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A Photo Essay
Fall on Hatteras and Ocracoke
Islands
by
Buddy Swain
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Even in mid
October, the green pigment chlorophyll continues to dominate the
landscape of Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. However, on the
coastal mainland, its color is giving way to the red, orange, and
yellow pigments that it had masked all summer creating a landscape of
colorful deciduous plants framed for the most part by evergreen
pines. On a smaller and less obvious scale, the same process,
stimulated by shorter days and cooler nights, is taking place here on
the islands. In some places, the colors of fall
can’t be missed, but in others, one must hunt for the signs
that summer is giving way to winter. And it is not always the
plants that are announcing the arrival of fall. It can be
seen in the physical environment as well as in the migration of animal
species that pass by this fragile ribbon of sand that lies some 30
miles from the mainland into the Atlantic Ocean. On a recent warm October day with a gentle wind out of the northwest, I
hiked with my camera from the ocean's edge across the island through the
dense maritime forest to the fringing salt marshes along Pamlico Sound capturing
what I recognized as typical signs of fall.
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A sure sign
of summer’s end is seen on the beaches. Although many
people continue to enjoy the beach, wind and water have swept away most
of the footprints from the previous tourist season. |
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of
shells, those molluscan treasures of the intertidal and subtidal zones,
seem to be more numerous now. Maybe it is because there are fewer
people collecting them in the fall. It could be that at this time
of year, the more harsh conditions along the oceanfront either washed
them up or the wind has shifted the sand to reveal what was hidden
beneath
its surface all along. |
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July’s
golden tassels of the sea oats have lost their shimmering golden glow and although this
year’s storm season has been gentle on them, they now have a
tired, dull brown sheen. |
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