Christmas Bird Counts for Ocracoke and Portsmouth islands set
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Note: The dates for the bird counts have been changed from original posting: They...
Rare queen butterfly visits the Ocracoke Observer
By Peter Vankevich
The Ocracoke Observer newsroom has received its share of interesting visitors. Located on a dirt road near the lighthouse, it overlooks one...
Birds of Ocracoke: Gulls in the ‘hood – or maybe not
Laughing Gull in alternate or also called breeding plumage
Laughing Gull in basic plumage, from late...
Ocracoke’s frogs love a summer evening rainstorm
By Peter Vankevich
Photos by Jeff Beane
After spring and summer rains on Ocracoke, the nighttime frog symphony begins.
This phenomenon was noted in the May...
Summer Ocracoke beauties: Black Skimmers
By Peter Vankevich
Among the many reasons to visit Ocracoke is that most of the island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and...
Sharks in North Carolina: Reduce your risk of an encounter
Republished courtesy of North Carolina Sea Grant
By Katelyn Vause
Many people are surprised to learn that “North Carolina is a very sharky place,” notes Chuck...
NPS Friday bird walks move to new location
By Peter Vankevich
The National Park Service for years has run a Friday morning bird walk at 8:30 at the north end of Ocracoke Island...
The road to Devil Shoals is paved with…
Editor's note: The Ocracoke Preservation Society has a wonderful shell collection. For details from an earlier story, click here.
By Peter Vankevich
One access road to...
Birds of Ocracoke: The Redhead
By Peter Vankevich
In the long waterfowl tradition of Ocracoke, perhaps the most endearing species for hunters, decoy carvers and bird lovers is the duck...
Birds of Ocracoke: The Hooded Merganser
Text and Photos by Peter Vankevich
If one were to choose a species as the most handsome duck in America, I would choose this one....