Sam’s Field Notes: Coastal Thanksgiving
The tradition of showing appreciation for what we have seems most appropriate here on the coast where serenity, beauty and wonders of nature are abundant.
Sam’s Field Notes
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Sam’s Field Notes: Sure Signs of Fall
The little, yellow sulphur butterflies flitting about this time of year are sure signs that autumn is upon us. The fall equinox, marking the celestial start of fall, is Wednesday morning.
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Sam’s Field Notes: Sea Foam
Ever wonder what creates those tufts of sea foam on the beach? Naturalist Sam Bland investigates that answer, and saves a couple shorebirds while he’s at it.
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Sam’s Field Notes: Getting Up Close and Personal with a Cyclops
When a caterpillar of the Polyphemus moth wove its cocoon outside his door, Sam Bland naturally broke out his camera.
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Sam’s Field Notes: A Hike in the Snow Can Be a Birder’s Delight
Snow days are good days to look for birds. They’re a bit more conspicuous against the white background and a little more tolerant of humans.
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Sam’s Field Notes: The Dance of the Dolphins
Sam Bland got an unexpected surprise after Christmas on a jog down the beach at Emerald Isle. He rushed back with his camera to catch The Dance of the Dolphins.
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Sam’s Field Notes: Glasswort Offers Colorful Display in Marsh
The three species of glasswort that grow along the coast are hardy and salt tolerant and go out in a blaze of glory.
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Sam’s Field Notes: The Magnificent Roseate Spoonbill
The big pink bird is rarely seen in North Carolina, so when reports of one visiting Bear Island reached Sam Bland, he had to check it out.
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Sam’s Field Notes: North Carolina’s State Shell, The Scotch Bonnet
Everybody has their favorite shell, but in North Carolina, the Holy Grail of seashells seems to be the Scotch bonnet.
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Sam’s Field Notes: The ‘Spectacled Goose’
The largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, the northern gannets have long been tied to maritime culture.
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Sam’s Field Notes: The Migration of the Monarchs
When the temperatures start to drop,the king of butterflies — the monarchs — begin their long and amazing migration back to the mountains Mexico.
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Sam’s Field Notes: The Call of a Nightjar
The call of the chuck-will’s-widow is one of Sam’s favorites… as long as it’s in the distance.
Winner of 26 North Carolina Press Association awards in 2019