r o m sound to sea 



Counting the Creatures 



When it comes to completing an 

 animal census, you can't very well 

 leave a survey in the mailbox. 



Instead, researchers James 

 Pamell and William Webster trudged 

 through marsh, muck and maritime 



Brown Pelican 



forests to count the birds and 

 mammals that inhabit the Cape 

 Hatteras National Seashore. 



The research duo from the 

 University of North Carolina at 

 Wilmington sighted the creatures or 

 looked for evidence — droppings or 

 tracks — of their existence. 



Now the inventory is complete 

 and the census-takers are comparing 

 their tallies with a count taken 35 

 years ago by N.C. State University 

 zoologist Thomas Quay. 



The results of the comparison 

 were recently published in a book, 

 Birds and Mammals of the Cape 



Eastern Cottontail 



Hatteras National Seashore: Thirty- 

 Five Years of Change, published by 

 the University of North Carolina Sea 

 Grant Program and authored by 

 Parnell, Webster and Quay. 



In the late 1950s, Quay counted 

 243 species of birds and 22 species 

 of mammals in the park. Parnell and 

 Webster, however, found 363 

 species of birds and 27 species of 

 mammals 35 years later. 



The increase in bird species 

 reflects the inclusion of more 

 migratory birds, Parnell says. The 

 Cape Hatteras National Seashore is 

 situated along a major migratory bird 

 route, and many species of birds 

 briefly visit the national park but 

 don't live there. 



River Otter 



Although the number of species 

 sighted increased, the quantities of 

 some species, such as the red-necked 

 pheasant and southeastern shrew, 

 declined, says Parnell. 



Some declines can be attributed 

 to changes in habitat. Few major 

 storms have swept the Outer Banks 

 during the past 30 years, resulting in 

 fewer areas of sparse vegetation and 

 more dense thickets and woodland. 



Parnell says these habitat changes 

 can, in turn, change the species of 

 birds and mammals that find the 

 national seashore an attractive place 

 to live. 



The 96-page book lists each 

 species sighted and provides infor- 



Laughing Gull 



mation about its status from each 

 census. The authors also discuss 

 general habitat and animal trends that 

 have occurred in the park during the 

 past 35 years. 



The color cover features a flock 

 of sea gulls beside the Cape Hatteras 

 Lighthouse. The book includes 22 

 photographs of seashore critters such 

 as the eastern kingbird, brant, black 

 skimmer, gray fox and river otter. 



For a copy of Birds and Mam- 

 mals of the Cape Hatteras National 

 Seashore, write Sea Grant, Box 

 8605, N.C. State University, Raleigh, 

 NC 27695. Ask for publication 



Peregrine Falcon 



number UNC-SG-92-01. Please 

 enclose a check or money order for 

 $7 made payable to UNC Sea Grant. 



Kathy Hart 



COASTWATCH 1 9 



