|
||
|
Outer Banks Bird News | 
|
 |
||
 |
||
Outer Banks Eagle Photographed by Jeff Lewis |
||
|
* |
Noted
Author Pete Dunne to Give 2008 Wings Over Water Keynote Address |
* |
Pete
Dunne is vice president of the New Jersey Audubon Society and a director
of the Society's Cape May Bird Observatory. He is author of The Wind Masters,
Hawks in Flight, The Feather Quest, Dunne’s Essential Field Guide
Companion. Dunne has also written regular columns in birding magazines
and the New Jersey Sunday Section of the New York Times. In his writing
and speaking endeavors, the author is known to co-mingle information,
insight and fantasy to capture the minds and hearts of his audience. This
year’s keynote program is titled “Twenty-five Things That
Changed Birding.” The keynote dinner will be held at 6 p.m., Friday,
Nov. 7, at Roanoke Island Festival Park. Cost is $30 and advanced registration
is required. The festival runs from Nov. 4th until Nov. 9th. |
||
| New
Study Links Off Road Beach Driving to Oystercatcher Deaths |
||
 |
||
Krahe Art Print Hurzlmeier, Rudi Buy at AllPosters.com Framed Mounted |
A
recent study by members of the zoology department at North Carolina State
University showed a direct relationship between beach driving and mortality
rates of the American oystercatchers, a federally protected species of
bird that nests on the shores of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The
birds are members of one of the species involved in a recent lawsuit filed
concerning beach driving on Hatteras Island. |
Cardinal Grosbeak Art Print Buy at AllPosters.com Framed Mounted |
| More
Than 25% of the Wildlife on Earth has Disappeared Since 1970 |
||
According
to data compiled by the Zoological Society of London, populations of land-based
species fell by 25%, marine by 28% and freshwater by 29%. “Humans
are wiping out about 1% of all other species every year, and one of the
"great extinction episodes" in the Earth history is presently
under way according to the society. Pollution, over-fishing, hunting farming
and urban expansion were blamed. |
||
| New
Program Helps Identify and Conserve Areas that are Vital to Endangered Birds |
||
Called
the Important Bird Area, or IBA, the program and coordinated by the National
Audubon Society, the program helps identify and conserve areas that are
vital to birds and other biodiversity. Once an area is selected, priorities
are set for habitat conservation based on science and by promoting positive
action to safeguard vital bird habitats. Programs inventories of an area
provide a scientific method for prioritizing conservation activities and
allocating limited conservation dollars to be used to ensure the maximum
benefit to birds. |
||
|
* |
||
| 2008 Great Backyard Bird Count Results | ||
Totals
from the 2008 Great Backyard Bird Count for the following Dare County
towns are in. Kitty
Hawk , Kill
Devil Hills, Nags
Head, Buxton,
Corolla,
Avon,
Hatteras
Also check out the total count for North
Carolina |
||
| Water
Bird Populations Declining Along North Carolina Coastline |
||
According
to a survey coordinated by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Black
skimmers, gull-billed terns and common terns continue to show dramatic
declines in population numbers mostly due to habitat loss and degradation
from coastal development and associated human activities. Full
article |
||
| Kitty Hawk Christmas Bird Count | ||
|
* |
|
| Carolina
Bird Club Members and friends adding up the day's count |
||
Sixteen
Outer Banks bird enthusiasts came together on Saturday night, December
15 after a day of watching and counting birds for the annual Kitty Hawk
Christmas bird count. Meeting inside the Kill Devil Hills public library
after a long, overcast day of blistering 20-30 mph north east winds, count
compiler Jeff Lewis of the
Carolina Bird Club collected each individual’s day-long count
and thoughts for the day. Twelve counters were unable to attend the meeting
and called their numbers in to Jeff. The count was sponsored by the Audubon
society. Highlights of the day included a total of 116 different species
of birds spotted in the area. A rare European bird called a Little Gull
was spotted by one lucky watcher. In addition, a Clay Colored Sparrow
and Black and White Warbler were also spotted during this year’s
count. Both bird species are normally much further south at this time
of the year. Final results of the count will be posted at a later date. |
||
|
* |
* |
|
| Blue Grosbeak | ||
 |
||
|
* |
A
Blue Grosbeak was spotted in Kitty Hawk on Saturday, May 5. Its normal
diet includes insects as well as seeds. |
|
| Conservation
Groups Warn that 56 Species of Birds threatened with Extinction in State |
||
| Chech
Out the Latest Waterfowl Migration Report |
||
| Eastern
Screech Owl Spotted at Lake Phelps |
||
 |
||
European Bee Eater Perched on a Branch Stretching its Wings Photographic Print Nigge, Klaus Buy at AllPosters.com |
Submitted by Jeff Lewis |
* |
 |
||
|
* |
The Red Finch | |
| Hand Fed Hummingbird | ||
 |
||
| Watch
this
video of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds being hand fed |
||
| Pea Island December 2006 | ||
| Each
fall large numbers of Whistling Swans arrive from the Artic tundra and
winter in the fresh water ponds and surrounding marshes on Pea Island.
This year the White Pelican is an unexpected visitor. Normally spotted
only in California, Texas or Florida, they can be seen in large numbers
on the fresh water pond near the Visitor’s Center. A flock of migrating White Pelicans is a majestic sight, with wing spans of up to 8 feet. They often capture fish cooperatively, forming a long line, beating their wings and driving the prey into shallow water where they seize the fish in their large pouched bills. In just one afternoon dozens of species can be seen including, Bufflehead Duck, Wood Duck, American Coots, American Wigeon, Common Merganser, White Ibis, Louisiana Heron, Great Blue Heron, White Pelican and Brown Pelican, Least Grebe, Common Loon and many others. |
||
 |
||
| Swans at Pea Island 12/27/06 ...R Jarrell | ||
 |
||
| Brown
Pelican Landing at Pea Island. Check out the metal band around the leg. 12/27/06...R Jarrell |
||
 |
||
| Swans, Greb and Ducks | ||
 |
||
| Whistling Swans wind surfing. | ||
 |
||
| Female Bufflehead Duck | ||
 |
||
| The wing span of a White Pelican can reach 8 feet. | ||
 |
||
| White Ibis Posing for Camera at Pea Island 12/27/06...R Jarrell | ||
| Woman Feeds Hummingbirds by Hand | ||
| Jim
Tribble of Kitty Hawk sent in these wonderful photos of a woman hand feeding
Ruby-throated hummingbirds. Apparently she lives in a Hummingbird migrating
fly zone and during migration season about 20 of them flew into her yard.
Just for a lark, she took the little red dish and filled it with sugar
water and holding it in her hands this was the results. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird spends its summers in the eastern US. During the late fall they fly across the Gulf of Mexico to Mexico and Central America where they spend the coldest winter months. A few have been known stay in our area during the winter, probably because of old age or lack of maturity. These birds require frequent feeding while active and during migration to keep up their energy levels. Due to their small size, they are vulnerable to insect-eating birds and animals. This is the only hummingbird that is commonly found in eastern North Carolina. |
||
|
* |
 |
* |
 |
||
 |
||
 Brown Pelican Photo by Jeff Lewis |
||
| * |
 Egrets on Monkey Island. Photo by Linda Craney |
|
| Read
about the entangled Egret that was rescued by Kayakers in Kitty Hawk |
||
|
|
Eagles
in Kitty Hawk March 13, 2006. Photo by Reeni Jarrell |
|
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
| Welcome Back Home! | ||
| |
||
 |
||
| Egret in a Kitty Hawk Canal 7/16/05 | ||
Pair of Little Owls Photographic Print Burton, Jane Buy at AllPosters.com |
Eagle Poster Buy at AllPosters.com |
Dance of Cranes Art Print Morita, Haruyo Buy at AllPosters.com |
|
Watch this Bluebird Opera in Kitty Hawk Pictures by Maureen Jarrell |
||
 Let the show begin ! |
||
 Moma has a brand new gig ! Building a nest for her young. First, it's off to find some construction materials. These pine needles look good. |
||
 Now, it's back to the nest with the building supplies. |
||
Watch this landing ! |
||
 Now, let me show you how to get in ! |
||
 It's a squeeze but the babies will be safe ! |
||
 That was so much fun that I think I have to do it again. |
||
 Off to find more supplies, maybe get something to eat while i'm out! |
||
 Dad comes over to check moms progress and is told to get some groceries! |
||
Bringing Home the Bacon ! |
||
|
* |
 Rufous Hummingbird source |
* |
|
Painted
Bunting spotted in Manteo |
||
| Painted
Buntings breed south of here, approx Morehead City area and South. These
beautiful birds are not endangered, but are on the "Watch List"
meaning they are declining and are a species of some concern. Here on
the Outer Banks, we have a few some (most?) winters. For those people
interested in attracting these birds to their yards remember that they
need dense cover (shrubs and tangles) in which to hide and they prefer
white millet to eat. This is my second year of entertaining Painted Buntings
at my house and I have never seen them eat anything but millet! The adult
males are unmistakable (even gaudy) and are readily noticed even though
they are fairly secretive. The immature males and females are a nondescript
green and can be easily overlooked so keep a sharp eye out! I am interested
in the prevalence of these birds on the Outer Banks; if anyone in the
area currently has Painted Buntings coming to their feeders and doesn't
mind sharing that information, please contact me at 473-1086 or e-mail
....... Jeff Lewis |
||
|
||
 |
If
you have an interesting story or picture that you would like to share
with our viewers, please contact
our staff. |
|
 |
||
| Outer Banks Stories | ||
| www.outerbanksfreepress.com | ||
