By Peter Vankevich Brown Pelicans: From Beacon to Big Foot and back Two skiffs left Ocracoke in the early hot, windless morning of July 6 on a mission – to band the […]
Pelicans in the Pamlico Sound: A tale of two islands
Fiddlers in the sand
Text and photos by Peter Vankevich From mid-to-late summer into early fall when walking Ocracoke Island’s sandy trails and along sound-side areas such as Molasses Creek, you may see fiddler crabs scurrying […]
On Ocracoke: Winged kings ready for flight
By Rita Thiel This is the time of year when winged lepidopteras—butterflies—metamorphose and take flight. Among many species of butterflies that lay eggs and emerge on Ocracoke is the monarch, (Danaus plexippus). […]
Indigo underwater eyes: Sea scallops
By Pat Garber When you walk along the Ocracoke beach, you will come across the red-and-white shells of a creature known as the calico scallop. Although the closely related bay and sea […]
Sea turtle nest excavation a treat for beach-goers
To catch up on Ocracoke news, click here The NPS public excavations hotline, 252-475-9629 By Connie Leinbach A chorus of “Aww!” went up through the crowd as the first loggerhead turtle baby […]
Birds of Ocracoke: The Sandwich Tern
By Text and photos Peter Vankevich Part of my life-long fascination with birds is their often-puzzling names. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has been a laugh-inducer for countless comedians. The Nashville Warbler neither […]
Cape Hatteras National Seashore to offer sea turtle nest excavation programs
To catch up on Ocracoke news, click here Cape Hatteras National Seashore is offering park visitors an opportunity to observe excavations of recently hatched sea turtle nests during the months of August […]
A search for answers in rare whale’s death
Editor’s note: For a story about the beached Gervais’ beaked whale published earlier this year by the Ocracoke Observer, click here. The following update by Pat Garber provides more information about this rare […]
Shell identification on Ocracoke, N.C., beaches
To catch up on Ocracoke news, click here The images below were created by John Timmerman of the North Carolina Shell Club to help beachcombers identify the shells found on Ocracoke beaches, […]
Ocracoke’s Trumpeter Swan may be gone but won’t be forgotten
To read an earlier story about this swan, click here. By Peter Vankevich The young Trumpeter Swan’s two-month sojourn on Ocracoke appears over. May 2 was the last time it was reportedly […]
