We have been in low gear the last few days. We went to Virginia beach last week to Visit the family there and as always it was pleasant. We also visited one of the other Refuges up in that area, Mackay Island and it was OK, more wild life on the Marshes. We went there because the Refuge Manager we meet in Texas used to be in charge of that Refuge.  It has been real windy here the last couple of days so no beach time unless you wish to be sand blasted. It's OK as we spend more time bear watching. We have several large bears and a good number of the small ones. We never fail to see one on each trip out so it is fun just to sit and watch as they feed and move about . They have harvested about half of the five thousand acres they have planted here and are starting to flood some of them now to make ponds for the migrating water fowl that will start to move through the area here very soon. We have also been involved just a little in the Turtle watch on the beach and the baby turtles are really cute when they hatch out but they need some help from us to protect them from the ghost Crabs and the Gulls who think they are a good and easy meal.  As the number of nests decrease every year  they are trying to help rebuild the population by saving more of the hatching's and so they collect them and are releasing them right into the ocean to by pass the predators.                                                                                          G

Did some tourist stuff yesterday and went to the site of the first English settlement in the New World. The Roanoke site at Fort Raleigh.

This is where they do the play the lost Colony during the summer season. 

Some civil War history

The story of the Sea and Land Battle that took place here.



We love Bear watching on the refuge.

He was too tired to eat any more soy beans .

Wright Brothers Monument in Kitty Hawk

A side shot of the Wright flier. Had the long lens on the camera and that was as good a shot as I could get.

Manteo Lighthouse

The reproduction of the first Queen Elizabeth

Our little home at the Refuge with our evening fire.

Our Halloween Kitty

Sunrise the other morning from the Manteo Bridge

Shot through the truck wind shield

And it's up

Just

No hurry

A bear  but leaving the road

Some fall colors

One of the local bears.

 

We went searching for Eagles at a local fish farm and found this one .

They are all Eagles from adult to juveniles.

Another lone Eagle.

Some local history.

And a very well done replica of the CSS Albermarle

The Roanoke river at Plymouth NC

Some White Pelicans on a still pond on Pea Island.

I love the reflections on the still water.

One of our local Bears.

Hard to see the Bear Cub in the sorghum field. Those are the ears sticking up. The plants are only 18 inches tall.

Missed this picture with the last group. This is the boiler of the USS Oriental that sank just off shore across from the Pea Island Visitor Center. She was a Civil War era steamer and was carrying Pennsylvania Troops from Florida back to New York when she went down in a storm. All made it to shore and the boiler and stack still survive to this day.

       We have been busy the last few days as the Refuge is running their Wings over the Water Event this week and it has been a lot of fun being part of it. Of course things have been hectic due to the government shut down ending only a few days before the whole thing kicked off but it is going well with over 100 different programs going on, not just Birding but Wolf and Bear walks and kayaking the back canals of the Refuge and Canoe trips and many other kid programs going on at the Gateway Main Visitor Center. We are doing our best to do our small part and once again meeting all kinds of diverse people and as always the Refuge Staff is just great to work with. The weather here is finally changing and the temperatures are becoming fall like with nights in the 40s and in the day time in the 60s. Perfect sleeping weather. We are still alone out in the Alligator River section of the refuge and it looks like we won't be on the beach this trip but we have visited the Beach RV Pads and they are just on the other side of the dunes. Looking forward to being there next Summer. One of the Staff  Rangers took a picture of an 11 foot alligator several days ago at the end of the road where we are parked. It was awesome.               G

The invasion of the little green guys after the rain two nights ago.

Where we have been Volunteering the last couple of days.

Some history of the area.

You may wonder why a picture of a Grakle.

Lauren is sitting at a table full of coffee and donuts to be given out to the Birders who are doing walks in the Refuge and the Grakles would like to eat the donuts.

A look at the beach across from the visitor center.

Some Pelicans right behind the visitor center.



A ship wreck that was moved off the beach in 1978 and put in the parking lot of the Nags Head government Building.

Last Nights Sunset



Love the Red Sunsets