NEWS

Ruby-throated hummingbird in bird bander’s hand. Photo: Cape Fear Bird Observatory. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are making their way back to NC. Here’s how to spot and attract them. By Leoneda Inge, Stacia Brown What is the best feeder to use in your yard if you want to attract hummingbirds? And what blooms should you plant if… Read More >

Spectators visit the beached sperm whale known as Trouble, which washed ashore on Wrightsville Beach in April 1928. Its skeleton now hangs in the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. By Owen Hassell “In the spring of 1928, a quiet morning on Wrightsville Beach turned into a madhouse when word spread of a massive… Read More >

A photographer’s innovative technique reveals the flight paths of insects in exquisitely alluring ways. Broad-headed sharpshooter — Oncometopia orbona — filmed at 6,000 frames per second. October 2021, Raleigh NC. Photo: Xavi Bou. By Annie Roth Movements of flying insects make them tough to track, but technological advances and some creative thinking have allowed Spanish… Read More >

Photo: Snapshot USA. By Joey Pitchford A new collaborative study using thousands of cameras around the world reveals how animal behavior changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the study sheds light on how animal behavior was influenced by changes in human behavior during pandemic lockdowns. Led by the University of British Columbia, the study used… Read More >

This minke whale skull is just one of many specimens in the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ mammalogy collection. Photo: NCMNS. By Annette Weston-Riggs A minke whale washed up on the Outer Banks last week, one of several dead whales found in the region in recent days. Two humpback whales also washed ashore in… Read More >