Ocracoke and Portsmouth Christmas Bird Counts take place despite pandemic
By Peter Vankevich
Conducting outdoor bird censuses at the end of December can be a challenge, normally due to the specter of horrible weather....
Spotted on Ocracoke: The cannonball jellyfish
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By Peter Vankevich
In the last few weeks someone walking along Ocracoke’s beaches, especially at Springer’s...
Birds of Ocracoke: Cooper’s Hawk
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By Peter Vankevich
From fall into winter is the best time to see hawks...
Ocracoke’s seldom seen but much esteemed Atlantic ribbed mussels
By Pat Garber
Hidden among the roots and stems of Spartina Alterniflora (cordgrass) in Ocracoke's marshes live clusters of a little-known bivalve.
Atlantic ribbed mussels (Gaukensia...
Surveying waterbirds during a pandemic
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By Peter Vankevich
Well-conducted bird surveys help scientists learn if bird species in an area...
Ocracoke and Sable islands: Kindred spirits with shipwrecks, horses and a...
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Note: While preparing a Birds of Ocracoke profile on the Savannah “Ipswich” Sparrow, a...
Death of a Royal Tern
By Peter VankevichComing across a dead wild animal is not fun. But death is part of nature. In the case of birds, a small...
A rare White-winged Tern’s surprise visit to the Outer Banks
Text by Peter Vankevich
Photos by Hal Broadfoot
The Outer Banks is famous for its bird life. Over the years, about 400 species have been sighted....
Birds of Ocracoke: the Red Knot
By Peter Vankevich
The number of shorebirds that winter along the beach on Ocracoke varies from year to year.
Some years, Red Knots can be seen...
Spotted: The ghosts of Ocracoke
An earlier version of this article appeared in the July 2008 Ocracoke Observer.
Text and photos by Peter Vankevich
No, this is probably not one of...