■4 



It's one of those days that make you glad 

 to have outdoor plans. 



Crisp. Calm. Cloudless. The uncluttered 

 blue sky is the perfect backdrop for flights of 

 snow geese rising from the salt marsh fringe of 

 the Outer Banks. 



Thousands of migratory snow geese, 

 tundra swans and myriad other waterfowl find 

 North Carolina's diverse coastal environments 

 ideal winter quarters. Songbirds and shorebirds 

 stop to rest and feed. Some stay. Others 

 continue their long, southward journeys along 

 theAdanticFlyway. 



And so it is on this brilliant day, that 

 hundreds of birdwatchers make a pilgrimage 

 to the region to witness the seasonal avian 

 spectacle during the fall Wings Over Water 

 Wildlife Celebration known as WOW. 



The ritual will be repeated for spring 

 migration. But today, the Pea Island National 

 Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center — one of 

 dozens of WOW field trip staging areas — is 

 abuzz with activity. The mixed group of novice 

 and experienced birders compares field guides 

 and checks the roster for birds spotted each 

 festival day. 



Continued 



Red knots are among diverse waterfowl at the coast. 



Photo by Michael Halminski 



COASTWATCH 7 



