North Carolina birding, birding tours and guides, local birding events

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....Cape Lookout National Seashore - The seashore

is a 55 mile long section of the Outer Banks of North Carolina running from Ocracoke Inlet on the northeast to Beaufort Inlet on the southeast. The three undeveloped barrier islands which make up the seashore - North Core Banks, South Core Banks and Shackleford Banks - may seem barren and isolated but they offer many natural and historical features that can make a visit very rewarding.

....IBAs in North Carolina - The National Audubon Society's North

Carolina State Office has named the state's first Important Bird Areas (IBAs). These sites, ranging from far out at sea to high in the mountains, represent natural areas of special significance to birds that breed, migrate, winter and feed in North Carolina.

....Cape Hatteras National Seashore - Birdwatching. Over 400

species of birds have been sighted in this park.

....The Outer Banks: Still First in Flight - In addition to being a prime

vacation destination, the Outer Banks of North Carolina offers great summertime birdwatching. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, Bodie Island Lighthouse, Nags Heads Woods, Cape Hatteras, and the open ocean all offer a good variety of birds.

....A Birder's Guide to the Triangle - This is a prototype

of an on-line guide to natural areas of the Triangle region of North Carolina. The Triangle region is comprised of the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, and surrounding areas.

....Triangle Birder's Guide - The best birding spots in the Chapel

Hill-Durham-Raleigh area of North Carolina. This site provides a general map of the area, showing the 15-mile-diameter Christmas Bird Count circles for Chapel Hill, Durham, Jordan Lake, and Raleigh. See also the Chapel Hill Bird Club Checklist. This lists all the birds ever recorded in Chatham, Durham, and Orange Counties, NC, from 1975-1996, with frequency designations for every week of the year.

....Birding Hotspots of the Triangle Area - the Triangle is generally a

triangle formed by three cities in the Peidmont Region of North Carolina. Those cities are: Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. It covers 4 counties: Wake County, Durham County, Orange County, and a corner of Chatham County. This page covers the best birding hotspots in these 4 counties.

....Hot Birding Spots In the Highlands Area - from the Highlands Plateau

Audubon Society. See also IBAs in the Highlands area.

....North Carolina and the Gulf Stream- by Angus Wilson. The Gulf

Stream is a warm water current that begins off the tip of Florida, where it is called the Florida Current, and ends off the coast of Ireland. In North America, the 'Stream' passes closest to shore off North Carolina's Outer Banks. The north wall of the Gulf Stream can be reached fairly easily from the fishing ports of Manteo or from Hatteras which is some 70 miles further south. Excellent pelagic birding and seawatching from Cape Hatteras.

....Blue Ridge Birding! - by Alex Netherton. There are many birding

spots in the Blue Ridge (Asheville area), really too many to count. This site lists a few favorites.

....Charlotte Birding - from the Mecklenburg Audubon Society - This site

provides a map of the Charlotte area. Click on a number to go to a description of the birding spot, directions and a map.

....Birding North Carolina - See the coast including Pea Island and

Bowie Island, and join Mary Scott on a pelagic trip to the Gulf Stream, where we saw the elusive Herald Petrel. Then take a trip inland to the Croatan National Forest, Alligator River NWR, Weymouth Woods, and Lake Jordan.

....Jordan Lake eagles and Wildlife Observation Site - from the New

Hope Audubon Society. Bald eagles were first observed at Jordan Lake in 1985. Bald eagles are now found on the lake all year, with nesting activity noted in late winter.

....Seawatching at Cape Point - part of Noel Warner's birding site.

...."Pterodroma Alley" by Michael Tove - this article about pelagic

birding off the shore of North Carolina can be found in the "Features" section of the website.

....National Wildlife Refuges Index - North Carolina. Includes links

to information on:

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge

....The Nature Conservancy of North Carolina - preserve profiles

including:

Grandfather Mountain
Nags Head Woods Preserve
Big Yellow Mountain Preserve

....Brian Patteson, Inc. Pelagic Trips - Brian Patteson has been organizing

pelagic trips for birders since 1986. In 2001, Brian Patteson, Inc. is offering an extensive schedule of pelagic trips from North Carolina's Outer Banks as well as Virginia Beach, Virginia. Trips are scheduled at different seasons so as to see the fullest spectrum of pelagic birds and animals possible in the region.

....North Carolina Pelagic Birding Trips with Focus on Nature Tours -

Various dates May through August. Birding trips to the Gulf Stream and continental shelf with landbirding, nearby onshore. North Carolina Pelagic Trips, onboard the "Country Girl" out of Manteo, with Captain Allan Foreman. FONT will continue to have good leaders & spotters with our trips.

**..Spring in the Great Smokey Mountains with Victor Emanuel Nature

Tours (VENT). The famous smoky haze, the rugged mountains, and the hardwood forests–these are images that bring to mind this well-known region. Many have seen it from the byways and parkways, but it is a region that can be enjoyed on many levels. Our trip takes a slower, more probing look at the complexity of this multifaceted region. Like the Ozarks and Tallgrass Prairies trip, the tour seeks to bring together birds, botany, and a natural and cultural history of a timeless region.

Spring in the Great Smokey Mountains May 02 - May 10, 2001 (9.0 days - Limit 8) with leader Steve Hilty.

VENT offers nearly 140 tours to over 100 land-based destinations each year and is the largest tour company in the world specializing in birding and natural history.