Turtle 



tidal creeks than the ocean. 



The oystercatcher is best known 

 for its long red beak, which it uses to 

 open shellfish and prey on small sea- 

 shore creatures. A heavy-bodied bird 

 with white underbelly and black 

 head and back, it doesn't mingle 

 with other species when it feeds. It 

 does, however, nest with terns. 



Human destruction of nesting 

 grounds used by the oystercatcher 

 and others — such as the skimmer, 

 tern and gull — can take a toll on 

 the vitality of bird populations, says 

 Peter Meyer, author of Nature Guide 

 to the Carolina Coast. 



Growth on beaches has forced 

 ground nesters to retreat to the safety 

 of our national parks, estuarine re- 

 serves, spoil banks and uninhabited 

 islands, where their populations have 

 been fairly stable. 



"We've seen what overbuilding 

 and construction of rigid structures 

 can do, how you lose the beach, lose 

 habitat," Meyer says. "I think we 

 need to open people's eyes to the 

 splendor and the need for protection. 

 North Carolina is making some 

 pretty good efforts compared to other 



states. ... If you can't learn from your 

 mistakes, that would be a sin." 



On the whole, Meyer says, Tar 

 Heel beaches are still among the better 

 protected for its critter communities. 

 That's because people are making that 

 crucial leap from thinking of the coast- 

 line as a daytime spot for sun and fun 

 to a fragile environment worthy of re- 

 spect and long-term care. 



The small gestures are important. 



Sea Gull 



take living creatures home with you 

 and don't destroy their homes. Even 

 an innocent game among children to 

 excavate a ghost crab hole could col- 

 lapse its burrow. 



"This is (the animals') environ- 

 ment, and we in a sense are intruding 

 in it when we go onto the beach," 

 Powell says. "I tell (children's 

 groups) that we're visiting, and after 

 we leave, the animals have to make 



-Always leave the beach as you found it, or better. 

 Pick up your trash — and somebody else's — 

 and leave the animals as they were. 

 Don't take living creatures home with you 

 and don't destroy their homes. 



For instance, respect birds' nest- 

 ing grounds. Turn around when parent 

 birds dive at your head because you've 

 wandered into their nesting area; 

 they've left their eggs unprotected in 

 the sun to chase you off. 



And always leave the beach as 

 you found it, or better. Pick up your 

 trash — and somebody else's — and 

 leave the animals as they were. Don't 



their daily living out of this area. So 

 the less we do to it, the better they 

 are able to survive." 



Nature Guide to the Carolina 

 Coast, written by Peter Meyer, and 

 Seacoast Life: An Ecological Guide 

 To Natural Seashore Communities In 

 North Carolina, written by Judith 

 Spitsbergen, were helpful sources for 

 this article. □ 



COASTWATCH 9 



