In 1938, the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge was 

 established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide 

 habitat for wintering waterfowl. In the early '30s, the 

 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Army Corps of 

 Engineers and the Department of the Interior built a series 

 of high dunes that stabilized the barrier islands. 



Behind those dunes on Pea Island, the CCC devel- 

 oped a 5,915-acre waterfowl oasis. Managed by the U.S. 



Continued 



4. Canada geese search for roots, seeds and tubers of aquatic 

 plants in the glow of a marsh sunset. They can also be identified 



by their black heads and necks and white chin straps. 

 Often feeding on rice, corn and other crops, Canada geese 

 are not always popular among farmers. These birds are known 

 for their flying V formation. Canada geese are sometimes 

 called honkers for their nasal-sounding calls. 



5. Redhead ducks are often attracted to decoys placed on the 

 Pamlico Sound. Redheads can be identified by their cinnamon-red 

 heads and their calls, which resemble a cat's meow. Rather than 



dabbling at their food as puddle ducks do, diving ducks feed 

 by diving headfirst into the water and gathering up aquatic 

 vegetation, insects and tiny crustaceans from the bottom. 

 Redheads that winter along the Outer Banks migrate east from 

 their prairie pothole nesting grounds. They travel in flocks of 

 hundreds or even thousands, forming rafts of ducks on the water. 



6. The beaches and ponds of the refuge are dotted with 

 shorebirds lurching on their stiff, long legs. At North Pond, 

 marbled godwits take off in a breathtaking display 

 of wings and legs. You'll know the godwit by its call, 

 which sounds just like its name. 



COASTWATCH 7 



