Outer Banks
Corolla NC
2011


The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a 200 mi (320 km) string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Pamlico Sound from the Atlantic Ocean. A major tourist destination, the Outer Banks are known for their wide expanse of open beachfront and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The seashore and surrounding ecosystem are important biodiversity zones, including beach grasses and shrubland that help maintain the form of the land.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Banks
The Outer Banks were sites of early European settlement in the United States and remain important economic and cultural sites. Most notably the English Roanoke Colony vanished from Roanoke Island in 1587 and was the first location where an English person, Virginia Dare, was born in the Americas. The hundreds of shipwrecks along the Outer Banks have given the surrounding seas the nickname Graveyard of the Atlantic. The Outer Banks were also home to the Wright brothers' first flight in a controlled, powered, heavier-than-air vehicle on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills. During the 20th century the region became increasingly important for coastal tourism.


The Brown Pelican is an unmistakable coastal bird, with its distinctive pouch, striking coloration, and enormous wingspan of over 6.5 feet. You’ll often see them gliding over waves at the beach or plunging headfirst into the water from heights of up to 60 feet. These spectacular dives are how Brown Pelicans capture their prey, which is schooling fish such as menhaden. There is a tale that pelicans go blind from the impact of diving, but there is no truth to that myth.
In North Carolina, Brown Pelicans are found in coastal marine and estuarine waters. Most migrate south for the winter, but small numbers remain year-round, though severe cold snaps result in frostbite to their webbed feet and pouches. They can be found nesting in the Cape Fear River, and in Pamlico and Bogue Sounds on small islands where they are relatively safe from disturbance and predation.
Pelicans were first recorded breeding in North Carolina in 1929 on Royal Shoal, one of the state’s first Audubon sanctuaries, and from those 14 pairs the population grew to more than 100 pairs nesting around Ocracoke Inlet on islands Audubon still protects today. The pesticide DDT compromised many species’ eggs, including Brown Pelicans’, decreasing populations throughout its range and landing them on the endangered species list. Following the ban of DDT in 1972, Brown Pelicans became a conservation success story, with North Carolina populations exceeding historic levels and expanding to islands in the Cape Fear River. Today 4,000-5,000 pairs nest in North Carolina.
Though DDT is no longer a threat, Brown Pelicans are still affected by human disturbance at nesting sites, as well as by oil spills, other contaminants and injuries from fishing gear. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and Audubon North Carolina monitor and protect Brown Pelicans nesting sites. About half of the state’s Brown Pelicans nest on Audubon’s islands.