a towhee;
 Yet I cannot, and never will, Unless the silly birds stand still....

Nesting birds on sound islands take a hit from Hurricane Arthur

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By Maria Logan It’s summertime and Ocracoke is in full swing. There is a frenetic energy about the island as visitors flock to paradise...

Birds of Ocracoke: the Merlin

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  To see more profiles in the Birds of Ocracoke series, click here  Merlin (Falco columbarius) By Peter Vankevich A small stocky agile-flying  falcon, males can be distinguished...